Suggestions on how to use a player?

[jakedasnaked]

I have a beast quarterback, but I feel like I could be utilizing him better. 6ft 231 lbs 90 speed, 81 strength, 86 agility, 89 acceleration, 86 throw power, 98 throw accuracy, and 90 trucking. Other run stats are good, but trucking is the best. I have speed at every position around him, out of my top 4 receivers the slowest is 96 speed. I think spread is the best for him, but what concepts, schemes, plays, and strategies should I use to maximize his ability.

[return.specialist]

Quote: Originally Posted by jakedasnaked

I have a beast quarterback, but I feel like I could be utilizing him better. 6ft 231 lbs 90 speed, 81 strength, 86 agility, 89 acceleration, 86 throw power, 98 throw accuracy, and 90 trucking. Other run stats are good, but trucking is the best. I have speed at every position around him, out of my top 4 receivers the slowest is 96 speed. I think spread is the best for him, but what concepts, schemes, plays, and strategies should I use to maximize his ability.

Personally, I would concentrate on spreading the field to keep the defense on edge by utilizing a combination of options and/or HB/motion slot runs to maximize the opportunities to have your QB running. That is, options can keep the ball in his hands, and by spreading the D, the opportunity to and potential success of scrambling on passing plays is increased.

• spread w/ singleback: play action + option runs -> opportunity to scramble on passing plays
• 5WR: motion options -> opportunity to scramble

Just my take is all.

[jello1717]

This dude is perfect for a spread option attack. He'll be a monster running the ball and has great accuracy for lots of short passing routes.

Take advantage of his speed with some read options.
Take advantage of his speed/trucking with inverted veers and midline read options (these have the QB going between the tackles instead of around the end.
His trucking would also be great on QB keepers like QB blast, QB power, and QB wrap.

[jbrew2411]

Quote: Originally Posted by jakedasnaked

I have a beast quarterback, but I feel like I could be utilizing him better. 6ft 231 lbs 90 speed, 81 strength, 86 agility, 89 acceleration, 86 throw power, 98 throw accuracy, and 90 trucking. Other run stats are good, but trucking is the best. I have speed at every position around him, out of my top 4 receivers the slowest is 96 speed. I think spread is the best for him, but what concepts, schemes, plays, and strategies should I use to maximize his ability.

The throwing power will be an issue if you try to throw deep a lot. I would run a lot of read dive plays, slot option to get the ball to those fast receivers, and a lot of crossing routes to get fast guys in open space. Your guy has really good accuracy so key on that trait when passing. I know 86 seems like a higher throwing power but in the game I have found anything in the mid 80s for THP is average. Any play that has guys running "9" routes I would hot route out of that to something more shorter.

I had a guy that was a lot like your guy. I ran a "One Back-Gun" offense with him. My guy was not as fast but could break runs if things set up. The key was getting him to only throw passes he could make. Throwing deep was an issue, had a 90THP by senior year, so I looked to keep everything 15 yards and in.

[silver281gt]

4 Wr's with 96+ speed, man i wish I had that luxury.

Everyone above mentioned what I would say, so it seems you are in good hands.

[jakedasnaked]

Quote: Originally Posted by jello1717

This dude is perfect for a spread option attack. He'll be a monster running the ball and has great accuracy for lots of short passing routes. Take advantage of his speed with some read options. Take advantage of his speed/trucking with inverted veers and midline read options (these have the QB going between the tackles instead of around the end. His trucking would also be great on QB keepers like QB blast, QB power, and QB wrap.

I have a problem with the veers. Even if I read it right the DE can play the QB and the RB if he crashes in

[jello1717]

Quote: Originally Posted by jakedasnaked

I have a problem with the veers. Even if I read it right the DE can play the QB and the RB if he crashes in

I found where I posted before about the inverted veer so I could quote w/o having to write it over again and see that it was you that I replied to before.

Quote: Originally Posted by jello1717

Quote: Originally Posted by jakedasnaked I need to master the veer. I do ok with it, but it is not nearly as effective as the read option. I can make the right read with the veer and still get stopped in the backfield for a loss. I know this happens with the read option and zone read, but not nearly as often as I have found with the veer. I absolutely LOVE the inverted veer and midline read options. The veer can be mastered, but the most important thing is the read the defense presnap. There are certain alignments where the read guy can stay at home on the QB (forcing a give to the HB) and still be able to turn and tackle the HB. With practice you can recognize when this will happen presnap and audible out of the play accordingly. I've never seen a situation where the read guy crashed on the HB and then tackled the QB after I kept it. It's only the give where he can sometimes take both players out of the play. After you've learned to read this presnap, then the inverted veer is just as successful as read options plays. It can even be better depending on your personnel. If you've got a speed back and a power running QB, then the inverted veer is better than a read option as it has the QB pounding the middle while the HB is getting outside.

