227 replies to this topic

[Gabeking]

BTW he said 10 of the 12 teams in the playoffs didn't use it. Actually that number is 9. The 3 teams that did use the read option, were out of 4 teams in the league that used it extensively.

Maybe he should look at it like this. 3 out of 4 teams that heavily utilized the read option, made the playoffs.

I hope we didn't hire a dinosaur!! If so we went from being ahead of the curve in 2011 to behind the curve in 2013.

He never said to take it away completely, but he's against keeping it as a staple of the offense, which I agree with. Do you think rg3 is gonna last 10 years using the read option the way he does? Even cam was slow to get up much more often in the last half of the season than the first half of the season, you gonna argue that wasnt because of the heavy usage of the read option?

[ButWhysTheRumGone]

The first half of the season was very similar to the second half of the season in terms of utilizing the read option. We just tightened the formations. I'm willing to bet Cam had more rushing yards the last half of the season than he did the first half of the season

I don't see it this way. The first half of the season was a failure because of leaning on the read option. Someone on here had actually counted the amount of times we used the read option from the first half compared to the second half. And it was a lot higher than the second half. When we started putting Cam under center, then sprinkle in the read option is when we were most successful. The Atlanta game comes to mind. When you utilize it in certain situations, you give the Defense another look that they haven't seen all game. Hence, Cam breaking off a 70 yard TD run. When you consistently use it, the Defense adjusts. The element of surprise is no longer there.

This also has to do with the O line. They have to block for an extended period of time, something that our weak O line had trouble with. This also hurts the O line's stamina. I like what Gettleman is pushing for, and I think a lot of people here agree, from what I've read.

Think of the spread option as a play action pass. When you continually use it you are not tricking anybody. They see your tendencies. Having a more balanced attack with a traditional attack, with the spread option sprinkled in is when we found the most success. I blame Cam's "sophmore slump" entirely on Chud and Rivera not making him stop that BS.

[iampantherman]

He must have just finished watching game tape of our first 6 games or so....This is good. Just sprinkle the read option in. Notice he said staple of the offense. Not completely going away from it.

This. As with anything in football, it is more effective when it can catch an opponent off-guard. The way Chud used it, especially early-on, Cam may as well have audibled out loud, "Hey everybody, read option...did you hear me, I'm going to run the READ OPTION!"

Btw, Cam can still run even if we don't feature the read-option constantly. Whenever he sees the D in man, and he doesn't like the look any receiver is showing him, he is still free to take off and burn the D. He doesn't become less dangerous imo.

[PhillyB]

getting rid of it complete is a terrible, terrible idea.

[Kevin Greene]

guess what else exposes a QB to hits


STANDING IN THE POCKET LIKE A MFING STATUE

Not an issue with a competent OLine.
We dont have one.

[Marguide]

Someone on here had actually counted the amount of times we used the read option from the first half compared to the second half.

That was me. There were a few significant changes as we went into the 2nd half of the season:
1) Read option runs were way down compared to early in the year (maybe 50% less). Against NO, we ran it a total of 3 times.
2) The use of 2 TE formations increased as we went through the year.
3) We ran more plays from under center the last half of the year.

All that said, I don't want to see it eliminated either, as some of Cam's big gains came off those plays. Hopefully Gettleman just doesn't want us to go overboard.

[Udogg]

Read option with lots of down field routes and no check downs was our downfall early in the year. Chud was slow to adapt. Even with the checkdowns added Cam was slow to use them. Around week 6 they started adding more short crossing patterns and flares. The run game as usual also started out atrocious. Once he started doing that, we started getting 4 and 5 yards on the check downs putting us in 3rd and short situations. Short down situations is where the read option was excelling. Especially with Cam being able to get a first down on 3rd and 1 pretty much automatically.

[bLACKpANTHER]

10-12 team in playoffs had pocket passers?

Skins, Seahawks and 49ers all run the option in some sort..
if i count correctly thats 3 out of the 4 teams that run zone option made the playoffs

[mwright350]

I don't understand everyone who thinks that there is no grey area between the option being a primary part of your offense and standing in the pocket like Bledsoe.

Noone (not even Gettleman from the sound of the quote in those tweets) should be advocating never using an option run when you have a QB like we have. The operative word there is "staple". It works (and has worked) really well for us when it's a wrinkle and less so when it's just "what we do".

We also don't do that much of the play-action runs where they just fake a hand-off and the QB takes off the other direction. That is markedly different than running an option run because everyone on the offense knows where the ball is going and it's easier for them to block.

[ButWhysTheRumGone]

That was me. There were a few significant changes as we went into the 2nd half of the season:
1) Read option runs were way down compared to early in the year (maybe 50% less). Against NO, we ran it a total of 3 times.
2) The use of 2 TE formations increased as we went through the year.
3) We ran more plays from under center the last half of the year.

All that said, I don't want to see it eliminated either, as some of Cam's big gains came off those plays. Hopefully Gettleman just doesn't want us to go overboard.

I don't expect it to be eliminated. That is apart of what makes Cam so dynamic. But thanks for the stats again.

[CRA]

4 starting QBs run the read option....3 of 4 were in the postseason. He ignored that tidbit.

[panthers55]

Gettleman was interviewed on NFL sirius network this morning. He did say that the read option was a play you would use some of the time but it exposes your quarterback to too much wear and tear. Look at RG3 as a prime example. He said that it was not a scheme or a system. He didn't say they wouldn't use the pistol but he did say that we will run a power running game and that Cam would need to be able to pass from the pocket to make any running game work. And he expressed confidence that he could. He said he was excited to be here and would be working hard to make sure we had the talent to succeed. He said that many times coaches and their families moved around a lot and he wanted to build something where there would be stability and coaches and their families could be here for the long term. He said he has a working knowledge of the cap but wasn't an expert. He was going to farm that out since you can't be an expert on everything.

The discussion from Ross and Bob Papa was that he really seemed like a football guy. He knows what he knows and he knows what he doesn't know. He knows football and the scouting piece. He isn't a bean counter and will leave that to others.

My take is that he will be involved in the football part and how players are being utilized more so than looking at specific Xs and Os. He won't sign a bunch of runners only to have the team ignore them like Hurney and Chud did. He wanted Shula because Shula is the best guy to know what they ran the past 2 years and what Cam can do best. He will take the team back to a more traditional offense while still staying creative. Should be a win-win for everyone.