The Second Second Go

[burgold]

I think it's a fair question this year and even next year... How do defenses adapt to the Redskins the second time around or after getting a year to think and watch film of it? We already know one answer... San Francisco said, we can't beat that we better join it.

Still, for one season the Wildcat was unstoppable. Now, it's barely even seen as a gimmick. So, this is a viable question. The 'skins offense has been really strong all season, but what part of that is novelty and what part execution. Back in the great ole days, I enjoyed a Riggo Drill even though there was absolutely no surprise there at all! Everyone in the stands, everyone on the sideline, everyone on the field knew what was coming yet they couldn't stop it. Heck, our guards and tackles got so sure at times that they would tell defenders which hole and what the play was right before they ran it. Good execution beats talent and the best plans of mice and men sometimes.

The next two weeks will tell us something new about execution, novelty, and the talent of our 'skins because two teams will get a second swing. There will still be surprises, but this time around that will play only a small part.

Against the Giants, the D gained no visible advantage the second time around. Will the Eagles or Cowboys? Time will tell. It always does.

 

[Goaldeje]

The wildcat stopped working because the RB was getting the ball, and almost every time, he ran with it. This caught teams by surprise the first time around, but after that, you can make some contain countermoves with the D to pretty easily shut that down.

What Griff is doing is like the Wildcat on steroids. Massive amounts of steroids. The thing is, none of the best Wildcat guys (Ronnie Brown for instance) could throw even as well as Trent Dilfer, much less Griffin. With the Griffin, there is a 50/50 chance he will throw it, whereas with Ronnie Brown, there was a 5% chance he would throw it. And a less than 1% chance he would throw it well. Once the defense stopped being afraid of the possibility of his passing, they could contain much more easily.

Name me a defense that isn't concerned with Griff's passing ability. That's why this kid petrifies them all. ALL. Most of the time, defense come to the LOS and can guess what the play will be based on formation or some other "tell". With Griffin right now, they have no idea. They have to be mentally ready for throw or run from him, or a pitch to a RB. That's (at the minimum) THREE plays they need to be planning for. And there can't be many, of any, tells on him yet. And there may never be, because from what I've read, he isn't making his decision until after the ball is snapped.

How can you defend a play, where the team running the play doesn't know exactly what is going happen until after the play starts?

Maybe I've got my Burgundy colored glasses on this morning, but I don't see this as a fad that will go away as defenses begin to pick it apart. There's a reason why people have been saying this kid may revolutionize the game.

 

[burgold]

I don't think so either, but I do believe that defenses will find a way to counter at some point just because they always do. What I don't think is that they will find a way to neutralize it because of the talent and execution aspect.

 

[Ax]

This is their only hope. And even it would backfire.

 

[Henry]

Remember in the Olden Days how we loved watching the Redskins because you, me, and the rest of the world KNEW what the Redskins were going to run but the other team still couldn't stop it?

Sometimes talent does trump scheme.

 

[Neophyte]

That is part of it Henry, but not all. The Read Option has been around in college several years now and even the most talented defensive teams there still don't know what to do with it. Just ask 'Bama about Johnny Football.

It forces a defense to one thing or the other all while leaving a chance for the offense to change it's mind successfully after the defense commits. Then you add in the Play Action Pass and it just gets ugly.

 

[servumtuum]

I see an almost unique combination of scheme and talent operating here. Griff's skills, smarts and athletic ability lubricate the wheels of the read option like no other QB in recent history. Or maybe ever. Add to that the fact that the run option centers around a powerful and dominating RB in Morris-who teams always seem to have trouble stopping-and Griff's amazing quickness and acceleration and passing accuracy and the read option suddenly becomes deadly.


The philosophy of "packaged" plays and after the snap reads is designed to make any decision made by the defense to be wrong. When making the wrong decision has the downside it does when playing the Redskins, opposing defenses have a serious problem on their hands.

What would neutralize this advantage? Right now the only possibility I see is a defense whose level of athleticism across-the-board and whose consistency of execution could make it possible to react quickly-and strongly-enough to overcome the disadvantages of the uncertainty created by this offense.