View Full Version : Option?
stevew
05-19-2006, 10:43 AM
From NFL.com
(May 18, 2006) -- The Tennessee Titans are exploring their options. Or, more specifically, the option.
Since the NFL draft wrapped up, the Titans have begun studying various option formations, with the intent of making some a limited part of their playbook this season for their first-round pick, Vince Young.
Now, the Titans are planning on installing a "Vince Young Package," one that would include the option and force opposing defenses to have to prepare for more than just Tennesee's basic offensive attack.
Behind the scenes, Titans coaches already have begun sifting through some of the various option options, pondering which to include for Young.
It would not be a difficult offense for Young to learn. At Texas, Young ran the "option read," in which he would watch the defensive end, then decide whether to hand the football to his running back or carry it himself. It is how he transformed himself into college football's most dangerous quarterback.
More of those opportunities could come this season in a package that could be a nightmare for opposing defenses. This is part of the reason the Titans are so intrigued about it. But it also could produce key yards in specific situations for Tennessee, which is why the franchise began debating the merits of it. Young could become the ultimate red-zone weapon, in an area where many offenses struggle to score touchdowns.
No NFL team is thought to have used the option for about 20 years, since around the time Young was born. But this could be about to change. These are different times, and Young is a different quarterback.
The Titans would have preferred to keep the idea secret, and even closed their team minicamp to the media on Wednesday. But the option offense is expected to get its share of practice in Tennessee, particularly in training camp, when the team will determine if its offense can be as adept at it as Young had been at Texas.
What Titans coaches also will have to wrestle with is their desire to keep Young on the bench and season him. Using him to run the offense would expose him to NFL defenses sooner than the organization would like. But in certain situations, it could be highly effective.
The quarterback who many consider to be the total package now will have his own package. And it is expected to include the option.
rkmsuf
05-19-2006, 10:46 AM
they've lost it over there in ten
Klinglerware
05-19-2006, 10:51 AM
Chow running the option? Next thing you'll tell me, Cowher will be installing the run and shoot...
Ksyrup
05-19-2006, 10:51 AM
I don't know whether it will work or not, but this is about the only way drafting Young that high makes sense. He's going to flame out as a typical drop-back passer.
WSUCougar
05-19-2006, 10:51 AM
Running the option against an NFL defense is a quick way to get your QB killed.
Mustang
05-19-2006, 10:53 AM
The quarterback who many consider to be the total package now will have his own package. And it is expected to include the option.
What kind of options can you put on your package?
colt45
05-19-2006, 10:53 AM
I just appreciated the references to VY's package.
Honolulu_Blue
05-19-2006, 10:57 AM
Running the option against an NFL defense is a quick way to get your QB killed.
Especially with bad boys like this playing D!
http://members.shaw.ca/WinnipegDragon/ringsims.jpg
SelzShoes
05-19-2006, 11:11 AM
My memory might be a little fuzzy on this, but didn't the Eagles do something similar when Randal Cunningham was a first year player? I know it wasn't a "true" option, but I seem to remember Cunningham would come in on running situations and basically just do that.
But that could just be a "sample size" error on my part.
WSUCougar
05-19-2006, 11:41 AM
My memory might be a little fuzzy on this, but didn't the Eagles do something similar when Randal Cunningham was a first year player? I know it wasn't a "true" option, but I seem to remember Cunningham would come in on running situations and basically just do that.
Yup, I do remember that.
Coffee Warlord
05-19-2006, 11:47 AM
Damn, the Bears aren't playing Tenn this year.
Watching Urlacher race down an option running Young would be great fun.
VPI97
05-19-2006, 11:49 AM
I hate to break it to Tennessee, but in college, Vince wasn't the master of eluding defenders...from what I saw, he had a tendency to run through or bounce off guys. That ain't gonna happen in the pros...he's gonna get decapitated.
sachmo71
05-19-2006, 12:09 PM
I hate to break it to Tennessee, but in college, Vince wasn't the master of eluding defenders...from what I saw, he had a tendency to run through or bounce off guys. That ain't gonna happen in the pros...he's gonna get decapitated.
