As another season approaches, I have been creating the latest round of Installation Videos for my consulting clients, and in reviewing, the more excited I am for the season. One of the really neat things about interacting with so many coaches is that there is cumulative effect from their experiences, and adjustments come much, much faster. As I look at the archives of past installation videos, I am proud to see that many adjustments of the past, that may have seemed like unnecessary extras, are now at the forefront of many offenses.
We are also seeing that the structure of our system allows for these adjustments, without any wholesale changes. While many are scrambling to develop a process to have an all-encompassing method for reading pass patterns, we have always believed in the usage of both Pure Progressions to go along with Advantage Principles, which split the field into 2 complete patterns for the passer. Moreover, and perhaps most importantly, we are able to build the same "pictures" in the QB's brain. This kinesthetic memory lasts a lifetime (as the reader can no doubt remember their first home run in little league, or position of the ball in the air when they realized they are about to be intercepted).
Below, no matter what the read type is, the act of putting the eyes out in front of an inside-breaking route and coming into them is a fundamental aspect of this pass offense, and can therefore lead to an abundance of attack possibilities, whether, the passer is asked to key the boundary safety in determining 1-high or 2-high coverage (Figure 1), coming off of a seam-wheel combination (Figure 2), or throwing an option route/all curl pattern away from the Mike (Figure 3).
Figure 1:
Below, no matter what the read type is, the act of putting the eyes out in front of an inside-breaking route and coming into them is a fundamental aspect of this pass offense, and can therefore lead to an abundance of attack possibilities, whether, the passer is asked to key the boundary safety in determining 1-high or 2-high coverage (Figure 1), coming off of a seam-wheel combination (Figure 2), or throwing an option route/all curl pattern away from the Mike (Figure 3).
Figure 1:
Figure 2:
Figure 3:
The result is that creative coaches can keep attacking. At this weekend's Texas HS Coach's Association Coaching School, Jake Spavital noted how static spread offenses are dead, and that movement and varied adjustments are now necessary to stay ahead of the defense. Such things like the usage of RB motion outside (Rock/Load) have been staples since 2015:
The overall benefit to having a well-built infrastructure? So that defensive trends like Iowa State's 3 safety defense doesn't pose such a threat to an offensive staff, making them go against the roots of the offense. Then, the offense can keep attacking. As early as 2016, the need for more efficient teaching of the popular "Mesh" pattern was identified. We called it "Dribble", parlance for "Drag with an Inside Bengal." This past off-season, even Air Raid pioneers Dana Holgorsen are now citing a new approach, and teams like the Chiefs shredded defenses with version of the pattern:
My unique perspective the past few years has allowed my clients to identify trends and combine them with a structure that has proven to support these adjustments, without unnecessary learning burden. And even though many ideas are shared in my last book, Read and Shoot, some ideas have already been replaced with updated versions. This game, like life, is about continuous improvement, and not only must we strive for that, but we must have a way to enact those changes as well.
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