One of my favorite recent evolutions in offenses has come from the rise of “combined” or “packaged” concepts, which might combine both a run and a quick pass play or a quick shovel screen and a quick pass into the same play. Part of the motivation behind such concepts is that they are simply good ones: You can take things you are already good at, combine them, and make the defense wrong every time while executing simple ideas. But the other reason is that in the age of the no-huddle, they avoid the need for complex pre-snap audibles or convoluted calls in the huddle of multiple plays. With these “packaged concepts” you get both the quick call-it-and-go of a fast paced no-huddle without sacrificing the quarterback’s key role in putting the offense in position to succeed.
One of the most intriguing new concepts that I’ve been told teams have run this past season — if you have any film, please feel free to send it — is to combine the “shovel option” play that Urban Meyer made famous at Florida with a true sprint-out or roll-out pass concept. The “shovel option” or “crazy option” is a great play in and of itself: The line blocks the “power” concept, pulling the backside guard, while leaving the defensive end unblocked so the quarterback can option off of him. Typically, the defensive end cannot help himself but attack upfield for the quarterback, allowing the quarterback to shovel pass it upfield to the runningback who has slipped underneath and who has a lead blocker. Below is a clip of Tim Tebow tosses the shovel option to current Patriots stand-out Aaron Hernandez.
It’s a great play — and it certainly pre-dates Meyer, as I’ve even seen clips of Alabama coach Bear Bryant running the play back in 1976 — but teams have gotten better at defending it recently. And the defensive ends that have gotten better at defending it are able to squeeze and take away the shovel pass and to force the quarterback to extend the play to the outside. Sometimes, teams run the play as a true triple option, combining the inside shovel with a speed option to the outside. But the timing on this never seems to work out well, as the speed option isn’t particularly well complemented by the slower developing shovel to the inside. And even if it is a good play, it becomes significantly more expensive to convert it from a cheap way to run the shovel and not have to block some stud defensive end and to instead turn it into a true triple option. There must be some other way to run this.
Enter the shovel option-sprint-out. Here, the first read by the quarterback is still the shovel option: If the defensive end comes upfield, the quarterback simply tosses the shovel pass and the play goes on as normal. But if the defensive end squeezes and takes away the shovel, what exactly has happened? Well, it’s the easiest seal block ever on that defensive end; instead of trying to have an H-back crack down or the tackle reach him, the quarterback should have enough space on the corner to simply run around him because of how he has played the option.
It’s at this point that the second read kicks in, which is some basic combination route concept. I’ve drawn up curl/flat here, but it could be smash or anything else depending on the coverage tendencies from the opponent. The important thing is it should be a simple read, as the idea for the quarterback is he must make a quick decision and get rid of the ball.
If the quarterback can’t toss the shovel and both receivers are covered, he must either throw it away or get to the corner; in other words, run like hell. The obvious downside is that the defensive end is unblocked and therefore will only be momentarily delayed by the shovel option. The idea of the play is not for the quarterback to “roll out” and dawdle in the pocket. That’s why I refer to this as a “sprint-out” concept: The quarterback needs to be sprinting and throwing on the run. But the upside here outweighs the negatives, especially when one factors in how difficult that block on the defensive end often can be.
One must of course address the concern about linemen getting downfield. First, as I’ve noted previously, for better or for worse it’s not something often called and is difficult to see in real time. Second, and more importantly, linemen get a three yard “cushion” to get downfield without running afoul of the rule. If the play is executed on time — another reason for the quarterback to make a quick decision — it really should not be a concern. It only really becomes one if the quarterback tries to scramble around and the linemen drift downfield.
This is clearly a unique concept, and not one that would fit every offense. But it’s the offseason — and spring practice is imminent — and now is the time for creative brainstorming. I’ve gotten nothing but good reports on this concept from those who used it last year, and I look forward to putting up plenty of cut-ups of it this fall.