The Future is Here: The NFL and the Pistol Offense

[SmootSmack]

The future is already here: How the Pistol Offense is changing the NFL - SBNation.com

[MTK]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

The future is already here: How the Pistol Offense is changing the NFL - SBNation.com

Good read, love the images changing as you scroll down

[Lotus]

Excellent read SS. Thanks for that.

[mooby]

It's obvious from reading that article the Shanahans are nothing but thieves, stealing college coaches' concepts like that. If only we didn't have Griffin so he would stop making them look so good, so they could be fired. Then we can bring in Andy Reid and his innovative "don't run the ball" offense.

Seriously, great read SS. Thanks for sharing.

[rbanerjee23]

Wonderful read -- good to understand why the Redskins are utilizing RG3 so well. Just hope he can avoid those injuries.

[firstdown]

Yes the pistol Offense look very nice.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by mooby

It's obvious from reading that article the Shanahans are nothing but thieves, stealing college coaches' concepts like that. If only we didn't have Griffin so he would stop making them look so good, so they could be fired. Then we can bring in Andy Reid and his innovative "don't run the ball" offense.

Seriously, great read SS. Thanks for sharing.

You let the Shanahans off too easily. Not only are they thieves, but they are holding Griff back despite their thievery.

[The Goat]

I think it's way too early to tell whether the pistol will endure at the pro level or fizzle out like the wildcat. If memory serves the wildcat produced something like 10 yards per play at first, anybody know what the pistol is yielding? With its pass option the pistol seems more likely to endure, but for how long is still the question. And there's still the issue of increased contact/injury to the QB, which the author should have just left alone (as TBD) because the attempted answer was pretty weak.

For my own take, an offense using the pistol must win the Lombardi before it moves beyond the gimmick phase (I thought the same about the wildcat). The dolphins looked unstoppable for a couple years, but where'd it go?

[MTK]

It's not so much the offense itself as much as it's the QBs that makes the pistol really go.

It's not a gimmick, just a shorter shotgun that allows you more freedom to run or pass and keeps defenses on their heels.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by The Goat

I think it's way too early to tell whether the pistol will endure at the pro level or fizzle out like the wildcat. If memory serves the wildcat produced something like 10 yards per play at first, anybody know what the pistol is yielding? With its pass option the pistol seems more likely to endure, but for how long is still the question. And there's still the issue of increased contact/injury to the QB, which the author should have just left alone (as TBD) because the attempted answer was pretty weak.

For my own take, an offense using the pistol must win the Lombardi before it moves beyond the gimmick phase (I thought the same about the wildcat). The dolphins looked unstoppable for a couple years, but where'd it go?

You are comparing apples and oranges by comparing the wildcat to the pistol. The wildcat (which has not disappeared, as you intimate) has always been a change of pace, not the centerpiece of offensive strategy. The pistol, on the other hand, has for several games been the centerpiece around which Kyle's offense is designed. It is much harder for the fulcrum of an offense to disappear than it is for a frill to be set aside.

[scowan]

The Wildcat has been mostly run by "non-QBs" I would say the beauty of the pistol is the ability to throw more effectly out of it by a compentent passer AND its ability to make the Defense account for the QB as a part of the "running game" as that article describes. Its back to 11 on 11 football, not 11 on 10 with the QB standing around watching after the handoff. It has forced safeties to play up close to stop the run and then the QB throws over their head.

[skinsfan69]

In the off season defenses will study this and adjust. I'm just not sure how you completly stop it with a guy like RG3. If you commit more guys to the line he can and will burn you throwing. If you sit back then Morris will get his. I think you just have to commit to one or the other. It looked like Dallas had it bottled up in the 2nd half of the Thanksgiving game by bringing extra guys on run blitzes.

[The Goat]

Originally Posted by Lotus

You are comparing apples and oranges by comparing the wildcat to the pistol. The wildcat (which has not disappeared, as you intimate) has always been a change of pace, not the centerpiece of offensive strategy. The pistol, on the other hand, has for several games been the centerpiece around which Kyle's offense is designed. It is much harder for the fulcrum of an offense to disappear than it is for a frill to be set aside.

Where is the wildcat still used (effectively)?

I believe Miami initially used the wildcat roughly as often as we use the pistol. Regardless of the definition of "centerpiece" the question remains whether defensive gurus adjust their scheme over the coming seasons to minimize the pistol's effectiveness.

I think it's a tough call. With the right QB (RG, Wilson, etc) it certainly puts the defense on its heals right now. What's it gonna do next year, and the year after? I have nowhere near the football IQ to make an educated guess.

[The Goat]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

It's not so much the offense itself as much as it's the QBs that makes the pistol really go.

It's not a gimmick, just a shorter shotgun that allows you more freedom to run or pass and keeps defenses on their heels.

Yeppers, and the entire premise is based on the threat of the QB keeping the pigskin X% of the time, right?

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by The Goat

Where is the wildcat still used (effectively)?

I believe Miami initially used the wildcat roughly as often as we use the pistol. Regardless of the definition of "centerpiece" the question remains whether defensive gurus adjust their scheme over the coming seasons to minimize the pistol's effectiveness.

I think it's a tough call. With the right QB (RG, Wilson, etc) it certainly puts the defense on its heals right now. What's it gonna do next year, and the year after? I have nowhere near the football IQ to make an educated guess.

1) Several teams still use the wildcat from time to time. You may have read a story this week about Tebow refusing to wildcat for the Jets last weekend.

2) Miami NEVER used the wildcat the way we use the pistol. In its greatest heyday the Fins wildcatted about 4 plays a game at most. On the other hand, we have used the pistol as our standard formation for the entirety of several games.