Broken tibia. probably compound fracture.
Franklinnoble
05-19-2006, 12:11 PM
I hate to break it to Tennessee, but in college, Vince wasn't the master of eluding defenders...from what I saw, he had a tendency to run through or bounce off guys. That ain't gonna happen in the pros...he's gonna get decapitated.
Agreed. This is a bad idea.
Raiders Army
05-19-2006, 12:12 PM
Maybe it's a ruse.
Butter
05-19-2006, 12:16 PM
I like how the article says that this package would become a nightmare for opposing defenses. It'll be a nightmare, alright.
Running the option against an NFL defense is a quick way to get your QB killed.
Agreed. I give it 1 play and they will be taking Young out on a stretcher. The they will be thinking of their next "option" at QB.
wade moore
05-19-2006, 12:31 PM
I hate to break it to Tennessee, but in college, Vince wasn't the master of eluding defenders...from what I saw, he had a tendency to run through or bounce off guys. That ain't gonna happen in the pros...he's gonna get decapitated.
This was my first thought as well. Was VY a running threat? Yes. Was he a threat to run away from guys? No. This is just a recipe for disaster.
BrianD
05-19-2006, 12:34 PM
People seem to forget that football players will rattle the QBs cage any chance they get. The first time they run the option, the DE or LB won't care about guessing which player they need to stop. They are just going to smack the QB while he is standing straight up locked in the pitching motion. Pro teams that think they are going to run the option usually change their mind after the first attempt.
M GO BLUE!!!
05-19-2006, 12:38 PM
I want to see Volek run the option first.
I wonder when they'll consider the WISHbone.
condors
05-19-2006, 01:01 PM
My memory might be a little fuzzy on this, but didn't the Eagles do something similar when Randal Cunningham was a first year player? I know it wasn't a "true" option, but I seem to remember Cunningham would come in on running situations and basically just do that.
But that could just be a "sample size" error on my part.
actually buddy ryan used to put randal in on 3rd and long so he could run for a first down if needed and sometimes he would punt on 3rd down
Huckleberry
05-19-2006, 01:05 PM
I hate to break it to Tennessee, but in college, Vince wasn't the master of eluding defenders...from what I saw, he had a tendency to run through or bounce off guys. That ain't gonna happen in the pros...he's gonna get decapitated.
He rarely ran through or bounced off guys. He was very elusive at the college level and he absolutely always ran out of bounds if it was available. I'd say he was actually tackled by a defender on around 50% of his running plays. Probably less.
That being said, he obviously won't be as elusive for NFL defenders. But the weirdest thing about this thread is the general take that the Titans are planning to run the option often. Do you guys seriously think they're planning on running more than 2-3 option plays in a given game, tops? The likeliest scenario by far is busting it out once per game if the situation arises.
stevew
05-19-2006, 01:07 PM
He rarely ran through or bounced off guys. He was very elusive at the college level and he absolutely always ran out of bounds if it was available. I'd say he was actually tackled by a defender on around 50% of his running plays. Probably less.
That being said, he obviously won't be as elusive for NFL defenders. But the weirdest thing about this thread is the general take that the Titans are planning to run the option often. Do you guys seriously think they're planning on running more than 2-3 option plays in a given game, tops? The likeliest scenario by far is busting it out once per game if the situation arises.
Agreed. A package of bootleg passes, and occasional options seems to be a way to get Vince to be a full weapon at the next level.
rkmsuf
05-19-2006, 01:07 PM
He rarely ran through or bounced off guys. He was very elusive at the college level and he absolutely always ran out of bounds if it was available. I'd say he was actually tackled by a defender on around 50% of his running plays. Probably less.
That being said, he obviously won't be as elusive for NFL defenders. But the weirdest thing about this thread is the general take that the Titans are planning to run the option often. Do you guys seriously think they're planning on running more than 2-3 option plays in a given game, tops? The likeliest scenario by far is busting it out once per game if the situation arises.