I see that I missed another post where someone asked me for specifics on the veer:

Quote: Originally Posted by PDuncanOSU

I'd be interested in hearing any more specifics you can give on what formations you like to run the Inverted Veer out of and what defensive alignments give it problems. What I've found happens a lot is my play-side tackle and guard will double-team the 3-technique DT and won't come off the double in time to block the back-side LB. The unblocked play-side DE normally takes the RB and the back-side LB ends up tackling my QB for little or no gain.

I wouldn't expect the inverted veer to be much different depending on formations, but here are the formations in my CPB from which I run the inverted veer (all shotgun formations obviously):
(11)normal
(11)wing trips wk
(12)twin te slot wk
(20)f twins over (jet inverted veer w/ a WR instead of HB)
(20)split slot

As for the presnap read, if the read guy is lineup up fully outside your tackle, then he can crash on the QB and still tackle the HB when you give him the ball. Sadly, this doesn't matter whether you're reading the strong side or weak side as the TE won't make a difference (since the of course the read guy is left unblocked). It's all about his placement relative to the tackle. If he's fully outside like this:


Then the angle at which he gets to the mesh allows him to take out the QB and then tackle the HB after you give. (FWIW, this is SG-normal v. nickle normal)

However, if he's only halfway outside the tackle like this:


then the read guy will only take out 1 guy. If he crashes on the QB, he'll finish tackling the QB after the give and the HB is free to run (although a backer will frequently squirt through the hole left by the pulling guard and run the HB down from behind unless you get to the corner quickly. (FWIW this is SG normal v. nickle 3-3-5)

This isn't just a 3 man front v. 4 man front thing either. I played around in practice a little while writing this and I ran my 12 set against the 4-3 Under w/ the LOLB on the line and in this formation the DL is shifted slightly right which makes the LE read guy slightly inside the RT like this:


and the DE can't take out both the QB and the HB. (FWIW this is SF twin TE slot Wk v. 4-3 Under)
However, running the veer against this same exact defense, but with the D flipped (or the O flipped) so that the OLB on the line is on the weak side, then the read DE is fully outside the tackle and he'll take out both QB and HB.

This has been my experience regardless of what formations from which I run the inverted veer. It's a pretty simple presnap read to let you know if you will be able to run the play at its full effectiveness or if you only have 1 possible read w/ the other read being a TFL anytime you need to give to the HB.

Now, as for PDuncanOhio's other point about the QB keep, I haven't experienced that much. I will get the occasional tackles for no gain when the QB keeps it, but this is usually only when I'm facing a big blitz up the middle. W/ my sliders I get just as many no gains or even TFLs when my QB keeps on read options. Most times my QB has just as much room to run up the gut as he would on a midline read option (where I'm reading a DT instead of a DE/OLB).

I ran some inverted veers and specifically watched to see what happens w/ the backside LB (I've never noticed before since I haven't had a problem w/ him). In the few plays I tried, the playside T (the one letting the DE go) usually blocks him or the backside T blocks him. If I'm tackled for a short gain it's actually usually the playside OLB that gets me, but the pulling backside G usually gets to him too.

As for the general effectiveness of the basic types of mesh options (read option, midline read option, inverted veer) here's how I'd rank them from my (TONS of) experience. These are obviously skewed by my sliders.

Give to HB:
1. Read option
2. Midline read option
3. Inverted Veer (It's tough to get around the corner, but w/a speed back, I've gotten some of my biggest gains by a HB on the inverted veer if he can get the corner. It has the lowest chance of success, but the biggest chance for a HUGE gain)

QB keeps:
1. Read option w/ a lead TE blocking
2. Midline read option
3. Inverted Veer
4. Read option w/o a lead blocker

[conception]

A great way to use a player is to prevent him from receiving any type of income for the millions of dollars he will bring your program in ticket sales and merchandising throughout the course of his career. Call him a "student athlete".