playbook
NFL
big number
huddle down!
who needs a bREAK? in 2012, our filmroom junkie says it’s a waste of time to take a breather between plays. By Ron Jaworski In 17 years as a QB, I never once ran the no-huddle outside of the two-minute drill. Now around 25 teams are using it on a regular basis, or at least as an occasional change-up during games. If historical data were available, I’m sure this would be a record-breaking season for hurry-up offenses. So why is this happening? The easy answer is that we’re seeing unprecedented QB play across the league. There are fewer game managers playing the position than ever before, which is a big reason scoring is at an all-time high—47.6 points per game through Week 3. That’s up 3.2 ppg from 2011, the biggest single-season jump since 1979. With Brady, Rodgers, the Mannings et al., you want them running more plays, and they are. Through three weeks, the league average of 128.7 plays per game was the most in 25 years. It’s important to note that you can’t just go to the no-huddle with any old QB. You need a dynamic passer who also has incredible command of the offense. Without both, you can end up with the failed 2009 Bills offense. That year, Buffalo switched to a sped-up offense with QB Trent Edwards, who had decent skills but little
30
Percentage of drives QB Joe Flacco ran the no-huddle in the Ravens’ first two wins. Contrast that to just 21% in Baltimore’s Week 2 loss to Philly.
experience. Within a year, Edwards and coach Dick Jauron were out of Buffalo. That’s why you’re not seeing much no-huddle from any of this year’s five rookie QBs. There’s no such concern with the current elite QBs. They’ve mastered every nuance—every route and read—in their offenses. A hurry-up attack is almost second nature to them now. The no-huddle was a natural progression for younger QBs like the Falcons’ Matt Ryan and the Ravens’ Joe Flacco. It’s no wonder Ben Roethlisberger is lobbying coaches to increase no-huddle calls in Pittsburgh. What’s funny is that the defenses have brought the no-huddle on themselves. Teams have reacted to the recent surge of passing
ESPN The Magazine 10/15/2012
Peyton Manning is a no-huddle maestro, but his three sub-fourminute TD drives through Week 3 lagged behind Matt Ryan’s six.
offense by varying personnel sets, subbing in linemen and DBs at a rate I’ve never seen. The hurry-up is the perfect countermeasure—it traps the same schemes and defenders into place. The goal is to keep
the fat guys on the field, then gas them out. It’s working. When Ryan or Brady stands at the line, changing the play multiple times, those 300-pound backfield crashers have to get in their stance and stay put. You can see it, then, later in drives, when the big boys have no thrust left. Of course, any time your O-line looks a little tired, you can just huddle up. A good example of the no-huddle’s impact came in
Week 1, when Atlanta won at Kansas City. The Falcons went no-huddle in the middle of the second quarter. Ryan proceeded to gut KC’s D, going 6-of-6 for 64 yards with a mix of bubble screens and short patterns designed to fatigue the D. By the end of the drive, the 11 Chiefs defenders were hands-onhips tired. How did KC respond? Matt Cassel went no-huddle on the next drive and led an 80-yard touchdown march. About the only advice I can give defensive coordinators is to focus less on situational matchups. Gear your lineup toward 11 guys for entire drives against no-huddle QBs. Defensive linemen must get fitter, not bigger. And whenever possible, play veterans. You want experienced guys who have dealt with the panic of the NFL’s two-minute drill. Then trust those players to audible too, and let your defensive captain call his own blitzes or coverage changes on the fly. If that doesn’t work, maybe defensive coordinators ought to consider huddling up.
FROM TOP: DOUG PENSINGER/GETTY IMAGES; TONY LEON/ZUMAPRESS