SOW | RG3 Paved the Way for EJ Manuel

[E-Dog Night]

http://sonofwashington.com/2013/05/09/rg3-paves-the-way-for-ej-manuel/

When EJ Manuel receives his first paycheck from the Buffalo Bills, he might consider sending a bit of it to Robert Griffin III, along with a thank you note.

Manuel was the first quarterback taken in the 2013 NFL Draft, much to everyone’s surprise. The conventional wisdom was that West Virginia’s Geno Smith would drop off the board quickly, perhaps even in the top ten to the Browns (#6) or Cardinals (#7) .

But while Smith watched and waited for his name to be called at an increasingly lonely table inside Radio City Music Hall, an unheralded Florida State product stole the spotlight.

What is so remarkable about the selection of Manuel with the 16th overall pick is that he was not just the 2nd or 3rd QB on most draftnik’s boards, but rather the consensus 5th or 6th-rated player at the position.

Reaching for a Star?

While many draft gurus differed in their analysis, most mock drafts at the quarterback position looked something like this:

• Geno Smith, WVU
  
• Matt Barkley, USC
  
• Ryan Nassib, Syracuse
  
• Tyler Wilson, Arkansas
  
• Mike Glennon, NC State
  
• EJ Manuel, FSU
  

Scour a dozen or more pre-draft rankings on any major sports website you can find, and Manuel will be no higher than 3rd on any of them.

Question: how did he go 22 picks before Smith?

Answer: RGIII and the success of the read-option.

Side Question: Was it more miserable for Geno Smith to (a) go un-selected in round #1 as the cameras recorded his creeping malaise, or ( get drafted by the Jets?

With apologies to Steelers’ coach Mike Tomlin, whose football credentials are beyond reproach, the read-option isn’t just “the flavor of the month” as he called it. Its prevalence may fade over the course of time, but it hasn’t even peaked yet as a featured offense in the NFL.

“A few years ago, people were talking wildly about the Wildcat”, Tomlin said. “It’s less of a discussion now”. However, unlike the Wildcat, the principles involved in the read-option are more based in modern NFL offensive philosophies. The Wildcat predominately features a direct snap to a player who will run the ball the vast majority of the time, while the entire playbook is available with read-option looks.

This so-called “gimmick” has been around in one form or another for a long time; aspects of it can be seen as far back as the Wishbone and Wing-T days. The Carolina Panthers used elements of it in 2011 with Cam Newton, so no one is claiming the Redskins and Robert Griffin were the inventors of this offense.

However, the tipping point came in 2012 when RGIII...

Click link to continue reading

[CrypticVillain]

Little wonder then that the two teams who most conspicuously parroted the Redskins schemes–the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks–met in the NFC Championship.

49ers played the Falcons E.

[E-Dog Night]

49ers played the Falcons E.

Fixed, thanks. ES, the best fact checking website on the planet.

[AirMayo21]

The difference between the read option and the wildcat is that defenses figured out how to stop the wildcat within the first year it became prevalent. Its quite obvious teams have no clue as to how to stop the read option yet so clearly its a way more legitimate offensive approach than the wildcat. Plus in the wildcat, you're limited to direct snapping the ball to a WR/RB with limited skills throwing the ball so your options are very slim. Anybody comparing the read option to the wildcat needs to get their head checked

[E-Dog Night]

Anybody comparing the read option to the wildcat needs to get their head checked

Agreed, although I may refrain telling that to Mike Tomlin's face. That's just me personally. You go right ahead.

Sometimes I think Tomlin has this macho need to reflect what he views as "Steelers attitude", and it puts him at odds with reality. This is one of those cases. Time will tell.

[pjfootballer]

I like that you said, though we didn't invent it, the Redskins were the first team to run it constantly and that the Niners and Seahawks basically copied us. That is true and I think the Niners and Hawks got WAY too much credit for it then we did. And even though Carolina has been running it for a couple of years, they only run it once or twice a game.

