The Indianapolis Colts made the playoffs one season after a 2-14 record with rookie starters at every offensive skill position. Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians was named NFL Coach of the Year before being hired by the Arizona Cardinals to sit in their head coaching chair.
Arians loved to aggressively push the ball down the field. Andrew Luck set the rookie quarterback record with 4,374 passing yards with that approach. Arians' replacement, former Stanford offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, is known for his version of the West Coast offense.
Hamilton explained his vision Wednesday.
"I think it's important that we all understand that we're a sum of all our parts offensively," Hamilton said. "We've got to do whatever it is that our players do well. It's obvious just based on production that we had in the passing game this past season, that we're a team that can push the ball down field.
"That should create paranoia for our opponents."
Hamilton talked about putting pressure on opposing defenses by creating paranoia and conflicts for defenders. There will be power runs in addition to the downfield passing game and even some Wildcat, read-option and pistol formation facets.
Basically, Hamilton said don't get caught up in the "West Coast" label.
"I think that term has become somewhat cliché in football," Hamilton said. "I've worked with Norv Turner, who's in a sense the complete opposite. The digit system, the Coryell offense is a push-the-ball-down-the-field, play-action-passing-based offense. If you look at what we were able to do successfully at Stanford, I think there was a good mix of both.
"Early-down completion concepts, dropping back and throwing the football with three- and five-step drops, as well as the ability to knock the opponent off the ball and be physical in the run game, which in turn, opened up the passing game. ... So there's no 'can't do's' in our offense."
Hamilton has an advantage that most new coordinators don't -- an established relationship with the quarterback. Luck was a Heisman Trophy finalist with Hamilton in 2011. There'll be plenty of work and adjustments to make, but Luck already has a foundation to build off of heading into his second NFL season.
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
