The Pats' Schedule and the Read Option

[ivanvamp]

Here's the Patriots' schedule, and the teams that might employ a read option kind of offense are bolded:

1. at Buf
2. vs NYJ
3. vs TB
4. at Atl
5. at Cin
6. vs NO
7. at NYJ
8. vs Mia
9. vs Pit
10. at Car
11. vs Den
12. at Hou
13. vs Cle
14. at Mia
15. at Bal
16. vs Buf

I don't see the Pats playing more than a couple of games against read option teams. Nonetheless, the read option is a really fascinating development in the NFL. Here's a great article talking about how to defend it.

The NFL?s Knowledge Gap | The MMQB with Peter King

Personally, it seems to me that the best defense against a team like SF or Sea is to absolutely blast the QB whenever he carries the ball. The reason NFL teams never liked running QBs is because they take such abuse, and QBs represent (usually) a team's biggest investment. They don't want them taking that kind of pounding.

So every time Kaepernick carries the ball, the goal shouldn't be just to tackle him, it should be to absolutely crush him (legally). Make them pay a steep price for him being a primary ball carrier...and that price is in terms of the physical punishment he takes. Enough teams deliver enough blows (even if he gains yards), and the 49ers will have to back off him running the ball because otherwise, he won't last the season.

 

[Se7eN]

Heh I remember last season with Ninkovich giving the mobile QB (can't remember who it was) a shove every time a read option was run regardless if they kept it or not. From what I remember the Read-Option wasn't that effective against us but QB Power, etc plays were (I remember Kaepernick taking the snap and then taking off to the left was effective)

 

[AzPatsFan]

There are young Running Quarterbacks and old Pocket Passing Quarterbacks; but there are no old, running Quarterbacks. The Pats had one of the most prolific running QBs in tough guy Steve Grogan; but after his knees were shot in a couple of years, he became an acceptable but much less talented, pocket passer for the balance of a long career..

The two entrants last season were RGIII and Colin Kapernick. RG III is already a gimp legged, ex-running QB. Kaepernick will likely suffer an injury soon.

The only long term mobile QBs were the scramblers, who didn't really run, but slithered around until they could throw, and seldom let any one really hit them.

Tarkenton was the model after which they broke and discarded the mold. Now after a long hiatus, Wilson in Seattle has shown that combination of slithering elusiveness and passing ability.

 

[jmt57]

For those that may have missed it, I just wanted to point out that the article was written by Greg Bedard, not Peter King. Apparently King's name is auto-generated into the link title, which is too bad.

The NFL's Knowledge Gap | The MMQB | Greg Bedard


Josh Freeman is a mobile QB, but Tampa Bay does not employ the read-option. While it's possible that may change, I think that Greg Schiano is the type of coach that would prefer his QB to stay in the pocket and either hand off to Doug Martin, or throw deep to Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams. If Schiano loses faith in Freeman and replaces him with Mike Glennon then perhaps that may change, but I think Freeman is their starting QB in week 3.

From where I sit Carolina is the only team that the Pats really have to change for defensively. It is possible that some teams may convert this off season (Jets, Bills, Browns), but I don't see the other teams that are on the Patriots' schedule using the read option.


And if that is the case, that sort of shoots down the theory that the Pats signed Tim Tebow in order to run the scout team so the defense could prepare for that style of offense.

 

[Brady6]

Here's the Patriots' schedule, and the teams that might employ a read option kind of offense are bolded:

1. at Buf
2. vs NYJ
3. vs TB
4. at Atl
5. at Cin
6. vs NO
7. at NYJ
8. vs Mia
9. vs Pit
10. at Car
11. vs Den
12. at Hou
13. vs Cle
14. at Mia
15. at Bal
16. vs Buf

I don't see the Pats playing more than a couple of games against read option teams. Nonetheless, the read option is a really fascinating development in the NFL. Here's a great article talking about how to defend it.

The NFL?s Knowledge Gap | The MMQB with Peter King

Personally, it seems to me that the best defense against a team like SF or Sea is to absolutely blast the QB whenever he carries the ball. The reason NFL teams never liked running QBs is because they take such abuse, and QBs represent (usually) a team's biggest investment. They don't want them taking that kind of pounding.

So every time Kaepernick carries the ball, the goal shouldn't be just to tackle him, it should be to absolutely crush him (legally). Make them pay a steep price for him being a primary ball carrier...and that price is in terms of the physical punishment he takes. Enough teams deliver enough blows (even if he gains yards), and the 49ers will have to back off him running the ball because otherwise, he won't last the season.

I would probably include the NYJ and the Bills (especially week 16) as potential read option opponents. I imagine at some point Kolb will get injured and Sanchez will run into an OL rear resulting in his benching, and Geno and EJ will get their much anticipated opportunity to throw more INT's than TD's.

 

[PatsDog]

I would probably include the NYJ and the Bills (especially week 16) as potential read option opponents. I imagine at some point Kolb will get injured and Sanchez will run into an OL rear resulting in his benching, and Geno and EJ will get their much anticipated opportunity to throw more INT's than TD's.

I agree Brady6 with your call on the Bills. If they do run any variant of Read Option, they will actually have an athlete in EJ Manual who can and has run it. I also agree the Jests will run it; but, with a guy in Geno who hasn't run it on a team that can't 'think' its way out of a paper bag.

And if that is the case, that sort of shoots down the theory that the Pats signed Tim Tebow in order to run the scout team so the defense could prepare for that style of offense.

I also agree jmt57, I don't think Tebow was brought in as a Read Option scout team QB3. At this point, I don't think anyone outside of the Pats coaching staff and Kraft really know the true intent yet. We'll know come WK1 of the regular season and for sure WK2 against the Jests! If it's QB3 on the weekly NFL INACTIVES report or as part of something BB/JM have been considering as a wrinkle when needed. Who knows.

