Here's a great in-depth article on spread offenses and how they've transformed football and exploded offensive output, with a link and an excerpt:
insidetexas.com
Art Briles understood the basic geometry of the spread offense and ruthlessly and efficiently designed his offense to attack the four areas and do little else. Amongst his tenets was making the deep field the no. 1 stress.
If there was a receiver the defense couldn’t cover 1-on-1 on a deep route, Briles was going to do his damndest to get the receiver in a 1-on-1 matchup running deep and throw it to them until the defense adjusted. If the defense dedicated enough defenders to prevent 1-on-1 opportunities down the field, the offense would move on to stress point #2, the perimeter.
Unless there are defenders positioned with leverage to play the ball and make timely tackles, spread offenses have always made hay with quick screens and quick passes to the hash marks and beyond to their skill talents. With enough practice, these could be like ultra-efficient running plays for the offense.
Stress point #3 is the one defenses often worry about most, the off-tackle run into the open alley. If you position someone in the alley can they still be present on the perimeter? Does that subtract from your ability to hold up in the deep field? RPOs and play-action have really made this tough on defenses. The spread spacing expands the alley and then the pass options down the field can force safeties to wait on the hash marks before trying to run the alley and make a tackle. The precious instants the quarterback can cause the defensive back to waste waiting can free up a running back.
Finally stress point #4 is the “neanderball” dimension of the football. If the defense vacates the box in order to have numbers on the perimeter, the alley, and the deep field then just go right at em. Run over the few players remaining in the box with downhill runs behind double teams.
Inside Texas Home | On3.com
Art Briles understood the basic geometry of the spread offense and ruthlessly and efficiently designed his offense to attack the four areas and do little else. Amongst his tenets was making the deep field the no. 1 stress.
If there was a receiver the defense couldn’t cover 1-on-1 on a deep route, Briles was going to do his damndest to get the receiver in a 1-on-1 matchup running deep and throw it to them until the defense adjusted. If the defense dedicated enough defenders to prevent 1-on-1 opportunities down the field, the offense would move on to stress point #2, the perimeter.
Unless there are defenders positioned with leverage to play the ball and make timely tackles, spread offenses have always made hay with quick screens and quick passes to the hash marks and beyond to their skill talents. With enough practice, these could be like ultra-efficient running plays for the offense.
Stress point #3 is the one defenses often worry about most, the off-tackle run into the open alley. If you position someone in the alley can they still be present on the perimeter? Does that subtract from your ability to hold up in the deep field? RPOs and play-action have really made this tough on defenses. The spread spacing expands the alley and then the pass options down the field can force safeties to wait on the hash marks before trying to run the alley and make a tackle. The precious instants the quarterback can cause the defensive back to waste waiting can free up a running back.
Finally stress point #4 is the “neanderball” dimension of the football. If the defense vacates the box in order to have numbers on the perimeter, the alley, and the deep field then just go right at em. Run over the few players remaining in the box with downhill runs behind double teams.
