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Leave it up to the Wallstreet Journal to produce a solid article about football schemes 
(didn't see this posted yet)
http://tinyurl.com/3j8ymjv
only posted part of the article... It's a good read IMO
(didn't see this posted yet)http://tinyurl.com/3j8ymjv
At first glance, these formations look much like the spread offense that's popular in college football. But in practical terms, they're not necessarily all that alike.
The major difference is that NFL quarterbacks, unlike many of their highly mobile college counterparts, have no intention of taking off and running. The idea is to find an open man in two or three seconds and get rid of the ball before being pummeled.
How these receivers get open more quickly than usual against these tough NFL defenses is where the bunching comes in. This formation involves a small knot of receivers. One man sets up on the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped. One or two line up directly behind him, slightly shaded to either side.
The major advantage of arranging receivers this way is to combat an edge held by defensive backs: the ability to physically bump or "jam" a receiver at the line of scrimmage to try to interrupt the route he's planning to run. The defensive player is free to bump away until the receiver is five yards off the line of scrimmage. But since 2004, the NFL has had a zero-tolerance policy for defensive players who mess with receivers farther than five yards down the field.
The major difference is that NFL quarterbacks, unlike many of their highly mobile college counterparts, have no intention of taking off and running. The idea is to find an open man in two or three seconds and get rid of the ball before being pummeled.
How these receivers get open more quickly than usual against these tough NFL defenses is where the bunching comes in. This formation involves a small knot of receivers. One man sets up on the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped. One or two line up directly behind him, slightly shaded to either side.
The major advantage of arranging receivers this way is to combat an edge held by defensive backs: the ability to physically bump or "jam" a receiver at the line of scrimmage to try to interrupt the route he's planning to run. The defensive player is free to bump away until the receiver is five yards off the line of scrimmage. But since 2004, the NFL has had a zero-tolerance policy for defensive players who mess with receivers farther than five yards down the field.
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