The QB headslap audible..

[shakinaiken]

So, after rewatching a few games, including the last few closely, I've noticed our QB(be it cousins or RG3) audibles by slapping his helmet with both hands. The resulting play after the head slap is always a stretch run, which seems to indicate that the play call was a pass, but the QB at the time switched it to a run. my issue is that these audible to run plays literally always result in a no gain or loss of yards. in the most recent game against the browns, on one occasion, Kirk audibled to this play with both safety's hitting the box. my concern is, if I- a largely unintelligent football fan-can predict run on these perceived audibles, how are the defenses faring? it seems they clearly realize its a called run, as its been stopped numerous times.

Anyone else notice this?

[PerryMason]

I never paid attention to this but watching cowboy games I would always notice if Romo sits to pee said "kill kill kill" at the line and there was a back behind him it would be a run 98% of the time yet defenses didn't seem to notice this as much as I did and the subsequent run would sometimes go for 8-10 yards. Obviously this makes sense since Romo sits to pee saw they were in a pass defense but geez you think defenses would pick up on this stuff if I am at home.

[ncr2h]

I don't think it's an audible from a pass to a run. I think it's to change the direction of a run from left to right, or right to left. I doubt they've given these guys audibles yet, considering how pathetic our 2 minute offense is (I would figure that they would implement an actual no-huddle offense before implementing audibles).

[Skinsfan1311]

. I doubt they've given these guys audibles yet, considering how pathetic our 2 minute offense is (I would figure that they would implement an actual no-huddle offense before implementing audibles).

Care to elaborate?

[SkinsCrushCowboys]

I don't think it's an audible from a pass to a run. I think it's to change the direction of a run from left to right, or right to left. I doubt they've given these guys audibles yet, considering how pathetic our 2 minute offense is (I would figure that they would implement an actual no-huddle offense before implementing audibles).

I think we have different definitions if pathetic. Not sure we are watching the games. The 2minute has been very good. (see Ravens game)

[Vilandil Tasardur]

I don't think it's anything actually. Think about it, in any away stadium no one will be able to "hear" the QB slap their helmet. Thus, all 10 other players would have to be looking in to him to see the slap happen, at the right moment no less. My guess is that this is something more along the lines of what was mentioned above, which changes the direction of the play (left s right) or changes the nature of the run (inside to stretch outside).

This would really only require the backs to see it and would be much easier to implement with everyone still on the same page. My suspicion is that neither of our QBs have the ability to go from run to pass just yet, so you're more likely to see check down from pass to run, or run to run. If both safeties are in the box and you had a dive called, a check down to a pass is ideal. But that requires vast knowledge of the playbook and an intricate audible system. However, a check down to a stretch run (while less than ideal) at least ensures that you're only running at one of the two safeties.

[NoCalMike]

I don't think the audibles are that simple, or they'd be simply to easy to pounce on.

[Silencer6091]

Since only the backers see it, and the QB doesn't usually make an effort to signal it to any WRs, I think its just a change in direction of a run play.

[Hitman21ST]

Along that line of thinking, I'm curious as to that "Hands" call the defense makes.

[ncr2h]

I think we have different definitions if pathetic. Not sure we are watching the games. The 2minute has been very good. (see Ravens game)

In the Ravens game we were down 8 points with 4:39 left and 3 timeouts with the ball on our own 15 yard line.

Incomplete pass.

Designed QB run, downed in bounds. Huddle. This 4 yard gain takes over 30 seconds off the clock.

Pass right to the first down marker, downed in bounds. It is now 1st and 10 on our own 25 with 3:30 left, 3 timeouts, down by 8. We huddle.

Checkdown pass down the middle. 5 yard gain. Downed in bounds. Huddle.

Run up the middle. Right to the first down marker. Downed in bounds. Huddle.

Sack. 2 minute warning.

At this point we have moved the ball about 12 yards and taken more than 50% of the original 4:39 off the clock. We are still deep in our own territory and no longer have the benefit of the 2 minute warning. This is a completely non-existent no-huddle offense. It's terrible. And this isn't the first game that it's been like this, although this might be the worst example since our entire season was on the line.

[Hitman21ST]

At this point we have moved the ball about 12 yards and taken more than 50% of the original 4:39 off the clock. We are still deep in our own territory and no longer have the benefit of the 2 minute warning. This is a completely non-existent no-huddle offense. It's terrible. And this isn't the first game that it's been like this, although this might be the worst example since our entire season was on the line.

