Will the read option be a fad or is it here to stay?

[Aso]

And the Seahawks run a hybrid defense as it is.

[Warner2BruceTD]

I may show my age here but I don't think the NFL has seen quarterbacks like Wilson, RG III, and Kaepernick before. The threat of the dual threat quarterback is stronger than ever before. These guys can run, take
hits, and throw the ball with pretty good accuracy while understanding their reads. So I agree with you in criticizing the Wildcat comparisons. That is a lazy and unintelligent way of watching football.

I was also under the impression that the 3-4 has been the most used base defense in the NFL for quite some time now. The Patriots, Steelers, and Ravens
have been the most successful franchises for over a decade and that's what they've run during their runs.

The 49ers, Texans, and Packers have also ran very good 3-4 defenses over the last 5 years. The Jets ran it and made the playoffs with Mark Sanchez.

Come to think of it, the Giants and now the Seawawks are the only teams that run a 43 that's scary.

The 3-4 makes sense with all the rule changes. More people on coverage, less people up front geared towards stopping the run.

This transition has been happening and will continue for a while until teams start to draft towards running the ball again.

The NFL is cyclicle. We all know this. It's a chess match. It's unfortunate that the rule changes are influencing the style of play so much, though.

RE 3-4: It is. And more teams are converting. I don't think i've seen it used this widespread since probably close to 20 years ago, when it basically took over the league, then faded to the point that you had maybe one or two teams using it (Steelers come to mind) while everybody else went back to a 4-3.

And its because of the reasons you say, as the teams that are winning these days (aside from NYG) almost all use a 3-4. When the league went 4-3 heavy, it was because of the opposite. It really is a copycat league.

But back on topic, I think durability of the QB's will be a big key here. If teams see RGIII continue to get banged up or Wilson or whoever else end up on the IR, you'll see a trend where GM's will be scared to invest big money on spread QB's. Or maybe more accurately, coaches will stop exposing those QB's to an excessive number of hits.

[KINGOFOOTBALL]

I may show my age here but I don't think the NFL has seen quarterbacks like Wilson, RG III, and Kaepernick before. The threat of the dual threat quarterback is stronger than ever before. These guys can run, take
hits, and throw the ball with pretty good accuracy while understanding their reads. So I agree with you in criticizing the Wildcat comparisons. That is a lazy and unintelligent way of watching football.

I was also under the impression that the 3-4 has been the most used base defense in the NFL for quite some time now. The Patriots, Steelers, and Ravens
have been the most successful franchises for over a decade and that's what they've run during their runs.

The 49ers, Texans, and Packers have also ran very good 3-4 defenses over the last 5 years. The Jets ran it and made the playoffs with Mark Sanchez.

Come to think of it, the Giants and now the Seawawks are the only teams that run a 43 that's scary.

The 3-4 makes sense with all the rule changes. More people on coverage, less people up front geared towards stopping the run.

This transition has been happening and will continue for a while until teams start to draft towards running the ball again.

The NFL is cyclicle. We all know this. It's a chess match. It's unfortunate that the rule changes are influencing the style of play so much, though.

RE 3-4: It is. And more teams are converting. I don't think i've seen it used this widespread since probably close to 20 years ago, when it basically took over the league, then faded to the point that you had maybe one or two teams using it (Steelers come to mind) while everybody else went back to a 4-3.

And its because of the reasons you say, as the teams that are winning these days (aside from NYG) almost all use a 3-4. When the league went 4-3 heavy, it was because of the opposite. It really is a copycat league.

But back on topic, I think durability of the QB's will be a big key here. If teams see RGIII continue to get banged up or Wilson or whoever else end up on the IR, you'll see a trend where GM's will be scared to invest big money on spread QB's. Or maybe more accurately, coaches will stop exposing those QB's to an excessive number of hits.