As for Mike Tomlin, why would you be afraid to say anything to him? If I had access as a reporter, I would question him up and down about his "lack of knowledge" of the read option out of the pistol. Him comparing the read option to the wildcat is something I'd expect from Jim Zorn or Norv Turner. If he thinks that, if I'm a Squeelers fan, I'd wonder if he has a screw loose or if he's just stupid. My personal feeling is, he's been one of those coaches that rode the coatails of the previous regime. But that argument is for another time.

[E-Dog Night]

I like that you said, though we didn't invent it, the Redskins were the first team to run it constantly and that the Niners and Seahawks basically copied us. That is true and I think the Niners and Hawks got WAY too much credit for it then we did. And even though Carolina has been running it for a couple of years, they only run it once or twice a game.

As for Mike Tomlin, why would you be afraid to say anything to him?

LOL I wouldn't, he actually comes off as a pretty good dude, but sometimes he looks like he wants to kill someone.

[B&GVol24]

Sorry, and I don't mean to be contrary, but I fail to see how Robert "paved the way" for EJ or how his "ascent is due" to Robert. I just think the Bills happened to view EJ differently than the 'experts'.

[JTriz631]

With RGIII at QB we're essentially in the Wildcat on every down, which is why its flippin hilarious that commentators are suggesting we're a good fit for Tebow

[Darth Tater]

The difference between the read option and the wildcat is that defenses figured out how to stop the wildcat within the first year it became prevalent. Its quite obvious teams have no clue as to how to stop the read option yet so clearly its a way more legitimate offensive approach than the wildcat. Plus in the wildcat, you're limited to direct snapping the ball to a WR/RB with limited skills throwing the ball so your options are very slim. Anybody comparing the read option to the wildcat needs to get their head checked

The read option is a high level description of selecting one of several different possible play combinations based on live action reads of the defense. The basic ones are zone and veer. You can add other options such as pitch, end-around and even various pass concepts. It also has some built-in counters such as traps and sweeps which require different techniques to actually stop. You run it out of pistol variations and now the defense has to deal with I like attacks at the same time they are dealing with read option attacks. The wildcat described a specific combination of plays. I guess it could at most be considered as a type of read option but was used as a gimmick. Read option is not a gimmick.

---------- Post added May-9th-2013 at 02:23 PM ----------

With RGIII at QB we're essentially in the Wildcat on every down, which is why its flippin hilarious that commentators are suggesting we're a good fit for Tebow

Not exactly. A wildcat is really just a variation on the single wing attack while RG3 is using a variation of the double wing attack developed by Dutch Meyers which had its roots in an offense run in the 1920s by an orphan school in Fort Worth.

[Laxpunk2006]

Sorry, and I don't mean to be contrary, but I fail to see how Robert "paved the way" for EJ or how his "ascent is due" to Robert. I just think the Bills happened to view EJ differently than the 'experts'.

I tend to agree. Geno Smith is also a very athletic QB. He didn't do the cones/shuttles at the combine but his 40 time was actually better than Manuel's. I think that saying Manuel was drafted by Buffalo to be a read option QB because of the success RGIII had (not because multiple QB's had success with it last season but because RGIII did it "first") is a giant stretch. Should RGIII thank Tebow and Newton for running it the year before?

[PlayAction]

The connection is tenous at best.

[HeluCopter29]

Bad drafting paved the way for EJ Manuel.

[TSO]

Should RGIII thank Tebow and Newton for running it the year before?

Don't really care about the Manuel argument... but as for this question, NO, he shouldn't. Because NO ONE in the NFL was running the read option out of the pistol with a heavy dosage of passes like we did last season. I'm so sick and tired of Kyle Shanahan getting little to no credit anymore for his completely innovative offense in the pros. Why? Because it was ran in college previously? Who cares, no one had the guts to run it as much as we did in the NFL. Neither Tebow nor Cam were running the same thing, they were running their read option concepts out of the shotgun formation for the most part. Nothing pisses me off more when I hear the praise Russel Wilson and Colin Kaepernick get for running those offenses when it's disgustingly clear that they only moved towards that style after seeing it applied in the NFL with much success by Kyle.

