Wild Cat Spread Offense Video - Miami Dolphins 2008

Below is a video courtesy of ESPN Gameday discussing the wildcat spread offense the Miami Dolphins used this past NFL season. I'm excited to see how this evolves in the NFL this upcoming 2009 season, with the upcoming draft approaching, what teams will make offensive decisions based on the 'wildcat' factor? Patrick White, Percy Harvin, and Jeremy Maclin have all been discussed as wildcat influenced picks.

Gus Malzahn, now at Auburn University is featured in this video as the master-mind behind the wild-cat/wild-hog offense. We had also posted an article on SpreadOffense.com about another group who had influences on this now popular formation.

Enjoy the video...and keep spreading u'm.





--Mark

The Spread Offense - Not Just Between The 20 Yard Lines

One thing I love about the philosophy of the Florida Gators is they're going to run the shot-gun option from anywhere on the football field, and this video below shows just that.

Whether they're on their own 1 yard line or the opponents 1 yard line, they're going to line up in the gun and run the football. Notice the physical nature of the offense, with the down blocks, kick-out, and gut blocks (counters).

I love it, physical spread option offensive football!

Tulsa Spread Offense Video Clips

The University of Tulsa has one of the best shot-gun spread offense option philosophies in college football. One of our most popular posts is still our Q&A session with Herb Hand from Tulsa.

Here's some great video clips of The Golden Hurricane offense in action:



--Mark
Spread Offense

Florida Gators Spread Offense Run Game Clips

I thought you guys would enjoy this... The University of Florida spread offense run clips from the national championship game vs. Oklahoma this past January.





You got to love that inside shovel pass to the TE!

Keep spreading e'm!

--Mark
Spread Offense

It's harder to evaluate spread offense players... PLEASE!

I love football... I've been watching, playing it, coached it, and now have taken it to the internet with this blog and website (www.spreadoffense.com).

That being said, I read a lot about all levels of football... from Pop Warner all the way up to the NFL, and one thing that's really aggravating me is this term being thrown around prior to this year's NFL draft: "It's harder to evaluate players that are from spread offense systems".

Do you really think an NFL team would pass up an elite football player who happened to come from a college 'spread offense' system??

You hear this term a lot with the quarterback's, O-linemen, and running backs more than any other position.

"The O-line in college are never in a 3 point stance in the spread offense so they'll have a very hard time adjusting to a pro style offense"... well, give them a mini-camp and guess what, they'll go right back to being in the 3 point stance!!

I remember hearing last year that Steve Slaton coming out of West Virginia would have a hard time adjusting to a pro-set I formation coming out of the spread offense. All those lateral movements in the shot-gun zone read and triple option would make for a hard transition to the 'down hill' I formation... HAHA!! 1,282 rushing yards later with a 4.8 per rush average his rookie year with the Houston Texans... tough transition to the I formation Steve... you really had a hard time figuring it out in the NFL.

Come on analysts.... give the spread offense a break, because in a few years you may be saying... "This XYZ player out of X University will have a difficult time transitioning from a pro-style, two tight end college career to the NFL shot-gun spread offense".

--Mark

Spread Offense

Bootleg Pass Series Out Of The Spread Offense

My offensive philosophy is that we utilize our pass and screen game to set up the run. This has worked well for us and we always outnumber the defense in the box. Once we start running the football effectively, obviously our play-action is much more effective. One of my favorite play-action looks in the spread offense is the bootleg. The concept of the play is simple and you can run multiple variations of the play without changing the core concepts.

To read this entire article with play diagrams, go to:

http://www.spreadoffense.com/ssp/bootleg_pass_spread_offense

--Mark

Spread Offense

Pat White Open To Playing Other Positions

Pat White announced at the NFL combine that he's open to other offensive and special teams positions at the next level other than quarterback. White, who broke the NCAA QB rushing record out of a predominate spread offense at West Virginia University posted an unofficial 4.50 40 yard dash at the NFL combine. With the wildcat formation being introduced in the NFL this past season, White's style of play is being called the next progression of the shot-gun spread offense in the NFL.

West Virginia’s White open to playing other positions

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Pass Protection Techniques In The Spread Offense

One of the best attributes of the spread offense is that its formations limit the amount of defensive fronts by forcing them to walk out linebackers to cover receivers. This simplifies pass blocking, because there are only so many things the defense can do without leaving players unaccounted for. It also allows other aspects of the passing game to "assist" the linemen, such as a quick passing attack and easier "hot" reads.

To read the entire article with diagrams, go to:

http://www.spreadoffense.com/ssp/spread_pass_protections

--Mark

Spread Offense

Jon Gruden Intrigued By The Spread Offense

Jon Gruden, the former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers recently mentioned in an interview that he's very intrigued by the spread offense run in college and high school, and also had some encouraging words for Tim Tebow and his future in the NFL.

"He's like Brandon Jacobs playing quarterback," Gruden said. "Tim Tebow is 250 pounds, and he's the strongest human being that's ever played the position. He can throw well enough at any level."