Dark Cloud is to Wie as Huckleberry is to Young.
MalcPow
05-19-2006, 01:08 PM
I think sprinkling some option stuff in makes sense for them. They need to do something to keep other teams on their toes, and force them to play a little more tentatively. Otherwise you're gonna have a rookie Qb back there who can't make the reads and a defense that is just attacking constantly. There's a pretty good chance he's getting killed no matter what they do.
Huckleberry
05-19-2006, 01:09 PM
Dark Cloud is to Wie as Huckleberry is to Young.
Interesting. Do you have anything to say regarding the content of the post?
Another thing is that I doubt the Titans are putting in traditional option plays that most people are probably thinking of, i.e., the option play to the outside with the HB as a pitch man. Young doesn't even run that type of option very well at all. The option that Texas used enables the QB to get rid of the ball immediately if he sees the DE coming to take his head off.
Ksyrup
05-19-2006, 01:10 PM
They're going to run 67 variations of the shotgun-QB option/draw play.
rkmsuf
05-19-2006, 01:11 PM
Interesting. Do you have anything to say regarding the content of the post?
.
no, i'm still waiting for you to reveal all your vince young secrets.
Huckleberry
05-19-2006, 01:12 PM
no, i'm still waiting for you to reveal all your vince young secrets.
I see. I have one and he hasn't signed a contract yet. So keep waiting.
rkmsuf
05-19-2006, 01:12 PM
They're going to run 67 variations of the shotgun-QB option/draw play.
that will be one huge wristband
When I think option I think of Ron Powlus.
that will be one huge wristbandFortunately for Vince, 33 of the formations can be flipped to the other side, so all he has to do is turn the wristband inside out.
stevew
05-19-2006, 01:15 PM
They're going to run 67 variations of the shotgun-QB option/draw play.
Load up on WR who can run a quick curl route.
sovereignstar
05-19-2006, 01:15 PM
Somewhere Eric Crouch is.... quitting
Somewhere Eric Crouch is.... quittingNah, he's trying to sign with Tennessee.
rkmsuf
05-19-2006, 01:16 PM
Fortunately for Vince, 33 of the formations can be flipped to the other side, so all he has to do is turn the wristband inside out.
What space for the wristband with instructions on turning the other wristband inside out?
stevew
05-19-2006, 01:18 PM
Somewhere Eric Crouch is.... quitting
Funny.
What space for the wristband with instructions on turning the other wristband inside out?The left tackle will tell him when he needs to do that.
MalcPow
05-19-2006, 01:19 PM
I see. I have one and he hasn't signed a contract yet. So keep waiting.
Everyone knows Vince Young was in an airport hangar in Cleveland when that Wonderlic was administered.
WSUCougar
05-19-2006, 01:21 PM
But regardless of what type of "option" running play you are referring to, if the QB is a ballcarrier the defense has a much more legitimate opportunity to nail him than if he is a passer (and thus protected by the rules). As a runner he becomes fair game.
He better work on his hook slide.
rkmsuf
05-19-2006, 01:21 PM
Everyone knows Vince Young was in an airport hangar in Cleveland when that Wonderlic was administered.
Vince Young in LT voice: "I was setup like a muthaf*cker."
But regardless of what type of "option" running play you are referring to, if the QB is a ballcarrier the defense has a much more legitimate opportunity to nail him than if he is a passer (and thus protected by the rules). As a runner he becomes fair game.
He better work on his hook slide.
Chow: Why did you hand the ball off? There wasn't anyone within 5 yards of you!
Young: Yeah, but you should have seen the look on the guy 5 yards away from me!
st.cronin
05-19-2006, 01:28 PM
Vince Young will probably have a better career than Akili Smith.
VPI97
05-19-2006, 01:36 PM
He rarely ran through or bounced off guys.
