I'm not saying its a matter of relative effort - its more a matter of relative emphasis, especially as it relates to their effectiveness as a unit.dead_poet wrote: That should be a priority no matter who the quarterback or running back is. If an offensive lineman is somehow not giving 100% on each play based upon whose lining up behind him he should be benched. I doubt this factors in to their mindset when the ball is snapped.
There may be no telling it, but it would be far more tempting for Turner to call for his All-World RB to carry the offense rather this his rookie QB. All I'm trying to say is, without said All-Word RB back there, neither Turner nor Teddy have that luxury. They have to make it go on the merits of the players they have and develop their approach and skills to match that reality.dead_poet wrote: Same as the offensive linemen. Bridgewater has to execute the play call no matter who is behind him. If the focal point of the offense shifts a bit more to the ground game (because it's more successful on a per-play basis) then so be it. There's no way of telling that Teddy's average depth of target would shrink based on AD being on the field. If anything it could rise based on AD helping the team get into second and third-and-short situations with Teddy taking more shots down the field.
All I'm saying here is that as great as AD is as a player, it's time for the Vikings to become a much more proficient passing team. That is easier when they have no choice in the matter. Losing AD forced their hand, and that might not have been a bad thing for this team's long-term prospects.dead_poet wrote: By their nature most "big plays" come from the pass, but that's not the only way they happen. How many runs of 20+ yards have we seen and, really, what difference does it make how the "big plays" happen (run, pass, special teams) as long as they do?
That's a true statement, but it misses my point. In our jobs, we have bosses, and those bosses have points of emphasis. While we all may try to stay well-rounded in our skillsets, there is no denying that we will emphasize the skills and traits used by our bosses to evaluate our performance. If the emphasis is on paving the way for the star runner and playing dink-dunk in the passing game to complement that runner, then that's what those players are going to do.dead_poet wrote: I disagree. Players should improve individually and collectively with no bearing on who the QB or RB is.
As before, it's not a matter of effort or lack of will to improve - it's a matter of emphasis.
