Plays are about way more than just the playcall and the Xs and Os. Everyone knows the same basic set of plays, what really makes the difference are the tiny details that fans could not possibly understand. You have to worry about the play sequence, the combos, the rules within each play for how everyone matches up, the subtle differences in technique and leverage with every single player on the field. It’s not just as simple as go run this route, its also about breaking off the same route 2 yds shorter or if the DBs are lined up a certain way, things like that. The actual playcalls are sort of universal, everyone knows what “all verts” means, but there are an infinite number of tiny variations in terms of the specific rhythm and timing and the players you line up and how you motion them around, etc etc etc, which can force a slight hesitation from the defense, which is how big plays are actually made in the nfl. People think playcallers just call “the right plays” whatever that means, but it really comes down to extremely minor details and clever little nuances that you would only notice if you were an nfl coach.
No, none of you people get it. MOTION IS THE PROBLEM. All the Shanahan offenses that rely on a lot of motion is exactly what Brady is talking about when he says “coaches trying to control the game from the sideline.” It takes all of the burden of reading defenses off guys like Brock Purdy so that Shanahan can control the game with his play combos. (But that’s also why Shanahan’s offense always falls apart in the playoffs, eventually he runs into a defense that isn’t fooled by his tricks once they have enough film.) This is the style of offense taking over the nfl because it yields such quick results, but it’s also a crutch that handicaps qbs development. Motion is built into these new offenses to make things as simple as possible for qbs. But that means those qbs never learn advanced quarterbacking which used to be the standard in the nfl.
Ask Peyton Manning or Aaron Rodgers or any of these top level qbs, they all avoid motion because they know how to read defenses better without it. Motion forces the defense to move, which muddies some of the details that high level qbs care about. But playing at that level requires insane amount of film study and attention to detail that most people aren’t cut out for. I don’t blame these young guys for not wanting to work a lot harder at a silly frivolous game when they’re already making tons of money regardless. But that’s the state of the nfl and that’s why the game is getting worse.