The screen game
A goal for any effective offense is to get the football to your playmakers quickly with space to operate after the catch and with blockers in front of them. The screen game is a perfect way to achieve this goal. On this playsheet we’re going to add some screens from a Clemson playbook that are perfect for the modern era.
Stack Right Opp Brown Ohio
This is taken from Clemson’s 2013 offensive playbook, and I love this design. The play is set to go to the left, where the X receiver starts upfield for a step or two but then “works into the tunnel,” picking up blocks from the receiver on the wing, the playside guard, and the center. But this play has multiple options for the quarterback, something I believe is critical for today’s offenses. The QB also has a vertical route along the right side from the outside receiver, as well as a potential screen to the running back to that side as well. Layers to this design.
Here is a similar look that again gives the quarterback some options.
Ace Right Over Black Ohio
I really like this design, because by pairing the tunnel with the vertical route, there is always the chance you catch the defense with their eyes on the tunnel, opening them up for a big play on the vertical route.
The final part of the screen section combines play-action with a tunnel look along the boundary.
It is important to note that as of the 2013 season, Clemson coached this design by instruction the quarterback NOT to carry out a play-action fake. In my offense, however, I’m trying to cut down on potential pursuit from the linebackers, so the QB is carrying out this run fake. To help the timing of this the receiver really needs to sell that vertical release at the start of the play before working back to the football.
Third-and-long
Hopefully with crisp execution the Browns will not see a third-and-long situation during the course of the plays, but failing to prepare is preparing to fail. At least that’s what my old law partners told me. Or my mom. Maybe both. So while we don’t want to see a situation like this arise, we need to be ready.
Here are two plays, similar in nature, that will be on the call sheet if we need to throw it deep.
Four Verticals (Train Right Jill H-Seattle)
This is “Seattle,” from Alabama’s playbook and posted recently by Chris Brown on Twitter. This is basically just everyone’s favorite play, four verticals, run out of a 3×1 formation. I love pairing four verticals with a 3×1 formation because of the stress it puts on the safeties and how it changes their eye angles a bit. Running this design out of a 2×2 formation just calls for a defense to counter with Cover 4, which they might be doing on a third and long situation anyway. Then you are relying on a receiver winning a one on one matchup. Here, as you can see, the adjustments and conversions for the receivers allow you to attack both single high and two-high looks.
We can also dip into the Coryell school for a personal favorite of mine:
585 H Fake Cross
This play is near and dear to my heart because during my sophomore year in college I actually played some wide receiver, and my first reception came on a preseason game against Middlebury, running the comeback or 5 route on this play.
It would end up being my only reception.
I was an awful college football player. I’ve often said this.
But I love the 585 design because like many well-designed plays it has an answer for multiple looks from the defense. There the boundary receivers run comeback routes, but have potential conversions built in to attack hard corners or Cover 2 looks, where they can convert the comebacks to corner routes. Against Cover 2, the QB always has the option to work the post route in the middle of the field to split the safeties, and against Cover 3 or Cover 4, you can expect those comeback routes to find some space working against the corners on the outside. Answers for everything. The conversions, and the ability to attack multiple schemes, make these plays similar and effective for an offense regardless of situation, but also on third and long instances.
The “Gotta-have-it” play
Finally, the “gotta have it” play. This is the play that regardless of situation, time in the game, etc, if the offense needs a big play whether on a third down or in the red zone, this is the design that I will turn to. It comes from an old Jon Gruden West Coast playbook, but I’m looking to use this from a number of different personnel packages, either with 21 offensive personnel with two different running backs in the game, or 12 offensive personnel, where a tight end actually starts in the backfield, or even with 11 offensive personnel, starting a wide receiver in the backfield.
When our backs are up against the wall, Coach Stefanski, we’re calling Flanker Drive.
Brown Right A Right 2 Jet Flanker Drive
What I love about the basic design is that again, we have answers for anything a defense shows us, from the backside go route that the QB can peek against man coverage looks or when we see an advantageous matchup, to the inclusion of the flanker drive routes, where the tight end helps to create traffic for the Z receiver underneath. This route helped put Jerry Rice in the Hall of Fame (along with his famous hill workouts, but if you think I’m gonna try and duplicate that at the age of 43, you’ve got another thing coming).
My favorite part of this route design, though, is the corner route to the concept side of the field, with the receiver starting in the backfield, motioning to the right, and then running the corner route. You can imagine that as a key opportunity to get another advantageous matchup for the offense, or forcing the defense to pick its poison. This is something teams like the San Francisco 49ers do often with players like George Kittle. Imagine starting Kittle in the backfield and then motioning him outside, forcing the defense to adjust or keep a linebacker on him, where he can then work his corner route against a player who might struggle to cover him in space.
Again, answers for anything.
So there you have it, Coach — my informal bid to work with you and Coach Van Pelt on the offensive script. A more formal bid will follow, but I think I’ve made a strong case here to pitch in. I’ll wait to hear from you.