Ingtar33
10-21-2003, 02:06 AM
It’s a sleepless night and I decided post something a little different… Here is a set of 10 simple rules I was taught to live by to have a successful offense.
1) Gain initiative, and dictate to the defense: This basically means, never let the defense force you to change what you want to do. If you want to run, RUN. If the D brings 8 men into the box to stop the run, add a TE to the field, do not abandon the run. If the defense is overselling itself against the run, start to work in those play action passes to make them pay, its what you want them to do when you try to establish a running game in the first place. You must forage an offensive identity, and stick to it. Players play better when they know what they are doing, why you are calling what you are calling, and they learn how to gain the upper hand on the defense when they know each other, themselves and their coach’s mindset.
2) You must run to set up the pass: Passing to set up the run is backwards from the way it should be. If you cannot run to set up the pass you cannot sit on a lead. You cannot run out the clock. And you cannot earn a first down on 3rd and two with a run. Teams that pass to set up the run tend to do the above poorly
3) Trust your Defense: This may seem to be an odd thing to put in here. But the first sign of offensive collapse, usually is rooted in a unit/coaching fear of their defense. Coaches/players who fear the "other" unit will screw things up for the team tend to take needless risks. Going for it on 4th and 1 in the redzone in a scoreless first quarter is a good example of this mentality. Needless risks tend to undermine a teams success in the future, as taking chances is basically gambling with fate. Eventually snake-eyes will show on the dice.
4) Play to your team's strength: If you have Randy Moss as a WR, you will not want to play a whole lot of dink and dunk passing. If your team simply cannot run block, do not run from spread formations, but bring in the TEs and FBs, and do not play games when you run.
5) A holding penalty on a run is never acceptable: Running the ball is simple attitude. The teams who know they can run do. I've seen far too many teams short on talent, but big on heart run the ball with success to believe this to be anything but who wants it more. A holding penalty on a run is a symptom of the o-lineman getting physically out hustled/outplayed. It should never happen, and it is a killer penalty. As a side note, the WRs should never be penalized under any circumstance except in the case to save a turnover.
6) Never turn the ball over within the 20's: These are the turnovers that lose games. Turning it over within your own 20 will almost always result in a TD for the opposition, while a turnover within the redzone takes sure points off the board.
7) Never lose yardage within the 20's: This may seem like a no brainier, but think about what this rule means. It means you do not run sweeps, tosses, reverses, end arounds, flea flickers, or slow developing pass plays in these situations. That means you basically toss the gadget plays out of your playbook, and play straight football. If you are trapped with in your own 20, a loss of yardage will put you in a dangerous long yardage situation, which could make a turnover or sack more likely. If you are in the opposition’s 20, a loss of yardage will likely result in taking a FG as opposed to 6.
8) Never take a penalty within the 20's: This rule has the same thinking behind it as rule 7. Loss of yardage is bad while stuck in these areas of the field, often drive killers.
9) If you plan to go for it on 4th down, you run on 3rd and short: This is a hard and fast rule of good football. You in a place to go for it? Its 3rd and 2 or 3, and you know you will go for it on 4th? You run a dive, or other no-frills running play on 3rd down. You never pass. You do not lose yards (no outside runs). 4th down is something different of course, then you can open your playbook, but 3rd down, you run.
10) If you pass and gain no yards on 1st down, you run on second: End of story, this is simply the price you pay for passing on first to no effect. As an offensive coach, and former player I will tell you the percentages for a successful 3rd down conversion in 3rd and 7 or more is abysmally low, like 10% to 15%. Where as 3rd and 5 or 7, is in the 35%. If you plan to pass on 2nd and 10, it must be something like a simple screen pass which would be a very high percentage pass play.
1) Gain initiative, and dictate to the defense: This basically means, never let the defense force you to change what you want to do. If you want to run, RUN. If the D brings 8 men into the box to stop the run, add a TE to the field, do not abandon the run. If the defense is overselling itself against the run, start to work in those play action passes to make them pay, its what you want them to do when you try to establish a running game in the first place. You must forage an offensive identity, and stick to it. Players play better when they know what they are doing, why you are calling what you are calling, and they learn how to gain the upper hand on the defense when they know each other, themselves and their coach’s mindset.
2) You must run to set up the pass: Passing to set up the run is backwards from the way it should be. If you cannot run to set up the pass you cannot sit on a lead. You cannot run out the clock. And you cannot earn a first down on 3rd and two with a run. Teams that pass to set up the run tend to do the above poorly
3) Trust your Defense: This may seem to be an odd thing to put in here. But the first sign of offensive collapse, usually is rooted in a unit/coaching fear of their defense. Coaches/players who fear the "other" unit will screw things up for the team tend to take needless risks. Going for it on 4th and 1 in the redzone in a scoreless first quarter is a good example of this mentality. Needless risks tend to undermine a teams success in the future, as taking chances is basically gambling with fate. Eventually snake-eyes will show on the dice.
4) Play to your team's strength: If you have Randy Moss as a WR, you will not want to play a whole lot of dink and dunk passing. If your team simply cannot run block, do not run from spread formations, but bring in the TEs and FBs, and do not play games when you run.
5) A holding penalty on a run is never acceptable: Running the ball is simple attitude. The teams who know they can run do. I've seen far too many teams short on talent, but big on heart run the ball with success to believe this to be anything but who wants it more. A holding penalty on a run is a symptom of the o-lineman getting physically out hustled/outplayed. It should never happen, and it is a killer penalty. As a side note, the WRs should never be penalized under any circumstance except in the case to save a turnover.
6) Never turn the ball over within the 20's: These are the turnovers that lose games. Turning it over within your own 20 will almost always result in a TD for the opposition, while a turnover within the redzone takes sure points off the board.
7) Never lose yardage within the 20's: This may seem like a no brainier, but think about what this rule means. It means you do not run sweeps, tosses, reverses, end arounds, flea flickers, or slow developing pass plays in these situations. That means you basically toss the gadget plays out of your playbook, and play straight football. If you are trapped with in your own 20, a loss of yardage will put you in a dangerous long yardage situation, which could make a turnover or sack more likely. If you are in the opposition’s 20, a loss of yardage will likely result in taking a FG as opposed to 6.
8) Never take a penalty within the 20's: This rule has the same thinking behind it as rule 7. Loss of yardage is bad while stuck in these areas of the field, often drive killers.
9) If you plan to go for it on 4th down, you run on 3rd and short: This is a hard and fast rule of good football. You in a place to go for it? Its 3rd and 2 or 3, and you know you will go for it on 4th? You run a dive, or other no-frills running play on 3rd down. You never pass. You do not lose yards (no outside runs). 4th down is something different of course, then you can open your playbook, but 3rd down, you run.
10) If you pass and gain no yards on 1st down, you run on second: End of story, this is simply the price you pay for passing on first to no effect. As an offensive coach, and former player I will tell you the percentages for a successful 3rd down conversion in 3rd and 7 or more is abysmally low, like 10% to 15%. Where as 3rd and 5 or 7, is in the 35%. If you plan to pass on 2nd and 10, it must be something like a simple screen pass which would be a very high percentage pass play.