Just want to add that 4-3/3-4 compared to 20-30 years ago is really different. 3-4 actually allowed better run stoppage because it was easier to stock against common gaps and run plays. Teams today really don't have the personnel to run traditional 3-4 defenses. Theres nowhere near enough legit 2 gap NT let alone DE to cover that. Teams today play the 3-4 like the 4-3. They shoot one gap and one of the OLBs acts as a DE for most plays. The amount of nickel defense plays basically means are basically in hybrid most of the game.
Its much much easier to find tall fast OLBS and a few "stout" lineman than it is to find a true pass rushing DE and DT. At the end of the day a 3-4 today allows you to easily find as many humans to throw at a QB on any given play.

[NAHSTE]

I think the thing about the read option is that it's like any other post snap read-based system --- to use one example, option routes which are dependent on coverage -- these things will always be difficult for a defense to stop if the offense makes the correct read. Since it's reactionary to the defense's decisions, the offense is almost always going to be at an advantage simply because they are deciding with more information. Either answer could be correct on any given play.

The only real weapons the defense has against a read-based play are a. hope the offense executes it poorly or b. disguise your defense for as long as possible in the hopes of achieving item a. (Ie, combo coverage on one side of the field to hide man or zone and take away a receiver's read.)

I read somewhere that a lot of teams are just trying to counter this by confusing the blocking schemes on the edge with unconventional stuff like having ends stand up, or switch places with the tackle on a stunt, have safeties fly up to take contain, etc. Basically, since they know on any given play the offense wants to leave one man unblocked, normally the guy with contain or QB responsibility, defenses are hoping to be more deceptive and unpredictable about which position becomes that unblocked guy.

Gap responsibility and "assignment football" are obviously the keys to stopping it on a macro level, but on a micro level a lot of teams are going to try to do a lot of East Room line shifting and user audible cheese, which will at the very least delay the time it takes for the line and quarterback to identify the proper "read" man.

Is it a fad? No, not really, but it's something teams are actively trying to counter so it will see some ebbs and tides in effectiveness.

[Warner2BruceTD]

Just want to add that 4-3/3-4 compared to 20-30 years ago is really different. 3-4 actually allowed better run stoppage because it was easier to stock against common gaps and run plays. Teams today really don't have the personnel to run traditional 3-4 defenses. Theres nowhere near enough legit 2 gap NT let alone DE to cover that. Teams today play the 3-4 like the 4-3. They shoot one gap and one of the OLBs acts as a DE for most plays. The amount of nickel defense plays basically means are basically in hybrid most of the game.
Its much much easier to find tall fast OLBS and a few "stout" lineman than it is to find a true pass rushing DE and DT. At the end of the day a 3-4 today allows you to easily find as many humans to throw at a QB on any given play.

The big, bulky, slow, run stuffing ILB is a dinosaur and will likely remain extinct. You can't afford to not have speed anywhere in the back seven (or eight) anymore, or it will be identified & exploited.

Every team used to have one or two of those guys, complete with neck roll pads.

[Guest]

I think it's not a fad, and here to stay, but there is a caveat to it. It's going to be implemented by teams in certain situations and used from time to time, but it's not going to be the primary offense that a team uses. I see a team going exclusively to a read option offense like the Eagles are rumored to be doing failing about as bad as Spurrier did in the NFL with his "fun and gun" offense. Some things are great to use in some instances, and this is one of them.

[JimLeavy59]

It will be used as a special package for certain teams but it be used as a primary offense in the NFL. I could see more teams lining up in the pistol formation though wouldn't mind seeing the Packers use it to protect Rodgers a bit and it could help open up the running game.

[packersfan4eva]

Any play that puts a quarterback at risk is a no-go. Until we see RG3-athletic quarterbacks combined with Brett Favre retard toughness, these won't stick around.

[KINGOFOOTBALL]

Every team used to have one or two of those guys, complete with neck roll pads.

Or the occasional Ironing Board.

