The Revolver Offense - mgcst5's Blog

mgcst5's Blog

The Revolver Offense

Posted on March 16, 2015 at 03:28 PM.

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Introduction:

After many weeks of testing and refining I have finally finished off what I consider my playbook masterpiece. Since purchasing NCAA 14 I have wanted to accomplish one goal, create an original offense. This is incredibly difficult to do with the limitations set on users in creating a playbook but not being able to edit formations but there is still a lot of potential available among the 1,000s of plays provided by us. I thought I had accomplished this feat when I create my Wing 7 offense that some people may have seen but in doing research I discover a lot of the concepts I subconsciously borrowed from Gus Malzahn. With that in mind I decided to start from scratch and thats how this playbook came to be.

Background:

This offense was created by deciding what I wanted to accomplish on the field. I have always been a fan of the option. This stems back to my high school days when I was far to small to actually compete on the football field I took an offer from our schools head coach to run the scout team because of my ability to watch film and memorize another teams playbook. The two most common offenses in our conference were the Flexbone and a wide open spread offense that has many similarities to the Air Raid (My school ran the flexbone). Since reading a blog called the "Shootbone" on SimSports I have been obsessed with how flexible the flexbone is (pun not intended). Since the double slot formation helped give berth the spread I had the idea that combining the Air Raid passing concepts I was somewhat familiar (A lot more familiar now thanks to a kind OS user named Dr. Death) with the flexbone offense I love. Now I couldn't make these offenses exactly how I was taught to run them since there run/pass ratios are on opposite ends of the spectrum but when studying the air raid I discovered that over 75% (probably higher just a safe estimation) of run plays in the Air Raid are called as audibles at the line. I took the essence of this concept and put it as the base of my offense.

Now to the fun stuff (I appologize for the lengthy preamble I tend to be a tad long-winded.)

Playbook Name: The Revolver Offense

Base Offense: Any pistol offense. The base offense is 5 pistol formations

SimSports Link: http://www.simsports.net/viewPlayboo...bid=2955&gid=2

Position requirements (Depth chart position)

Quarterback (QB1)
It should come as little surprise to anyone that this is the most important position in the offense. I want my quarterback to be able to pass and run. I wanted to make sure that this offense was not only adaptable to play-styles but also skill levels. Angel Santiago can effective run this offense but there are some plays he would either run rarely or not at all. What I look for is usually based on my recruiting house rules that dictate the maximum star I can recruit at each school. At a low level school I am looking for speed and accuracy. I am looking for these attributes at every level but I can live without a cannon armed QB by simply running more horizontal passing concepts. Speed is non-negotiable (I probably should put acceleration in there but since the wholes I open are huge it isn't always necessary.) At a mid level school (Hello Mid Major or low level P5) I am looking for a little more arm, a lot more speed, and still solid accuracy, i also raise the importance of Breaking Tackles and Elusiveness. At a prime time power I am looking for elite athletes to be my Quarterback. If I don't get these I can still win games but I can win a championship with someone like Mariota as my Quarterback very easily.) Toughness is also a plus but very hard to recruit be for.

QBs whom I have won games with against superior or equal opponents: Mariota, Nick Marshall, Ben McClane, Ronnie Bell, Clay Chastain (Yes I used Georgia State a lot. ha!), Logan Thomas, Dak Prescot, Tre Roberson, Tyler Graham, Ikai Woolsey, Cj Brown, Brandon Ross (The running back for Maryland), And just about every option QB. Note: Vad Lee was a stud for me.

B-Back/HalfBack (Backup is RB1 and the starter is formation subbed over him)
This is not the traditional B-Back. I typically try to recruit a stronger traditional runningback. The better the school the better combination of attributes but at worst I need someone who can get me three yards on the dive read. I like to think I have a zone blocking scheme (EA didn't implement much) with some cutback running mixed in. As I've explained I can get by with minimal talent level at every position but more talent will play better at the highest level.

A-Back/C-Back/Slotbacks (A Back is RB 2-4/WR 3-6, C Back is FB 1-3/WR 3-6)
The second most important position behind the QB. Think of this position like the Tazer (DeAnthony,Marshall) position in the Oregon offense. These players will have to be your best athletes. Each talent level increase I face I increase what I look for (hopefully you will notice and remember this theme) but at the very least I need Speed, Acceleration, and Catching. Auxiliary stats that help: Elusiveness, Carrying, Ball Carrier Vision, Route Running. These players I prefer small stature and I recruit a lot of them because they will be responsible with extensive running and catching duties. With Albert Wilson (WR from Georgia State) in this position I was able to nearly beat Alabama but due to a few turnovers early on I lost 49-38 and my sliders are not easy. In many test dynasties I have only won about 2 natty's in well over 30 years. By making Bama think option and shifting to spread (something that is at the base at my offense. Constant "Revolving" formations.) I usually had a linebacker on my Slotback. When they went man to man with the safety my air raid scheme ran right through them. The only way the C Back is different is that they tend to develop better blocking traits because I actually move them to the fullback position even if they don't play there.