I do think that in year 2014, we'll see more Spread/Read Option offenses with more and more strong / athletic QB's entering the league. TBD. Nice Thread topic though. PatsDog.

 

[SB39]

I don't see the Pats playing more than a couple of games against read option teams. Nonetheless, the read option is a really fascinating development in the NFL. Here's a great article talking about how to defend it.

It's about as "fascinating" as the Wildcat; i.e. a temporary novelty that was successful for a short period of time - and therefore became the NFL's flavor du jour - but once the defenses caught up to it, it stopped being all that fascinating or successful and was just another formation.

 

[Remarker]

For those that may have missed it, I just wanted to point out that the article was written by Greg Bedard, not Peter King. Apparently King's name is auto-generated into the link title, which is too bad.

The NFL's Knowledge Gap | The MMQB | Greg Bedard


Josh Freeman is a mobile QB, but Tampa Bay does not employ the read-option. While it's possible that may change, I think that Greg Schiano is the type of coach that would prefer his QB to stay in the pocket and either hand off to Doug Martin, or throw deep to Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams. If Schiano loses faith in Freeman and replaces him with Mike Glennon then perhaps that may change, but I think Freeman is their starting QB in week 3.

From where I sit Carolina is the only team that the Pats really have to change for defensively. It is possible that some teams may convert this off season (Jets, Bills, Browns), but I don't see the other teams that are on the Patriots' schedule using the read option.


And if that is the case, that sort of shoots down the theory that the Pats signed Tim Tebow in order to run the scout team so the defense could prepare for that style of offense.

Good eye. I blew off reading the article until you brought that to our/my attention...King, you know. Thx, it's a good article.

 

[ivanvamp]

It's about as "fascinating" as the Wildcat; i.e. a temporary novelty that was successful for a short period of time - and therefore became the NFL's flavor du jour - but once the defenses caught up to it, it stopped being all that fascinating or successful and was just another formation.

This is much different, for a couple of reasons. First, the wildcat featured a regular QB spread out wide where he was useless. The read option has a QB that can run taking snaps and potentially running. As the article cited in the OP says, it changes the math.

And second, lots of college systems are now running the read option. So you'll see more alert hitting the NFL that is suited for this system.

It may flame out sooner than later, but this is a very different animal than the wildcat.

 

[Demosthenes]

This is much different, for a couple of reasons. First, the wildcat featured a regular QB spread out wide where he was useless. The read option has a QB that can run taking snaps and potentially running. As the article cited in the OP says, it changes the math.

And second, lots of college systems are now running the read option. So you'll see more alert hitting the NFL that is suited for this system.

It may flame out sooner than later, but this is a very different animal than the wildcat.

I keep wondering why people presume that the read option will go the way of the dinosaur. I keep hearing that "once the NFL has some tape.....". Well, the NFL had tape after the 2011 season and that didn't stop San Fran or Washington from running it effectively. Then again, the NFL has had "tape" on the I formation and the Zone Stretch for decades, yet both are staples of NFL offenses.

The only real argument is that it puts the QB at risk, but I think that's debateable.

 

[AzPatsFan]

I keep wondering why people presume that the read option will go the way of the dinosaur. I keep hearing that "once the NFL has some tape.....". Well, the NFL had tape after the 2011 season and that didn't stop San Fran or Washington from running it effectively. Then again, the NFL has had "tape" on the I formation and the Zone Stretch for decades, yet both are staples of NFL offenses.

The only real argument is that it puts the QB at risk, but I think that's debateable.

No its Not. One of the two Superstars of the Read Option didn't last a single season. RG III hobbles around and promises to return, but he isn't playing.

Kaepernick did't get hurt, but he didn't start the whole season either. His time is coming, especially with out Crabtree; and if the RB Gore who is a relative antique as a RB, goes down, it will happen even sooner. In any case the Pats won't face any read QBs, as they will all be on IR before the Pats play any.

 

[Demosthenes]

No its Not. One of the two Superstars of the Read Option didn't last a single season. RG III hobbles around and promises to return, but he isn't playing.

Kaepernick did't get hurt, but he didn't start the whole season either. His time is coming, especially with out Crabtree; and if the RB Gore who is a relative antique as a RB, goes down, it will happen even sooner. In any case the Pats won't face any read QBs, as they will all be on IR before the Pats play any.

Problem with your argument vis a vis RG3 is that he wasn't hurt on a Zone Read play. The hit in the Atlanta game and the hit in the Ravens game both came on good old fashioned QB scrambles. If you want to go back to Tebow's injuries in the playoff game against the Pats, they came while he was in the pocket and got crushed by Wilfork and Ninko I believe.

 

[SB39]

And second, lots of college systems are now running the read option. So you'll see more alert hitting the NFL that is suited for this system.

Lots of colleges run the good old fashioned QB option as well, but I'm not expecting that trend to take over the NFL.

It may flame out sooner than later, but this is a very different animal than the wildcat.

I am not saying the formation or strategy is the same. I'm just saying that, like the Wildcat, everyone went gaga over it for a little while and, like the Wildcat, defenses will quickly adjust and it will be just another novelty seen maybe once or twice a game from some teams, and no more.

 

[Demosthenes]

Lots of colleges run the good old fashioned QB option as well, but I'm not expecting that trend to take over the NFL.
I am not saying the formation or strategy is the same. I'm just saying that, like the Wildcat, everyone went gaga over it for a little while and, like the Wildcat, defenses will quickly adjust and it will be just another novelty seen maybe once or twice a game from some teams, and no more.

Why haven't defenses similarly adjusted to the Zone stretch ? Or the I- formation ? Or the PAP ?