Pete tried to win with the "Pay-your-limited-franchise-QB-top-dollar" model after paying Russell and it simply didn't work. Couldn't get enough talent under the salary cap. Now I see him going back to his original winning "college program" model, with adaptations.
Pete's SB-Winning "Original Formula"
- A cheap O-Line that is big, powerful, young, pushes people around in the run game but sucks at pass pro
- A cheap-but-good QB who is mobile and elusive enough to work around crappy pass pro
- Investing savings on offense into creating an elite defense, picking up free agents that outplay their contracts
- Superb and deep DBs (Pete's coaching specialty)
- Speed, speed, and more speed in LB group
- DL rotation of a bunch of JAGs that play above their JAG status
- An offense that can run the ball on anyone, with a bell-cow back that opposing defenses have to respect
- Deep shots set up by the run game
- Special Teams excellence, players kept because they ball out on ST
- Tons of players massively outperforming their contracts, "Moneyball"
- Always compete, and always looking to improve the roster top-to-bottom, so Next-Man-Up performance gap is smaller
- Team culture and "I'm In!"
Adaptations:
- Instead of ELITE young defense, I think Carrol is adapting to go for an elite offense that protects a "slightly above average" D by maintaining possession
- Cheap but GOOD young O-Linemen, hit in the draft, Pass Pro skills now required
- QB not required to be as elusive, but must read defenses, and running an on-schedule offense that gets ball out quicker
- Bringing in offensive mind with more modern ideas (Waldron)
- On offense, a little less "impose our will" by brute force, and a little more use of deception and targeting matchup advantages
- A wider range of CB body types, not just Sherman-Browner-Simon, but a variety that can stick with small, quick Julian Edelman types
- Deeper Edge rusher rotation, losing Cliff Avril in SB49 cost Hawks the game
- (I hope) a wider range of defensive looks and deception beyond the Cover 3 that the rest of the league adapted to
I see enough elements that a Super Bowl run is possible in 2023, but not likely. I'd be happy with a Divisional Round win. Philly and maybe SF seem too strong for the Hawks to win the NFC. But then, injuries... With a year of good injury luck, better than other teams' luck, anything can happen... I feel like 2024 is a more realistic target to win the NFC and get to the Owl.
What other "elements" of Pete's winning formula do people see present, and what adaptations from earlier iterations of the formula?