Head coach Kevin Stefanski needs to quickly decide who is calling the plays in the Browns offense
In 2018, rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield had three different play-callers in the Browns offense. The battle between head coach Hue Jackson, offensive coordinator Todd Haley and interim OC Freddie Kitchens was a confusing maelstrom of divergent voices in young Mayfield’s ear.
Flash forward to 2019 and once again the play-calling shifted on Mayfield. Kitchens as the head coach and offensive coordinator Todd Monken struggled to find the right balance of power, and it cost the Browns in the win column and stunted Mayfield’s development.
Now it’s 2020 and the Browns have another new head coach in Kevin Stefanski. The offensive-minded head man is installing his version of the base offense he ran in Minnesota and others in the Gary Kubiak/Mike Shanahan offensive scheme tree have implemented. But there is also a new coordinator in Alex Van Pelt, who comes from a different coaching tree.
So it’s troubling when Stefanski said in his last Zoom session with the media that he wasn’t really sure who was going to call the plays.
“That really remains to be seen,” Stefanski said when asked point-blank who would be the authority. “I’d like to get everybody back in the building, get out there practicing and get together before we make that decision. That decision will be made before September 13, I promise you that.”
One of the ways in which rookie head coaches often struggle is in finding the balance between running the entire team and being devoted to just one side of the ball. Many successful coaches do call their own offensive plays, including both headmen in last season’s Super Bowl, Andy Reid and Kyle Shanahan. It can take time for a greenhorn like Stefanski to find that balance, however.
It’s easy to appreciate that Stefanski wants to get all his offensive coaches together in person before deciding, but it’s a critical decision that needs to be made quickly.
Last season the Cleveland Browns limped to a 6-10 finish. How a lone bright spot for Baker Mayfield points to a rebound in 2020.
(In this series, Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield takes a look at one important metric per NFL team to uncover a crucial problem to solve for the 2020 season. In this installment, it’s time to look at where things went wrong for Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns in 2019, and how a lone bright spot and a new head coach might make for a beautiful pairing in 2020).
Every offseason a champion is crowned.
For example, many are looking at what the Arizona Cardinals accomplished over the past few months and moving them up in their pre-season power rankings. (Touchdown Wire is no exception to this rule). After all, they acquired one of the NFL’s best wide receivers in DeAndre Hopkins and are pairing him with a rising, second-year quarterback in Kyler Murray and an offensive-headed head coach in Kliff Kingsbury.
Does that sound, in any way, like last summer?
Remember when the Cleveland Browns acquired Odell Beckham Jr., another of the game’s best wideouts? To pair him with a rising, second-year quarterback in Baker Mayfield and an offensive-minded head coach in Freddie Kitchens? The Browns were on the tip of everyone’s tongue as a team on the rise in the AFC, and were in the mix during the preseason as Super Bowl contenders.
Then, the games began.
Kitchens failed to live up to the hype as a head coach, showing that he was probably best suited at this point in his career as an offensive coordinator. Beckham had a solid season, with 74 receptions for 1,035 yards, but saw the end zone just four times, his lowest TD output since the 2017 season when he caught three touchdown passes in just four games.
Then there was Mayfield, who could not produce the kind of second-year leap as a passer Browns fans were hoping to see. He completed less than 60% of his passes for 3,827 yards and 22 touchdowns, along with 21 interceptions. His NFL quarterback rating dropped from 93.7 in 2018 to 78.8 in 2019. His interceptions soared from 14 to 21, and his Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt dropped from 6.77 to 5.27. That ANY/A of 5.27 placed him 27th in the league among qualified passers, behind Josh Allen, Sam Darnold and Lamar Jackson (the other starting quarterbacks who were drafted along with him in the first round in 2018) and behind the aforementioned Murray.
Cleveland finished 6-10, and Kitchens was fired.
So, where did it go wrong for Mayfield?
As the sage Doug Farrar pointed out recently, a glaring weakness for Mayfield in 2019 was his production when throwing from a clean pocket. Using charting data from Sports Info Solutions, Farrar found that when he was kept clean, Mayfield posted these numbers: “When he wasn’t harassed, Mayfield still threw a league-high 16 interceptions on 394 attempts, and a league-worst 84.0 quarterback rating.”