That's weird since every single scouting report on him prior to the draft talked about how he was able to break tackles and drag defenders in college. I guess none of those scouts actually watched film of Texas.
Huckleberry
05-19-2006, 01:42 PM
That's weird since every single scouting report on him prior to the draft talked about how he was able to break tackles and drag defenders in college. I guess none of those scouts actually watched film of Texas.
Being able to and consistently doing it are different matters altogether.
I guess I must not have watched all of every game he played at Texas. Oh wait, my mistake, I did just that.
I will say that he took on a lot more contact in his last game than he had previously. I have a feeling it was because of the stakes.
QuikSand
05-19-2006, 01:44 PM
I remember having some pretty good success with this offense in Tecmo Super Bowl, using Scott Mitchell (?!?!) and the Miami Dolphins. Don't knock it.
flere-imsaho
05-19-2006, 01:52 PM
Hey, the Titans have had a lot of success with the permanently-injured Steve McNair at QB. This is just part of their plan to "break Young in" as it were.
Everyone knows that the "running quarterbacks" who became good quarterbacks only did so once they'd had the stuffing knocked out of them a few times and learned to live behind the protection. Tennesse is just trying to speed this process up.
;)
Honolulu_Blue
05-19-2006, 01:53 PM
I remember having some pretty good success with this offense in Tecmo Super Bowl, using Scott Mitchell (?!?!) and the Miami Dolphins. Don't knock it.
I used a similar offense with Chiefs. It involved using "the motion" play and was near unstoppable. The Steve DeBerg to Christian Okoye "option" play was what allowed me to have an undefeated season, even beating those late season games were the computer "picks" your play almost every down.
QuikSand
05-19-2006, 02:34 PM
...those late season games were the computer "picks" your play almost every down.
Good times.
An undefeated season without resorting to any of the gadget plays... that was the holy grail right there. No DT-as-sack-machine... no option-run-play...no QB-rollout-for-eight-yards-every-time... just good old fashioned luck.
He rarely ran through or bounced off guys. He was very elusive at the college level and he absolutely always ran out of bounds if it was available. I'd say he was actually tackled by a defender on around 50% of his running plays. Probably less.
That being said, he obviously won't be as elusive for NFL defenders. But the weirdest thing about this thread is the general take that the Titans are planning to run the option often. Do you guys seriously think they're planning on running more than 2-3 option plays in a given game, tops? The likeliest scenario by far is busting it out once per game if the situation arises.
Even so, that one time just may be one time too many. As it was said before, when a DE or LB sees the number 3 pick in the draft pitching the ball they are gonna welcome him to the NFL in not the nicest of ways.
I used a similar offense with Chiefs. It involved using "the motion" play and was near unstoppable. The Steve DeBerg to Christian Okoye "option" play was what allowed me to have an undefeated season, even beating those late season games were the computer "picks" your play almost every down.
I liked to use the run and shoot with Grogan and the Patriots.
Run Grogan Run. I'd use the R&S QB Sneak 7 out of 10 plays, regardless of human or CPU opponent. The rare 10th play was a bomb to Dykes...please catch the lob!
TroyF
05-19-2006, 04:43 PM
I think this is a great idea for a lot of reasons. The Titans can get Young involved in the game even if he's sitting on the bench a good portion of the time. The option/roll out type plays are usually fairly safe, with very few reads to make.
Providing they aren't using this thing fifteen or twenty times a game, I think it could be a nice weapon. it'll give Vince a chance to get involved in some game action without the pressure he'll face when he starts his first game.
Daimyo
05-19-2006, 04:52 PM
Bringing in Young to run the option in the red zone and other special situations is a great idea right out of the Buddy Ryan playbook! How can it possibly fail?
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/2006/05/12/ramblings/too-deep-zone/3698/
Logan
05-19-2006, 11:29 PM
I think this is a great idea for a lot of reasons. The Titans can get Young involved in the game even if he's sitting on the bench a good portion of the time. The option/roll out type plays are usually fairly safe, with very few reads to make.