Of course, you don't want to run a no-huddle offense there. If we ran a no-huddle, the Ravens would have gotten the ball back with more than enough time. We might not have had the 2 minute warning, but we had all three timeouts. You don't need to run a no-huddle there. You need to run a no-huddle when down by more than one possession and minimal time left.

[dahibachi]

In the Ravens game we were down 8 points with 4:39 left and 3 timeouts with the ball on our own 15 yard line.

Incomplete pass.

Designed QB run, downed in bounds. Huddle. This 4 yard gain takes over 30 seconds off the clock.

Pass right to the first down marker, downed in bounds. It is now 1st and 10 on our own 25 with 3:30 left, 3 timeouts, down by 8. We huddle.

Checkdown pass down the middle. 5 yard gain. Downed in bounds. Huddle.

Run up the middle. Right to the first down marker. Downed in bounds. Huddle.

Sack. 2 minute warning.

At this point we have moved the ball about 12 yards and taken more than 50% of the original 4:39 off the clock. We are still deep in our own territory and no longer have the benefit of the 2 minute warning. This is a completely non-existent no-huddle offense. It's terrible. And this isn't the first game that it's been like this, although this might be the worst example since our entire season was on the line.

I don't think we have the best 2 minute offense but it is by no means pathetic. There was the Tampa Bay game RG3 led the game winning drive in the final 2 minutes. There was the NYG game the Redskins should have won, where the Skins scored the go-ahead TD with less then two minutes remaining. The Skins moved the ball well in the final two minutes of the Bengals and Rams game but dumb penalties and a sack killed those drives. And though you made those points about the Ravens game, the Skins did turn it on in the final two minutes after the warning and scored a TD and a two point conversion. If the Skins had a "pathetic" 2 minute offense, the Redskins would not be 8-6 right now.

[ncr2h]

It's pathetic.

Bengals game? We get the ball back, down 14 points, with 7:00 and 0 timeouts, and we aren't running a no-huddle. We finally score our TD with 3:35 left to play. Luckily, our D forces a 3 and out (otherwise the game would be over). We get the ball back with 1:45 left. With 1:07 left the ball is still on our 25 yard line. This is not a serious no-huddle offense. Luckily, Griffin makes a big play - 10 yard QB scramble plus drawing a 15 yard unnecesary roughness penalty.

And if you actually watch these games again, you'll see that this is basically how it works - we go to the no-huddle far, far too late, but luckily Griffin makes a great play and gets our offense back on track to where it should be. First Giants game was the same way. We got the ball back down by 4 with about 2:45 left, and it takes us an entire minute to move 12 yards down the field. Then, Griffin makes the great 4th and 10 play, and then he makes another great play by recognizing that the screen pass the coaches called was blanketed and so he scrambles for about 20 yards and gets out of bounds.

[Hitman21ST]

It's pathetic.

Bengals game? We get the ball back, down 14 points, with 7:00 and 0 timeouts, and we aren't running a no-huddle. We finally score our TD with 3:35 left to play. Luckily, our D forces a 3 and out (otherwise the game would be over). We get the ball back with 1:45 left. With 1:07 left the ball is still on our 25 yard line. This is not a serious no-huddle offense. Luckily, Griffin makes a big play - 10 yard QB scramble plus drawing a 15 yard unnecesary roughness penalty.

And if you actually watch these games again, you'll see that this is basically how it works - we go to the no-huddle far, far too late, but luckily Griffin makes a great play and gets our offense back on track to where it should be. First Giants game was the same way. We got the ball back down by 4 with about 2:45 left, and it takes us an entire minute to move 12 yards down the field. Then, Griffin makes the great 4th and 10 play, and then he makes another great play by recognizing that the screen pass the coaches called was blanketed and so he scrambles for about 20 yards and gets out of bounds.

Again, if you're down less than one possession, you don't want to go no huddle, because you risk giving the ball back to the other team too quickly.

Against the Bengals, we didn't need to go no-huddle until we got the ball back after the three and out.

[Bubble Screen]

Again, if you're down less than one possession, you don't want to go no huddle, because you risk giving the ball back to the other team too quickly.

Against the Bengals, we didn't need to go no-huddle until we got the ball back after the three and out.

We played the Bengals the 3rd week of the season. Not sure why the other poster would expect the no-huddle to be clicking on all cylinders then. The no-huddle has been far from "pathetic", since that point.

[Voice_of_Reason]

I remember a conversation with Dungy at some point, when he said that Manning would have a set of audibles that he would use, run, pass, whatever, though every now and then he'd say in the huddle that he was going to call the audible, and just ignore it, it was just window dressing.

I think the coaches and players in this league are pretty sophisticated when it comes to LOS audibles, and how to disguise them. I know that Elway used to do a lot of that back in the day with Shanahan. I'm sure they do things to disguise it...

