| J.T. Magee. 20th October, 2006 - 9:20 pm
 Everyone is clamoring for Michael Vick to be that elite quarterback. To be that pocket passer. To be the next Steve Young but with ten times the athleticism. Until the Falcons truly utilize his all-around talents, it’s not happening, even if he has one of the strongest arms in the NFL.
Everyone says the Falcons need to make a decision on Matt Schaub, Vick’s backup. He needs the playing time. They have to ‘franchise’ him so a team like the Minnesota Vikings can’t get their hands on him for cheap. They have to protect a valuable asset who is a pocket passer. Who is the traditional quarterback?
Hey, I have an idea! Play both… at the same time!
Wait, what? Yeah, like that’s going to work. Playing two quarterbacks at the same time. Like they’ll get anywhere without Vick at the helm. Pfft. Like you know football for even suggesting this. That will never work.
Hear me out on this one. Although basketball is my cup of tea, I am the grandson of Gene Morrow. Morrow was a two-time All-American at Oregon State and a quarterback drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was also one of the most successful coaches in Oregon high school football history, coaching the Newport Cubs for 45 years and winning 23 league titles in the process. The same man who initiated the movement of a spread offense back in the late 80’s, where power football dominated the play calling. Growing up around it, I feel I can fully explain why this move can work for the Falcons.
It’s the only move that can fully utilize the best players the Falcons have on offense. Lining up Schaub behind center with both Warrick Dunn and Vick in the backfield. Let’s say split back formation. Alge Crumpler is on Vick’s side, the left side, since Vick is left handed. Michael Jenkins and Ashley Lelie are on either side of the ball, spread out.
The play: Schaub pitches it to Vick. No, a shovel pass. Vick starts to run, but stops. Wait, he stops, but why? To throw to Jenkins on the sideline for the first down. Team are afraid if he is going to run or pass from where he’s at, so he gets to read the defense. They start to come up on him, which frees Jenkins up on the sideline with one-on-one coverage. Quick cut to the sideline, ball delivered, first down.
Next play: I-pro formation, with Vick in front of Dunn and split to the right. The Falcons overload the left side, only keeping Jenkins on the right side. Schaub hands off to Vick, who then runs an option with Dunn to the right sideline. With only one receiver there, the defense is focused on the left side, even though one of the outside linebackers will probably be roving around. They pull the Right Guard to help the blocking situation. Now your option: Vick keeps it and goes outside, in between Jenkins and the Falcons’ RG or cuts it, most likely where the linebacker or strong safety is approaching. Other option is for Dunn: he gets the ball and now has Vick as a blocker, leaving three Falcons to find a hole for him. He only needs 4 yards for the first down, but the options are limited. He goes inside and only gains two.
These are not textbook plays and ones any NFL team would rarely use. But the Falcons have way too many options off those two plays. Schaub can read the D. If they are focusing on the backfield, he audibles for Alge to go 5 yards deep and run a crossing pattern. Since most of the D is shifted towards Vick and Dunn, Schaub dumps it off to Crumpler for a big 12-yard gain. With these three plays, only one of them was running plays. But the option was still there to even pass or run. Not many teams can have that option.
Atlanta has that option. There would need to be a restructured West Coast offense, but this time around, the receivers would be the ones to benefit from it. I haven’t seen Schaub enough, but I know he’s worth playing in the NFl right now. Give him the ball and the receivers will get their touches. Get Vick the ball and three players will touch the ball: Vick, Dunn and Crumpler. But with Schaub in there, it gives Atlanta a chance to showcase how well he can play in one of the most awkward systems in football today.
It will give the Falcons a chance to see how everyone reacts to the situation. Whether Vick can settle with being the gimmick-back, a hybrid of every offensive player on the field. Let’s face it: Vick is too talented to just stand in the pocket and dump it off to Crumpler or to someone like Jenkins, Roddy White, Lelie, or even Brian Finneran, whenever he comes back. His talent has to be used properly and that includes not giving him the ball every single time. He needs plays off from the ball, but with an offense the Falcons can run with Vick, Schaub and Dunn, it can only create match-up with team who will never have enough play-makers to read all three in the backfield.
My mind might be fuzzy from these muscle relaxers I took for my pulled teeth, but my point is clear: get both Schaub and Vick on the field and positive results will ensue. Until that happens, the offense will be great on the ground. That’s a given. But until they utilize the receivers who could put up better numbers on another team, this team is a twenty-yard offense. Bottle the middle up, stack the line and leave three backs in secondary to put a light zone against a pass and you have success against Atlanta. Put you best offense on the field, and you have a chance to score 4 TD’s each week: Two from Schaub, two from Vick and one to Dunn. Since Schaub connect on a screen pass that goes for 45 yards, they need one more. Enter any receiver in the mix and you have yourselves an unstoppable offense. Until then, Atlanta and Head Coach Jim Mora Jr. have their work cut out for them.
This may sound like an offense that can only dominate on Madden 07, but it’s an offense very few team are going to be able to gameplan against in six days. It takes hours and hours of preparation by looking at game film. How will team be able to adjust when they lineup in two different formations and complete 5 passes and rush for 23 yards. On short notice, you revert to the old offense for a series, then throw in the dagger: Quarterback keeper. Schaub runs it in. AND HIS BLOCKERS ARE MICHEAL VICK AND WARRICK DUNN! Alge Crumpler comes in with a lights-out block on a safety that had a chance at Schaub. Result: Touchdown, Schaub, 23 yard run.
This may not happen and probably wrote. Any NFL scout will probably view this as bulletin board material for their offense. You see this! This kid on the Internet prints this and thinks we need a turnaround. OK, every time you complete a sit-up, see this article. You want to be the guy Schaub replaces? No?! THEN GET IN THE WEIGHTROOM! GO! What are you waiting for?
Announcement: Falcons’ HC Jim Mora realized J.T. Magee is right and changes his entire game plan again the Pittsburgh Steelers (won’t make the playoffs).
See, that’s all it took. A radical idea to get some head to turn. There will be millions that think this idea sucks, but for those 24 people that are actually reading this and agree, I raise my Black Butte Porter to you. Cheers! To the Falcons’ new offense they’ll never run unless they want to win the whole thing! |