Making matters worse for Mayfield, from a clean pocket Pro Football Focus charted him with an Adjusted Completion Percentage of 72.7.
That was dead last among 27 qualified passers.
To set the stage for how Mayfield and the Browns can right the ship in 2020, there is an area of his game that stood out in 2019: Play-action. Mayfield had an NFL passer rating of 102.5 in 2019 when using play-action, which put him 11th in the league in that category. Furthermore, Mayfield saw an increase in his completion percentage of 10.1% on play-action versus non play-action throws, and that increase was the biggest in the league. In terms of Yards per Attempt, Mayfield’s YPA of 9.0 on play-action throws was an increase of 2.6 over his YPA of 6.4 on non play-action designs, and that increase was the third-most in the league. Mayfield had a TD/INT split of 11/6 on play-action throws, but 11/15 on non play-action passes. Those 15 interceptions on non play-action throws trailed only Jameis Winston and Philip Rivers.
Enter Kevin Stefanski.
While Mayfield was good on play-action in 2019, there was a passer who was better: Stefanski’s former quarterback Kirk Cousins. As highlighted just yesterday when discussing the Minnesota Vikings, Cousins led the league with an NFL passer rating of 129.2 on play-action throws. Stefanski built an offense based on an outside zone running scheme, with play-action designs flowing naturally off of that structure:
This is your textbook flood design working off of an outside zone look to the left side. On this play the Vikings have 20 offensive personnel in the game, and after making his run fake to the left Cousins boots back to the right. The route he throws is a pivot route to Adam Thielen, who starts on the right side, shows the defense a potential slant route and then breaks back towards the right sideline to mirror his quarterback. The other two, deeper, options are an intermediate crossing route from left to right and a deep comeback route along the right sideline.
Stefanski also did a great job of showing the opposition plays like this, and then changing a route or two to hit them in the downfield passing game. Take this touchdown against the now Las Vegas Raiders:
Facing a 1st and 10 against the Raiders, Cousins lines up under center and the offense has 11 offensive personnel in the game. Thielen aligns in the slot to the left. Cousins carries out a run fake to the right and then boots back to the left. Given what we have seen, we might expect the Vikings to give him a three-level with Thielen running a deep corner route, drawn in with the black arrowed line. Instead, Thielen works all the way across the formation, and Cousins hits him on a deep throwback for a touchdown.
The elements are in place for the Browns, under Stefanski, to build an offense drastically similar to what Cousins was running last year with the Vikings. Cleveland still has Beckham and Jarvis Landry, two ideal wide receivers for this kind of system. The offensive line should be much improved, with the acquisition of right tackle Jack Conklin in free agency and the selection of potential starting left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. in the first round. They also have a tandem of running backs in Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt that fit well in an outside zone running scheme. Finally, Austin Hooper, another acquisition this off-season, given Stefanski the potential security blanket of a tight end that this offense needs.
These are the ideal pieces to run such an offense, and as he showed at times in 2019, Mayfield is comfortable on such designs:
Cleveland shows the Buffalo Bills an outside zone running play to the right, before the quarterback boots back to the left. Mayfield has a flood design to choose from, but with Landry open immediately in the flat he simply takes the easy throw. His receiver bursts upfield for an easy 18-yard gain.
So, the pieces are certainly in place for Stefanski and the Browns.
Now it is up to Mayfield to deliver. But given what he did on play-action designs in 2019, even during a down season for him, betting on a rebound in 2020 might be a safe investment.
Examining the No. 3 WR role in Kevin Stefanski’s offense he brings from Minnesota
The Cleveland Browns are in great shape with the top WR duo of Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr., two Pro Bowl standouts. While they’re coming off recent surgeries, the duo has the potential to be the best 1-2 punch in the NFL.
After that, the depth chart drops off dramatically at wide receiver. Rashard Higgins thrived in the role in 2018 but fell out of favor in 2019. Young Damion Ratley and rookie Donovan Peoples-Jones could also fill the role. But in the grand scheme of the Browns new offense under head coach Kevin Stefanski, it’s not a big role.