[PerryMason]

I don't think it's anything actually. Think about it, in any away stadium no one will be able to "hear" the QB slap their helmet. Thus, all 10 other players would have to be looking in to him to see the slap happen, at the right moment no less.

Not true. The only person who has to see it is the MLB and he can then audible out of the defense they're in, which the other 10 players will then know what to do.

[kevinklein]

In the Ravens game we were down 8 points with 4:39 left and 3 timeouts with the ball on our own 15 yard line.

Incomplete pass.

Designed QB run, downed in bounds. Huddle. This 4 yard gain takes over 30 seconds off the clock.

Pass right to the first down marker, downed in bounds. It is now 1st and 10 on our own 25 with 3:30 left, 3 timeouts, down by 8. We huddle.

Checkdown pass down the middle. 5 yard gain. Downed in bounds. Huddle.

Run up the middle. Right to the first down marker. Downed in bounds. Huddle.

Sack. 2 minute warning.

At this point we have moved the ball about 12 yards and taken more than 50% of the original 4:39 off the clock. We are still deep in our own territory and no longer have the benefit of the 2 minute warning. This is a completely non-existent no-huddle offense. It's terrible. And this isn't the first game that it's been like this, although this might be the worst example since our entire season was on the line.

Sounds like a perfectly executed 4 minute drill to me.

[Supreme Wu]

Not true. The only person who has to see it is the MLB and he can then audible out of the defense they're in, which the other 10 players will then know what to do.

He was talking about the other players on offense.

[PerryMason]

He was talking about the other players on offense.

Ah, well in that case, the times ive noticed RG3 do the head slap, he's usually yelling something out as he's doing it. So his linemen ought to be able to hear that and his receivers can see it and/or hear it.

[Rocky52Mc]

Since only the backers see it, and the QB doesn't usually make an effort to signal it to any WRs, I think its just a change in direction of a run play.

This. There's no giant tells in the Shanahan offense. This would be different if we were one dimensional, but seeing as the Redskins run a multitude of PA, boots, stretches, quick passing, this is very irrelevant to being a known tell about our offense. What you're missing is also the vocals coming from the QB, the known play call, and what the helmet slap means on any given play call. Way too much variables for you to figure out on TV.

[DC9]

I don't think it's an audible from a pass to a run. I think it's to change the direction of a run from left to right, or right to left. I doubt they've given these guys audibles yet, considering how pathetic our 2 minute offense is (I would figure that they would implement an actual no-huddle offense before implementing audibles).

They have. And they have even given them dummy calls.

Like last year, "Railroad" was the Run-Right check... I've seen us PA Pass off of a "railroad" call twice this season already.

Mike isn't stupid. No offense to the OP, but you aren't going to notice much that a coach on this staff doesn't want you to notice... if that makes sense.

[Laxpunk2006]

Sounds like a perfectly executed 4 minute drill to me.

Exactly. That "two minute offense" looked pathetic because it's wasn't a two minute offense, it was a 4 minute drill. The goal is to remove as much time from the clock while still scoring the necessary amount of points. Scoring in one play doesn't do you any good when you hand the ball back to the other team with time to answer.

[Darth Tater]

Kill, head slaps and things of that nature are fire plays used when either the defense is aligned in a way such that the play called will fail or aligned such that the alternative play will work. For instance, if the QB sees a blitz that can't be accounted for, he's going to have to change to a run. If the defense is weak in the box and playing 2-high you would likely call a stretch if all you have is deep routes or WR screens.

[darrelgreenie]

So, after rewatching a few games, including the last few closely, I've noticed our QB(be it cousins or RG3) audibles by slapping his helmet with both hands. The resulting play after the head slap is always a stretch run, which seems to indicate that the play call was a pass, but the QB at the time switched it to a run. my issue is that these audible to run plays literally always result in a no gain or loss of yards. in the most recent game against the browns, on one occasion, Kirk audibled to this play with both safety's hitting the box. my concern is, if I- a largely unintelligent football fan-can predict run on these perceived audibles, how are the defenses faring? it seems they clearly realize its a called run, as its been stopped numerous times.

Anyone else notice this?

I'm not sure I agree that headslap audible always changes a pass play to a stretch run play. It could change the direction of a run play, it could change the type of run play i.e. inside zone to outside zone etc.

I also have wonder about how often the audible play fails. Its hard for me to imagine that our signature play the stretch run fails as often as you imply above. You may well be correct, but its hard to wrap my head around having no gain or loss of yards often on the stretch run.