In the past, EA Sports Tiburon has focused on the passing game from the perspective of QB Vision. Currently, the team is working on the notion of wide receivers getting open and being ready for the pass. There is also an emphasis on placement and quarterback drops. The community has already started a debate on this. We might look at both as an aspect of timing in the passing game, which is a step in the right direction. To complete the emphasis on timing and rhythm, more option routes should make their way back into the game. Let’s analyze two of the more explosive NFL passing attacks over the past decade for a frame of reference.

What is the process that you use once you hike the football? Do you begin with the left side and scan back to the right? Do you begin with the primary receiver on the play? Chances are you, are only using half of the field which means as a quarterback your options are diminished rather than multiplied. Secondly, generally in Madden/NCAA this can mean that your halfback is your outlet. Third, it also means that half of the defense is basically resting. Let’s take a play from Shotgun Spread Y Flex out of the Baltimore Ravens Playbook from Madden 12. The Play is Smash HB Check.

 

Credit Prima Games for the Image

 

On the surface the play looks simple enough. The routes mirror each other on both sides; the reads are pretty simple. Once you locate the safeties and get your pre-snap read, you then most likely decide on which side of the field you will be looking when you hike the football.

There are some unique problems with the play as it is using this process. The timing for both combinations is identical. This means one side will be wasted, as you may not have time to scan back to the other side and thus one side of the defense is never stressed. Also, if the combination is covered, you must improvise fast or else your quarterback is on the turf; or worse, you force a throw.

The correction would be “backside tags,” or in Madden/NCAA terms the option route. Either adding more to the game or replacing the current hot route system prior to the play as a TAG System with pre-defined tags based on team/playbook would be interesting. I think it might be best to be optional here. Maybe we should have a game plan option where we can go with traditional hot routes as one option and TAGS as another I would want every playbook to have its own tags. Distinction would be nice. Additionally, some books should have more Tags than others. I would expect the Patriots book, for instance, to have a great deal more tags than the Dolphins (Personnel must also be a factor and we’ll talk about that below).

Let’s go back to the Gun Spread Y Flex Smash HB Check play and discuss the benefits of Tags/Option routes available for every pass play. Suppose I hike the football and the following is what I see:



 

Credit smartfootball.com for the image

What we have here is the corner back sinking and an underneath player jumping on the quick hitch. What generally happens here is I am forced to quickly look to the “backside” and more often than not by the time I am there I need to move my QB. Secondly, that backside of the coverage in this case might mirror the front side. Now, I’m in trouble because I have no options and more than likely my QB is on the ground. Now of course I could do like a lot of folks and just not run the play. This is a very popular passing concept though it just needs some more options to mirror what many High School, College and NFL teams do.

So now, what if the front side still had the smash, but the backside had the following:

X WR – quick hitch is the basic route.
- Added option, Inside Whip route.

LB WR – Corner route is the basic route.
- Added option. Rather than cutting to the corner, sit down and face the QB.


Personnel

A word concerning personnel is important here. Not all wide receivers are created equal. I am reminded of Chad Ochocinco here and why he never caught on with the New England Patriots. The Patriot passing game requires wide receivers to run multiple options. Ochocinco was accustomed to simply lining up and using his athleticism to get open on a single route assignment.

I think this is where an additional rating for receivers may be helpful, namely, coverage recognition. Coverage recognition for receivers and tight ends could govern whether they will run the option or just run the assigned route. Ochocinco for instance would not run the option. And when a play has a guy running multiple options it could determine the proper option selection for safe or big play potential. Let’s take a look at the Smash route again:

 

Credit Coach Huey.com for image

Now let’s say a guy has multiple tags. In this diagram we see the left slot with a post option off of the original corner route. Let’s also suppose he has a sit down route option. So he could go corner, post or rather than cutting to either he just sits down. This would just be way too much for a guy like Ochocinco. It would be different, however, for players like Wes Welker, Dallas Clark, Rob Gronkowski, etc. Here what you would have is the receiver reading the safety movement both pre- and post-snap. With a high coverage recognition rating (90+) when a guy like Welker sees 2 Deep Zone, which would create a middle of the field open situation he would run for the big play. If he sees 2 Deep Man Under, he could go to the sit down route as the safe route for you on that play. If he sees a 1 Deep Shell and recognizes man coverage then he may run the corner route with a middle of the field closed situation and the possibility of the backer robbing underneath, giving you the option to exploit the one on one on the corner route.

In the end, I think it would add a great deal of depth to the passing game. I’m sure you would see guys run the traditional hot route system and then you’d see guys opt for a TAG system. I’m sure this idea can be fleshed out more.

What about you, OS? What are your thoughts?