Gruden went on to say that Tebow could 'revolutionize' the quarterback position in the NFL running a spread offense, once his chance arrives in 2010.

Gruden said he plans on returning to coaching and didn't rule out a job at the college level. He is also interested in working as a TV analyst next season and would like to attend some college camps to expand his knowledge, especially in the shot-gun, dual-threat QB spread offense.

Super Bowl Preview - The Spread Offense Will Be On Display

The big game is one week away in the NFL, The Pittsburgh Steelers vs. The Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl forty three.

One thing we know for sure is that on the offensive side of the ball, both teams will be 3, 4 or 5 wide, with a lot of shot-gun sets. You'll see the classic spread offense passing game with Kurt Warner and Ben Roethlisberger both looking to exploit the other's defense by spreading the field sideline to sideline in the passing game.

I found it interesting when a TV commentator doing the NFC championship game said on numerous occasions: "How is it possible that Larry Fitzgerald is SO wide open out there" - well, I'll tell you how.

It's the spread formations and offensive sets that the Arizona Cardinals execute on offense. They do a masterful job getting Fitzgerald spread across the field in numerous positions. When you add in Anquan Boldin as a major threat on the other side of the field, the defense can only do so much.

Now imagine this... take the arm of a Kurt Warner, throw in the legs of a Terrelle Pryor and blend it into one QB... How would the Steeler's (or any team) defend that!

--Mark
Spread Offense

NFL Teams Listen Up... Draft Tim Tebow and Pat White

The days following the national championship have opened up a lot of discussions on this years upcoming NFL draft. The big networks have their experts making predictions on who will be drafted, who will leave college early, etc...

Tim Tebows name has come up numerous times, and all I have heard is "He'll be a situational player", "He'll be an H-Back or Tight End", "He's not a NFL quarterback, a third round pick at best...." and so on.

Bottom line in football.... who are the winners who come together as a 'team' and how will they help you win games.

Tim Tebow in this instance is a first round draft pick in my opinion, an easy top 5 overall pick.

If I was starting the "Hawaii Sharks" in 2009-2010 and had the first pick this year... it would be Tim Tebow.

Another guy I would draft.... Pat White from West Virginia. Again... a winner!!! 4-0 in bowl games (2 BCS games) meaning he's a big game player that raises peoples talents around him.

Offenses in the NFL are moving to hybrid styles, I'm not claiming the spread offense seen in college will be dominating the NFL anytime soon, but a variation or complemental (is that a word?) portion of it will continue to grow.

Wait till you see how many NFL offensive and defensive NFL coaches (especially the ones who've been in the league for over 5 years) flock to college campuses to talk spread offense shop.

I found the Miami Dolphins so interesting this year... not just for the 'Wild Cat' and Ronnie Brown, but also take a look at their coaching staff.

We know David Lee from Arkansas, but what about George DeLeone and Paul Pasqualoni (together at Syracuse during all those years they played Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia).

They've been in the spread offense and defending it for almost 10 years.... I'm sure the offensive staff would keep the door open for Coach Pasqualoni to give some feedback, even though he was the DC.

George DeLeone, I've been at many high school clinic's he has spoke at and he's a spread u'm out junkie... learning a lot from trying to defend Coach Rod at WVU in the Big East.

Back to my point... this will ALL keep evolving in the NFL, college coaches with spread in their blood being hired as Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano have. It's a natural process.

Back to my point point: Tim Tebow and Pat White.

Winners, winners, winners, period. And GM's and Coaches in the NFL get fired if they lose, that's a fact no one can deny.

--Mark
The Spread Offense

Disclaimer: We're not sure Tebow is going pro this year (he's only a junior and has one more year of college eligibility), but Pat White is a senior and will enter the NFL draft.

Triple Option Shot-Gun Spread Offense - Works In The NFL Too!

OK, now it's getting serious down in Miami with the spread offense. If you saw the game or highlights of their last game vs. Seattle, Ricky Williams went untouched from 51 yards away out of the triple option set. It looked like a Steve Slaton run from his old West Virginia days when him and Pat White would drive defenses nuts.

How often do you see an NFL running back go 'untouched' for 50+ yards (well, see the video below)?? NFL defensive coordinators, look out!! I think 2011 has arrived a little early.


--Mark
http://www.spreadoffense.com/

The Spread Offense Gets A Shot In The Arm From... The NFL's Miami Dolphins??

The spread offense in college has been sort of taking it on the chin the last few weeks, with the likes of Auburn and West Virginia having a difficult time getting their offenses in gear so far (Thank God for Missouri...what an offense that is!) this year.

Then out of the clear blue, this past Sunday saw the emergence of the 'South Florida Spread' (no, not Matt Grothe and the USF Bulls in Tampa), the Miami Dolphins!