[Senser81]

I think the thing about the read option is that it's like any other post snap read-based system --- to use one example, option routes which are dependent on coverage -- these things will always be difficult for a defense to stop if the offense makes the correct read. Since it's reactionary to the defense's decisions, the offense is almost always going to be at an advantage simply because they are deciding with more information. Either answer could be correct on any given play.

The only real weapons the defense has against a read-based play are a. hope the offense executes it poorly or b. disguise your defense for as long as possible in the hopes of achieving item a. (Ie, combo coverage on one side of the field to hide man or zone and take away a receiver's read.)

I read somewhere that a lot of teams are just trying to counter this by confusing the blocking schemes on the edge with unconventional stuff like having ends stand up, or switch places with the tackle on a stunt, have safeties fly up to take contain, etc. Basically, since they know on any given play the offense wants to leave one man unblocked, normally the guy with contain or QB responsibility, defenses are hoping to be more deceptive and unpredictable about which position becomes that unblocked guy.

Gap responsibility and "assignment football" are obviously the keys to stopping it on a macro level, but on a micro level a lot of teams are going to try to do a lot of East Room line shifting and user audible cheese, which will at the very least delay the time it takes for the line and quarterback to identify the proper "read" man.

Is it a fad? No, not really, but it's something teams are actively trying to counter so it will see some ebbs and tides in effectiveness.

Agree with this. As you said, its just another version of a post snap read-based system, so I don't think the read option can be classified as a fad. That said, I don't know how prevelent it will be, because the dual-threat QB is pretty rare in the NFL and teams won't want their QB getting hurt.

What you said about the defenses countering the read option is interesting. I would figure that if the QB is reading the weakside DE, for example, the way to counter it would be to have the weakside DE do something opposite from what the rest of the defense is doing. If he is playing "contain", the rest of the DL is slanting the opposite way toward the HB, etc. Its kind of like the zone blitz...show one thing, but be doing another.

[Villain]

Great thread, made complete with groans for the OP.

[x0xHumblex0x]

the game is changing, so its here to stay.
and the game always changes, its just a matter of time.

like Landry brought the Shotgun into the NFL, Shanny bring the Pistol (and all other read option plays) to the NFL......

not to mention; how much speed there is in today NFL......in almost every position, except for Kickers and Punters, lol.

[Tailback U]

Shanny didn't bring the Pistol to the NFL. The NFL does not revolve around RG III and the Redskins.

[Sportsbuck]

I agree with KOF. If it's a part of your offense and not your base offensive philosophy then I think it'll work. I didn't see a ton of Panthers game but isn't that why the Panthers offense struggled at the beginning of last season? I know they changed up their offense later in the year and had a lot more success.

Yep, Chud tried to use it as a base offense for us. When it was clear that wasn't working, we moved towards a more under center approach with our 2 backs and utilized the power running game to great success while mixing in the read option occasionally.

Much like everyone has said, no, it won't be a fad. Much like everything else that's been in football, it'll evolve into something else that offenses use.

It's funny to see that the shotgun read option has become so popular when it was literally discovered on accident. Rich Rodriguez's quarterback was running a shotgun dive play, and his quarterback fumbled around with the snap, made a reactionary play, and boom. That's how it was born.

[G-men]

Yep, Chud tried to use it as a base offense for us. When it was clear that wasn't working, we moved towards a more under center approach with our 2 backs and utilized the power running game to great success while mixing in the read option occasionally.

Much like everyone has said, no, it won't be a fad. Much like everything else that's been in football, it'll evolve into something else that offenses use.

It's funny to see that the shotgun read option has become so popular when it was literally discovered on accident. Rich Rodriguez's quarterback was running a shotgun dive play, and his quarterback fumbled around with the snap, made a reactionary play, and boom. That's how it was born.

Same thing with how the first HB draw was created. I forget who it was, but I saw it on NFL Films. The quarterback dropped back to pass and tripped over his feet, so he handed it to the HB as he was falling.