Of course it's going to look like McIntosh's play has improved when Thigpen is getting rid of the ball on his 3rd step.

The guy sucks. He's the same lump of shit he was in the Patriots game, except his QB is bailing him out with a quicker throw and scrambling ability.

I'm curious why you think this is true. I thought the story was that the spread can't be used as a base offense in the NFL because the rushers will overwhelm the protection and the DBs can sit on the short stuff behind pressure and force picks off hot throws.

In the spread, the QB is supposed to take the snap, take a 3 steps straight back and unload. The QB is deeper on a 3-step shotgun drop than a 7-step under center drop. The defender has to get 8 yards up field in a very short time period to get to the QB. This necessitates taking a relatively short path. A short path necessitates a more predictable path, thus leaving the OL less territory to protect.

In contrast with the QB under center, the distance between the QB and DE is shorter, which opens up additional pathways. Plus it is more likely that the interior push will provide pressure when the QB is under center, getting the QB to make a move that the DE can see, but the OL can't. In the spread, the OL knows where his QB is. Makes pass blocking a lot easier.

Finally if the DE breaks free from the OL there is more space for the QB to scramble. Fewer sacks happen, and the fans assume the pass blocking must be better.

I am not a proponent of too many short throws, but that is another subject.

Zouk should probably kill heeself, just so there'd be one less dumbass around.

If only his commitment was that deep.

This is true on pass protection. It doesn't explain how the offensive line helped open up a running game that went for, I don't remember, like 150 yards against Tampa last week, though.

But there wasn't much on the ground today, so there's no point dwelling on that issue until they prove it wasn't a fluke.

You totally left out the factor of backs and tight ends to help and chip. The spread is widely acknowledged to leave the QB exposed - that's why it includes all those screens and misdirection runs to slow rushers. Sounds like you're pining for the run n shoot, which was basically 5 wide and deep route combinations. Buddy Ryan would choke you.

I've never been a fan of the run 'n shoot. Some shot gun is okay, but running 5-wide on a consistent basis isn't going to win you many games.