Right now the guys look really confident in what they're being asked to do on offense and it makes a huge difference. If you're wondering how everyone looks so improved across the board, that's why--that clarity of purpose. I have wanted to write an article on this for a while but haven't found the time (and no one has directly asked about it in an AMA so I keep forgetting), but I will touch on it now.
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As great, fantastic, phenomenal, etc. as Brees was....Can you imagine him in this offensive system with the O-lines he had?Right now the guys look really confident in what they're being asked to do on offense and it makes a huge difference. If you're wondering how everyone looks so improved across the board, that's why--that clarity of purpose. I have wanted to write an article on this for a while but haven't found the time (and no one has directly asked about it in an AMA so I keep forgetting), but I will touch on it now.
The thing about Payton's offense was it evolved for a decade and a half around Drew Brees. Think about the on-field operations. Break the huddle quickly, get to the line, hard count, and Brees either changes the play or dishes out a hot route and they snap the ball with the play clock almost at 0. This also ties into the perceived "lack of motion" and shifts--Brees' on field operations served a similar purpose, forcing the defense to show it's hand. He could then exploit a matchup or a spacing issue.
Brees' success created the myth that this offense was quarterback-friendly. It wasn't. It was Brees friendly. Just like you couldn't plug anyone in to Peyton Manning's offense, you couldn't do it here. And it was all Carmichael knew. So you had this offense that relied heavily on matchups and on-field operations, was a west-coast, low protection-type of system, and while Carr and the other guys started to grasp it later in the year, the slow starts were inevitable.
I'm getting back to your original question, I swear
What you have with Kubiak's system--and the words SYSTEM should be in bold capitals--is something that takes, for lack of a better term, a more systematic approach. It's of that Alex Gibbs zone tradition in the running game, and it relies less on isolation and matchups and on-field operations and more on "we are going to do these very specific things as an offense, and you, as a defense, must figure out ways to stop them without leaving room for the built-in answers we have."
The only way to beat the zone running game is with numbers and penetration. One way to match numbers is backside pursuit (that end playing spill/chase and running the back down), but that opens up the bootleg. You want to slide down a safety as a free hitter? Cool, we'll max pro and get you with crossing routes.
These are really simple examples and the truth is the devil is in the details. This isn't just a great job by Kubiak (though he deserves a ton of credit). This is a testament to GREAT positional coaching. These guys aren't just doing the right drills, but they're having very detailed meetings and are understanding exactly what they're supposed to do--then how and why of it all--and that dramatically boosts buy-in from the players.
So, yes, things will get tough, games will get closer. But as we saw with the Saints in 2009 this level of efficiency, combined with complimentary football from an opportunistic offense, is difficult to stop. And that goes back to buy-in too. Even when games get close or low-scoring, you will less frustration and better focus and leadership than we saw in the past couple of years.
ALL THAT TO SAY--yes, I still see issues. Penning is playing great and I am sure they're preparing him very well for what he'll face each week and he's gaining confidence. But how does he fare when something he didn't expect finally gets thrown his way? How will the team handle injuries to more important players (this could've been a very different game if Fuaga couldn't go)? I like the depth they've built, especially at the skilled positions--Tipton exists on this roster explicitly in case something happens to Rashid Shaheed. There's great situaitonal play coming from the defense.
But this is the NFL. Things will get tougher--that much is guaranteed.
As for Chase Young--the sky is the limit. I don't know exactly how many sacks he'll get, but he's so disruptive that his production may be even more reflected in how many sacks everyone else on the DL gets.
That's what has blown me away, our execution has been outstanding. There isn't a ton of trickery going on, we seem to be just running our base offense and the defenses we've faced so far have had zero answers. Kubiak/Carr haven't been in a position yet where we need to pull something out of a hat to get us back in a game, we're leaving opponents in the dust from the first drive onward.
Because as Dan says, it's a system, not a part of something else. In order to implement it properly you have to commit to it and it has to be core to your offense and your offense bends to it, not the other way around.
This has really jumped out to me as well. They aren't doing anything earth shattering out there. This isn't some gimmick offense. The motions/formations look fancy to us because we haven't seen it but the plays are super basic. The execution has been unreal.
Every single team in the NFL has inside and outside zone in their playbook. It's not something extremely unique as a concept.
What I see from the defense is that they aren't pressing, and when the opposing offense does make a big play, they stay composed. The Cowboys game, especially in the first, really came down to the Saints' offense scoring TDs and their defense holding Dallas to field goals. On the one touchdown that was a great route by Lamb (he got Adebo stacked, leaned into him, and then speed cut the out) and Mathieu just took a bad angle (was trying to play the ball and he should have just gone for the hit.... like he did later in the game).
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