You know that old clip from NFL Films, where Vince Lombardi stalks up and down the sideline yelling, "What the Hell's going on out there!?" If he were alive to see this, I think he might have to just ramp it up to a stronger explicative.Take a look at this image:
Any thoughts? A molecular diagram? Some kind of math formula? An illustration of osmosis? How about a football play from Piedmont High School in California, where all eleven players are eligible! The A-11 offense.
It starts with a center and 2 Tight Ends clustered on the ball. Trips right and Trips left, giving them 7 on the line, and then 2 QBs. (Generally in a punt-like formation with one up and one back). Boy, if you guys thought I hated WVU's (and now Michigan's) spread option...this thing is like the 7th sign of the Apocalypse.
It provides serious potential for defensive confusion, as you don't know which players are coming out of the clusters as eligible receivers, or which are stepping backward and becoming involved in a sweep or end around.
I'm all for being innovative and enhancing the game. What I'm not a fan of is these teams that become so heavily reliant on gimmicks that it defines them. Buffalo and Cincy's Red Gun offense in the 90s. Atlanta & Houston's Run & Shoot under Jerry Glanville. WVU and now Michigan in Rich Rodriguez's spread option. They're exciting to watch, and high-octane...and you're going to annihilate the lesser teams on your schedule and beat some pretty good teams. But I still feel like the great pure football teams...the ones with solid offenses, and the ones who can take the ball, line up, and run it down your throat all day long (and take the clock away from the gimmicky offenses, and keep them out of rhythm) are going to come out on top much more often.
Don't get me wrong. I love these things as a change of pace...as a package you go to to throw the defense a curve ball. But for the bread and butter, I'm a traditionalist...I guess that's what happens when you grow up in the 80s and 90s in the NFC East. Seriously. what's wrong with lining up in a natural formation, letting a fullback blow open the 2 gap and letting your halfback slam right off his block? Hell, I get more excited about a good play action fake and long bomb than a double-reverse pass off the option. But that's just me.
Figure on seeing more of this offense make it's way to the college and pro ranks.
Here's some video of the A-11. Crazy stuff...pure chaos. To me...this is what it looks like when we play flag football...1 dude on the line and just a bunch of other guys running all over the place.
12 comments:
Necessity is the mother of invention in these new offenses...today's defensive athletes are so good that if you let 7 of them bunch "into the box" they can shut you down all day long.
So I LOVE all this spread the field stuff....it really is the great equalizer, and it's perfect for teams that lack size and cant beat the other time with a physical game. Speed will beat size more often than not, which is why Big Ten teams have been pretty iffy over the last few years.
I'm a fan of any system that works. Whether it's old school running or complicated passing schemes; whatever piles up the yards and points is good in my book.
Having said all that, though, I'm surprised defenses can't attack this A-11 set-up better. Play 6 defensive back that play physical man-to-man coverage at the line, and blitz the other 5. Those QB's will take a thrashing at 5-on-3 blitzes all evening (Seriously, those QB's will be praying for a quick death!!), and will be forced to throwing dump-off passes the whole game to DB's who will be able to pick some of those passes off with their pressure. Sure, talented receivers will occasionally burn ya with the run after the catch, but I'll take my chances....
fascinating....great post!!
I suspect these offenses will grow in popularity, as there seems to be more teams now than there are a supply of quality offensive linemen
You notice, in the video clip, that it says playoff 3 straight seasons...but doesn't say champions?
I think that what you mentioned about defenses attacking the formation is exactly what they encounter in the playoffs, when they face the top tier teams.
And I think that's why the run and shoot didn't win any Super Bowls...and why the Spread has only managed 1 national championship (Florida's), despite WVU and K-State and all of the other teams running it so well.
It's great for the long haul of the season, when you're facing your normal opponents, but it leaves you flat in the post-season when you face the elite teams who can attack you from the defense...and if you can't fall back on fundamental football when the innovations stop working...you lose.
Points well taken. I would say though that LSU and Oklahoma both run the spread offense, so it's pretty well-established at the collegiate level by now...
but I think that you're right about championship teams usually have multiple packages and can beat teams in a variety of ways.
