NFL.com: Robert Griffin III triggers Washington Redskins' pistol offense

[RawBBQSauce]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000107007/article/robert-griffin-iii-triggers-washington-redskins-pistol-offense

By Bucky Brooks

How do you stop the pistol offense?

That's the question defensive coordinators around the NFL should pitch to their college colleagues prior to facing the Washington Redskins.

Fueled by the arrival of Robert Griffin III, Mike and Kyle Shanahan have molded the Redskins into one of the NFL's most feared offenses utilizing a diverse option offense that is prevalent in the college game.

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Great write-up by the ex-scout Brooks. It's not anything we haven't seen or heard already but hey, it's my kind of article. All X's and O's baby.

[RedCapital]

Great article.

[Cooooley47]

This offense is going to be fun to watch for a long time. A lot of opposing team's fans are saying defensive coordinators will figure it out and find a way to stop it. That may be true, but I believe RG3 is so good at executing it, the defenders on the field can be coached up all week long, but they will still be confused. JPP bit hard on the play fake and tackled AM rather than holding the edge and RG3 broke a long run. How many times during the week do you think he was told to hold that edge??

[mmzznnxx]

I don't want to hate on the offense, because it's surpassed my expectations for this year by leaps and bounds, but is anyone besides me a little disappointed in the lack of learning drops from under center for Griffin? I think this could be a new offense that breaks the mold as long as we fill all the offense with talent, but on the chance we don't and defenses figure it out, I worry a little bit about running a "conventional offense". I know we've done some amazing things this year, but you never know.

[Kindred]

It baffles me how RG3 and M64 need to be/are able to operate in synch with one another. One would think that the 2 would botch handoffs more frequently.

[mudhog]

I don't want to hate on the offense, because it's surpassed my expectations for this year by leaps and bounds, but is anyone besides me a little disappointed in the lack of learning drops from under center for Griffin? I think this could be a new offense that breaks the mold as long as we fill all the offense with talent, but on the chance we don't and defenses figure it out, I worry a little bit about running a "conventional offense". I know we've done some amazing things this year, but you never know.

Really? I hear Tuck and everyone saying they are gonna figure this offense out, but they still get burned on the option. It's a friggin option! Thats why it friggin works. Bob reads the coverage and makes the quick call to hand off or keep/run or throw. He makes his reads quickly and sells the play action. Everyone buys it.

Try and figure it out F'ers. RGIII is one of the brightest minds in the biz. He will beat you 3 outta 4. If he's hot, 8 outta 10.

Now, RGIII stayed home last game more than I had ever seen him, so far. That doesn't mean he's becomming a traditional pocket passer. It just means he has already transcended the invisible barrier between college and pro.

[Oldfan]

How would you defense it? My first thought is to roll the safeties under -- have them press on the WRs as their first assignment. Then, they turn the WRs over to the CBs and play a short outside zone to provide an extra body to stop pass or run to their side.

The corners would play man coverage but with the advantage of having help from the safety pressing the WR at the LOS.

[drjiveturkey]

I don't think there is anything to figure out. All teams know what's going on but the Skins are too talented to be stopped. As long as RG3 and AM have their legs, defenses have to account for both. Plus the fact that RG3 is an accurate passer makes it more lethal. The only way defenses are going to stop the offense is if they eliminate one or more of those threats. IE when our receivers drop passes like in the PIT game, or when our defense gets us behind early. In that case we have to abandon the option and go for passes. Or when age hits RG3 and or AM and they lose a step.

[lowek723]

How would you defense it? My first thought is to roll the safeties under -- have them press on the WRs as their first assignment. Then, they turn the WRs over to the CBs and play a short outside zone to provide an extra body to stop pass or run to their side.

So you want to have the safetys "bump" the WR off the line then the DBs are one on one with a wr with no deep help? while the LB are defending the run..and zero help deep

That's how you would stop it?

lol...

[Oldfan]

I don't want to hate on the offense, because it's surpassed my expectations for this year by leaps and bounds, but is anyone besides me a little disappointed in the lack of learning drops from under center for Griffin? I think this could be a new offense that breaks the mold as long as we fill all the offense with talent, but on the chance we don't and defenses figure it out, I worry a little bit about running a "conventional offense". I know we've done some amazing things this year, but you never know.

I think we are witnessing the beginning of the end for QBs under center. The shotgun gives the QB more time to pass and the pistol gives equal ability to run. Why go under center?

---------- Post added December-7th-2012 at 04:44 AM ----------

So you want to have the safetys "bump" the WR off the line then the DBs are one on one with a wr with no deep help? while the LB are defending the run..and zero help deep

That's how you would stop it?

lol...

My assumption is that a legit NFL corner wouldn't need help covering deep if his man is pressed by a safety. The LBs can get deep help or help on the outside. What difference does it make? There's no scheme that doesn't make tradeoffs.

[21Knock_U_Out]

So you want to have the safetys "bump" the WR off the line then the DBs are one on one with a wr with no deep help? while the LB are defending the run..and zero help deep

That's how you would stop it?

lol...

some one has been playin a little too much madden 13 lol

[Oldfan]

some one has been playin a little too much madden 13 lol

If you can't counter it intelligently, ridicule it?

[httrburgundyandgold]

Wouldnt bringing the safety up to press just open up the seam for TEs and crossing routes over the middle? Or the RB breaks a hole and is off to the races down the middle. The option plays off the DE, bringing the safeties up would get the defense gashed by the rb up the middle, even if the LBs played the gaps perfectly it still takes more than 1 guy to bring down alfred.

