[ramsman34]

It was a bit of a hyperbole.

Basically I'm saying that a with good blocking the QB has better chances in the passing game facing a defense playing 8 in the box than against 6

With Gurley there was good reason for defenses to stack the box. Will Brown do the same?

He might - depends on the personnel package. Also, think about what Henderson will do to defensive alignments. They won't stack 8 as he is a legit receiving threat. That will leave a lot of room to run me thinks. I.E. it can be set up both ways; light box run, heavy box pass. there will be and probably already are runs/passes/ built into to each play call. Jared simply gets into the one that he thinks is best set to succeed against that particular D front/coverage. D disguise makes that a tough chore at times. It's really not a simple as pre-snap box read, IMO. It's about tendencies based on what that D has shown in the past, pre-snap and then their adjustment at the snap.

[BobCarl]

pre-snap and then their adjustment at the snap.

... I am always good with concluding that a defense showing a Double-A-Gap blitz most often will drop one or both back. Yes, you make a valid point. And these days a lot of the offensive strategy and personnel movement is played after the snap rather than at the snap.

Nevertheless, which will is more likely to lend towards a successful pass play? (A) 8 defensive players in the box anticipating a run-play ... or (B) 5 DBs and a couple of LBs anticipating a pass play?

[ramsman34]

... I am always good with concluding that a defense showing a Double-A-Gap blitz most often will drop one or both back. Yes, you make a valid point. And these days a lot of the offensive strategy and personnel movement is played after the snap rather than at the snap.

Nevertheless, which will is more likely to lend towards a successful pass play? (A) 8 defensive players in the box anticipating a run-play ... or (B) 5 DBs and a couple of LBs anticipating a pass play?

Again, that depends on the play call. Goff/McVay should be able to exploit either in myriad ways. I get what you are saying; have a sound, if not punishing run game, and play-action/the passing game in general should light it up. however, 8 in the box is also a blitz-heavy front. Defenders read their keys and if they don't buy the run-action, or if they are in a rush to cover role and keeping gap discipline - both your pass game and run game can be greatly disrupted. this falls back on the o-line, the protection call, how well each guy how is called on to block executes his assignment. Play-action can neutralize the ability of a back to block anyone as he carries out the fake. That can leave a free rusher. But yes, consistently forcing a D into base personnel should make it easier to get good match-ups in the passing game. However, McVay will need more 12 and 22 personnel sets if he wants to keep a D in base. They won't stay in base against 11-personnel. And, if the D has fast, rangy LBs who can cover, their being in base against 12 or 22 personnel can mitigate pass game advantages for the O. To me, play calling on O is all about situations and "finding the fish" - the player or players you think you can exploit on D, on any given play. McVay looks to find mismatches and uses the deception of "everything looking the same" to do it. He wants to get defenses into particular packages with particular defenders on the field whom he thinks he can out leverage. Again, just my observational opinion.