Offense vs. Defense. Who wins?

YJMD

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,628
I'm almost positive there was at least one Catalan line of the QGD in the WC. Also, he is using that to great success in the tata steel tournament going on.
Right after I posted it I thought someone would know chess and point out the QGD games, but while technically a gambit, if you know chess, you know what I'm talking about. QG is played all the time at the top level, and rarely is the gambit accepted, and if it is, it isn't even worth trying to hold on to the pawn.
 

gville_jacket

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
777
In football, I think there is other parameters to consider as well. Weather, stadium noise, home vs away, etc. What I've noticed, a dominant defense is more consistent than a dominant offense to those outside parameters. Many have heard the expression 'defenses travel' and this is what I mean. I've seen more instances of offenses struggling or not able to adapt as easily as defenses can adapt so I'd take the better defense.

Also, the question is a little screwy as we're talking about #1 vs #2 so both offense and defense of both teams are elite. I think the better question would be top 10 offense vs average defense and top 10 defense vs average offense.
 

Heisman's Ghost

Helluva Engineer
Messages
4,944
Location
Albany Georgia
would also add that not having metchie and not having jameson williams for most of the game was what did them in. even when blitzed those guys were able to get open. bama’s remaining WRs just didn’t have enough to win matchups.

i also think in general if you have a bad defense it’s more likely you get a big turnover than it is if your horrendous offense finds a way to score enough points to win.
Quite so. Once Williams went out in the first quarter the game was effectively over.
 

Root4GT

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,366
You asked about this in the NFL. It’s never going to happen in the NFL due to the salary cap. Teams simply can’t pay enough great players to be best and second best in both offense and defense.

In the NFL generally go with a great QB. There are caviars such as his O line is injured or the other team also has a great QB and his line is healthy.

Clearly last week’s SF win over GB did not support this position.
 

JacketOff

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,012
Kirby says not so fast. I can win with a walk on.
Stetson Bennett has been the primary QB for Georgia in 22 games. Opposing teams scored more than 20 points in just 3 of those games, and Bennett was 1-2 in those 3 games. Georgia is able to simply out athlete everybody they play outside of Alabama. It’s very obvious that having talent + a good QB leads to ridiculous team performances. Georgia’s weak schedule and ridiculous talent level means they just needed somebody to take care of the ball and they would have a free ride to the SECCG.
 

lv20gt

Helluva Engineer
Messages
5,587
Right after I posted it I thought someone would know chess and point out the QGD games, but while technically a gambit, if you know chess, you know what I'm talking about. QG is played all the time at the top level, and rarely is the gambit accepted, and if it is, it isn't even worth trying to hold on to the pawn.

I mean, unless you're thinking of only the romantic era gambits like the Kings Gambit or Evan's Gambit that are dubious in nature I'm not really sure what you would consider a gambit if not the QG. It's giving a pawn to try and create space in the middle and then use tempo spent guarding the pawn to get a lead in development. That's why it's usually declined, but it's still a gambit. Usually those aforementioned types of gambits aren't played at the highest level by anyone because they have been studied and people know how to take advantage. Even someone like Dubov who would be characterized as riskier doesn't go into those often I don't think.

But even without the named gambits Magus still made similar types of moves. In game 1, Magnus offer a pawn sac I believe within the first 15 moves that was accepted. In game 6 he offered a pawn on move 10 to try and get a lead in development and that didn't even come with the pressure of trying to defend the won pawn like in the QG. This offer was declined. Later on he exchanged his Queen for two rooks (while not really a gambit it is in a similar line of thinking.
 

Northeast Stinger

Helluva Engineer
Messages
11,174
Right after I posted it I thought someone would know chess and point out the QGD games, but while technically a gambit, if you know chess, you know what I'm talking about. QG is played all the time at the top level, and rarely is the gambit accepted, and if it is, it isn't even worth trying to hold on to the pawn.
QGD is hardly a gambit. Technically it qualifies but it’s not like variations of the Italian game that sacrifice pieces.

Love the chess analogy. However, in tournament play, black plays for a draw. Perhaps that is the equivalent of defense not giving up a winning touchdown?
 
Top