The worst thing to be in football today is to be one-dimensional, because like you say, once that gets stopped, you lose...even the spread teams have to be able to run the football at least a LITTLE bit....without the threat of the run, you end up like Hawaii did against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl in January: No run = Huge Blitzes = Huge Blowout
I'm sorry. I said Spread...I meant Spread Option. (The one where the team doesn't huddle, and the coaches call the play in while the QB is looking to the sideline from the shotgun).
The regular spread feels more like regular football, just a more pass-oriented.
I keep waiting for the Tennessee Titans to start running the Spread Option in the NFL, even as wacky looking as it is.
Vince Young ran those packages to perfection at Texas, and they have some decent backs to option to....an NFL team will probably never let it's QB run the ball that much, but it'd be interesting to see how NFL defenses would combat it, and how good/bad the system would work....
Wasn't it Quincy Carter back in 2001 that the Cowboys were going to install a heavy Option package for? I remember Jerry Jones saying he was going to bring the option to the NFL, and thinking, he was going to get that poor kid killed.
The Defensive Ends are too strong, and laterally quick in the NFL...and no one wants to risk eating $10mil of cap space on an option QB who got his ribs broken...because the QBs who run that the best wait until the very last possible moment to pitch, and they get absolutely demolished. Truly amazing the fearlessness they they have.
You hit the nail on the head Dan. That is exactly the reason there is no option in the NFL. The DT's, DE's, CB's, and Safety's are way to quick, big and good. Not only will the QB's get killed, the D will just shut it down with their strength and quickness. This is why the wishbone, while quite successful at the college ranks never crossed into the NFL.
I loved watching Jamelle Holieway run the Sooner wishbone.
Oh Quincy Carter. I even owned a Quincy Carter jersey!!! Sold it the next day on eBay after the drug crap. Hey, I did get $30 for it. I believe he's a backup in the AFL.
OK, on to the original post...
Dan, this is a great post.
I think I'm the only football coach here. Am I? I'm not sure.
OK, growing up in the Great Lakes area I've been steeped in Big 10 football all my life. Smash mouth, line up and see who the real man is (as Dan put it) football.
I love traditional football. However, recently I have also gained a love for new football strategy. Well, some new systems anyway. I never was a big fan of the run and shoot, but I do like the spread. I really like the spread option. Why? Because, as mentioned above, one dimensional teams get shut down. I feel the spread option is more run oriented spread. Over the past few years, I've been a big fan of The Penn State and WVA offenses.
Had I not been coaching football where I have, I may not feel this way.
I would say that I-formation, and I-formation veer offensive has been my favorite offense for most of my life.
When I started coaching at a small high school, I found myself in a situation where we didn't have the players to just run at an opponent. So, we had to come up with a system that utilized our strengths (speed) and minimized our weaknesses (size and strength). The system that was put in place by the head coach was called the double wing. It utilizes a lot of sweeps and running wide. Oh ya, and it also brings back the wedge. A good fun offense if you have good running and no line.
Well, in the second year I became the offensive coordinator and we lost our speed. So, we were getting shut down a lot. I then, at the urging of the head coach, added a spread package as a change of pace. It was just a basic 4 receiver, 1 back system. I modeled my run plays off of the Penn State and WVA systems.
I like the spread, but if you can't throw the ball you're screwed. Without a consistent passer we ran into that problem a few times.
At my new job, I am coaching again. I'll be coaching WR's and D-line. Before I only did O-line. We will also be running an I-formation/spread combination. Should be fun.
Oh crap I forgot to comment on the A-11 offense.
OK, this offense is insane. I like the idea of trying something different to find an advantage, but this is going too far I think. It looks like backyard football. In the end I don't think its going to work.
I think its going to be too easy to attack this offense up the middle...just like Monkey said.
I think if you're defense is weak or not prepared this system could really mess you up. However, any good and well prepared defense should be able to shut this down with little trouble.
Usually, its not too hard to make the playoffs in most states. I'm not sure about California's playoff system. I'm sure a really great talented team could win a State championship, but most teams will probably just be exposed.
I think we ran that last fall didnt we? Guys all over the place in the Turkey Bowl warm up game.
This wouldnt work in Division 1 or the NFL. The QB qould get creamed and the O-line would wear down like the Orioles starting rotation.
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