Is the read option here to stay? (1 Viewer)

[No2DC]

To put it differently, if you're a team like the 49ers or Washington, you might want to run it 3 -5 times in a game just to make opposing defenses respect your respective pistol or shotgun sets a bit more, to change how they defend them at base. But you're not going to run 15-20 read option handoffs like you see at the college level by any team I don't think.


And, by the way, as a bit of a non-sequitor, I DO think the pistol formation will infiltrate the NFL and is here to stay.

This is what makes the system that the niners/skins run so dangerous. Lining the rb back behind the qb is an interesting twist. Its deeper than the option or the wildcat. The thing about it is that these guys can throw and it forces the D to remain honest the whole game. I agree that next year will be a better test because defenses will adapt, but the system itself is not a fad. Its not like Vick, who is an average passer at best. Colin and RGIII are the future I believe, because there just as dangerous with their arm. RGIII got injured on a scramble and not sliding fast enough, not a designed play. So I think the pistol and its read component are here to stay. my 2 cents.

 

[chee_52]

I don't think it'll "disappear" like the wildcat. The wildcat was conceptually stupid, the read option isn't, per-say, but it's like a step up above double reverses and flea flickers. You'll see it still with quarterbacks who can run it, because it can add to an offense, add to plays beyond the read/option itself. But I can't see any NFL offense being based off it like you see in college. It's just a wrinkle

Here's a good piece on it:

Musical Chairs: Packaged Plays and the Evolution of

On a related note, since SF uses it successfully, it'd be nice to see Payton use some Pistol formation next year to make the run game more diverse. Imagine Sproles' first step "hidden" by the formation. . . .

 

[LSSpam]

I LOVE the pistol. Love it. One of the problems with running out of the shotgun is you "declare" so quickly in the play. The handoff, by necessity, occurs early and allows Safeties and Linebackers to "peek and cheat".

The pistol allows you delay the handoff some, forcing safeties and linebackers to be more honest, but you still get the flexibility to playaction/rollout more effectively then under center, be deeper in your drop back quicker, and have the quarterback run occasionally. In otherwords, it's a lot of the flexibility of the shotgun without some of the key drawbacks in the run game.

In particular I'm impressed with the playaction/rollout game from the pistol with mobile quarterbacks, which is absolutely a huge plus for young quarterbacks (since it reduces the workable field/reads, critical for a new quarterback).

I think the pistol is here to stay, particularly for teams with young mobile QBs. But I don't forsee a lot of quarterback runs becoming staple.

 

[saints6759]

They thought Vick was gonna change the game too.

 

[Randy Jones]

The problem with investing in the pistol or read option offense is finding a pocket passer who can run, play under center and, pass accurately. Since so many teams invest a lot of time and money in their qb, they will probably want one who will last 10+ years. As a qb matures, the legs are gonna go. If they are not a pocket passer first, what are you left with aftger 8-10 years? A qb who can't pass or run. Add to that the danger of losing a $80-100 million investment on any given play when they run by design.

 

[CitySaint]

It increases the chance of injury to the most critical position on the field. Your Starting QB goes down and you go from a 12-4 team to an 8-8 team at best.

 

[RaisingTheBar]

At first I thought it was just a fad but I'm not sure anymore. I think this season will answer this question. Defenses will now have had an entire off-season to study NFL film and game plan for this. If the option can make it through this year, then I think it is here to stay and opens up a lot of doors for other style of QBs entering the league.

 

[chee_52]

The problem with investing in the pistol or read option offense is finding a pocket passer who can run, play under center and, pass accurately. Since so many teams invest a lot of time and money in their qb, they will probably want one who will last 10+ years. As a qb matures, the legs are gonna go. If they are not a pocket passer first, what are you left with aftger 8-10 years? A qb who can't pass or run. Add to that the danger of losing a $80-100 million investment on any given play when they run by design.

The pistol is just an alignment/formation, and the read option doesn't have to be used with it. (See Alabama's offenses for the past few years.) It's my understanding that almost every play can be run from the pistol; it encourages north-south running instead of east-west, which is what you get from running out of the shotgun. The qb can be a traditional pocket passer.

