It seems that the language of calling a play in the huddle is very lengthly, so how do teams get everyone working on the same page when the QB audibles? Also, when the audible is called who calls out the OL adjustments? Is an audible paired beforehand to a play called in the huddle? Are there more mental mistakes when an audible is called?
If I understand what the Giants do, I don't think Eli comes to the line with the option to call any play he wants. He comes to the line with an option of a run and a pass. One is called in the huddle. If he doesn't like what he sees, he can check to to the other one.
Remember that while the QB may see something and want to call a particular play, he's limited by the personnel package on the field. And, as noted, that takes time. If he wants to completely change the play at the line, then everyone has to reset, the center has to change the line's blocking call. That takes time -- often more time than is left on the clock.
So you might think he's changed to a running play when in fact that's the original play and all the pointing etc is invalid.
Imagine Eli coming to the line and sees a defense that's perfect to stop the play he'd called in the huddle. He puts on a show and gets the defense to adjust to the play they think he's calling at the line. Now he runs the original play.
That's a technique to stop them from adjusting...and the moves and countermoves become infinite.
Lombardi didn't care, he'd just overpower the other guys. Those teams would be humiliated by an average college team - A WWI Jenny going up against a P-51 as a P51 goes against a F-16.
Football is about war in many regards and really a fight about territory.
I always thought, perhaps unfairly, that guys like Favre never had enough brains to play this game...strong arms notwithstanding.
1. The team creates a specific number of audibles for each game based on the defense that the QB can check into at the LOS (Line of Scrimmage). This is part of the mental game. Plays often have a code name so as a new play is not needed to be called.
2. IN the huddle the QB may call a run play and a pass play and make the decision at the LOS. If the QB calls "Kill" often that means kill the play he called and run the other. SO if at the line he started the cadence for a pass and yells KILL it tells the team they are running the run play.