Jets podcast: What is good playcalling?

One trademark of NFL fans is criticizing playcalling. We all do it. I know I do. It is frustrating to watch when our team runs an ill-conceived play at the wrong time. We all have probably said at one point or another that we could do better than our team’s offensive coordinator.

It is difficult to describe what constitutes good playcalling, though. Frequently we rely on the result of the play. A play that results in a big gain seems like a good playcall. A play that doesn’t work is a bad playcall.

That isn’t really accurate, though. There are elements of luck that enter into football. You can diagram a brilliantly designed play where somebody misses a block or slips. The play results in failure, but that doesn’t make it a bad call necessarily.

On today’s podcast I try to explain what exactly makes for effective playcalling in the NFL.