Simply put, expect the No. 3 wide receiver role in Cleveland in 2020 to be no higher than 6th in passing targets for the Browns, based on coach Stefanski’s history.
The 2017 season was the first year where Minnesota ran the offense Stefanski is expected to implement in Cleveland. Pat Shurmur took over full-time as the team’s offensive coordinator after succeeding Norv Turner halfway through the 2016 season, and the switch away from the importance of depth at wide receiver was instantaneous.
In 2017, Laquon Treadwell was the Vikings’ No. 3 wideout. He got exactly 35 targets while playing all 16 games, catching 20 for 200 yards. Jarius Wright caught 18 of his 25 targets as the No. 4 wideout.
The next season saw more targets for Treadwell as the No. 3. Adam Theilen got 153, Stefon Diggs saw 149, TE Kyle Rudolph got 82 and then came Treadwell at 53. RB Dalvin Cook was on pace to get many more than Treadwell with 49 targets in just 11 games, too.
Stefanski had just one season as Minnesota’s offensive coordinator. His impact on the targets for the No. 3 WR was stark. After Diggs and Theilen, the next WR on the Vikings target list was 7th-round rookie Olabisi Johnson. He had 31 receptions on 45 targets with a low 9.5 yards per reception.
Bisi Johnson’s receiving chart from Pro Football Focus is pretty typical for how a No. 3 receiver gets used in what we expect of a Stefanski offense:
Johnson ranked sixth on the Vikings in targets, behind Diggs, RB Dalvin Cook, Theilen and TE Irv Smith. It gets a bit of an asterisk as well with Theilen missing six full games and parts of two others with injuries that afforded Johnson more looks. Almost a third of Johnson’s targets came in his first two games (Weeks 10 and 11) filling in for the injured Theilen as the No. 2 wideout. In games where he was the third receiver, he topped four targets just once, the Week 7 win over the Lions where Theilen left in the first quarter with an injury.
The Browns have two very good receiving tight ends in Austin Hooper and David Njoku, both of whom have enough versatility to play as a de facto 3rd wideout in the formation. Kareem Hunt proved a fantastic receiving weapon out of the backfield in 2019, and he’s recently been sitting in on the WR positional Zoom meetings. Nick Chubb isn’t known for his hands, but he’s hauled in 56 passes in two seasons, too.
While it’s overkill to say that the No. 3 wideout isn’t important for the Browns, it’s certainly not a meaty role. If Landry and Beckham stay healthy, don’t expect more than about 40 targets or 200 yards from Higgins or whoever wins the spot.
A weekly series that examines the history of the Steelers versus their 2020 opponents.
This is the sixth in a 13-part weekly series examing the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers versus their 2020 opponents.
The Steelers will face the Cleveland Browns Week 6 at Heinz Field. These two clubs know each other so well that history and records are virtually meaningless when they meet.
Let’s take a look at the history between these fierce rivals.
The two teams have 136 head-to-head matchups, with the Pittsburgh Steelers winning 76 games and the Cleveland Browns, 59. They’ve met twice in the postseason, and the Steelers prevailed in both.
Points scored for Pittsburgh total 2812 to Cleveland’s 2616.
They have only tied once — the Steelers opened up their 2018 season with a draw at 21. Pittsburgh is 5-1 in the series’ six overtime games.
For the first decade, the Browns had the Steelers number. From their first matchup on Oct. 7, 1950, to their 21st on Nov. 2, 1960, the Steelers enjoyed only four victories. It took Pittsburgh eight games (including back-to-back shutouts) to finally beat Cleveland.
In the series, the Browns had an eight-game win streak from 1950-1953. The Steelers 12-game win streak started in 2003 with a 13-6 score and ended in 2009 with the same 13-6 score.
They have 10 total shutouts between them — six won by the Steelers and four by the Browns. The biggest blowout of the series came in 1989 when the Browns bludgeoned the Steelers 51-0. Quarterback Bubby Brister threw three interceptions, was sacked six times, and threw for just 84 yards on 22 attempts. Only 21 of their 51 points were offensive touchdowns, and none of them came from Browns QB Bernie Kosar. In the Steelers eight turnovers, three were returned for TDs. The Browns scored three rushing TDs, and the rest was the leg of kicker Matt Bahr who was a perfect 6-for-6 on extra points and 3-for-3 on field goals. It remains the worst loss in franchise history.