Don't mean to thread-jack, but just love to see inventive alignments.

 

[Randy Jones]

The pistol is just an alignment/formation, and the read option doesn't have to be used with it. (See Alabama's offenses for the past few years.) It's my understanding that almost every play can be run from the pistol; it encourages north-south running instead of east-west, which is what you get from running out of the shotgun. The qb can be a traditional pocket passer.

Don't mean to thread-jack, but just love to see inventive alignments.

My point is that in the NFL a qb better be a pocket passer first for longevity sake. A pocket passer who can run is fine. After the wheels go bad, he can still be a threat as a pocket passer.

 

[Taurus]

To put it differently, if you're a team like the 49ers or Washington, you might want to run it 3 -5 times in a game just to make opposing defenses respect your respective pistol or shotgun sets a bit more, to change how they defend them at base. But you're not going to run 15-20 read option handoffs like you see at the college level by any team I don't think.


And, by the way, as a bit of a non-sequitor, I DO think the pistol formation will infiltrate the NFL and is here to stay.

There were several times during this past SB when the Ravens end could have blown up the play in the backfield just by sprinting toward the QB. He would have arrived at the same time as Gore and been able to knock both of them down.
Instead, for reasons unknown, he hesitated, watched Gore run by (for seven yards or so every time) then went and hugged Kaepernick.

 

[Randy Jones]

There were several times during this past SB when the Ravens end could have blown up the play in the backfield just by sprinting toward the QB. He would have arrived at the same time as Gore and been able to knock both of them down.
Instead, for reasons unknown, he hesitated, watched Gore run by (for seven yards or so every time) then went and hugged Kaepernick.

I might suggest that the hesitation occurs due to unfamiliarity with that type of play and not having enough reps in practice to be confident with how to defend it.

 

[LSSpam]

There were several times during this past SB when the Ravens end could have blown up the play in the backfield just by sprinting toward the QB. He would have arrived at the same time as Gore and been able to knock both of them down.
Instead, for reasons unknown, he hesitated, watched Gore run by (for seven yards or so every time) then went and hugged Kaepernick.

Yeah I think once NFL defenses spend more time concentrating on it, in the film room as well as practice field, that decision making will come quicker, hesitation start to lessen, which is killer for the read-option. It's based entirely around the hesitation of defensive players, a fine plan for sometimes marginal athletes at age 19 and 20 with limited practice time, less grand of a plan when you're talking about 28 year old professionals who were every single one a star player for their defense at age 20.

 

[King Puppy]

I think its just a fad just like the Wildcat. They surprised people last year and you can bet they wont have that kind of success again next year.

That's what I don't get. The wildcat didn't go away. The run and shoot didn't go away. Any offense that gets labeled as a fad in the NFL tends to become incorporated into most everybody's playbooks.

Nobody runs an offense that is all wildcat all game, but most teams have a wildcat package that they'll run a few plays out of. Same thing with run and shoot. Every offense today has elements that were introduced by the run and shoot.

I think you'll continue to see more teams implement read option elements because it's yet another wrinkle that makes it hard to defend.

 

[King Puppy]

Yeah I think once NFL defenses spend more time concentrating on it, in the film room as well as practice field, that decision making will come quicker, hesitation start to lessen, which is killer for the read-option. It's based entirely around the hesitation of defensive players, a fine plan for sometimes marginal athletes at age 19 and 20 with limited practice time, less grand of a plan when you're talking about 28 year old professionals who were every single one a star player for their defense at age 20.

You could say the same thing about play action passing, but Drew's made a pretty good career at getting people to bite on play fakes.

 

[bigcobra]

Only a few special athletes have the talent to run this type of offense at the pro level. So yes, those teams will have it in their playbook. Until that quarterback gets hurt, or gets too old. For my money, I want a pocket passer first. Hard to run the read option when your trying to run a two minute drill, or come from behind, or trying to convert a 3rd and long.