Speculating Jet/Fly and Triple-Shoot Playbook at Michigan
IMHO, the football team next year may be well-suited to employ a jet/fly or triple-shoot play-book given the group of players we currently have.
The Jet/Fly is a spread offense derivation that puts a slot-back in motion in many/most of its base plays. General principal: the slot runs along the line of scrimmage pre-snap at full speed before taking a hand-off from the QB and trucking upfield. The strategy behind the motion is it forces the defense to react, thereby exposing possible weaknesses for the QB to read and exploit. It thereby simultaneously creates a possibly strong matchup for the slot in motion, and moreover gives the QB a stronger shot to make a solid zone read. See generally, http://www.usafootball.com/articles/displayArticle/5818/5601.
The triple-shoot offense also employs this "jet" set of plays in its running base, and ultimately exploits aggressive defensive looks with several creative screens and posts in its passing base. See, http://smartfootball.blogspot.com/search/label/triple%20shoot at Smart Football.
With Michigan's group of slot-receiver/backs, especially looking at Shaw who saw time at RB last year but is set to play WR this year, and Tay Odoms, do any of MGoBlog's coaches in residence expect to see a lot of motion plays this season? Assuming you were given the driver's seat of the Michigan zone-read spread offense, what formula of plays do you hope to see Michigan running to best utilize its talent (noting we have an accurate but short rookie QB, an aggressive pro-style RB, a lack of true HR threat X receivers but several valid slot receivers)?
I speculate that we'll see a marked increase in motion-sets to exploit our RB/WR superbacks, and bootlegs: to exploit our QBs strengths (accuracy in space, ability to make plays with feet) while limiting his weaknesses (height, discomfort in pocket).
I also foresee a lot of Michigan's success next year resting on Minor/Brown's ability to successfully engage the DT or deathbacker. I think we'll see more passing looks to the HB next year, but it will require the HB to really sell the DT on a pass-block before getting open near the line of scrimmage.
I'm curious to read what your your thoughts are for U-M's offense next year from a strategic angle.
I actually thought and said the same thing to my friends. I pretty much said what you said, utilize the players on the field with the most experience and talent to disguise our quarterbacks lack of experience. But easier said than done.
I actually thought and said the same thing to my friends. I pretty much said what you said, utilize the players on the field with the most experience and talent to disguise our quarterbacks lack of experience. But easier said than done.
Those are interesting thoughts, and I would not be surprised to see some of those kinds of motions. I would imagine it could also be Carlos Brown in the slot if they do institute and jet motion plays. That would be a different way to get Minor and Brown on the field at the same time. I'm wondering if we will see some TE line up in the slot as well. They did this some with Koger last year and had some success with it. With his size and athleticism, he can create some match up problems. I agree with the roll out passes with Forcier. In the spring game, it looked like he could throw accurately on the run, and last year, the coaches liked to run the smash route out of the full roll. He will also be a running threat on those types of plays. Last year it also seemed that the coaches introduced new formations every week, and had a specific package to run out of those formations. Several times, they would keep the same personnel group on the field for several plays at a time out of the same formation. With the players being more familiar with the offense, I think you could see those formations mixed up a little more. Along with that, the offense should be able to control its tempo better. By that I mean, they should be able to switch personnel groups faster and speed up or slow down the play calling depending on the game situation. But in the end, the bread and butter of this offense is the inside zone, outside zone, counter trap, and three step passing game(slant, bubble screen, etc.). You'll continue to see the the three and four vertical to push the ball down field, along with the full roll game mentioned earlier. However, those three running plays along with the three step passing game can be run at any time out of any formation. You'll know the offense is starting to roll when every opponent knows those plays are coming, but they can't stop them.
I think we'll see a little of this in the spread offense along with the shotgun formation. This formation is used by many teams in obvious passing situations, although other teams do use this as their base formation. In the shotgun, instead of the quarterback receiving the snap from center at the line of scrimmage, he stands at least 5 yards back. Sometimes the quarterback will have a back on one or both sides before the snap, while other times he will be the lone player in the backfield with everyone spread out as receivers. One of the advantages of the shotgun formation is that the passer has more time to set up in the pocket which gives him a second or two to locate open receivers. Another advantage is that standing further back from the line before the snap gives the quarterback a better "look" at the defensive alignment. The disadvantages are that the defense knows a pass is more than likely coming up (although some running plays can be run effectively from the shotgun) and there is a higher risk of a botched snap than in a simple center/quarterback exchange.
1) Good post
2) If we are not running all over the damn field and making defenders chase us I will be pissed. We are recruiting the speed and been conditioning with the Wizard of Workouts so we better be using it to our advantage. At some point the guy will get gassed chasing him or the hand off is not handled correctly. Either way it seems to me that a defender loses a step at some point or multiple points during the game.
This all becomes moot if you can't turn the corner on those runs or all your passes are those short curls where your guy is stopped to catch the ball (which was probably more due to our lack of accuracy from the QB position last year).
Exciting offense in the big ten if most of these jitter-bugs can play some serious ball, and not just be blessed with good to great speed.
Incorporating jet motion occasionally? Sure. Using it as a base package? Probably not. All it would really change for the D is responsibilities for the FS, SS, and olb. Many Ds will account for a Rover/Spy to a jet motion package.
Sweet offense in HS football where a single player can outrun a whole D and cutback lanes open up from pursuit angels, but in college ball where everyone has athletes, not sure it would prove useful as a base package.
are 4-4 base sets still used very often? I understand what you mean though; I think you're saying a hybrid DE/LB ("rover"/deathbacker) could easily pick up the sweeping SB.
Here's my angle: I'm just looking at the team right now and thinking of ways to make that "mesh point" (where the decision is made what option to run) as dynamic as possible. My response to your post is that if the QB sees a rover in the tacklebox ready to spring, then fine, he'll make the read: try a dive, exploit the rover with a passing route, etc.