The second-biggest blowout is worth noting because it was during the season the Browns returned to Cleveland in 1999. What better team to play than their archrival Steelers? The Browns were fired up to play host to the Steelers Week 1 on Sunday Night Football. Unfortunately for the Browns, they left their excitement in the locker room. The Steelers had 33 first downs to the Browns’ two first downs and Cleveland to 40 yards of total offense. The Steelers won, 43-0, with wide receiver Hines Ward’s first career touchdown closing out the game.
Happy Birthday, Hines Ward!
Here’s his 1st NFL TD
The Steelers happily welcomed the Browns back to the NFL with a 43-0 opening day thrashing in 1999@miketomczak18 tossed to @mvp86hinesward late in the game for his 1st of what would be 95 TD receptions (including post-season) pic.twitter.com/8SsUY4jLUJ
The biggest nailbiter in the modern era was the 2003 Wild Card game, in which Pittsburgh had to score 22 points in the fourth quarter to win by a field goal, 36-33.
During quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s tenure, the Steelers have amassed a 25-3-1 record versus the Browns. Cleveland has not won at Heinz Field since 2003.
The Browns have been consistently inconsistent in recent history, and the rivalry fell flat for a while. On Nov. 14, 2019, however, it was fully restored. Though there were a few occasions where they came close, the Browns hadn’t beat Pittsburgh in five years. Quarterback Mason Rudolph, who was riding a three-game win streak, was picked off four times and sacked just as many. The Steelers laid a goose egg in the first two quarters, and the Browns were up by two scores when Rudolph threw his first and only TD to running back Jaylen Samuels. Cleveland scored again in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.
With eight seconds remaining in Cleveland’s 21-17 victory, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett sacked Rudolph. Rudolph took offense, and a fight ensued in which Garrett tore off Rudolph’s helmet. Rudolph charged Garrett, and Garrett proceeded to slam Rudolph over the head with the QB’s own helmet. Garrett was suspended indefinitely, and Rudolph was fined $50,000.
Their last matchup, in which Rudolph did not play, seemed mild-mannered in comparison.
2020 is a new season, new coach for the Browns. Will Kevin Stefanski have what it takes to lead his team to the Browns’ first victory in 17 years at Heinz Field? We’ll find out in 123 days.
Keenum can help Mayfield learn the system that produced a truly amazing season for him in 2017
The quarterback carousel has mercifully stopped in Cleveland, at least at the starting level. Baker Mayfield will be the starter, the same status ever since Week 4 of his rookie season in 2018. The backup quarterback position, however…
Enter Case Keenum, who replaces Drew Stanton as the veteran journeyman who is perfectly comfortable wearing a baseball hat and not playing unless it means kneeling in victory formation. But for one glorious season, Keenum was the ringleader of a 13-3 juggernaut in Minnesota.
That was 2017. Minnesota sported the league’s best defense, but the offense led by Keenum and directed in part by new Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, then the Vikings’ QB coach. Keenum was a top-10 QB in that season, his first with the team. He finished 2nd in completion percentage, 1st in INT rate, 6th in sack percentage and won NFC Offensive Player of the Month in an unbeaten November. One year earlier, Keenum led the NFL in pick-6’s (three) in just nine starts for the Rams.
It stands out like a glorious shining light in Keenum’s career stat profile, courtesy of Pro Football Reference:
The Pat Shurmur offensive system, which leans heavily on spreading out the defense and creating space and clear throwing lanes, suited Keenum like a glove. Stefanski ran a very similar derivative of that offense last year in Minnesota after taking over the offense from Shurmur, using more 2-TE sets but keeping the principles of space and vision intact. There is some freedom for the QB to run if the option presents itself, and Keenum does have some ability to win with his legs.
So does Mayfield, who like Keenum doesn’t have the strongest arm or the height to sit in the pocket and see over the defensive line. The focus is on efficiency, on creating multiple throwing options to receivers isolated in well-spaced areas, on play-action built off a strong running game. Keenum thrived in it in Minnesota in 2017, and Mayfield can in 2020 in Cleveland.