It's as if we were seeing the pistol formation a lot in the NFL before we did it. Such bs. (not from you, just in general and from the media mainly)

[Laxpunk2006]

It's as if we were seeing the pistol formation a lot in the NFL before we did it. Such bs. (not from you, just in general and from the media mainly)

Look I'm not saying that Kyle Shanahan didn't put together an impressive offense last season. I'm not saying he wasn't innovative. This article isn't about the pistol, it's about the read-option and so was my point.. I agree that San Fran/Seattle got far too much credit for the pistol zone read, but that has nothing to do with this conversation.

While RGIII/Kyle may have used it more extensively and creatively than previous teams, it isn't new. That's all Tebow could run in his time in Denver. Cam Newton ran it extensively in Carolina his rookie year.

As far as the pistol, Kyle did prove it's worth last season and San Fran and Seattle hoped on the bandwagon. It mates very well with zone read concepts. I'm not denying that. However it's not like Kyle introduced it to the NFL. Pittsburgh ran it in 2010 while Roethlisberger was recovering from an ankle injury.

We may have done it more often and done it better than teams previously but it wasn't a new idea. Just like when Miami "introduced the Wildcat," they hadn't. Teams had been running direct snaps since the beginning of time they just did it more often.

[E-Dog Night]

Sorry, and I don't mean to be contrary, but I fail to see how Robert "paved the way" for EJ or how his "ascent is due" to Robert. I just think the Bills happened to view EJ differently than the 'experts'.

I appreciate your opinion, but I feel strongly that without RG3's success in the read option last season (and the success of it in general), EJ Manuel gets drafted exactly where people predicted, probably no earlier than middle 2nd.

And if you read the article, you'll see that we agree on how the Bills perceived Manuel. Manuel demonstrated in college that he could run the R.O. The Bills GM was quoted as saying that he liked the fact that Manuel could run it. Hence they rated him as the best QB for what they want to do in 2013.

[skinfan2k]

no RG3 didn't help him get drafted high 1) Bills are dumb 2) EJ has the highest ceiling because he is the most unique skillset

[bentskin]

From the article:

Mike Shanahan recently said as much, when asked if he will continue to run the option with Griffin coming back from his knee injury: “We don’t have to run it, but they have to prepare for it.”

Griffin echoed that assessment, asserting, “People say you can’t run the option in the NFL, but we’re proving you can. It’s not something that’s our bread and butter, but you can sprinkle it in now and then.”

My son and I spoke about this after the Saints game last year. He asked me if Griffin or any QB could hold up doing this in the NFL or if the offense could last. My response was similar to what Shanahan and Griffin said. But I think also just because they are in the pistol or shotgun formation does not mean there is any option at all. It could appear that they run 20 'read option' plays a game but 10 of those could be predetermined gives to the HB or passes. That would keep defenses honest and spending time preparing for the plays and your QB healthy at the same time. No one would know for sure if it was truly an option play or a designed hand off.

In fact, I think most of the passes are simply play action (no intent to hand the ball off) and some of the hand offs may be predetermined as well with no intention of the QB keeping the ball. It is simply a called HB run. BUT with the threat of the QB running. Immediate threat actually. Because if the QB does keep the ball he is around the corner and up field in 3 steps.

I liken this to Shanahan running bootlegs on people in the past. This would keep the back side DE or LB honest to contain but bootlegs took longer to develop and defenses had more time to react and recover. The read option does not afford the defense any recovery time. Most often the QB is gone. Also, the bootleg leaves the QB blind to the backside DE or LB. They could be sitting there waiting and the play is a loss or no gain. The read option allows the QB to be looking right at the DE or LB and decide what to do on the spot.

At any rate, I think the Shanahans and Griffin are doing a masterful job at adapting this to the NFL game and I am excited for the upcoming season.

HTTR

[darrelgreenie]

EJ Manuel is a different QB then RGIII.

People forget that EJ comes from a pro-style offense, the same pro-style offense that Christian Ponder was praised for running, except EJ was more efficient then Ponder.