[21Knock_U_Out]

If you can't counter it intelligently, ridicule it?

No need to counter it, I PLAYED it!

[Oldfan]

Wouldnt bringing the safety up to press just open up the seam for TEs and crossing routes over the middle? Or the RB breaks a hole and is off to the races down the middle. The option plays off the DE, bringing the safeties up would get the defense gashed by the rb up the middle, even if the LBs played the gaps perfectly it still takes more than 1 guy to bring down alfred.

I'm starting with the premise that the strength of our offense is attacking wide with the zone stretch, the option, and the bubble screens. I'm using my safeties to stop those rather than have them worrying about stopping the big plays. I don't want the offense to play ball control which this scheme does well. As I said, there are always tradeoffs.

---------- Post added December-7th-2012 at 05:10 AM ----------

No need to counter it, I PLAYED it!

Then go play.

[21Knock_U_Out]

Nah Im into fighting in the cage now lol

[lowek723]

I think we are witnessing the beginning of the end for QBs under center. The shotgun gives the QB more time to pass and the pistol gives equal ability to run. Why go under center?

---------- Post added December-7th-2012 at 04:44 AM ----------

My assumption is that a legit NFL corner wouldn't need help covering deep if his man is pressed by a safety. The LBs can get deep help or help on the outside. What difference does it make? There's no scheme that doesn't make tradeoffs.

Right...See how quickly you would get exposed by leaving no safetys deep. See Pitt vs Denver in the playoffs last year.

[Oldfan]

Right...See how quickly you would get exposed by leaving no safetys deep. See Pitt vs Denver in the playoffs last year.

The discussion is about stopping OUR offense, not ALL offenses.

The idea is to take away what the offense does best.

[Wildbunny]

The trick in this offense to me is the fact that RG3 excells at selling the PA. The way he does it can make the whole defense bites on it.

You can put the best plays on your defense, use whatever scheme you want, if your guys bites on the wrong play, you're toasted. No matter what.

[Oldfan]

The trick in this offense to me is the fact that RG3 excells at selling the PA. The way he does it can make the whole defense bites on it.

You can put the best plays on your defense, use whatever scheme you want, if your guys bites on the wrong play, you're toasted. No matter what.

The deep completion to Aldrick Robinson was possible because both the safety and cornerback bit on the play action fake. That wouldn't likely have happened with the defense I suggested earlier because Robinson would have been pressed by the safety at the LOS and then turned over to the corner whose primary concern would have been man coverage and not run support. Robinson would have had to fight past the press and then beat the corner deep. That's tough to do.

[Wildbunny]

The deep completion to Aldrick Robinson was possible because both the safety and cornerback bit on the play action fake. That wouldn't likely have happened with the defense I suggested earlier because Robinson would have been pressed by the safety at the LOS and then turned over to the corner whose primary concern would have been man coverage and not run support. Robinson would have had to fight past the press and then beat the corner deep.

Then your S is there to only press Robinson and doesn't care about anything else? That would leave a huge hole in the middle of the defense. Should RG3 read that and hands the ball to Morris, you're probably giving up another TD.*

Defenses are trying to read offense and act in the best way to stop them.

Offenses are trying to read defense and act in the best way to beat them.

Right now RG3 seems to have the best tools to masters this, and the kid seems to be smart enough to make the good reads. He's also good enough to sell what he wants to sell you.

If defenses wants to catch on him, I would say they should do one or two or these two things:

- Hide their defenses better.

- Lure RG3 into the wrong decision.

For the second part, it's like JPP faking to bite on Morris to force RG3 to keep the ball, then closing on him after he made the wrong decision. Instead he just crashed onto Morris and left a wide open area for RG3.

That's a real headache for DC. Haslett must be pleased to be the Redskins DC, he doesn't have to face it.

[LD0506]

I get what you're saying OF, but you'd still have to account for Griffin's ability to extend plays moving laterally, not just elusive but very fast as well, and the secondary would have to hold up that much longer. That pressures it, and then you get the run threat from the QB or swingout pass to a FB chipping and dropping out, etc.

[Oldfan]

Then your S is there to only press Robinson and doesn't care about anything else?

No, as I explained earlier, that's just the first of his assignments.

That would leave a huge hole in the middle of the defense. Should RG3 read that and hands the ball to Morris, you're probably giving up another TD.*

The basic premise on defense is to take away what the offense does best. I'm using the safeties to (1) help take away the effectiveness of the WRs by the press 2) take away the zone stretch, the option and the bubble screens.

Our smaller O-line makes running inside a relative weakness. Sure, there's a greater chance of Morris breaking an inside run for a TD. That's the tradeoff. There are always tradeoffs when scheming.

[Dirt]

Exciting now, but will mean nothing if we don't win a lot of games. Defense, defense, defense. I feel good because we can basically consider offense 100% covered IMO. It works with our guys, keep your Eddie Royals. Defense...

[lowek723]

The discussion is about stopping OUR offense, not ALL offenses.

The idea is to take away what the offense does best.

And again..the offense with Garcon,AR and a healthy Fred Davis will eat the deep ball up if allowed. But as usually don't admit when your wrong.

Hint the reason it's difficult to stop the pistol is because RG3 can do almost anything he's asked.

The correct answer to stopping the offense is to get a healthy lead which takes away the run. Once again see GB vs Hou this year.