Sprucing up 525 F Post

As one who is an admirer of the rhythm of the Zampese/ Coryell passing system (and I'd have to call you a communist if you weren't), one could say that few things in offensive football are prettier than the QB taking a rhythm drop, hitting a quick post as the receiver crosses the defender's face, and turning a short pass into a huge gain.  

A staple play of the system is SCAT 525 F POST; from Zampese/ Coryell to Turner to Martz to all the others who descend from this lineage, this play was sure to figure prominently  in the play selection.  

While his predecessors switched personnel groupings to get the desired player in the F position, Martz added the ability to simply call 525 Z Post/ H Post/ X Post to give the play even more formation flexibility.  Whether it was Faulk, Bruce, Holt, Az-Hakeem, or Proehl, Martz's Rams could dial up anyone to run the quick post. The play is designed to isolate the Post runner (hopefully vs. no short hole player) for a quick rhythm throw and catch.  

There are only 2 caveats: 
1.  The post runner is not to chop his steps -- this is an absolute in this offense in general
2.  The post MUST cross the face of the man over him.

If #2 DOES NOT happen, the passer hitches up, and swings his eyes backside, to the 3 man pattern created there.  While the likes of Aikman, Warner, Fouts, and even Everett have shown the ability to do so,  I would place this on the higher end of the spectrum, as far as  degree of difficulty is concerned.

As a solution, I offer BANDIT, which is a variation of BRONCO, the backside option route discussed here.  

Using the RAM advantage principle, the passer is able to assure a clean 1 on 1 to the slot; because of the option route rather than a "locked" quick post, there is a place to go with the ball even if the slot cannot get inside.

On the Cowboys' first 3rd and medium last Thursday, Dallas dialed up 525 F Post.  The Raiders had a 2 man disguise, only to come up with a Zone Blitz.  

The Cowboys have Miles Austin (#19) in motion to give him the release he needed as the post runner; however, the blitz forced Tony Romo to make a protection check at the line, delaying the snap and making Austin come to a set position:

RAM rules dictate to throw away from rotation, but to throw TOWARDS a blitz, as we want our eyes on protection problems first.  At the snap, the blitz is picked up; however, there is simply no way for Austin to get inside the LB  (#53) buzzing out to him:

From the QB's point of view, one can see the clear advantage of being able to hitch up, allowing the receiver to pivot out, as his access inside is denied, resulting in an easy completion:

The corner will be cleared by the outside receiver, and the QB will not be stuck holding on to the ball with no place to go, as Romo was on this play.  Furthermore, if the QB was treating this is straight zone because of the protection check (the zone blitz was nullified), the popular Y CROSS pattern is available for the passer away from rotation.  Because the passer's eyes are on MIKE instead of locking in on the slot at the onset of the play, he can bring his eyes all the way our in front of the cross.  The route technique affords the crosser the ability to defeat the match technique: