Lanky Livingston
Guest
After the Washington Redskins debuted their new offense, shrouded in secrecy all summer, coach Mike Shanahan thanked local media for not revealing the goods in advance of a 40-32 Week 1 upset of the New Orleans Saints.
Not that the reporters, nor the Saints for that matter, had any clue.
The zone read-option plays employed by the Redskins with rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III last season opened the door for two more young quarterbacks to exploit the league-wide unfamiliarity with the college-born concept. Seattle Seahawks rookie quarterback Russell Wilson and first-year San Francisco 49ers starter Colin Kaepernick led their teams deep into the playoffs, mixing a designed quarterback running threat with traditional passing and power running.
Yet today, NFL bosses are split on the future of option football in the league, two years after Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers and Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos helped introduce the concepts to the pros.
The element of surprise is gone, some say. And the risk for injury is too high.
Will the zone read go the way of the Wildcat? First, NFL defensive coordinators must figure out how to stop it.
"That will be the emphasis in everyone's defensive room in the offseason," Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians says. "Give the defensive coordinators of the NFL some credit. They will have some time to study this trend."
Click link for rest.
Not that the reporters, nor the Saints for that matter, had any clue.
The zone read-option plays employed by the Redskins with rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III last season opened the door for two more young quarterbacks to exploit the league-wide unfamiliarity with the college-born concept. Seattle Seahawks rookie quarterback Russell Wilson and first-year San Francisco 49ers starter Colin Kaepernick led their teams deep into the playoffs, mixing a designed quarterback running threat with traditional passing and power running.
Yet today, NFL bosses are split on the future of option football in the league, two years after Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers and Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos helped introduce the concepts to the pros.
The element of surprise is gone, some say. And the risk for injury is too high.
Will the zone read go the way of the Wildcat? First, NFL defensive coordinators must figure out how to stop it.
"That will be the emphasis in everyone's defensive room in the offseason," Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians says. "Give the defensive coordinators of the NFL some credit. They will have some time to study this trend."
Click link for rest.