HTTR24-7; A Crash Course In The Pistol Formation, West Coast Offense, and RG3 as a Passer

[pjfootballer]

Great article and better insight for those who have yet to grasp what we are doing. Just a little advice- all you guys with blogs really need to start proof reading your work and not just using spell check. You say you've been sitting on this a couple of days. You should go back and re-read it. I find at least 3 or 4 errors in every one of these. Sorry, I was a Communication/Journalism major. But again, great insight and always appreciated.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

I gotta be honest, this point of view rubs me the wrong way, especially considering the thread it's posted under.

I think the poster was mocking NFL Network for calling it the pistol "offense" based on the article in the OP. I don't think the poster is mocking the fact that Smith will be operating out of the pistol at all.

[KDawg]

I think the poster was mocking NFL Network for calling it the pistol "offense" based on the article in the OP. I don't think the poster is mocking the fact that Smith will be operating out of the pistol at all.

In that case... Thank God!

[TD_washingtonredskins]

In that case... Thank God!

Well, now I hope I'm right about that. It seemed like it was coincidental timing for the NFL Network to tweet something referring to the pistol formation as an offense.

[DaGoonie55]

Great write up NLC. Awesome read, as always!

We tend to be a little angry when people speak incorrectly about that which we love. In this case, our offense.

I cannot wait to see our masterminds in action and the new wrinkles that they add. I've been studying this offense (and history) for weeks now and I think I understand it better. When I read articles like this, it really helps to reinforce that understanding.

Thanks again!

[Saqs]

Great work on the article.

[KCClybun]

Good stuff NLC.. Bugs me when people call the pistol a offense when it's a formation. Have been working on something similar that will go apong good with this article.

I know a small group beats the "drop back" drum but they do so not seeing Rob is doing that & more.The pistol takes our normal plays that Shanny has always run but adds serius juice.

And the weirder thing about the drop back thing is that fewer and fewer quarterbacks even use traditional drop backs all the time. Nearly every quarterback spends more time in the gun than under center, even if it's just a little.

Pistol combines best elements of being under center and being in the gun. The sooner people realize that the better off and less crazy this fanbase will be.

Mostly.

[BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93]

great article...Had to share on all my social media outlets

Too much ignorance being spread

[DogofWar1]

Pistol combines best elements of being under center and being in the gun. The sooner people realize that the better off and less crazy this fanbase will be.

It's a cliche interview question, but where do you see the pistol formation in 10 years? How widely used? I'd have to imagine most teams will be using that formation on a large percentage of their plays in a few years.

[CrypticVillain]

The Pistol Formation is NOT the zone-read offense.

Thank You!!!!

My goodness. When people say that it really irritates the heck out of me. You would think analyst would understand that but they just keep on saying it over and over again.

Good article man. You guys have really brought it during the off-season.

[RG3Hunna]

Thanks for this write up!!!

Off topic, even though I HATE the seahawks with a passion I do wish we would incorporate the spread look they have when they run their zone read. lol

[KCClybun]

It's a cliche interview question, but where do you see the pistol formation in 10 years? How widely used? I'd have to imagine most teams will be using that formation on a large percentage of their plays in a few years.

I don't know if it'll be a large perccentage; I think there's always going to be the old contingent that wants drop back passing and the gun, and inevitably there's going to be quarterbacks who better at the dropback stuff. I think lots of teams will have a pistol formation in their bag of tricks though, and it'll help ease more of the spread quarterbacks into the NFL.

[Mahons21]

“I think Greg Roman has done a job that is revolutionary in football,” Harbaugh said. “I think the way he has mixed the trap, the power, the wham plays, into the pistol offense and into our conventional offense has been revolutionary in many ways.”

Guys, even NFL coaches are referring to this new offense as the pistol offense, maybe it's time that we all stop being so defensive about what analysts (many of which are former players who have forgotten more than any of us will ever know) call the offense and just enjoy it.

