Untitled - Fast and Furious Football

''':'::'::"t"
',
:: ,.. ,t ,r t:l rl p, :::
Passing on Third Down
POKEYALLEN
,,,,Q,.,.,,
The week before each game wc devise a ',ready,,
sheet to doal with evary situalion that will confront
us during the course ofthe game. On Monday
nrgl.l we oegin ru cor s dp" our pretiminan
game plan. $'€ evaluate what ptays we,re sorng
to mn in each situation and what formarnns
\\e'm going to use on each play. By Wednesday
nighi we finalizo ourgame planandputthe plays
in the order in which they sill be calied.
This planningprocess helps etiminate thespur
o^ the momnnr dcci"ion" I \dr , an oncn b. i1(onsistent
with our game plan. It also enlances our
abiiitv to get the play in quickly, alleviatine delay
of garne penalties, and allowing the quarterback
to audible if necossary Decisions pertaining
to play-calling arc made more rationalJy duringthe
week mther than on game day under wnai
can often be emotional circumstances.
This arlicle describes somc ofthe thinkjns thar
sucs inlo dptcrm,nrnq ho$ $- handl- !arious
third down situations in a siven game. We]l focus
onpass plays,but notethat we don,t.lusr pass
orJust run in theso or any other situatjons.
Third-and.Short
This is a 70 to 807. mnning situationforus so it,s
natural thal when wo decide to throw the balt, it
should be off some form ofplay-action. As a serrerul
r-ule, defenses are more pressurc-oriented in
this situalion, so in many cases we,rc looking to
mo1'e our quaft€rback from his conventional dropback
Doi1r. Thc bo^rl"g ofTc,,JnlFr.rion is.n"
W€ have several variations ofthis ptay fto]n a
multitud€ of formations and situations, but our
objective is to gct the Willie LB to fteeze or chase
the pullins tackle. This, hopefully, allows ctearance
tbr the fullback's path to the nat, and alows
the quarterback an opportunity to break contain
(see Figurc 1).
The clossingsuard action can often distortLB
reads and impede their abilily to retreat effi-
FIGURE I
Boolleg oft counter.crion
ciently from thoil respective responsibility. This,
couplod with tha crossing action ofthe backs, is
very difiicult for lhe LBs to deal with in man-ro-
Third-and-Medium
This situation can also be a "pressure,, down for
many defenses. If we're goine to dropback pass,
our mentality is to protect and throw quickly. Our
hot rcceiver package is a large part ofour I,ussing
gaine, and w€ believe ir can be implemented
in this situation ifnecessary. We'va had success
with the tighl end choico route (see Fienrc 2).
The tishi end has an inside hoi, release and
will option to drop the first LB inside. Th€ fullback
has a fr€erelease into theflat. The splitond
runs a 10-yard speed out and will run a lade versus
any roll coverage. The quarte$ack will lake
a five-stcp drop and will "sisht adjust', with the
tight end.
Ifh€ feels tho lane is squeezed by anv two defend€rlt
(i.e., Mike and Sam, stmng safety and
free safetyl he will dump the ball to the fullback.
If, on ihe pre-snap rcad, the quarl€rback sees the
71