USA Today: Defenses Zero In on the Read Option

[Lanky Livingston]

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.

 

[Bulldog]

This is one reason the Redskins would be smart to upgrade their OL and not simply bring back the starting five and figure that Griffin's mobility is going to save the day on long yardage downs.

Polumbus was a turnstile at RT vs the pass and the interior was regularly manhandled by opposing DTs.

 

[Goaldeje]

Good call Tr1. I fixed his quote for him.

"For us," he says, "it started off with Griffin injured, we couldn't so **** until we helped reinjure that guy, guys who can take PEDs and get away with it because of a technicality, and obviously at the defensive end spot, guys who can injure these option QBs. That's so important in our philosophy; you need a defense built around cheating (and getting away with it) and injuring people."

 

[Goaldeje]

On a serious note, bring it. What absolutely bowled me over last year with Griffin was his decision making and his arm. If defenses are going to sell out take the option away, so be it, that will open things up down the field for Griffin to exploit with his arm. And he will. He's that good.

Thing is, the man can be a pocket passer as well as an option QB, and will be devastating at both. Bulldog is right, we need to add some pieces on the OLine, but Griff can make these adjustments as needed.

 

[Rymanofthenorth]

if we upgrade the Oline, and Rg3 recovers, the read option will continue to work. BT is right, Lick was horrible and Leribeus was better but really nothing special, chester plays well in flashes and polumbus is a great runblocker who cant pass pro worth a damn. I am hoping that whoever looks after our talent eval hasnt drunk the koolaid

 

[Elephant]

if we upgrade the Oline, and Rg3 recovers, the read option will continue to work. BT is right, Lick was horrible and Leribeus was better but really nothing special, chester plays well in flashes and polumbus is a great runblocker who cant pass pro worth a damn. I am hoping that whoever looks after our talent eval hasnt drunk the koolaid

Did you see the Chiefs released Eric Winston?

 

[Rymanofthenorth]

yeah but im wondering why, and there are better options this year, last year he was the only legit Tackle, this year there are several.

 

[Elephant]

yeah but im wondering why, and there are better options this year, last year he was the only legit Tackle, this year there are several.

But at what price? Remember, we do not have a lot of money to spend. Jake Long is likely looking for LT money so we aren't going after him. Sebastian Vollmer is looking for money too...doubt we could afford him either although I would prefer either. Winston is a definite upgrade over Polumbus and only 29...

 

[Rymanofthenorth]

our team has a ninja at cap manipulation and frankly if im the redskins I would simply make handhshake deals , if the league doesnt have to follow rules? why should we? we should win an open and **** case because if there is no cap, there can be no cap penalty, if teams that went under the cap floor and gained a clear competeitive advantage by doing it went unpunished why were we? how did teams like chicago avoid it? pure bullcrap

 

[Om]

The Skins rolled out the read option in large part to buy Robert time to learn how an NFL passing offense works. At Baylor he never was asked to go through progressions, and had they tried to play him as a rookie in a "standard" NFL passing offense he probably WOULD have been killed given the iffy pass pro in front of him.

Point being....Bob is a very quick study. RG3.2 is going to still have the decision-making ability, quick release, vision, arm, feet...and "it". Only he'll be adding to that NFL Passing Knowledge.

Someone above said "bring it." I agree. Yes, NFL defenses will adjust to the read-option. What they will still have to deal with is a QB who can both kill them with it and without.

 

[Snydershrugged]

The Skins rolled out the read option in large part to buy Robert time to learn how an NFL passing offense works. At Baylor he never was asked to go through progressions, and had they tried to play him as a rookie in a "standard" NFL passing offense he probably WOULD have been killed given the iffy pass pro in front of him.

Point being....Bob is a very quick study. RG3.2 is going to still have the decision-making ability, quick release, vision, arm, feet...and "it". Only he'll be adding to that NFL Passing Knowledge.

Someone above said "bring it." I agree. Yes, NFL defenses will adjust to the read-option. What they will still have to deal with is a QB who can both kill them with it and without.

Made me want to get up and shout!


Your posts are on fire even more than normal (which is saying something!) lately!