Providing they aren't using this thing fifteen or twenty times a game, I think it could be a nice weapon. it'll give Vince a chance to get involved in some game action without the pressure he'll face when he starts his first game.
So you're just going to bring him in to run the option or the short pass? You're going to end up with 7 lightning-quick, strong defenders camped out in a straight line about 5 yards behind the LOS just waiting to tee off.
But I do disagree with the popular belief that the reason the option doesn't work in the pros is because of the better speed of the defenders. Rather, in my opinion, it won't work in the pros because defenses are more disciplined. In college, defenders aren't disciplined enough to stay in their lanes, as they get the urge to just attack the ball, which makes them end up committing too soon, which frees up running lanes (for either the QB or the back). Bill Parcells' defense would never let that happen. And if they did, I guarantee it won't happen a second time.
Abe Sargent
05-20-2006, 12:23 AM
I am so happy to be a Jags fan. Not only did we dodge two bullets with the Texans waffing on Bush and the Titans miffing on Leinart, but now, the Titans are going to install the *giggle* option.
HAHAHA
-Anxiety
IMetTrentGreen
05-20-2006, 02:42 AM
first off, its pretty clear nobody here ever watched vince young play. or, more likely, don't know what they are watching on a football field. ive seen him play since high school and never seen him take a hard, square hit. never. when you can cut like he can, with the violence he can, and when you have the stregth he has, you don't hit him hard. if you try, he'll run right past you and break your weak arm tackle. anyone with a minimum understanding of football knows this. also, i dont think he ever even got hit hard in the pocket because his pocket awareness is so good, and nobody wanted to be the one that busted contain
second . . .
I hate to break it to Tennessee, but in college, Vince wasn't the master of eluding defenders...from what I saw, he had a tendency to run through or bounce off guys. That ain't gonna happen in the pros...he's gonna get decapitated.
welcome to wrongtown, population you. he bounced off a lot of guys, but juked others. and the reason he bounced off of so many people is because he kept them off balance with his moves, and could get side to side as well as anyone i've ever seen. hard to wrap that up. i still remember the time he clowned some poor kansas lb by juking back to his right, off his right foot. really think about that. if you want a good example, look at waht he did later in that game on the 4th and 18 run, where he juked a guy by going across the lb's body, from inside to outside, and still didn't even get touched. or his td run vs. colorado last year where he went aobut 3 yards laterally as fast as most people take on stride going forwards.
third, like i said in the other thread, tennessee might run the option, but they aren't going to rely on it. that would be stupid. you can't have the defense ready to hit the qb, even if its vince. however, if they aren't mentally prepared for it, or they aren't aligned right, it could be a huge advantage. it pretty much ruins any 7 man front, meaning more guys in the box meaning less option in coverage meaning easier to read defenses.
if i had to guess, they'll likely just do what spurrier did -- and i assume stoops learned from him, since he did it too -- short yardage speed or load option where the qb is mostly just a decoy for the de. a de facto blocker. and as huck said, there are a lot of ways to run an option, one being the zone read, which doesn't put the qb in much danger
Passacaglia
05-20-2006, 07:43 AM
So you're just going to bring him in to run the option or the short pass? You're going to end up with 7 lightning-quick, strong defenders camped out in a straight line about 5 yards behind the LOS just waiting to tee off.
But I do disagree with the popular belief that the reason the option doesn't work in the pros is because of the better speed of the defenders. Rather, in my opinion, it won't work in the pros because defenses are more disciplined. In college, defenders aren't disciplined enough to stay in their lanes, as they get the urge to just attack the ball, which makes them end up committing too soon, which frees up running lanes (for either the QB or the back). Bill Parcells' defense would never let that happen. And if they did, I guarantee it won't happen a second time.
Aren't the division rival Colts a notable exception to this? I remember hearing somewhere that the Colts defensive ends are instructed to bull rush the QB every play, and let the linebackers worry about the run.
