If Knoblauch plays, it will probably be the difference between a functional offense and a dangerous offense.
The Grizzlies need help from a real, functional offense, one that isn't wholly dependent on Randolph bailing them out with his remarkably efficient isolation game.
— Even after quarterback Alex Smith directed five fourth-quarter comebacks in last year's regular season and one more in the playoffs, the San Francisco 49ers emerged with a reputation as a dynamic defensive team with a one-dimensional, functional offense.
That makes this season the first real developmental opportunity of Beasley's young career (as well as his first season as a part of a functional offense), and though his production and efficiency have shrunk a bit this year, Beasley isn't the possession-killing monster he used to be.
In an early-season matchup with middling Houston Tuesday night, we saw Kobe Bryant completely take control of a non-functional offense and revert to Black Mamba, circa 2006.
Mississippi State's offense is functional, even good.
But the Eagles would probably be content with a merely functional performance from their offense, because their defense is playing superbly.
The Giants were 6-6 after blowing games against Houston and Tennessee, and now, a month later, they are widely viewed as dangerous, efficient on defense, explosive on offense and erratic but functional in their kicking game.
He intimidated pitchers and launched mammoth home runs, but the Yankees' offense was not any less functional in those many months when he was not around, which is why club officials will most likely wait to decide on a replacement.
The Bucs' offense strikes me as marginally the more functional, in as much as Doug Martin has run the ball pretty well lately, while Alfred Morris appears to be not so much stuck in a rut as broken down in one.