Facts that cannot be disputed:

1.) There is a new offense taking the NFL by storm currently

2.) Said offense combines principals that have rarely been used in the same formations/sets/'packages before. (Specifically a down-field passing attack, and a heavy rushing attack [with a lot of read option concepts])

3.) The pistol formation, is what makes this offense so effective, as it allows the QB a vantage point similar to shotgun, but also allows for the RB to get a full head of steam. Allowing for a variety of plays/packages that have never been used together before.

So should we leave this emerging offensive attack nameless? Should we call it the read option attack combined with a variation of passing attacks?

Why can't we just call it the pistol offense? It's good enough for Harbaugh, one of the coaches who runs it, and I'd venture to say there's probably a quote out there where Shanny himself calls it the pistol offense. So is it really worth getting that bent out of shape if current coaches, former players, and other analysts call it the pistol offense? I'd bet anything that when the history books are written, they will refer to this are the era the pistol offense took the NFL by storm.

[darrelgreenie]

Hey what's up bro? (if you have a chance hit up one of the Safety or Draft threads; curious to hear your view of Rambo/Thomas and Amerson)

I was gonna post something similar but didn't want to have a needless argument over a label of a football concept.

Pistol Offense is a quick and dirty way to describe the plays (like read-option) that teams typically run from Pistol formations.

I view it as reference to Pistol formations + read option plays.

[Mahons21]

Hey what's up bro? (if you have a chance hit up one of the Safety or Draft threads; curious to hear your view of Rambo/Thomas and Amerson)

I was gonna post something similar but didn't want to have a needless argument over a label of a football concept.

Pistol Offense is a quick and dirty way to describe the plays (like read-option) that teams typically run from Pistol formations.

I view it as reference to Pistol formations + read option plays.

I'm in total agreement.

I'll check out the safety threads soon, let me get on draftbreakdown and re-watch their clips. Hope you and the kids are doing well coach.

[KCClybun]

I'd venture to say there's probably a quote out there where Shanny himself calls it the pistol offense.

Actually, Shanny called it the East Coast Offense.

It was sort of a joke, but I dig it. I'm going to try and call it the East Coast Offense from now on.

Anyone want to join me?

[HOF44]

I'm in East Coast Offense it is!!!!

[TK]

Actually, Shanny called it the East Coast Offense.

It was sort of a joke, but I dig it. I'm going to try and call it the East Coast Offense from now on.

Anyone want to join me?

Just read through the entire thread waiting to see if anyone remembered that. Good job.

[LadySkinsFan]

Thank you so much for this article. I'll be watching games much more closely this season!

[KDawg]

“

Facts that cannot be disputed:

1.) There is a new offense taking the NFL by storm currently

2.) Said offense combines principals that have rarely been used in the same formations/sets/'packages before. (Specifically a down-field passing attack, and a heavy rushing attack [with a lot of read option concepts])

3.) The pistol formation, is what makes this offense so effective, as it allows the QB a vantage point similar to shotgun, but also allows for the RB to get a full head of steam. Allowing for a variety of plays/packages that have never been used together before.

Haven't read past this post, so I have no idea what's been said, but I'll agree for the most part. The offense is different than the norm, but really only in alignment. The concept has existed for quite some time with the option attack and using all of these constraint plays. The formation itself is what makes it quite unique.

So should we leave this emerging offensive attack nameless?

East Coast Offense.

Why can't we just call it the pistol offense?

The same reason we don't call a power running attack the "under center offense" or a zone run scheme a "shotgun offense". Harbaugh is a great football mind, but just because he calls it something doesn't mean we all have to agree. You know that!

I'd bet anything that when the history books are written, they will refer to this are the era the pistol offense took the NFL by storm.

I hope not. I won't like that book.

EDIT: Damn. Was beaten to the East Coast Offense tag. ****s.

[CrypticVillain]

So should we leave this emerging offensive attack nameless?

I could have sworn somebody already called it the East Coast Offense. Which is crazy since it is based on the West Coast Offense.

