Quote:From a technical standpoint, I'd gin up one formation with a few Run-Pass options that utilized essentially the same personnel grouping types and work it to death. Here's what I've come up with:
---F---------T-G-C-G-T-Y
-------------------Q---------H------------X
--------------------------------------------
-------------------R
Where:
F = the best one-on-one WR available, I'm thinking Robinson here due to the idea that Defenses may want to slide a Safety over to help on him. F is on the LOS, so he'll most likely need to be able to beat the jam and run a combination route where he stems inside with the option to break the route to the Outside and to the corner. Route option here is to run a five yard Out straight to the Sideline. NOTE: Throwing slant routes in the Red Zone are tempting but very, very dangerous.
Y = Blocking Tight End. He'll work in coordination with H to either set the edge for a run, or to put the Safety - LB combo who are covering them in conflict. If both are being "posted" by a defender, one needs to release out. If Y releases, go back across the formation to pull either an ILB or a Safety. If H releases, run an out.
H = athletic Tight End. The formation is really a "Trips" set up so H is either going to be covered by a Nickle Corner (size advantage) or a Safety (quickness advantage). The coverage read on H by the Quarterback is key here. If there's a matchup advantage, take it.
X = a double move specialist with the emphasis being on getting him the ball within five steps after the snap. I like Hurns here as his double move is what gets him open most of the time.
R = Three Down Running Back. Yeldon. Sell the fake if needed and then get to the flat. Pick up any free runner coming on a blitz if pass.
The play is a Zone run to the right where the O Line uses a Gap-Slide blocking technique in order to keep the Defense guessing within the first two to three steps after the Snap. The formation overloads one side of the field and will force the Defense to go heavy Left. Is there a numbers advantage that you can exploit here?
Run this play and all of the options ad nauseum and sell to the team that this is the play we're going to use. Make this work!
EDIT: One wrinkle that I might throw in here is to fake the handoff to R, then give an underneath handoff to Y or H with a pulling G leading around the Left.
Auburn used a formation similar to this quite often in 2013 with Nick Marshall and Tre Mason. Auburn used it in the Pistol though which gives the added benefit of the read play. Another wrinkle to this formation that is useful is that you can bring H in motion for backside run plays or to sneak H out the backside on play action.
