P/A from Flexbone

KC...

Always interested in the flexbone..Where do you coach?

Coach,

New Jersey...first year at a new job...just breaking them in to option football. We're keeping it pretty simple for our kids. They're catching on pretty quick. They're putting up points and having a ball.

Any input you have on my P/A dilemma can help.

kc

Navy's big pass off the triple is the post by #1 and the wheel by #2. The post attacks the middle of the field. Where in New Jersey do you coach? I coached at Hopatcong in Sussex County for three years. Let me know.

Oh, and who coached Brad Bernard again? Let me know... his name came up the other day when Delaware State's OL coach was at our practice.

kc361,

In that case would recommend a 7 route (corner route by the #1) and a 12 yd square in or dig or stop route by the #2. I like the pop pass to the TE as a P/A pass too off of ISV, but we hit it long before he attains the depth you are looking to attain. We fake the dive to the FB, rise up and hit the TE right now going down the hash! If he is behind the Sam he gets the ball inside and high. If the Sam is with him stride for stride we just hit the TE anyways who has turned HIS SHOULDERS OUT, not his body.

Another route that I like is having your TE run a speed out at a point upfield 2 yds while the WR runs a curl at 7 yds behind the LBs. Easiest read in the playbook in as much s it is a single read on the SS/SAM
by the QB. IF HE DOES ANYTHING BUT JUMP THE TE IMMEDIATELY, GET THE TE THE BALL RIGHT NOW!!!
If he jumps the TE, he knows the curl will be open at 7 yds depth, just behind the LB's. Of course, the PA is the original fake to the dive back. We take this one step further in the play progression by having the WR run a 7 yd hitch and stay outside, and we hook the dive back up in a stop route at 8-9 yds, just in front of the FS. Back side WR (X) runs a boundary release go. We tell the dive back if the FS bites on the fake don't stop and just run right by him. But, what happens most often coach, is once the FS sees that the dive back does not have the ball, he forgets about him! AS the QB comes down to him in the read progression, he will find him wide open a great deal of the time!!!

Coach Easton-TIGER ONE

You should probably just turn on ESPN. Navy just burned Pitt for a 50 yard play action pass on their first play from scrimmage!

Jerry, Delaware's State's OL coach said that Coach Bernard is a great OC and the BC offense caused Delaware State fits. My mike linebacker from last year is playing at Delaware State now and the Delaware State coach came to offer some of our players. Of course I got him going with the triple option, even though he was the OL Coach!

Coaches,

Thanks so much for the input. We always have pop, post, backside post and wheel in the game plan. I guess we have the right idea.

Coach Easton, I like the curl/flat idea...should be simple enough. We will definitely look at it very soon. In terms of the QBs footwork, does he still take a 3-step drop out of the fake? Thanks again for your help.

Coach Cella, I coach at Brick Memorial HS in Ocean County (down the shore). Hopatcong is off to a rough start (1-4), but they seem to be improving (losing by less over the first 4 weeks until their first win this weekend, 7-6 over Wallkill Valley).

kc

Hey Deac,

Sorry to hear that, but I fully expected it with a guy with your experience trying to work with a less knowledgeable individual. Will look forward to chatting after the season is complete.

Jerry

Jay, I have been there before... too often. We'll talk about it when it's all over.

KC
We also run curl / flat as well as smash and 4 verts from both trips and doubles. We are a flexbone team, but we use 2 TEs or no TEs in every formation this year.
Especially when we are in trips, we have #2 run down his hash and #3 work behind the LBs to the opposite hash. QB reads the FS and throws accordingly (either hash). Unless I am not understanding you, this is the type of thing you are looking for?

CUI,

We like the curl/flat idea.

We have tried the smash concept before, but we always had trouble getting the slot vertical enough to make the flag cut. We have tried inverting it (like Spurrier does) with the WR running inside, then vertical, then the flag cut, while the slot runs to the flat (arrow route). If you can give us some guidance on that route, we would appreciate it.

Verticals is always one of our favorite ways to attack coverage off of P/A, but we only use 3 verts (since we need one slotback for the P/A).

Thanks, again for your help.

kc