That's right, the Dolphins of the AFC East took the New England Patriots behind the wood shed with some solid defensive play and a taste of the Arkansas 'Wild Cat and Wild Hog' Offense made so famous by Darren McFadden and Felix Jones.

In this case, it was Ronnie Brown who was in the shot-gun orchestrating the famous spread offense formation, surely under the tutelage of Miami's quarterback coach David Lee, from you guessed it... The University of Arkansas.

See Coach Lee explaining his offense - Click Here

On Sunday, Brown gained 113 yards on 17 carries and the Dolphins out gained the Patriots 461 yards to 216.

Ronnie Brown, typically used as a tailback, received six direct snaps resulting in four touchdowns (three runs, one pass).

This will be interesting to see how it develops as the year goes on, will you see this package every week by Miami? Will other pro teams consider trying this or a similar spread offense/single wing package with a great athlete?

Time will tell... remember our prediction on the college spread offense making its way into the NFL - click here - Maybe it'll happen sooner!

Keep spreading u'm!

--Mark
www.SpreadOffense.com

The College Spread Offense In The NFL By 2011

Now that the off season is here, I thought it would be a good time to look into my crystal ball and tell you what I see for the future of the spread offense. I think most would agree that the high school and college game has reached the momentum phase in regards to the implementation of this offense. A strong commitment is being seen at all three levels of college to recruit high school athletes to fit this system.

What about the NFL? How is this momentum phase in major college football going to effect National Football League teams in the future and how they'll draft offensive players out of college?

If you're reading this article, you likely already know the main difference between 'the spread offense' we're talking about today and 'the spread offense' of years past is the ability of the quarterback to run as effectively as a running back with the ball, and still be able to throw the ball with accuracy and effectiveness when needed.

If you think of the spread offense's run by the likes of Warren Moon with the Houston Oilers in the late 80's and early 90's, it was based off a quarterback who threw the football with great accuracy and frequency, and only ran with the ball when flushed out of the pocket.

The spread offense you see in college and high school today actually has designed plays for the QB to run, sometimes up to 5 or more designed runs or 'options' to run in the playbook based on how the defense reacts.

Spread offense's of the past had maybe one designed QB run, a QB draw that was only run near the goal-line.

One of the arguments I always hear is "The current spread offense could never be run in the NFL, the QB's would get killed because the defenses are so good." My rebuttal to that is:

If the defenses are so much better, then aren't the offensive linemen, running-backs, and receivers blocking for the running QB's that much better too? They came from the same talent pool of elite college players as the defensive player's, right?

In addition, wouldn't you agree that a Vince Young type of dual threat NFL QB is much less likely to get creamed by a defense when he runs with the ball then say a Warren Moon of that era? Vince Young is a runner who can throw the ball well enough to win, Warren Moon was a great passer who couldn't be expected to run the ball 10-12 times a game on designed QB runs because he just wasn't that type of athlete.

My impression was always that a quarterback was much more defense-less in the pocket getting sacked then running in the open field on a designed run.

So my point is this, with the likes of dual-threat college quarterbacks Dennis Dixon, Patrick White, Tim Tebow (2007 heisman trophy winner, a dual threat QB), Armanti Edwards, Terrelle Pryor (the most highly recruited high school senior this year), and others making such a splash throughout the college game, and high schools throughout the nation implementing run oriented spread offenses, isn't it just a matter of time before it makes its way into the pro game?

A lot will argue that the spread offense you see in college and high school today is nothing more than a dressed up version of the old Oklahoma Sooner wishbone offense of the 70's and 80's.

This offense never made it into the pros as many predicted, but I personally see a lot differences.

First off, the wishbone offense didn't spread the entire width of the field with big, strong, fast, and athletic wide receivers like the current spread offense, and secondly, the modern day spread is run predominately out of the shot-gun, which allows these talented dual threat QB's more options in the passing game that the wishbone formation did not.

Finally, back to my prediction for the future of the spread offense in the NFL.

By the year 2011, an NFL franchise will make a commitment to the current spread offense we see today in college and high school game by first hiring one of the many college coaches who have evolved this offense.

Names I think of are Rich Rodriguez at Michigan, Urban Meyer at Florida, Ron Zook at Illinois, or Chip Kelly at Oregon.

What these coaches will do is have three (3) dual threat quarterbacks on the 53 man active roster every week. These QB's may even rotate into the game and all three may see some sort of action every week, as these offenses work best in a no huddle system.

What NFL owners would be bold enough to try this first? Maybe a Daniel Snyder of the Washington Redskins, a Jerry Jones in Dallas, or an Al Davis in Oakland.

Imagine an NFL team having quarterbacks Vince Young, Patrick White, and Terrelle Pryor on the same roster in 3 years, sign me up... I'll pay extra for that!

I don't know about you, but I look forward to this day. I personally enjoy watching football much more on Saturday's as opposed to Sunday's, but that will all change as the stars of Saturday create a 'disruptive innovation' at the NFL level by 2011.


-- Mark Colyer - http://www.spreadoffense.com/