.Since our last post here there have been a number of changes. I am at a new school, we made a deep playoff run, and now most of the country is spending most of their time at home as we all struggle to deal with Covid-19 and its impact. Hopefully we'll have some new scheme posts up soon. Bobby Petrino has a new book out: Inside The Pocket
Coach Petrino has a......complicated legacy. But one thing that is beyond question is that he is one of the finest offensive minds of the past 30 years. He has had incredible offensive success at multiple levels of football and I have always been intrigued by his system, which has a lot of similarity to the famous Jack Elway/Dennis Erickson/Mike Price/Joe Tiller system but that branched off in entirely unique directions. If you are spending time at home due to Covid-19 you owe it to yourself to order this book. It is phenomenal. The best way I can describe it is: what if you had an elite offensive mind go through his entire playbook with commentary on every play. That would be a valuable experience. Petrino does that here. The book is 482 pages long! There are 123 pages on his dropback package alone. There are sections on empty, pass protection, RPOs, the zone and power read series he used with Lamar Jackson, and more. A great resource for OCs everywhere.
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In his seminal work the "Football Coach’s Complete Offensive Playbook” the late, great Homer Smith said that “patterns must generate more of themselves”. Relative to making pass patterns look alike I think the following quote from the book illustrates perfectly what Coach Smith meant: “The important thing to know is that branches always sprout from trunks. A defender wants to be able to follow the trunk of a receiver’s route and know where the receiver is going. Each route must sprout branches if defenders are going to be kept wondering.” Those words were published in 1987 and are truer today than ever, as defenses continue to advance in pattern matching and recognition principles. We all understand how offenses like the Wing-T and Flex-bone Triple Option use play-series that initially look completely alike, fit together as a system of “Base” and “Counter” plays and cause tremendous strain on defenses. However, in my experience very few coaches view the passing game in the same way. Rather than a collection of disjointed passes, Coach Smith was encouraging a system of passes which also carried “Base” and “Counter” variations and in which a defensive response to a base pattern triggered an immediate response from the offense that was already built-in. But, while any offensive coach can draw lots of routes, fitting them into a system where patterns can not only be “generated”, but do so in a logical manner, and where a QB can find open receivers without being overwhelmed with new progressions/reads is another matter entirely. In its simplest form, developing branches from trunks involves taking one route stem (trunk) and creating multiple branches off of it. For example, from the initial Post trunk below, a defender has to be able to respond to not only the threat of the Post, but also a Post-Curl, Post-Dig, Post-Corner, and Post-Bench. When two receivers are involved it adds another layer of complexity for the defense. From the initial trunks below (#2 pushes vertical and #1 crosses him underneath), if an offense only runs one route, it is an easy pattern read. But if you create multiple branches it becomes very difficult for a defense to predict how they will be attacked. The more indecisive a defense is in recognizing patterns the likelier a chance a lesser player has of getting open. If you spend even a little time studying New England Patriots film you will notice just how often they employ this particular pattern trunk and the endless variations that branch off it. This "trunk-branch" principle is simple, but how can you incorporate it into a reading system for the QB? We’ll illustrate with an example. In the diagram below we are in a sniffer set and motion the RB outside of our best WR. The sniffer runs a check-release wheel route. The boundary WR runs a reduced split Dig route. The field slot runs a Drag with the option to sit down outside of the tackle box. This outlet pattern does not change. While you can mess around with the outlet presentation, receivers end up in these same spots and so the QB’s outlet fix doesn’t change. He knows that no matter what happens on the field-side of the pattern, receivers will be where he expects them to be as he scans his eyes backside. The RB has two routes: a Hitch and a Streak. This lessens the route work he needs in practice and sets the pattern structure. The goal of the route is to call the best route for Z against the coverage called. The RB's route provides protection for Z's route and a possible gift versus a coverage bust or matchup problem for the defense. The motion will likely remove a cover corner from Z, allow a free release on a safety with a limited reroute, and make the defense react quickly to the motion with little time to check coverage or communicate. With 4 of the 5 routes remaining static, we are free to generate routes for Z. We can use the best quick game route vs the defensive coverage …….. Attack off of a deeper route stem……. And generate patterns with the RB on the Hitch as long as Z’s route does not interfere with the Hitch’s space in the field flat. For the QB, although you can of course use a variety of reading methods, the play can be as simple as “Work the Z tag. If it’s not there get to your outlet system”. Putting 4 receivers in a defined outlet system with the ability to tag your best receiver on the best route to attack coverage is powerful and sound and limited only by an offensive staff's imagination.