Split-End (Backups are WR 1-2 and starters are formation subbed over)
These are my two big outside receivers. I just want them to be big and strong. Every other attribute is a plus. Better athletes here (Like WVUs Kevin White or DGB) Will still get plenty of opportunities since I spread around the ball a lot.

Tight-End (Standard depth chart)
If you prefer receivers go with Red Zone Targets. I prefer a tall blocker with decent catching stats. If that is not available at a low level school I will usually just stick with a swing tackle AKA an additional eligible lineman. The are few tight end sets but my main 3rd and short/redzone set has a tight end. Give me Matt Spaeth for 4 years and I probably set a receiving touchdown record.

Lineman (Standard depth chart)
Agile zone blockers. When looking for recruits I sort each position by squat and find the best 40 times. At a small school I look only at 3* and under. At a mid level I look 4* and under and at a power I look at 5. Size I can take or leave but I like them to be balanced blockers or run blockers.

Key Plays:

As mentioned I designed this playbook to be flexible. How I call plays is largely dependent on the talent I have available particularly at QB.

Ideally I will have a mobile QB but sometimes due to recruiting restrictions or starting a new job or even having a recruit interested who is just too good to pass up I end up with a pocket passer.

If my QB is mobile I will always call Read Option Wk out of Pistol Full House in a standard game situation (anytime besides short yardage/red zone, 2 minute drill, or 3rd/4th and 10+). This play isn't a read option but a triple option as the slot back trails the QB as a pitch man.

If my QB is immobile I will call a standard hand off out of Full house such as counter or zone. Really the only change with a slow QB is that I limit my option calls as much as possible. To try to avoid writing two totally different playbooks I am going to continue this post with just a mobile QB in mind. Please feel free to PM me if you need tips on adjusting to a pocket QB.

Back to the triple option call. My first read is to see not only the numbers in the box but how they line up. Since the CPU calls defensive plays based on the personnel you call I typically encounter the base defense (4-3/3-4 are by far the most common). If I audbile every time there is more than 6 in the box I would never call my base play. If they line up as a stack typically this play will run smoothly. If they have an extra defender spying me I will either flip the play (which since this is a 1 x 1 requires no movement from how I line up). If the option is not an option due to how they lineup still then I will audible.

I have set up my audibles very carefully so I can call most of my base plays at the line. Here is how the audibles are set up:

Triangle: Read option out of Pistol Spread
Square: HB Off tackle out of Full House
X: Triple Option Switch out of Full House
R1: Air Raid Under out of Pistol Trips 4WR
L1: Air Raid Under out of Pistol Trips Open

These audibles are designed to not only be able to call these key plays but access the position audibles.

I can access vertical plays, jailbreak screens, bubble screens, and a variety of play action options just from these formation/standard audibles.

These audibles are exactly how the playbook gets its name since its out of the pistol and how the players lineup is constantly "revolving"

Strategies:

My plan on offense is to attack the favorable match-ups. If thats the triple option than so be it but I can also beat any team a bunch of different ways. Since I am flexing my slotbacks into slot receivers I will typically call plays as follows (Note this is already after I have decided to abandon my original running play)

If i read cover two (man or zone) I will try to attack the whole in the middle of the field. This is often with the pistol spread PA Deep in. I can audible out of the play action if need be but the main key is that the slot with run a post route to the middle of the field usually getting open. If he doesn't I always make sure I have a check-down available or even take off running.

If I read cover three or four I try to throw something underneath such as a shallow cross (Which i can create by hot-routing a drag route. I also can run any of the screens against this formation although I usually run my screens when I read an obvious blitz.

If I read man to man I can create a mesh play by hot-routing two drag routes into each other. In man though it really comes down to match-ups and if I have a favorable one the receiver will likely get open.

Pistol strong is the only base formation I don't have an audible for since I use it short yardage and in the red zone. The tight end in this formation is key because I can use an extra lineman in this role or a pass catcher giving me run and pass match-ups favorably based on the talent available to me.

My last two formations are Shotgun Empty Wing Trio where I call the smash play as my 3rd and long or even audible to all vertical routes giving me a hail mary time play. This formation is perfect because I have a tight end that can act either as a check-down or an extra blocker.

Wildcat normal is mostly for a little trickeration as the Sweep QB screen can be clutch when it is unexpected.

Power I is only for inches. I typically formation sub in a bunch of big blockers as a jumbo package.

Additional Notes:

There is more detail to this offense and I would not be surprised if my phrasing confused some people but at this point this breakdown will have to do. If you have any questions or just want me to elaborate more I would be more than happy to do it just let me know.

Thank you for the read guys. I will post this link on the playbook sharing thread and I will also post a poll for who should start my career with.

Again to hesitate to PM me if you have any questions or noticed any mistakes.