The Preacher can correct me if I’m wrong about this, but I think somewhere around Matthew 19 it reads, “It would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for Jon Gruden to implement the shotgun formation.” Or something like that. I really just skimmed it, but I got the gist. But now, Gruden is reconsidering:
“Yeah, sure we have,” Gruden said when asked if he has thought about putting Gradkowski in the shotgun. “We might see the shotgun sooner than later. You never know.”
Look at that… miracles can happen after all. And all it took was an 0-3 start, the second worst offense in the NFL (thank you, Oakland) with a league-worst 130 yards rushing in three games (2.4 ypc), a quarterback who was hit so hard and so often that he had to have pieces of himself removed, a new rookie starting quarterback and a rookie starting right tackle to get Gruden to reconsider.
I understand his reasons for not using the shotgun. Really, I do. The West Coast scheme is all about timing, which gets thrown off on the long snap. It also forces the quarterback to take his eyes off the defense for just a second to get the ball… a second that a defender could use to get a jump start on a blitz. But when your team is weak on the offensive line, the only way to give your quarterback more time is to drop him back deeper either through a seven-step drop or the shotgun. Bruce Gradkowski used the shotgun formation exclusively at Toledo, so he’s comfortable with it. If this is a rebuilding year (whether anyone on the team wants to admit it yet or not,) it seems like a good time to try new things.
And what if Gradkowski is successful in the shotgun? Does Gruden keep it in his playbook when/if Chris Simms returns? Or what if he’s not? Does that mean it’s not a good idea, or just the inevitability of rookie struggles regardless of how far behind center he is? It will be very interesting to see how this all unfolds on Sunday.
Posted by Brian Coleman, New York on 10/09 at 08:00 AM
I was disappointed to see Bruce Gradkowski’s magnificient performance upstaged by a punt return. If Tampa won that game, all anyone would be talking about today is the sensational rookie, Gradkowski. He has outperformed all the rookies that the media has been obssessed with so far.
Pure and simple, the defense can’t tackle. Forget grand defensive strategy for the bengals. Monte needs to have those guys do tackling drills all week long. Get back to basics. I really believe it is that simple.
Posted by robert walsh, NYC on 10/08 at 03:33 PM
Riddle of the day:
What goes run, run, run, kick. Run, run, run, kick. Run, run,incomplete pass, kick?
Gruden’s playbook.
The master of the west coast offense needs to be fired. Gradowski showed he can throw the ball, and yet Gruden keeps running the ball.
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Posted by patrick dotson, tampa,fl on 10/12 at 11:04 AM
mr walsh, if im not mistaken a think your lost in the dungy age my friend,this offense looks so much better than when the so called “Tampa’s Savior of football coach tony dungy was here.i dont remember having a 1000 yard reciever and running back in the same year when dungy was here.our offense has ranked higher in all stats better than when dungy was here.so i think the prob is that everybody wants to jump ship and start pointing fingers at the coach, but who you really need to point the finger at is the players…gruden is the coach,he is on the sideline,not on the field,yes he calls the plays,but if the players dont excute them, they wont work….go bucs