QB is the hardest position to play in sports, and it’s not close. As difficult as the physical demands of the position are, it is often the mental demands that cause the most strain. How often have we seen an incredibly talented QB who tears it up at the NFL Combine fail miserably in the NFL? Even in high school the pressure on a QB can be tremendous. One simple tactic that I have used for years to try and focus our QBs mentally throughout the week are “QB Cards”. Our QBs usually just call them “the cards”. I print and laminate small cards that can fit in their pockets. They contain quotes about quarterbacking, things we need to focus on or improve that week, even a running tally of the rankings in our weekly QB competitions.[i] In an increasingly digital world it is something tangible they can carry in their pocket, post on a mirror, or read on the way to a game. Our senior QB this year told me he had kept every one he received in his three years in the program. They also help me focus mentally and can serve as reminder of what I need to focus on with myself as well as the QB’s fundamentals and culture that week. Here are a couple of samples: Besides the weekly cards I also put together cards that we need in a particular part of the season. For instance when our QBs are dealing with a lot of criticism from parents or students they might get these cards: [i] During some special teams periods I get extra individual time with the QBs. Once a week we compete in accuracy competitions that grow increasingly elaborate over the course of the season. We borrow a lot from the New Orleans Saints QB Competitions. I cheat as much as possible.
Our oldest non-fast screen RPO, and still my favorite, is the first one we started running back in 2010. I don't know who the originator of the concept is, but we first learned it from Dana Holgorsen. It's a great drive starter, 3rd & medium, and 2nd and 10 call. It combines three ideas from elsewhere in our offense (Stick, Draw, and an individual or combo man beater) and so is easy to install. Despite its age, it is still a pretty unique play for us because no one really runs it in our area anymore. I think that Draw is a dramatically under-utilized play in modern offensive football. Vs a 6 man box the QB reads the playside inside linebacker. If he matches the Stick the QB hands off the Draw. If he doesn't match the Stick immediately the ball should be out to the Stick in Rhythm. Vs a true cover down to the Stick combo side the QB will work the built-in man beater, which we can tag or have the QB call at the line. The concept translates to empty with ease and with two men now backside, man-beater combinations can be expanded. Even if the QB is not a great run threat it keeps defenses honest when they start going with a light box. From empty we allow the QB to declare his read key to the OL so he can replace either ILB with the Draw. In other words if the defense was in a 4-2 box with no cover down on the boundary quick out and the ILB was matching aggressively, the QB could work the quick out side and still run the QB draw regardless of whether or not it was man. In part 2 we'll explore some ideas for troubleshooting the concept, in particular adaptations vs odd defenses.
Here is an excerpt from the first chapter of my iBook "Quick Rhythm Option Routes" which gives the base rules for our most common option route: Sloppy. The book can be purchased here. How do you read Curl-Flat? It’s a pattern that’s been around forever. I have experience coaching in systems which used every one of the examples I’m about to review and I think every one of them can be rationally defended as a "proper" way to read the pattern. But this post is not really about Curl-Flat. In looking at this simple pattern I want to make a larger point, which is that "optimal" ways of reading patterns are situational and subjective. Let’s look at some reading methods first. Option 1 is to read it inside out. This is how the old West Coast Offense “Hank” concept was/is read. The QB progresses from the over-the-ball sit route outside to the curl-flat combo. By reading the sit route 1st, the playside inside LB, who is a danger player for the curl, is held inside. The sit gives the QB an option vs fire zone pressure as well. If the sit is squeezed there should be a throwing lane to the curl. If the curl is not there the ball is thrown to the flat. Option 2 is reading the flat first. The idea is to take the easy flat throw over and over until the hang player is forced to defend it. When he sprints out to cover the flat, the Curl opens up and if the QB gets a color flash from inside he checks it down to the sit. Coaches argue that this method gets the curl open by forcing a quicker reaction from the flat player. Option 3 is also another old West Coast tactic used on the traditional 22 Z-In as well as various other in-breaking patterns. The QB is going to throw to the curl on rhythm off his first hitch step. If covered by the curl defender he throws the flat. The sit is again an outlet. Here is a link to a Bill Walsh article in which he describes 22 Z- In as well as X Hook, both of which use this method. Finally, Option 4 is what many refer to as an object read. The QB again starts with the curl, but sees the entire pattern structure. The key is “who covered the curl?” If the curl is not open, it has to have been invaded from inside or outside. If invaded from inside the ball goes to the sit. If from outside the ball goes to the flat. The QB is essentially taking a picture of 3 routes in one eye fix even if he can’t actually see all 3 routes. By concentrating on the apex of the triangle made by the three routes he knows where to go with the ball. Now, I’m using Curl-Flat as an example, but the 4 options I just reviewed can be applied to multiple pattern structures. Some coaches will stand on the table for one read type or another. But….wouldn’t it be optimal to have a system where you are able to do all four?