I should have read the last couple of posts....

[Lavarleap56]

“I think Greg Roman has done a job that is revolutionary in football,” Harbaugh said. “I think the way he has mixed the trap, the power, the wham plays, into the pistol offense and into our conventional offense has been revolutionary in many ways.”

Guys, even NFL coaches are referring to this new offense as the pistol offense, maybe it's time that we all stop being so defensive about what analysts (many of which are former players who have forgotten more than any of us will ever know) call the offense and just enjoy it.

Facts that cannot be disputed:

1.) There is a new offense taking the NFL by storm currently

2.) Said offense combines principals that have rarely been used in the same formations/sets/'packages before. (Specifically a down-field passing attack, and a heavy rushing attack [with a lot of read option concepts])

3.) The pistol formation, is what makes this offense so effective, as it allows the QB a vantage point similar to shotgun, but also allows for the RB to get a full head of steam. Allowing for a variety of plays/packages that have never been used together before.

So should we leave this emerging offensive attack nameless? Should we call it the read option attack combined with a variation of passing attacks?

Why can't we just call it the pistol offense? It's good enough for Harbaugh, one of the coaches who runs it, and I'd venture to say there's probably a quote out there where Shanny himself calls it the pistol offense. So is it really worth getting that bent out of shape if current coaches, former players, and other analysts call it the pistol offense? I'd bet anything that when the history books are written, they will refer to this are the era the pistol offense took the NFL by storm.

Bro... Pistol is a formation that gives you flexibility to run any offense scheme you want from it. The offenses being run from the pistol formation are the same offenses that have been used in some cases since the 1950's. The formation is the uniqueness because it makes a defense have to respect all your run & pass plays from one alignment. The other benefit of the pistol that doesn't get talked about much is that it hides the RB from the mlb for a extra second.

To be "new" offense it would have to have fresh & new run rules, pass pro concepts, & read keys etc. All your seeing is teams run option, air coryell, west coast, spread, air raid & Shannys wc variant offense from a different formation.

[Mahons21]

To be "new" offense it would have to have fresh & new run rules, pass pro concepts, & read keys etc. All your seeing is teams run option, air coryell, west coast, spread, air raid & Shannys wc variant offense from a different formation.

You say that in such a matter of fact tone, but it's your definition not some standard definition that is league wide. In my opinion when you blend old concepts that have never before been used together before, it's a new offense. I think your definition makes it far too black and white, when there's a lot of grey area.

I'm not going to keep debating this though, if its good enough for an NFL coach that runs it, it's good enough for me.

Call it whatever you guys want, much of the NFL seems to already have coined it the pistol offense whether you guys like it or not.

[KDawg]

Call it whatever you guys want, much of the NFL seems to already have coined it the pistol offense whether you guys like it or not.

And that's the best part about free will, we don't have to like it. And no one has to care that we don't.

[Mahons21]

Haven't read past this post, so I have no idea what's been said, but I'll agree for the most part. The offense is different than the norm, but really only in alignment. The concept has existed for quite some time with the option attack and using all of these constraint plays. The formation itself is what makes it quite unique.

Not saying concepts are new, saying the concepts have never been used together before.

East Coast Offense.

We'll see which catches on.

The same reason we don't call a power running attack the "under center offense" or a zone run scheme a "shotgun offense". Harbaugh is a great football mind, but just because he calls it something doesn't mean we all have to agree. You know that.

It's not exactly like harbaugh is the only one calling it that. The point was that plenty of people who know much more about football then some arm chair gms are calling this the pistol offense.

I hope not. I won't like that book.

EDIT: Damn. Was beaten to the East Coast Offense tag. ****s.

That's unfortunate you get that caught up in semantics.

---------- Post added May-16th-2013 at 10:10 AM ----------

And that's the best part about free will, we don't have to like it.

I'm not saying you have to like it, I'm saying its going to be called the pistol offense most likely from here on out.