Kevin Stefanski: ‘I am standing right there’ with players involved in protests and proved it by taking his kids to a rally
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski just recently moved to Cleveland, but he’s already found ways to connect with both his Browns players and his new community. Stefanski is connecting through the ongoing social justice protest movements that are omnipresent around the country and in Northeast Ohio.
Stefanski took his kids along to a peaceful protest over the weekend in Avon. It’s proof that the new coach is willing to do more than just pay lip service to the cares and concerns of his players. He talked about the impact being there with his young children had upon the Stefanski family.
“It was empowering. You saw the passion. You saw the frustration. You saw the love,” Stefanski said. “It was just a really enlightening moment for me, and I was able to share that with my boys at a young age. Part of this is making sure that we are doing everything in our power to educate each other — and especially the next generation.”
He took that message with him to players. Stefanski canceled all team activities on Tuesday in a nod to George Floyd’s funeral service.
“My big note to our players is that I got their back. That is not just lip service – I am standing right there beside them. They have my support, and I promise you that we will continue to listen to each other from a place of mutual respect.”
The Browns were at the forefront of the protest movement spearheaded by Colin Kaepernick. During a 2017 preseason game, a large group of players took a knee during the pregame rendition of the national anthem, including Seth DeValve–the first white player to take such action. It seems that spirit lives on and is encouraged by Stefanski.
Report: NFL and NFLPA considering a shortened preseason in 2020 due to coronavirus restrictions still in place in many cities
Could the Cleveland Browns get less preseason time with the new coaching staff? Based on a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, it might happen.
Pelissero is reporting that the NFL and NFLPA are considering reducing the 2020 preseason from four games down to two. It’s a concession to the coronavirus pandemic restrictions still in place in many NFL cities.
“Nothing finalized or imminent,” Pelissero said, “but multiple team executives informed of talks currently believe they could end up playing two preseason games, rather than four.”
It’s unknown which of the games would be trimmed. Right now, the Browns preseason schedule looks like this:
Week 1 – August 15, 1 p.m. at Chicago Bears
Week 2 – August 22, 4 p.m. at Green Bay Packers
Week 3 – August 30, 4 p.m. Minnesota Vikings
Week 4 – Sept. 3, TBD Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Players are still not allowed in team facilities other than to receive medical treatment. Just last week the NFL ruled there will be no joint practice sessions and all teams must hold training camps at their own home city facilities.
For a team like the Browns with an all-new coaching staff led by rookie coach Kevin Stefanski, the loss of actual game reps could be a major hindrance.
Mayfield was very good on play-action in 2019 and no offense uses it more than Stefanski’s in Minnesota
Sometimes the fit almost seems too perfect…
Baker Mayfield has had his ups and downs in his two NFL seasons, but one of the strongest constants to Mayfield’s game is how well the young Browns QB executes the play-action passing game. Even in an otherwise unimpressive 2019 season, Mayfield still thrived while using play-action.
Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Mayfield threw nine TD passes against just three interceptions off play-action in 2019. Considering his overall ratio was 22/21, it’s a stark contrast.
Now factor in new Browns coach Kevin Stefanski and his heavy usage of play-action passing while running the offense in Minnesota. Under Stefanski in 2019, Vikings QB Kirk Cousins led the entire NFL in TD passes with 14. Mayfield tied for third.
Playing to Mayfield’s strengths is exactly what Stefanski’s offense does even without adjusting to No. 6’s style. That is one of the reasons why it’s perfectly reasonable to expect Mayfield to look a lot more like the record-setting rookie of 2018 than the sophomore slump season of 2019.
Baker Mayfield's passer rating was 36.8 points higher on pass attempts involving play action than without play action in 2019.
Baker Mayfield sees his skills as ‘a great fit’ in new Browns coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense
Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield was the latest Cleveland player to participate in a Zoom teleconference with the local media. The affable quarterback joined from his home in Texas.
The obvious question about football is how well Mayfield believes the progress is going with rookie head coach Kevin Stefanski. The two still haven’t met in person since the coronavirus pandemic forced all interaction to occur remotely, but the QB and coach remain in close contact. Mayfield thinks it’s going to work very well in transitioning to a more measured, balanced offensive attack under Stefanski.
