Read Option

[NIBGoldenchild]

Originally Posted by Rack Bauer

Don't they niners have to GET To the superbowl first?

And if this is the future of the NFL, I'll simply stop watching. It's not entertaining to me. I like pure pocket passers. Not a gimmicky offense that forces defenses to leave average WRs and TE's wide open, inflating the QB's numbers cuz he's able to punt one up to him cuz he's so freakin' open. I want to see a skillful PASSER play on sundays. Not the read option.

There is a whole lot of personal opinion being substituted as facts in this post.

[zack]

I'm sure next season there will be someone to "hit" the QB on every play that they do the read option. And I'm sorry, the NFL rules cannot protect a QB that runs this kind of offense.

So expect these guys that run it, are going to take a beating next year. Well, one RGknee already did. That is going to curtail running that offense. When head coaches realize that their starting QB's are in vulnerable, they will move away from it.

Let's hope that is what happens. I don't like this offense in the NFL at all. I can watch that on Saturdays.

[HoosierCowboy]

running your QB is like telling your pitchers to slide headfirst--good idea until one gets hurt--it takes too much time and $ to develop a QB to lead an offense--easy to read and run the wildcat, if one gets hurt just stick in another runner--as soon as a Few more get hurt like RGIII and as soon as defenses actually start preparing for it, it will dwindle

[rags747]

Watching the SF/GB game last night just made me realize how slow our offense is. The 9'ers do not really run that read option too much like the Skins, but they surely did hit on some big plays with it. Anyone else think that Kapernick is a better QB that RGIII? He just seems so fast out there.

The Boys have a lot of work to do to be able to play with these teams.

[NorthTexan95]

Like others have said, it's a fad that will diminish due to better defenses and injuries to quarterbacks.

[NIBGoldenchild]

Originally Posted by zack

I'm sure next season there will be someone to "hit" the QB on every play that they do the read option. And I'm sorry, the NFL rules cannot protect a QB that runs this kind of offense.

So expect these guys that run it, are going to take a beating next year. Well, one RGknee already did. That is going to curtail running that offense. When head coaches realize that their starting QB's are in vulnerable, they will move away from it.

Let's hope that is what happens. I don't like this offense in the NFL at all. I can watch that on Saturdays.

Why would the NFL change the rules to help defenses? When has the NFL ever done this? They want more scoring and less injuries, hence why they've made it harder for secondaries to cover receivers and harder for pass rushers to punish even quarterbacks who remain in the pocket. There will be no rule changes, count on it.

Here is something a lot of you guys have yet to realize. The read option actually saved RG3 from being put in IR this season. I am not saying Shanahan wasn't at fault for playing him after the Baltimore game, he shouldn't have played one game after that. But facts are facts, and the facts are that Griffin has taken all of his hard hits in traditional dropback plays, where the OL couldn't block the pass rush, and he scrambled. Every QB in this league scrambles away from pressure. His concussion came on a playaction roll out where no one was open and he ran to the sideline when he should've thrown it away. The Ngata injury was on a pass play where the OL allowed pressure on his right side, he scrambled left, took off and tried to get more yards scrambling up the middle of the field TOWARDS his pursuit. He has taken more hits in the pocket, and on unplanned scrambles, than running the read option. He should be thankful the Shanahans realized early on their offensive line would get him killed if he ran last year's offense and sought alternatives. With no RG3 against Cleveland, Cousins first 3 drives resulted in 2 punts and an INT. He didnt have a clean pocket on a single dropback pass. Morris was getting stuffed, as he has benefited more from the Pistol/read option than Griffin has. The offense didnt get rolling into Kyle Shananhan started calling bootleg, getting Cousins outside of the pocket and not a sitting duck.

If we had a quality offensive line, that didnt need the benefit of a defenses' hesitation in defending the pistol/read option, then they could afford to do less read option. But considering the success of running it, they'll likely keep it as a part of the gameplan even after improving personnel on the OL.

To get back to the topic at hand, you'll see more read option in the NFL because more and more of the quarterbacks in college are running this instead of a variation of the WCO or a even older vertical attack. The NFL has no choice but to adjust their offensive scheme to this or draft a QB to sit 2-3 years while an offense rooted in timing routes and reading progressions becomes second nature to them. The misconception is these QBs running read option CAN'T run your traditional offense, the reality is their coaches have found the read option is just more effective and lends no more risk to the QB than taking hits in the pocket. An offense that runs read option with an accurate passer is an offense that can't be schemed against.

[rags747]

It may be a fad but it sure is nice to have a QB with wheels that can also throw it. Kapernick seems to be able to do both and even if its not a designed play its nice to have a QB with the ability to pick up a quick 15 or 50 yards. Manziel...Come on down.

[Alweezy]

The Pistol has been around for awhile guys, it ain't going anywhere anytime soon..

The wildcat failed because of the two running back approach and not really having to respect the pass.

The pistol however you have to respect the fact that the QB is still in the game and can step back and throw it over your head. They took the weakness of the Wildcat and eliminated it.

