Spread-Option Basics, Pt. 5: Going Deep
The vertical passing game has had many benefactors over the years. Thanks to the proliferation of Air Raid-inspired offenses in college, the concept of “four verticals”—simultaneously running four...
View ArticleSpread-Option Basics, Pt. 6: Speed and Simplicity
“Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” Like most famous football quotes, this gem is attributed to Vince Lombardi, and like most things attributed to Lombardi, it’s got more than a... Read more »
View ArticleSpread-Option Basics, Pt. 7: How Defenses Fight Back
The easiest way to beat a spread-option teams is to out-talent them at every position across the board. Of course, that’s pretty hard to do if you’re not an LSU... Read more »
View ArticleWhen Cornerbacks Weren’t Cornerbacks
You might recognize the still below. It comes from the same presentation by Don Faurot that I used in my post on how he developed the concept of the option (found here:... Read more »
View ArticleRemembering the Immaculate Reception
Called by some the greatest play in the history of the NFL, the Immaculate Reception is nearing its 40th anniversary. While Franco Harris’ improbable touchdown catch had no major impact... Read more »
View ArticleThe Pro Pistol at Work
On the stat sheet, it’s a ten-yard touchdown for the Redskins over NFC East rival Philadelphia. In action, it’s a look at how the pro game is incorporating the... Read more »
View ArticleThe Isolation Play
The Isolation run, or “Iso,” is about as direct as football gets. A classic I-formation play, it has everybody on the line manhandle the nearest defender, while the receivers shoot inside to... Read...
View ArticleWhat is a “Gap-Sound” Defense? Pt. 1
Pretty early in football’s evolution, coaches realized that even the simplest, most repetitive run game could be devastating if a defense wasn’t “gap-sound.” Gaps—the spaces between offensive...
View ArticleWhat is a “Gap-Sound” Defense? Pt. 2
As we saw in Part 1, assigning every needed defender to a single gap can stress a defense. One way to rectify the problem is to change the math by... Read more »
View ArticleWhat is a “Gap-Sound” Defense? Pt. 3
For the first two parts of this series, we looked only at static gap defenses that alternated between various amounts of single- and two-gap assignments. The final variation is a... Read more »
View ArticleThe Tao of Frank Beamer’s Special Teams
“I think the kicking game is one of the most important parts of football. I personally believe the kicking game is just as important as offense and defense. I... Read more »
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