When you have “finished” offseason R&D and it’s time for spring install, one of the things we do to streamline our process as far as what to take out and what to put in is our Scheme Map. A scheme map is simply a graphical representation of our offensive scheme menu. We operate on a 3 day spring install plan. This doesn’t mean we install the entire offense in 3 days, but we install the base scheme and categories. So if on Day 1 we installed 2 quicks and 2 dropback passes, when we wrapped back around to day 4 we would be working on those same passes but potentially with tags added. In season we will have more scheme than in spring, but we operate with the same basic principle. Our practice schedules don’t change a ton, so we have a standard group of things we work on a Monday, Tuesday, etc. based on the practice periods. For example Tuesday in season is a longer, more physical day, so we work goalline and short yardage on those days. In spring training we have more time and less constraints because we are not going to put in a goalline package or situational offense for a spring scrimmage. In spring we want to accomplish these things:
“Kill Your Darlings” A famous apocryphal quote about writing (supposedly said by Faulkner and about 20 other people) is that one must “kill your darlings”. In other words a writer must learn to eliminate self-indulgent passages that don’t serve the larger narrative. I love scheme, as much as (probably even more than) the next guy, and when I find 37 pass plays I want to run every offseason, all of which I can rationalize that we need, it is a very difficult thing to kill them off. How do you do it? Math. There are literally only so many calls in a season. And you are going to repeat calls. A lot. So understanding you have to make difficult cuts in your base scheme should be self-evident. Here are some things you should know:
Now you should start to have an idea of how many calls you need to carry into a game. If you actually do this it can be a sobering reminder of how often we carry too much scheme. Now, the above process is more relevant to in-season work than spring, but you know going in that even though one of the joys of spring training is experimenting, in the end, you’re going to have to throw out some (or a lot) of stuff. That said our philosophy has always been to introduce a ton in spring and summer, but never carry a gigantic menu into each game. Once you have created the knowledge base, week to week install is easier because you can reintroduce quickly by bringing things back out of the toolbox. The Map Below is a generic (blank) scheme map. Yours probably won’t look like ours. But here are 11 categories we might look at after the R&D period. Clearly Spring might look different than in- season if we were making this chart, and I have a spring map as well as a tentative season map of where we think we might end up. There is some (and usually a lot) of carryover in the map. For instance we know that in spring we will install our 2 base screens so I would put those in the scheme map and then we may have one additional screen we want to experiment with. "Combos" are what many are now calling SPOs (Screen Pass Options) where we attach a pass to a screen. These combos would use passes installed elsewhere (probably in the quick category), thus carryover. Likewise the play-action categories would probably use patterns already found in the Quick or 90 (dropback) category. The Shift/Unbalanced section wouldn’t have any new plays, only new movement patterns or formations. More carryover. If we had a running quarterback we might not have anything in the Wildcat category. If that entire category is wiped out, then you can redistribute the time and reps elsewhere. We might not install any one word calls in Spring, so that category doesn’t have to be distributed. Every category can change from year to year. Once we have our scheme map it is a simple process of taking each play/concept from each category and plugging in the day and period of practice we will work them. Since we have a general idea of how many particular schematic concepts we can fit in during spring, after the R&D period is over, if we’re going to add something new we have to cut something old out. This is why the evaluation process I described in part 1 is so important. Even input from players can be taken into account. If one of our QBs tells me during QB School that he hates a particular pattern, I’m going to weigh that pretty heavily in the decision of whether or not to keep it. You also need contingency plans. We have always focused more on run game in spring because we have the entire summer to work passing game, but last spring we really wanted to reemphasize vertical concepts with a returning veteran QB. But as he was a key member of our baseball team which was advancing in the playoffs, we didn’t have him for a majority of our practices. Instead we reoriented our scripts/install toward run game and screens. While I certainly recommend experimenting in spring ball, as with most things in life, when it comes to new scheme, moderation is key. I have a confession to make. Maybe my favorite part of the football "year" is January-March. That’s research and development season for our offensive staff. I think you can win games in these months, and I think we have. Because I am a football nerd this is a glorious time. First of all it’s clinic season. You don’t have the stress of the season and aren’t as busy as the Spring Training and summer months. There is time to reflect, study, and evaluate in a clear-headed, far less-biased way without the pressure of practice schedules, scripts, gameplans, etc. Everything looks good on the board. It’s an optimistic time.
But I think you have to be systematic to make this time period useful. We give assignments for offseason study. It keeps guys involved and interested and creates a sense of accountability. For example our OL coach has been studying Oklahoma (like most of the country). I studied the LA Rams bunch package. We may tell someone else to make our fast screens better. What techniques are people using? Who is the best at it? What are we doing right or wrong? I try to make sure and study teams or ideas that are a little more obscure since we are obsessed with being different. You have to be willing to think outside the box. I read 5-6 books on the Wing-T this offseason. We are not a Wing-T team. Why? Well 3 things I was particularly interested in were improving our speed sweep package we have used for over a decade, improving our goalline/change of pace package (which is essentially an unbalanced wing-t belly package), and also making plays look alike/better packaging plays as a series. Who does a better job with that than Wing-T teams? I also try to stay abreast of the latest defensive ideas, because some defensive guys are, if possible, even more fad-oriented than offensive guys. Here’s how we lay out the process:
We won’t be using 9 out of 10 things we learned. But they can go in the archives and may be something we can use later, even years down the road. In all, I filled up a couple of notebooks with probably a couple hundred ideas. That’s the fun part. In part 2 we’ll talk about how to talk yourself off the ledge and not actually use all of the cool stuff you learned during clinic season, as well as show how we organize a scheme map. |
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