TroyF
05-20-2006, 08:52 AM
So you're just going to bring him in to run the option or the short pass? You're going to end up with 7 lightning-quick, strong defenders camped out in a straight line about 5 yards behind the LOS just waiting to tee off.
I'm a little stunned by this Logan. A quick, safe read doesn't necessarily mean short pass. In fact, a lot of times it means the exact opposite. Long passes are usually pretty safe in the NFL. They can get picked off like any pass, but being that it's 40-50 yards downfield, it's just a punt.
That's not even talking about the easiness of the read though. When you run a roll out or a pass option play, you take away half the field for a QB to read. He only has to worry about a WR/TE and a few specific defenders.
It's the way Jake Plummer was protected by Shanahan this year. Difference is that Plummer didn't have the speed or athletic ability of Vince Young to make a lot happen if nothing was there, so he had some five yard gains or threw the ball away.
This isn't a horrible idea if used correctly.
TroyF
05-20-2006, 08:59 AM
Bringing in Young to run the option in the red zone and other special situations is a great idea right out of the Buddy Ryan playbook! How can it possibly fail?
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/2006/05/12/ramblings/too-deep-zone/3698/
I have 3 major issues with your comparison of the two situations:
1) I've seen it said nowhere that the Titans are going to throw Young out there every third and long.
2) The Titans coaching staff is superior to Buddy Ryan and the Eagles staff. They've developed a QB before who became an all star in the league. They aren't going to continue to do something that isn't working.
3) Young and Cunningham are two completely different players. Cunningham is a scrambler first a thrower second. Young can throw the football and he can do it with accuracy. Young isn't going to be looking to run every play, nor will he hold onto the football for a ridiculously long time. I think you are off base with this one.
Logan
05-20-2006, 09:07 AM
So you're just going to bring him in to run the option or the short pass? You're going to end up with 7 lightning-quick, strong defenders camped out in a straight line about 5 yards behind the LOS just waiting to tee off.
I'm a little stunned by this Logan. A quick, safe read doesn't necessarily mean short pass. In fact, a lot of times it means the exact opposite. Long passes are usually pretty safe in the NFL. They can get picked off like any pass, but being that it's 40-50 yards downfield, it's just a punt.
That's not even talking about the easiness of the read though. When you run a roll out or a pass option play, you take away half the field for a QB to read. He only has to worry about a WR/TE and a few specific defenders.
It's the way Jake Plummer was protected by Shanahan this year. Difference is that Plummer didn't have the speed or athletic ability of Vince Young to make a lot happen if nothing was there, so he had some five yard gains or threw the ball away.
This isn't a horrible idea if used correctly.
Well, first let me say that I misunderstood what you said--thinking you did say short passes. And what you're saying about Plummer is definitely right. It's also what Pittsburgh did with Big Ben when he came in to simplify everything. So if that's what you're looking for in Young's case...why not just do that? Run a simple, safe offense that allows him to think pass-first, then use his ability to improvise. Why even bring the option into it with all the downside it could have?
Buccaneer
05-20-2006, 11:42 AM
This would be my worse nightmare as an NFL fan. I really have nothing against athletical QBs but it does remind me of what I truly hate (and always have hated) most - the option play, whether out of the wishbone or T or something else. It goes back to my early years as a fan when I was kid in the late 60s and early 70s and seeing these white boys running the option for the schools in the midwest and some of the south. God I hated watching those teams and eagerly awaiting when the exciting teams like Plunkett's Stanford and others came on. This extended into NFL where I loved to see Namath's Jets, Brodie's Niners and others, as oppose to the third-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust boredom. When Bobby Douglas did his thing for the Bears in the mid-1970s, we all that it was stupid joke. And today, the one local D1 program still run that fucking play over and over with these small but quick white boys. That's where my hatred comes from, not that a QB can run (I love mobile, avoid-the-sack type QBs) but some of the plays remind me too much of those teams that had and still run the option over and over and over.
