The Future is Here: The NFL and the Pistol Offense

[MTK]

Originally Posted by NC_Skins

Very good read, but I disagree with his assessment that the pistol or read option will be the future of the NFL. This one portion of article sums up why it will never be a mainstay as a offense.





It's not that defenses will catch up to this, but the fact the read option opens up your QB to be hit on every play. If teams can get a free shot in on your franchise QB, they will and I don't blame them.

I do however think this will be used from time to time during games as a change of pace, or to catch a defense off guard.

Yeah but the article also points out that pocket passers aren't immune to injuries or big hits. That's football.

[NC_Skins]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

Yeah but the article also points out that pocket passers aren't immune to injuries or big hits. That's football.

Nobody is saying that pocket passers are immune to injuries.

Of course they aren't immune to injuries, but they are also untouchable (for the most part) once they release that ball. Not in the read option. The QB is still fair game because he's a runner. We saw this in the Bengals game. They lit him up at every chance, and quite frankly they should have.

It's one thing to incur injuries in the normal flow of the game, it's another to put your most important person in a position to get hurt even more. Much like that ill advised pass to RGIII? Same thing with option plays. Sure he can get hurt in the pocket, but it's much smarter not to even subject him to those unnecessary hits when you don't have to.