[FSUSkins24]

Sorry, and I don't mean to be contrary, but I fail to see how Robert "paved the way" for EJ or how his "ascent is due" to Robert. I just think the Bills happened to view EJ differently than the 'experts'.

Yeeeah, EJ and RG3 are not comparable. Not in play style or skill set.

[B&GVol24]

People forget that EJ comes from a pro-style offense, the same pro-style offense that Christian Ponder was praised for running, except EJ was more efficient then Ponder.

^^this is what 'paved his way' imo (6'5" 240 + 4.65s doesn't hurt either)

[BobGriffin]

^^this is what 'paved his way' imo (6'5" 240 + 4.65s doesn't hurt either)

Physically he profiles to Cam Newton. But he is a poor mans newton when it comes to on the field

[KCClybun]

The Bills drafted E.J Manual because they felt he was the best quarterback on their board. Played well at the Senior Bowl, did well at the Combine, apparently did really good in interviews, and he has a fairly high ceiling if he gets some time to develop a little.

Robert didn't pave the way for E.J. Hell, we don't even know if the Bills will run the read-option at all. E.J made himself into a potential first rounder by working his ass off to do so. Not to mention Buddy Nix was talking about needing a franchise quarterback around last year's draft. They were planning on drafting a quarterback before Robert "paved the way" for anything.

[E-Dog Night]

EJ Manuel is a different QB then RGIII.

People forget that EJ comes from a pro-style offense, the same pro-style offense that Christian Ponder was praised for running, except EJ was more efficient then Ponder.

I think this is probably true. My point was purely about where Manuel went in the draft, and the success of the read-option (particularly as executed by Griffin) influenced the Bills in taking him that high.

It seems, based on some of the comments, people think my point was that EJ Manuel is going to be the next RG3 or whatever. I don't think that at all.

My point was that he leaped-frogged perhaps as much as an entire round or more in the draft because he DID run the R.O. in college and the Bills want to have an element of those looks in their new offense under Doug Marrone. When I heard Bills GM Buddy Nix say "I do like the idea that he could do [the read option] if he wanted to", that pretty much confirmed it for me.

I did a search and there's a New York Post post article that says some of the same things (in much less detail) if anyone is interested:

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/giants/beef_bills_grab_spotlight_faGCiGJCSxo44ZZqdaRx1H

Manuel was the only passer available with experience at running the read option, and Buffalo apparently thinks he can follow in the scrambling footsteps of RG3, Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson as read-option fever continues unabated in the NFL.

---------- Post added May-9th-2013 at 09:51 PM ----------

The Bills drafted E.J Manual because they felt he was the best quarterback on their board. Played well at the Senior Bowl, did well at the Combine, apparently did really good in interviews, and he has a fairly high ceiling if he gets some time to develop a little.

Robert didn't pave the way for E.J. Hell, we don't even know if the Bills will run the read-option at all. E.J made himself into a potential first rounder by working his ass off to do so. Not to mention Buddy Nix was talking about needing a franchise quarterback around last year's draft.

Then why did Buddy Nix say that he liked the idea that Manuel could run the read option?

[KCClybun]

I think this is probably true. My point was purely about where Manuel went in the draft, and the success of the read-option (particularly as executed by Griffin) influenced the Bills in taking him that high.

It seems, based on some of the comments, people think my point was that EJ Manuel is going to be the next RG3 or whatever. I don't think that at all.

I don't think people think you're saying E.J's going to become the next RG3.

I think the bone people have to pick is that you're trying to put say E.J getting drafted in the first was due to Robert. I don't think it had much to do with Robert, in the same way Cam having success with the pistol and read-option didn't influence us. After all, Geno Smith had experience running the read-option too.

The Bills just thought E.J Manuel was the best quarterback on their board and that he had a skillset they liked. Just because they wanted to run some read-option (which Marrone already did with Ryan Nassib at Syracuse, so why didn't they just draft Nassib then...) doesn't mean that it was due to Robert.