Mayfield sees his skills blending very nicely with the offense Stefanski is teaching.
“I think it matches up very well,” Mayfield told reporters. “I think my skill-set matches up very well. I think it will be a great fit.”
The emphasis is on making better, quicker decisions and focusing more on the fundamentals than the flash, which is not how the 2019 season went under Freddie Kitchens. Mayfield was much more reserved and focused on being deliberate in his responses than in the past, too.
The Cleveland Browns are auctioning off the chance to script offensive plays with coach Kevin Stefanski. Here is Mark Schofield’s pitch.
Sometimes a content idea just hits you like a bolt of lightning from the sky.
This is one of those moments.
As the football world prepares for the first training camp in the COVID-19 Era, organizations are thinking of ways to excite fans, even though they might not be able to attend games in person. For example, the Miami Dolphins recently announced that they will turn Hard Rock Stadium into a drive-in movie theater. As the team stated, featured items would include “classic Miami Dolphins content from the team’s 54-year history, classic motion picture films, host commencement ceremonies and other events.”
Paving the way for games to be shown, perhaps.
Not to be outdone, the Cleveland Browns announced a fundraiser of their own last week. A chance to “script” the first 15 plays of a preseason game with new head coach Kevin Stefanski. As part of a fundraiser for COVID-19 relief, the Browns are auctioning off the opportunity to script plays with Stefanski and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.
Think you can script an NFL game?
Coach Kevin Stefanski is offering the chance to help script 15 plays for one of our preseason games and even more immersive experiences — all for a great cause!
Consider this piece part of my formal bidding process.
You see, scripting plays is something that I take seriously. You’re reading someone who would never consider turning on a game of Madden or NCAA Football without having a script at the ready. Oh, and this is not just some “back in college when I had time on my hands thanks to ignoring schoolwork” thing (oh, hi mom!) but something that I was doing as recently as this holiday season.
Because when my wife and I decided that our oldest, Owen, could start playing Madden, I needed to be ready. So late at night I would fire up Madden 20, try out plays, and with a whiteboard at the ready start piecing together what worked, and what did not, for a game script.
And to think, this was pre-quarantine behavior…
But back to the issue at hand. Mr. Stefanski, please consider this my offer for a potential game script. A more formal bid will follow.
The way this will be constructed is as follows. As covered in this previous piece breaking down the play sheet from Tom Brady’s first NFL start, the scripted plays cover situations. The first part will cover first and second down passing plays, as well as shot plays where I want to attack down the field. The second part will cover both the run game and the play-action passing game, with some run/pass options built in, and finally we’ll get into more situations, with third and long as well as the screen game and the “gotta have it” play.
First and second down pass plays
(Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports)
We kick things off with the passing plays I’m willing to call on almost every situation, save for third and a country mile. Whether 1st and 10, 2nd and 7, or 3rd and 1, these routes have an answer for almost anything a defense can throw at us, hence the comfort level.
92 – Mesh
We start with a Mike Leach/Air Raid staple, the mesh play.
This route concept has an answer for everything. Before the play, if the quarterback identifies one-on-one coverage over the X receiver he can take a deep shot. If it’s a single-high look, he can work the Corner/Swing combination which sets up a high-low bracket over that cornerback, before coming to the crossers underneath. Same basic read structure for a Cover 2/4 look. If the QB gets man across the board, he can peek the route to X, then peek that wheel route to H, before looking to the mesh. Coach Leach gave a tremendous presentation on installing the mesh play a few years ago at a Nike Coach of the Year Clinic, and I highly recommend checking it out.
Building off mesh, you set up a nice little counter for when the defense starts to play more zone to take away the crossers underneath: Mesh return.
