Clay Mathews on how to stop read option: "Hit the QB"

[Direwolf63]

There is no "pitchman" in the way the RO is run. You are thinking much more of the classic triple option with the QB running down the line.

The mesh point is 5 yards behind the LOS. The read needs to be quick and right to beat the unblocked defender, as the strategy clearly is going to be "get to the QB and nail him"

In this situation, the unblocked defender ALWAYS hits the QB. No exceptions. That being the case, the RB will get the ball most of the time. From there it's up to the DT's & MLB to get to the RB.
To succeed in defending this play, players have to ignore the attempted trickery and stick tio their assignments. The unblocked player hits the QB every time. If he's quick enough, like a Ware or a Spencer, the 3rd option, the pass can be limited due to a lack of time to throw the ball.
That's the theory anyway.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

You would pretty much have no NFL after a point.

If the "hit the QB" strategy hinges on hitting a QB late (even after he throws his hands up) you are going to see suspensions handed down from the NFL. No way does the league office want to see RG3 and Kapernick getting cheap shotted half the game

Whats cheap is this throwing up their hands junk. Too bad that doesn't work for all the players in the league. I guess it's just to save the sissy QBs. That throwing up the hands junk is going to turn into a nightmare with all the stupid penalities that are going to come off that junk.

 

[Doomsday101]

Doesn't matter. The key to success in the NFL is the QB. You lose that guy and your done. You can run any kind of option and it wouldn't matter, if the NFL allowed you to actually hit the QB. Pick your option, it would be done before it ever really got started if QBs were treated like ball carriers, the way they should be, in that offense in the NFL. JMO

Well then hit the QB late in the pocket what is the differance. In the pistol that pitch is taking place quickly he is not holding on to it so you hit him as he is standing there there is going to be a flag so then again why not blast the QB on a handoff or in the pocket because the results will be the same. It is cheap shot football and anyone can play it including teams vs Romo and the Cowboys

 

[Doomsday101]

In this situation, the unblocked defender ALWAYS hits the QB. No exceptions. That being the case, the RB will get the ball most of the time. From there it's up to the DT's & MLB to get to the RB.
To succeed in defending this play, players have to ignore the attempted trickery and stick tio their assignments. The unblocked player hits the QB every time. If he's quick enough, like a Ware or a Spencer, the 3rd option, the pass can be limited due to a lack of time to throw the ball.
That's the theory anyway.

What trickery? The pitch is made off the movement of the guy on the end it is out quickly he is not drawing the defender to him and releasing at the last second as old fashing option QB would do. That was the object to draw the defender to the QB and he would make the last second pitch. No one is running that and the Pistol does not operate that way. This is why some teams in the NFL will run it because it is not putting the QB at big risk. Hell Romo runs a bigger risk of taking a massive hit than RGIII

 

[DCBoysfan]

There is no doubt that teams are going to be more aggresive hitting the QB rather if he pitches the ball or not.

 

[Doomsday101]

You would pretty much have no NFL after a point.

If the "hit the QB" strategy hinges on hitting a QB late (even after he throws his hands up) you are going to see suspensions handed down from the NFL. No way does the league office want to see RG3 and Kapernick getting cheap shotted half the game

I agree. I like hard hitting football but there is no room for cheap shots in this league or any other.

 

[khiladi]

Uh the Ravens showed the formula to beat the RO?

Once San Fran adjusted and started pretty much going exclusively to the RO, the 49ers mounted a furious comeback and only dumb play calling from Jim Harbaugh prevented the win

If giving up 24 second half points is the "formula" it needs quite a bit of tweaking

You mean the adjustment of the lights going out for at least a half an hour, killing the Ravens momentum, and slowing the game totally down?

 

[SkinsHokieFan]

You mean the adjustment of the lights going out for at least a half an hour, killing the Ravens momentum, and slowing the game totally down?

Jed York did admit to pulling the plug the other day.

 

[DCBoysfan]

You would pretty much have no NFL after a point.

If the "hit the QB" strategy hinges on hitting a QB late (even after he throws his hands up) you are going to see suspensions handed down from the NFL. No way does the league office want to see RG3 and Kapernick getting cheap shotted half the game

The 'hit the QB" strategy would only apply if the QB was in a running motion like in the RO. He can be hit in that positon, not as a drop back passer.

 

[Doomsday101]

The 'hit the QB" strategy would only apply if the QB was in a running motion like in the RO. He can be hit in that positon, not as a drop back passer.

Yes if it is a bang bang play but if the QB pitches and is standing there then no they are not going to allow the defense to blast the QB. The one postion that is protected more than any other and you think the NFL is going to allow free shots?