It seems to me that we have the best strategically useful speed not in the backfield this year, but in the slot. So, in order to establish and pose a consistent threat of a running game, I'm speculating we see the slots in motion quite a bit. Maybe not our bread and butter base, but a consistent look.
is a dying D that can only usually be found in HS these days I believe. And it isn't great there either, gives linemen pretty easy cavedown/seal blocks to create lanes. I also believe most of our speed is going to be in the backfield with Brown/Shaw. Our slot receivers atm seem to be jitterbugs, but not blazers. Who knows though. We could see it on gamedays, but I just dont think it would give us a big advantage to using it more than 8-10 times a game.
I think we want to try to stay more N/S and not get caught behind the LOS, because we had enough tackled for losses last year to fill a lifetime. Penetration on the corner will also destroy that jetsweep play.
you're assuming that the slot's goal is to break down the sideline. What if the sweeping SB takes the hand-off and runs power behind a blocking TB through the 1 gap? Or if the SB counters on the hand-off? Or follows the TB through a hole between the flanker and tackle?
Again, I'm just proposing the most direct strategy I can fathom to create the most dynamic mesh point for this Michigan football team next year. As I see it, a sweeping SB immediately engages the OLB/DE/deathbacker, and to a degree the safety as well. Those are two reads the QB can now make and be a little more comfortable looking toward the middle of the field in passing situations.
we have a true freshman most likely to take snaps this year. I thought i read something awhile back saying RR hopes Tate gets 75% of the reads he wants him to. Throwing more and more responsibilities at him probably wouldn't be the best thing.
One of my favorite quotes from remember the titans "I've got 6 plays. Split Veer. It's like novacaine. Just give it time, it always works." I think we'll see a watered down version of this offense for the first half of the season depending on how quick Tate picks it up.
Would you mean like the fabulous sweep the Oregon State Beavers run?
Oregon State
If you can get video of Wake Forest in their ACC championship season, you'll see them running out of a motion package pretty consistently, and using it to open up a pretty solid passing game. See, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyLrmUlB0lw&feature=related. But that video seems to illustrate the idea pretty well too.
That would be lovely, since they always play at least two talent levels above their actual talent.
Then they also blow games they should win. I worry that may be a little two RRod-esque.
Shaw is playing WR this year? Since when?
The value of using it that seldom may exceed the number of times you run it, since it introduces another set of possibilities the defense has to prepare for and be concerned about in game. Seems like a great addition to a scheme that's basically designed to use the full width of the field. I'm not generally enthusiastic about RBs throwing the ball, but you could even have Denard taking the deep handoff on the sweep and then throwing the ball if there are seams open downfield.
Hasn't Florida run something like this with Harvin? I watched the replay of the bowl game against Fla last night, and seems like the Gators were getting the ball to him in a similar manner.
One important factor about the Jet motion play is setting up the motion back properly. One of the things I see mishandled by OC's all the time is really setting up a play before you counter it. Run the sweep a few plays before running the reverse. Run the iso before the counter. College coaches try to jump to big plays before really giving the defense the time to feel familiar about how a play develops. When I have seen Michigan run this "Jet" play, it has been out of the "I" formaition which they seldom run. I don't think you'll see it much out of the shotgun, but I could be wrong. Either way this offense will look much better than last year's trainwreck. There's nowhere to go but up. GO BLUE!!!
We now seem to have a quarterback with excellent accuracy and decent downfield arm strength. Given our large number of pinballs which will be playing either this year or next, I'm mostly hoping we can add a legitimate downfield wide threat with height, speed, and good hands to require a double. I realize those are rare, but pulling an extra man away from the line with our current stable of slots and RB's may beall it takes to get some serious inside yardage no matter how we line up.
could include a reverse and an option depending on who is in the Jet position. The formation could also be used to set up a WR with single coverage on a quick hitch and may the best man win.
I believe that RR will be much more comfortable with his O players and open up the playbook this year. Last year was so vanilla it made me sick. Of course, this means that Tate or Denard are an upgrade of what we had last year.
Nice thread guys. One question for the coaches out there:
Could we line up a QB or fomer QB (think Denard or Feagin or even Brown) in the slot and have that person go in motion to set up a second run-pass option? This would allow the actual QB (say its Tate) to make one read to either keep it, hand it off to the QB who lined up in the slot, or hand it to an RB. Then, if the slot QB (say its Denard)gets it, he would then make a second run-pass read. Ideally, this would force a DB to make a choice between covering a receiver or stopping Denard.
Is this possible, or am I dreaming. There are alot of moving parts. I recall some loosening of the lineman down field rule which may make this work.
I would love some feed back from anyone who has some wisdom/coaching experience.
The whole purpose behind this thread was to get some creative feedback. Maybe not realistic, maybe bordering on idealistic or even off-the-wall, but at least thought-provoking. The spread as a system can go in so many directions creating mismatches in open space. The idea of going from pre-snap triple option to post-snap triple option is a really cool idea.
D-Rob or Brown can take a handoff, freeze the OLB with a pumpfake before following a blocker, keep the ball and make a sprint for the sidelines with momentum from being in motion, shovel pass to a leading TB, or treat the play as a play-action pass. He could even set up a flea-flicker back to the snapping QB.
I think a valid concern that would stop this base from ever seeing the light of day, however, is that Michigan would be loathe to double the risk of injuring a QB on one play.
But anyway, I like where your head is. Nice post.
This would probably be a gadget play that would be run maybe once or twice during the season. What you could see to set that up though is a triple option with a regular slot running the jet motion. If the qb keeps the zone read, he has a regular option pitch available. Illinois runs a similar play with Juice and Benn.
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