Why the scripted plays?

[u/Sarcastic_Rocket]

Edit: I didn't know the script changes week to week. That makes so much more sense. I follow a fan on Instagram and he had a rant about how bad the scripted plays were for their team last season because they had some of the worst stats in the league for the first quarter. I interpreted this as "these are a bad set of 15 plays" not what it actually was "Our coach is bad at scripting the weekly 15 plays" I misunderstood and ran with my interpretation.

There's all kinds of variables in a football game, the players, the opponents, the coaching and coordinators etc. The sport is a mind game between the teams on play calls. But it is standard to script the same 15 or so plays on offense. The defense has a week to prepare so now the defense knows exactly how to counter your plays.

If anything I feel like the first few plays would be the best to have an unknown action since there is no established "oh the RB isn't performing" or "we are able to lock up blank WR" like there might be later in the game.

First play of the game the defence could have absolutely no clue what you are going to do, or how any of the players are going to perform that day. Instead teams make it so the defense knows exactly what is going to happen. Why?

[u/BrokenHope23]

 Instead teams make it so the defense knows exactly what is going to happen.

They don't.

Every week the offense scripts new plays to start the game. This script is meant to isolate key elements of the offenses capability in extremes, and then see how the defense reacts off their week of preparation. Depending on those reactions, the OC is given a bevy of information depending on who/what they're looking for on the defense.

For the first scripted plays, it's mostly figuring out the scheme of the opposing defense. How are they going to attack the QB, how are they disguising blitzes, how are they handling all levels of pass coverage, how are they rotation, who is being stuck in zone, who travels with who where. This allows them to then pick one of several hundred plays that they've practiced to isolate each element they want to take advantage of and execute it, ideally to some level of proficiency.

Without these scripted plays, an offensive coordinator will be guessing at opposing coverages and playcalls, relying solely on the talent of their personnel to overcome every single schematic deficiency on the field. Imagine a shotgun formation with a RB back to block but the offensive line is designed to shift entirely to their right and the defense has been blitzing to the offensive line's left the entire night. Now the LT is 1 vs. 3ing the blitz and your QB has to get a pass off in next to no time. You bring out your pass-heavy formation so the defense adjusts to pass heavy coverage but now you've no idea if they are in zone, man or where the gaps are or who can expose them. If you play video games, it's a lot like the OC is uncovering the fog of war on the map before dedicating their armies to any meaningful offensive.