Hey all,
Considering RGIII's great success with the read option also led to his injury (I realize QBs get injured anyway but for the purposes of this conversation I am assuming that read-option QBs are more exposed to injury than pro-style QBs), will the NFL gradually become a read-option league? I have to admit, marquee DEs were absolutely paralyzed by the Redskin offense (i.e. Demarcus Ware). But won't quarterbacks then have the same shelf-life as running backs because of the constant hits they are exposed to? Will teams have to have three ready QBs to come in at the drop of a hat, run the offense just as effectively and, most importantly, lead as well? Would this transition increase or decrease the crucial role that QBs play in a team's success?
I don't think you'll see the NFL move to a predominantly spread game like college is turning into. A lot of teams with mobile QBs will probably start to incorporate spread packages to the playbook, but the reason you cited is the main reason you won't see a lot of teams run offenses like the Redskins. Too big of a risk for injury. I like the way the Seahawks ran the spread with Russell Wilson. It was a spread concept offense that still was able to limit Wilson's hits
Sorry Urban, Woody is still my favorite
All of the teams in the NFL that are using some form of the spread read option have been very successful thus far. Three of the four made the playoffs this year and the 4th made the playoffs last year. The more talented read option QB's that make it to the NFL, the more NFL teams will jump on the bandwagon. Urban admits, the unknown is how long of an NFL career will a read option QB have.
Also RGIII was never injured running the option. He was only injured on scrambles. I think it is here to stay as part of an offense that has a mobile qb. It stresses defenses too much to at least not use it as a constraint.
You'll see a mix of spread and pocket passers. Just like anything, defenses will adjust. The question is, is it a gimmick offense at the NFL level? Did they do well because no one was ready? The wildcat offense blew up for half a season before it was figured out. Now it is a play hardly used. I don't know if defenses can adjust, what I do know is that passers like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, etc will always be part of the game and are not a gimmick. Therefore I would expect to see them in the game of football for a long time.
If QB's are going to run the ball as much as a RB, then their shelf life will be sorter for sure. I doubt they run that much though.
It isn't a gimmick offense, it is just one component of a larger offense. Like screens or bootlegs or draws. As long as there are mobile qbs with good arms offensive coordinators would be dumb not to use it a couple times a game to keep safeties and DEs honest.
I am not sure if a couple times a game then would have much of a bearing on the QB's health. RGIII was averaging ~10 rushes a game though with is more than most NFL RB's get in a split role. RGIII though KILLED it in the air too, so we know he can throw with is more important. The question then I raised is, does RGIII after a year or two become a pass first guy who keeps the D honest = non-gimmick... or will he keep up the ~10 rushes a game which to me screams gimmick if his throwing suffers.
I love the idea of the QB keeping D's honest. RGIII is likely the biggest threat at the QB position if he can keep it up. Guy is crazy good... My question was more of a scheme question, how much does the QB run make up of the offense. If it is too much, D's will figure it out and shut it down. If it is to just create a threat they have to think about each time RGIII goes back to pass, then that is no a gimmick and a great threat to have.
I wasn't necessarily referring to RGIII specifically in terms of whether or not it is a "gimmick." I see it as much different than the wildcat because it can fit into a regular offense, it can be run out of your normal offensive sets.
In terms of how much will QBs run, it will likely be dictated by the defensive response since the point is the read aspect. If the defense decides to sit on the QB and trust their interior line to stop the RB, then the QB won't run much at all. There aren't a lot of designed run plays for the QB and there likely never will be.
I also think that the QB can protect himself better when he knows he is running. It is the scrambles where people get hurt because it is the second response to the play so they are lot more likely to get blindsided.
I would also like to get Ross's view point here.
Didn't Washington only run read options ~ 8 times a game, or so. I know it wasn't anywhere close to college numbers.
Those who stay will be CHAMPIONS!
~Bo Schembechler
Not sure, his stats suggested ~10 runs a game on average. At 8-10 read options a game I don't see the issue for longevity, though it does put the QB in harms way more often.
As a Redskin fan (Ohio native, grew up in Va and now living in Md) this past season was both exciting and tense.
Athletic/mobile qb's running the dive option or any sort of designed run/scramble are at risk. I think the key for survival is pocket presence and field awareness. At least that's what I'm hoping to see once RGIII returns.
I'm mixed on the use of the scheme, obviously it worked well for Washington. But obviously there's a risk involved. It's new territory, but a quarterback using the dive option on a regular basis wouldn't last long in the pros imo.
"Success - it's what you do with what you got" - Woody Hayes