The Future is Here: The NFL and the Pistol Offense

[BigHairedAristocrat]

Originally Posted by The Goat

Agree with everything here, though it remains to be seen how the mad scientist d coordinators will adjust during an off-season etc. Nobody focused on defending the pistol formation prior to this year.

The Shanahans were brilliant in adopting/implementing it. On the other hand, I was equally impressed to see Mike's old school west coast offense at work in Cleveland. I have no doubt in the Shanahans' offensive genius now given the right tools.

I honestly don't know if the offense can actually be stopped by scheme, but I'm sure coordinators can figure out how to contain it (ie containing the big play, allowing the short stuff and hoping we make a mistake). The thing about running the play option from the pistol is that the defense has to account for all 11 players with their 11 players. The offense is always going to have the edge when it can make the defense view the quarterback as a running threat.

Crucial to the whole thing though, is griffins ability to sell the fake. He makes defense think he has the ball when a running back does and visa versa. IMO he does it better than anyone in the game. If defenses ever figured out how to see through griffins fakes, like poker players learn to tell when an opponent is bluffing, then the whole thing falls appart and you can discount everything I said. But everything happens so quickly, that it would only work if you had a qb spy type player on defense with high intelligence, exceptional athleticism, and the eyes of a hawk.... So I don't see it happening.

On a related note, I wonder if part of Russell's success can be attributed to his munchkin size... Can defenses even see what hes doing over 6'6 offensive lineman?