NFL
EASY TO RUN, HARD TO STOP
AUDIBLES, DUMMY SNAP COUNTS, HAND SIGNALS … WHO NEEDS ’EM? NOT CAM NEWTON. THE NFL’S TRENDIEST OFFENSIVE SCHEME THRIVES ON SPEED, SIMPLICITY—AND OPTIONS. By Field Yates
photograph by JOHN HUET
11/11/2013 ES P N T h e M a g a zin e
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PLAYBOOK
NFL
Don’t let your eyes, or Peyton Manning, deceive you: Not all NFL offenses are overly complicated. At least a dozen teams, including Cam Newton’s Panthers, are running what’s known as packaged plays, which have built-in options for both the run and the pass. That means the QB can call one play, then read the defense’s movement and initiate a different play. See a corner backing off his coverage? Throw a quick screen to a wide receiver. See a weak box? Run right at it, either with a QB keeper or a traditional handoff. Packaged plays aren’t new at any level— colleges and high schools have run them frequently the past decade—but they’re gaining momentum in the NFL, especially for teams with inexperienced quarterbacks. The beauty of packaged plays is that they replace verbose playcalls and endless presnap audibles with simple, sometimes one-word, plays that bundle several options into one. That’s a big reason the Bills, with three green QBs, were running one play every 23.4 seconds through Week 7, second fastest in the NFL. The only team faster? The Eagles, who are also using packaged plays as the backbone of their offense. Philly’s three-point Week 7 clunker notwithstanding, coach Chip Kelly has designed one of the NFL’s most potent offenses, averaging 6.2 yards per play (third in the league) and rattling off a snap every 22.6 seconds. In Week 3 against Kansas City, the Eagles put up 431 total yards (6.8 yards per play) and had two 40-yard runs against the stout Chiefs defense. They have been the only 40-yard rushes surrendered by KC all season, and both came off packaged plays. “It’s very different, that college-style stuff,” Chiefs Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Johnson says of Kelly’s offense. “It’s difficult because it’s different.” Here’s a look at how the Panthers, Eagles and Bears—the NFL’s three most successful packaged-play teams—are making it hard on defenses through simplicity.
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ESPN The Magazine 11/11/2013
QB Cam Newton CAROLINA PANTHERS
DRAW IT UP
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THE PANTHERS USE THE QUICK SCREEN—AND CAM NEWTON’S 6'5", 245-POUND FRAME—TO ATTACK A D THAT’S TOO SPREAD OUT.
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1 QB’s READ PLAYERS
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If Newton sees off coverage, he can zip a throw to a WR on either side. On the left, Steve Smith has to beat the CB on his own, while the right WR has two blockers clearing his way.
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The look Newton is hoping for: a six-man box, as shown here. Once the in-line TE clears out one defender, the Panthers’ six blockers give Newton the mathematical advantage to run a QB draw.
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Both tackles act like they’re pass-blocking to run the DEs up the field. What’s left is a built-in running lane for Newton, with the pulling RG and RB serving as lead blockers.
BOB LEVERONE/AP IMAGES; PAGE 24: GEOFF BURKE/USA TODAY SPORTS; PAGE 25: HARRY E. WALKER/MCT/GETTY IMAGES
PLAYBOOK
NFL PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
TRIPLE DIP
CHICAGO BEARS
MARSHALL’S LAW
CHIP KELLY’S 2013 VERSION OF THE TRIPLE-OPTION MAKES DEFENSES ACCOUNT FOR THE PASS AND THE READ-OPTION.
MARC TRESTMAN’S QUICK-STRIKE OFFENSE HAS CAUGHT FIRE IN THE WINDY CITY. LOW-RISK, HIGH-REWARD PLAYS LIKE THIS ONE ARE A BIG REASON.
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1a
2a 2b
1a 3
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1b QB’s READ PLAYERS
1 RB LeSean McCoy, QB Michael Vick
This play is a big reason DeSean Jackson was eighth among WRs with 211 yac through Week 7. If the slot CB is in soft coverage, QB Michael Vick will get D-Jax the ball with room to run.
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Once D-Jax makes the catch, Jason Avant (2a) blocks the free safety, while outside WR Riley Cooper (2b) clears out the CB with a go route. All that’s left is Jackson one-on-one in space with a DB.
QB’s READ PLAYERS
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The read-option, which Philly has run an NFL-high 22 times a game, is the final wrinkle. If the right DE follows LeSean McCoy, Vick keeps it. If not, Vick hands it off.
1 WR Brandon Marshall
With two TEs (1a) and a flanker (1b) overloading the O-line, defenses can’t commit more than one DB to WR Brandon Marshall (2), who’s isolated on the left side.
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If Marshall (260 targets since 2012, second in the NFL) has soft coverage, he’s getting the ball. But tight man-to-man, as seen here, makes it a tougher throw for Jay Cutler or fill-in QB Josh McCown.
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In which case ... RB Matt Forte runs a counter play away from the DBs congesting the box. If RG Kyle Long and RT Jordan Mills seal the back side, this could be a big gainer.