All of this talk about guys getting injured etc.. etc... isn't this part of the game? That's like saying teams are going to stop running HB Dive plays because the RB could blow his knee out running up the middle.

[VACowboy]

The read option puts the league in a tough spot. They are trying to protect QBs while teams are trying to get them killed.

[Hoofbite]

Originally Posted by VACowboy

It'll last until QBs start getting concussions and blown knees from running the ball. Matter of time.

I'm curious as to why QBs are seemingly more susceptible to injury than a RB or a WR who has the ball in his hands.

Don't know how to absorb a hit, maybe?

It's just odd that a RB can have 300 carries in a season and not come up with a concussion but for whatever reason a QB wouldn't likely be able to handle it.

I don't know what it is but it sure seems like QB are a lot more fragile.


As far as taking hits, is a running QB any worse off than a QB behind a horrid OL? Whatever benefit being a pocket passer is supposed to confer to a QB, it sure hasn't helped Romo avoid injury. 4 broken bones in 5 seasons?

[Hoofbite]

Originally Posted by Alweezy

The Pistol has been around for awhile guys, it ain't going anywhere anytime soon..

The wildcat failed because of the two running back approach and not really having to respect the pass.

The pistol however you have to respect the fact that the QB is still in the game and can step back and throw it over your head. They took the weakness of the Wildcat and eliminated it.

All of this talk about guys getting injured etc.. etc... isn't this part of the game? That's like saying teams are going to stop running HB Dive plays because the RB could blow his knee out running up the middle.

I really can't believe it worked at all.

[CowboyChris]

i was on board thinking the read option as being a fad, but after watching it all year and see the 49ers run it last night, this offense puts tremendous pressure on a defense, its also pretty safe hence RGIII had like 4 int's all year, it also can chew up alot of possesion time. (ball control)

Aaron Rodgers and the Pack were no match for it last night, this is playoff football, if its working to the tune of 181 yards rushing for a Qb, teams better start taking this serious. actually i find it very entertaining, the only thing is, how many Kaepernicks, RGIII's are out there?

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Originally Posted by Hoofbite

I'm curious as to why QBs are seemingly more susceptible to injury than a RB or a WR who has the ball in his hands.

Don't know how to absorb a hit, maybe?

It's just odd that a RB can have 300 carries in a season and not come up with a concussion but for whatever reason a QB wouldn't likely be able to handle it.

I don't know what it is but it sure seems like QB are a lot more fragile.


As far as taking hits, is a running QB any worse off than a QB behind a horrid OL? Whatever benefit being a pocket passer is supposed to confer to a QB, it sure hasn't helped Romo avoid injury. 4 broken bones in 5 seasons?

It's because running backs are running and are taught to stay low and have their head on a swivel. That allows them to avoid contact or take it such that they do not get blasted.

Compare that with a QB who is standing in the pocket upright looking down field. When a defender lowers his should to make a hit, its right to the midsection.

Running backs also get hurt a lot more than QBs. QBs lifespan is much greater than RB because they get beat up so much. It's just when a starting QB gets hurt it's spammed all over the place.

[Alweezy]

Yeah that sounds about right to me. It's like wondering how a boxer can take a punch to the gut and not get winded. They are trained for it, and know how to absorb the contact. The RB's are the same way.

And the more I think about it, unless the rules change there is no downside to running this offense. You can barely touch the QB as it is or, it's a 15 yard penalty. You can't just teach your D to go in the backfield and hit everybody, because you would be walking a fine line for getting a roughing penalty if you don't time it perfectly.

[Hoofbite]

Originally Posted by CowboyChris

i was on board thinking the read option as being a fad, but after watching it all year and see the 49ers run it last night, this offense puts tremendous pressure on a defense, its also pretty safe hence RGIII had like 4 int's all year, it also can chew up alot of possesion time. (ball control)

Aaron Rodgers and the Pack were no match for it last night, this is playoff football, if its working to the tune of 181 yards rushing for a Qb, teams better start taking this serious. actually i find it very entertaining, the only thing is, how many Kaepernicks, RGIII's are out there?

This is the limiting factor.

I would say Kaepernick is just good enough (on average) as a passer to make it work. Last night he was playing well above what I had seen some previous games. He threw some balls that were right on point. Last night and the Bears games were absolutely great in terms of his play.

I think it will take some time but I think you'll see more develop. Getting a good passer is hard enough, finding one that can run makes it tougher. At the college level a speedy QB that can run likely won't even pass as much for that reason alone and an accurate passer likely won't run as much simply because he can pass.

It's probably gonna take college teams committing fast QBs to passing first and developing them into solid passers on a regular basis before enough of these guys show up. Problem is, no college coach will want to force a guy to pass if he can run all over someone. I wonder if this will open the door for some smaller school guys in that these guys can get the attention they need in the passing game to develop because a small school likely won't be playing strong enough competition to force the coach into utilizing the player in the manner that serves the team the absolute best right now.