We are past the halfway point of the football season, making this a perfect time to take an honest look at what we are doing—and how well it is working.
One lesson I have learned over a long coaching career is that the plays I think are good aren’t always the plays that produce the best results.
As coaches, we can become attached to certain plays because they look good on paper, have worked in the past, or simply because we believe in them.
But football doesn’t care what we think should work.
The numbers don’t lie.
This is especially important on third and fourth downs—what we call the “Money Downs.”
These are the downs that keep drives alive, create scoring opportunities, and often determine the outcome of a game.
We need to know which plays consistently give us the best chance to convert—and which ones don’t.
The film tells us why something happened. The statistics tell us how often it happens.
We need both.
The purpose of an honest audit isn’t to prove that a play we like is good. It’s to discover what actually gives our players the best chance to succeed.
At this point in the season, it’s time to challenge our assumptions, eliminate what isn’t working, and lean into what we do best.
The Money Downs demand our best preparation, our best decisions, and our best execution.
Because when the game is on the line, what works matters a whole lot more than what we wish would work.
Coach Rich Alercio is available to discuss coaching philosophy, X’s & O’s, or teach his O-Line “techniques in the trenches.” Contact Coach at richalercio@gmail.com and share http://www.olineskills.com with your colleagues and friends. Thanks for supporting this blog and joining our conversations, and as always, thanks for your time!
