You're newly promoted offensive coordinator Mike Johnson. You're gameplanning for the 49ers opening drive. It doesn't matter if the 49ers got the ball first or not, because we all know that the defense is going to get a turnover on the first play. Obviously. So, it's the 49ers opening possession and the score is tied at 0-0. What kind of football game do you call?
Do you come out running it because that's what this team should be built around? If you do run it, what kind of runs do you call? Do you dive, do you toss, do you run a draw or some misdirection? Do you start out the game passing? What about your offensive line, do you go with a moving pocket to start and show this defense something they haven't been able to see watching the gametape?
I won't post what I think my complete gameplan would be on that first drive, but I will say that I'd open it with a running play. Either misdirection or, you guessed it, a dive up the middle. My reasoning for that is the Falcons defense will be on their toes. I think they'll stack the box, but I think it will be a less-than-complete stack, as they really don't know what's going to happen, either. If I'm the Falcons, I'm expecting creativity from the very first offensive snap, and I have some guys spying. So start it off a little cookie-cutter, send Frank Gore up the left side behind Mike Iupati and see what happens.
The thing we can all hope for is: if that doesn't work, this offense can adapt. If the first running play doesn't work, hopefully there's a flow chart of sorts in Johnson's head that allows for a different play to be called in every situation. The run doesn't work? RUN AGAIN! Wait, no, don't do that. Don't be Jimmy Raye, Mike Johnson. Don't be Jimmy Raye. Thanks to Tre9er for the suggestion for this post.