 

[Rockport]

We have to play RGIII twice a year and will have to deal with him for the next decade or so. To date, he's been a thorn to our defense. I found this quote by Clay Matthews interesting, given how Kaepernic torched them last year:

LINK

Rod Maranelli employs rushmen, and likes players that can shoot the gap, so hopefully we can get enough penetration so that we can hit him early and often.

Exactly what I've been telling the deadskin fans who refuse to believe that it will happen.

 

[boysfanindc]

It also seems to me it would also drive teams to play more zone coverages against the RO, as it requires you to face the line of scrimmage and read the QB.
.

 

[Doomsday101]

Exactly what I've been telling the deadskin fans who refuse to believe that it will happen.

I agree the key is quick penatration into the back field to kill or disrupt the play before it develops but then that is a big key vs any offense you face. This notion that the league will allow some type of free shot on a QB who does not have the ball well I will believe it when I see it.

 

[Doomsday101]

It also seems to me it would also drive teams to play more zone coverages against the RO, as it requires you to face the line of scrimmage and read the QB.
.

No doubt about that playing man vs a mobil QB like an RGIII is a big gamble should he take off and run. Hard for DB to locate the QB when they have their backs to the QB

 

[Rockport]

You would pretty much have no NFL after a point.

If the "hit the QB" strategy hinges on hitting a QB late (even after he throws his hands up) you are going to see suspensions handed down from the NFL. No way does the league office want to see RG3 and Kapernick getting cheap shotted half the game

Once the QB decides to run the ball, he's not a QB anymore and can be lit up and will be lit up and will eventually get injured. RGknee (courtesy of Visionary) sooner than most.

 

[Direwolf63]

Yes if it is a bang bang play but if the QB pitches and is standing there then no they are not going to allow the defense to blast the QB. The one postion that is protected more than any other and you think the NFL is going to allow free shots?

The QB has to read the unblocked defender before he decides what he's going to do. That takes time. So while the QB figures out what he will do, he's a runner and fair game to get hit. If the QB pitches the ball well before the defender arrives, then it's no longer the RO, but a simple pitch, and the QB can't be hit. But it's a READ option because the QB has to READ what the defender will do. That takes time. And that puts the QB at risk and the defense has to take advantage of that by hitting him.

This is not about taking a "free shot" at the QB. It's about hitting him when he is a runner.

 

[DCBoysfan]

Yes if it is a bang bang play but if the QB pitches and is standing there then no they are not going to allow the defense to blast the QB. The one postion that is protected more than any other and you think the NFL is going to allow free shots?

In the RO there is no pitch so if he is holding the ball and he hands it off at the last second, then yea he could be hit. It was being discussed on one of the 49ers or Seahawks game this preseason, an NFL official said that unless the QB drops back then he is considered a runner.

 

[Doomsday101]

Once the QB decides to run the ball, he's not a QB anymore and can be lit up and will be lit up and will eventually get injured. RGknee (courtesy of Visionary) sooner than most.

True however RGIII big hits he took happened because he went for the extra yardage instead of getting out of bounds or sliding feet first and we all know you can't hit the QB if he gets out of bounds or gives himself up on the play by sliding. Now if RGIII wants to be RB tough then your right he will not last long

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Well then hit the QB late in the pocket what is the differance. In the pistol that pitch is taking place quickly he is not holding on to it so you hit him as he is standing there there is going to be a flag so then again why not blast the QB on a handoff or in the pocket because the results will be the same. It is cheap shot football and anyone can play it including teams vs Romo and the Cowboys

That's exactly what would happen "if" defenses were allowed to play him like a ball carrier. You are not being honest here. If a QB fakes a hand off to the up back and then rolls out to complete something down field or in the flat, the play is designed for the defense to bit on the fake hard. That means that the RB probably gets hit if it's a good fake, even destroyed in order for the play to be executed properly. However, you don't see a flag. The play is well away from the fake but because the D is allowed to play the back like a back, no flag. If you could play the QB like a ball carrier, regardless of when the pitch happens, the result would be too many injured QBs and the offense would once again be relegated to a HS offense. Because QBs are not treated the same, the offense works. The concept of the pistol is not new. There is a reason it was never successful in the NFL.

The rules have changed, and not for the better IMO. However, because of those rule changes, the offense is more effective now. That's the long and short of it.

 

[khiladi]

Let's also not forget the horrible special teams play by Baltimore when the lights came back on, giving them essentially two scores, as well s a fumble by Ra Rice in teir own territory. I hardly call the 'read-option' the reason for that comeback nor do I call Harbaugh's 'poor coaching' decision of a failed 2 point conversion either especially when Akers was gifted with another 3 point re-try a reason as well....