The Future is Here: The NFL and the Pistol Offense

[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.

[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?

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by The Goat

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

I don't think that's accurate

[MTK]

Originally Posted by The Goat

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

I'd say its the threat of the QB being able to run period.

As the season has gone on Griffin has run less and less, but the offense still works.

[The Goat]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

I'd say its the threat of the QB being able to run period.

As the season has gone on Griffin has run less and less, but the offense still works.

This is how I see it. And your second statement is key IMO.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by The Goat

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

No. The pistol is a formation, not a play. There is no premise that the QB will keep the ball. You can run the pistol without the QB's EVER keeping the ball. You can run the pistol without EVER running a read option.

You seem not to be able to differentiate the pistol (a formation) from the read option (which is a play).

[The Goat]

Originally Posted by Lotus

No. The pistol is a formation, not a play. There is no premise that the QB will keep the ball. You can run the pistol without the QB's EVER keeping the ball. You can run the pistol without EVER running a read option.

You seem not to be able to differentiate the pistol (a formation) from the read option (which is a play).

Curious how/why the pistol puts the defense back on its heels in your opinion?

[Defensewins]

Originally Posted by The Goat

Curious how/why the pistol puts the defense back on its heels in your opinion?

Having three guys in the backfield in addition to our incredible QB allows for multiple backfield run options and multiple backfield blockers. This versatility is not present in the the conventional shotgun formation.
Having the QB five or so steps back, instead of under center give the QB time to adjust to an unblocked pass rusher in the play action passing game. Harder to sack the QB. The pistol combines the best of all formations.

But IMO what really makes it work for the Skins is our personnel and play calling. RGIII makes it all go, but unheard of guys like Logan Paulsen, Darrell Young and Niles Paul are a force in the running game and pass protection. I have not seen one them all season get knocked back on their ass while blocking. They are physical players in an age of football where physical play takes a back seat to high flying offenses and high stats passing games. You can not put a stat or value on physical play, because our uneducated NFL fans only wants to see long passes and TD's because that is all they understand.
Balance on offense as always is the key and the a potent down field pass attack from just two WR's, weather it be from Garcon and Morgan or a combination Moss, Aldrick Robinson and Hankerson is vital to keeping LB's and safety's guessing. They can not key on one thing- a physical and deceptive running game or a potent down field passing game. Balance is what makes it all work and keeps the DB's and LB's on their heels.

[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.

[skinsfaninok]

Most old school fans hate the new pistol formation stuff just the way it is.

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[DynamiteRave]

Originally Posted by skinsfaninok

Most old school fans hate the new pistol formation stuff just the way it is.

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Damn newfangled formations are ruining a good game of football.

[Hog1]

Originally Posted by skinsfaninok

Most old school fans hate the new pistol formation stuff just the way it is.

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I think that's probably complete BS......
Just....Win Baby! Pistol....Rifle....Grenade launcher...Just Win!

Sent from my Oldschooldude BS detecting morse codeatalk 2

[CRedskinsRule]

Any Redskins fans around from when the Cowboys started using the shotgun, and Gibbs wouldn't use it. I just think this is a very close facsimile of that, except in reverse.

There are a bunch of Cowboys fans on their board that says this will never work. The problem with that is, the whole premise of the pistol blends the best part of a pro-style running game - north south hard hitting running, with the best part of a shotgun formation, the qb's ability to survey the d while standing and receiving the ball in a position that he can release it quickly. It also removes the inherent weakness of the qb lining up under center - which means he has his head down, and is immediately moving backwards at the snap, and the weakness of the shotgun which forces the running game to be much more east west, and less effective.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by CRedskinsRule

Any Redskins fans around from when the Cowboys started using the shotgun, and Gibbs wouldn't use it. I just think this is a very close facsimile of that, except in reverse.

There are a bunch of Cowboys fans on their board that says this will never work. The problem with that is, the whole premise of the pistol blends the best part of a pro-style running game - north south hard hitting running, with the best part of a shotgun formation, the qb's ability to survey the d while standing and receiving the ball in a position that he can release it quickly. It also removes the inherent weakness of the qb lining up under center - which means he has his head down, and is immediately moving backwards at the snap, and the weakness of the shotgun which forces the running game to be much more east west, and less effective.

Those Cowboyszone fans are correct. It will never work. That's why our offense is in the top 5.