92 Out or 92 Return
Here is an example of a return concept from the New England Patriots’ playbook:
As you can see, both H and Z have options after showing the defense the standard mesh underneath. If they see zones underneath they can sit down in grass. If they get walled off from the underneath defenders on the inside, they can break back outside, away from them. In addition, this route concept has a Hoss element to it, with the hitch route on the outside and the seam route from the middle receiver in the trips. That seam will convert based on the coverage, so if you get a two-high look (middle of the field open or MOFO) that receiver will cross the face of the nearest safety to split the two safety look. If the defense is in single-high (middle of the field closed or MOFC) that receiver will stay vertical, forcing the single safety to rotate over. Then you have the hitch route on the outside, which will convert to a fade/go against press coverage.
Curl/Flat or Hank
This is from an old Jon Gruden playbook. But mirrored curl/flat, or Hank, is still a staple of offenses today. If you watch the Chicago Bears, for example, you will see a ton of this route concept. With good reason. First, it gives the quarterback a nice defined read structure and second, it is a mirrored passing concept, that basically divides the field in half and allows the quarterback to pick his “best side” if all things are equal coverage-wise, throwing to either the short side of the field, the best matchup, or however the coaching staff wants to define “best-side.”
As you can see, the read progression is as follows: The QB first checks that sit route over the middle (with an alert on a potential hot route as well) and then works either side of the field on the curl to the flat.
Curl routes, when they are run well against a cornerback who has to worry about getting beat deep (Cover 1, Cover 3) are very difficult to cover. If the defense starts to respond by dropping that overhang or slot defender under that curl route to help, then the flat route should start to open up for you. Cover 2 and Cover 4 are a bit trickier with this concept, as the defense can keep the corner in the flat to take that away and then have the LBs drop under the curls, but there are still options. That sit route over the middle could work to get under the MLB as the linebackers drop, and then you can work in the flat-wheel variation, where the inside receiver runs a wheel route and should find grass along the boundary.
Both Bench or Both Swirl
Finally, two more plays that are mirrored passing concepts, similar to Hank. There is first Both Bench, and then Both Swirl. These give the quarterback some simplified, half-field reads, as well as the opportunity to high-low a defender to one side of the formation or the other. On the first design, Both Bench, we pair a deep out route with a flat route to both sides of the field. The quarterback will work this concept high to low, starting with the out route and working to the flat route.
On the second design, Both Swirl, the quarterback again reads this from high to low. First he will check the swirl route, which starts out like a corner route but then cuts off, as a corner-stop route, and then the QB works down to the flat route.
Shot plays
(Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)
I’ve always been a fan of taking a few designed shots downfield throughout the game based on situation: After turnovers, after a big run, near midfield, and on 2nd and short. Shot plays can be run with or without play-action, but I particularly love the idea of pairing a shot play and play-action on 2nd and short.
We can start with a switch verticals concept.
G Spread Left Utah Goalie/Peel/Whirl Flanker Right
There are a lot of elements to this design.
As you can see, the three receiver combination has three variations. Goalie is your basic switch verticals look, with the outside receiver running a go, the inside receiver running a wheel and the #3 receiver running a swing screen route. Peel has the outside receiver run a post, while the rest of the routes remain the same (a wheel route from Z and a swing route from H). Whirl has the outside receiver run a curl route, and again the other two routes (wheel/swing) remain the same. Backside the B has a deep dig/search route, as well as a shallow crosser.
The QB wants to hit the wheel route in an ideal world. But, he can work backside after that as well as peeking that swing route in a pinch. Against Cover 4 that wheel route is likely taken away, so the quarterback should be on alert to work backside to that dig/search route finding grass underneath the safeties.
G Spread Right 66 D-Sluggo Hoss Ringo
This is another design that I absolutely love.
First you have the Hoss element on the left side of the formation, with the hitch/seam combination. Both those routes will convert based on the coverage, with the hitch route converting to a go/fade against a press man look, and the seam actually sitting down here against a MOFO look. But what makes this play is the action on the right side. You show a simple slant/flat combination, but the slant is actually a slant-and-go, which will also convert to a slant-and-corner against a MOFO coverage, working away from the nearest safety. So with a single-high look you can bracket the safety in the middle of the field with the seam/sluggo, looking at one and throwing the other. But with two safeties you’ll the seam that converts to a deep curl checking up in front of one safety, and the slant-corner breaking away from the other safety.
Okay, now it’s time to work in some run game stuff, before we get back to the fun parts of the script.