Now I will became a non-hater of the Falcons and turn my animosity towards the Titans. :)
This would be my worse nightmare as an NFL fan. I really have nothing against athletical QBs but it does remind me of what I truly hate (and always have hated) most - the option play, whether out of the wishbone or T or something else. It goes back to my early years as a fan when I was kid in the late 60s and early 70s and seeing these white boys running the option for the schools in the midwest and some of the south. God I hated watching those teams and eagerly awaiting when the exciting teams like Plunkett's Stanford and others came on. This extended into NFL where I loved to see Namath's Jets, Brodie's Niners and others, as oppose to the third-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust boredom. When Bobby Douglas did his thing for the Bears in the mid-1970s, we all that it was stupid joke. And today, the one local D1 program still run that fucking play over and over with these small but quick white boys. That's where my hatred comes from, not that a QB can run (I love mobile, avoid-the-sack type QBs) but some of the plays remind me too much of those teams that had and still run the option over and over and over.
Now I will became a non-hater of the Falcons and turn my animosity towards the Titans. :)
Namath was a no-talent jackass
Buccaneer
05-20-2006, 12:05 PM
Namath was a no-talent jackass
Except for a couple of seasons he did put up some awesome numbers and with the hype after his SB win, it was exciting for a 10-11 year old. You had to have been there.
Daimyo
05-20-2006, 01:35 PM
My comparison of the two situations is only that they're talking about using him mainly in special situations where they will be essentially bringing a cold, inexperienced QB into the game in situations that tend to be less successful anyway (red zone, third and long). IMO, that is a recipe for disaster where the best case is he gets hit a lot and the worst case is his confidence is ruined.
They should either play him fulltime and let him take his lumps or play him sparingly only in high success situations.
I have 3 major issues with your comparison of the two situations:
1) I've seen it said nowhere that the Titans are going to throw Young out there every third and long.
2) The Titans coaching staff is superior to Buddy Ryan and the Eagles staff. They've developed a QB before who became an all star in the league. They aren't going to continue to do something that isn't working.
3) Young and Cunningham are two completely different players. Cunningham is a scrambler first a thrower second. Young can throw the football and he can do it with accuracy. Young isn't going to be looking to run every play, nor will he hold onto the football for a ridiculously long time. I think you are off base with this one.
TroyF
05-20-2006, 03:08 PM
Well, first let me say that I misunderstood what you said--thinking you did say short passes. And what you're saying about Plummer is definitely right. It's also what Pittsburgh did with Big Ben when he came in to simplify everything. So if that's what you're looking for in Young's case...why not just do that? Run a simple, safe offense that allows him to think pass-first, then use his ability to improvise. Why even bring the option into it with all the downside it could have?
IMHO, I think that's exactly what they are talking about. Vince rarely ran the full fledged option at Texas.
I don't think the plan is going to be to have him run a straight option in the pros. I'd be stunned if that were the case. I think they are talking about pass/run options based on limited reads as opposed to run/run options. Maybe on the goal line they'll try a true option once in awhile, but I don't see them running straight option in the middle of the field.
Not that I couldn't be wrong on this.
My comparison of the two situations is only that they're talking about using him mainly in special situations where they will be essentially bringing a cold, inexperienced QB into the game in situations that tend to be less successful anyway (red zone, third and long). IMO, that is a recipe for disaster where the best case is he gets hit a lot and the worst case is his confidence is ruined.
I think people are reading far to much into this. I think Young is going to have a basic package of plays to run when he's in these situations. From a good coaching staff who prepares him well. This isn't going to be idiot Buddy throwing a green QB out on a third and long and saying "make something happen kiddo"
And my guess is the Titans put him in situations to be successful. I could be off base here, but after watching how they handled McNair, I find it hard to believe this coaching staff and this organization are going to set their QB up for failure. I think they'll put him in spots and plays that help him and the team. I'm certain he'll make a few mistakes in those situations, like all QB's do. But I'm also fairly certain after watching Vince Young play, that he'll make some incredible football plays as well.
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