To Read Option, or Not

[ethat001]

Honestly if we keep mixing it up, the defenses will continue to have no idea what's going on. We started to shred Seattle's defense early when RG3 had 1.5 legs, and only when he was hopping on one leg did they slow us down. Seattle had a full season of tape on us. If Kyle keeps dialing up new innovative schemes, not fully relying on one predictable set, I think we're fine. I'm fine with the read option.

As has been said the problem is RG3 himself, not our scheme. RG3's a smart guy, but I'm not sure he can ever completely dial down that competitive instinct. In the biggest of stages with high stakes => I'd wager he scrambles inside vs. stepping out 9 times out of 10. Hope he can change this.

Still excited about the years to come.

[Monksdown]

I agree with the previous post(s) in regards to the read/option being a tool into bag, not the entire bag. My concern is that the healing period extends well into training camp and reduces the time spent on developing the other tools in the bag.

[REDSKINS4ever]

Originally Posted by SouperMeister

I may be in the minority on this, but I do not believe Shanny should abandon the read option. By the middle of the season, Griffin was so good at reading defensive ends, that when he opted to keep the ball, he always seemed to get 10+ yards untouched before either sliding or scampering out of bounds. Fact of the matter, his concussion against Atlanta and his initial LCL injury against Baltimore came when a passing play broke down, and he tried to get too much out of his legs instead of throwing the ball away or sliding earlier. It's on Griffin to get better at protecting himself in those situations.

What became clear to me is that a healthy Griffin running read option out of the pistol paralyzes even the most dominant defensive ends, forcing them to read then react. I strongly believe that if we run a normal pocket passing attack, Griffin will take more hits from the likes of JPP, Umenyiora, Trent Cole, and Demarcus Ware.

It's still a huge risk to his overall health. The reason Griffin was injured last year was because he dove sideways with his legs in the air which enabled Haloti Ngata to slam into his leg and cause the initial stages of that knee injury. All RG3 has to do is either slide, get out of bounds, or dive forward. He can't be diving sideways.

[GridIron26]

What is the ironic of this, Griffin's injuries tend to happen when he is scrambling to avoid sack. And when Griffin runs out from option plays, he never got hurt. Sure he did got hit hard sometimes but not the ones that cause injury.

[HailGreen28]

So basically, it's really not about the read option. It's about RG trying to protect himself better against getting hit when he runs. Against world-class athletes, trying to make a decision in a split second, easier said than done. Griffin made plenty of would-be rushers in the backfield, especially the Giants, look like they were stuck in mud. He ran right by other defenders when getting huge chunks of yardage downfield, like the big run on Minnesota. But sometimes he's going to get hit hard, even blindsided. It's the promise and curse of having a running QB instead of a statue. Not that QBs don't get mauled in the pocket too, if they hold on to the ball too long. (Jason Campbell, Ben Rothlisberger, etc.)

[REDSKINS4ever]

NFL head coaches are already speaking to college defensive coordinators on how to stop the read option. I don't know how much longer the Shanahans plan to use it, but I think they should use it but not as much as last year and begin having RG3 operate out of a more traditional west coast offense more.

[30gut]

Not only keep the read option, but expand it and tweak it.
More spread read-option from 3-4 WR sets.
Mix in a lil no-huddle.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by 30gut

Not only keep the read option, but expand it and tweak it.
More spread read-option from 3-4 WR sets.
Mix in a lil no-huddle.

Agreed. And more read option play action passes.

To stop the read option defenses will send one guy take the QB and have another defender shadow the RB for the pitch option. We saw several teams (eg. Dallas, Baltimore) try this last year. This will leave defenders out of position for pass coverage. So when defenders set themselves to defend the read option run, it will not be difficult to go over their heads.

[CultBrennan59]

The ravens showed in the super bowl, you knock the crap out of out him when they do the option play, whether he has the ball or not. It starts to get the QB rattled, more snaps to the RB, and as we saw when the QB is rattled or hit a lot, he doesn't play up to par with some bad throws, just like Kaepernick did.

[Skinzman]

Originally Posted by CultBrennan59

The ravens showed in the super bowl, you knock the crap out of out him when they do the option play, whether he has the ball or not. It starts to get the QB rattled, more snaps to the RB, and as we saw when the QB is rattled or hit a lot, he doesn't play up to par with some bad throws, just like Kaepernick did.

Until the 49ers OC realized that if a defense commits to stopping the read option, that other plays are completely open without putting your QB in harms way. Once the 49ers OC pulled his head out of his ass, the 49ers came charging back.

We run the quick pitch. Let the defense commit outside guys to the inside. A good OC will burn that, just like the 49ers OC burned the Ravens the entire second half.

Most of you against the read option think that we run it 85% of the time. It doesnt need to be done more than a couple of times a game to get the desired result.

[REDSKINS4ever]

Originally Posted by 30gut

Not only keep the read option, but expand it and tweak it.
More spread read-option from 3-4 WR sets.
Mix in a lil no-huddle.

I like this idea. Turn it into a passing offense or use passing formations and then hit the defense with the option run.

[backrow]

Originally Posted by REDSKINS4ever

Rg3 has to have learned. When a 350 pound NT crashes into your leg and kills your knee, then you begin to think of what can be done differently. Diving, sliding, and running out of bounds should be his focus when he's running out there with the pigskin.

For a brief second, I saw the Team name!

[Skins4L]

Originally Posted by CRedskinsRule

Every bad hit came from Griffin not wanting to give up when he saw a sliver of opportunity, he will be successful if he can reset his internal gauge for success from college speed openings to pro speed openings, and only game experience will prove that one way or the other.

for sure.

[The Goat]

Originally Posted by HailGreen28

RG is a very good passer, but he will also be a running QB whether we run the read-option of not. Again as others have said many times, RG took the worst hits scrambling, not on the read-option.

So the question is, does the read-option increase the chance of RG taking vicious shots? Last season says that the confusion and hesitation inflicted on opposing defenses actually reduced the risk.

If you want to reduce RG's vulnerabilities as a running QB, you have to make him stop scrambling, extending plays, and running upfield on broken plays. That's why running QBs don't last, before and since the read-option was introduced to the NFL.

So...what's your expectation for our boy?

[The Goat]

Originally Posted by REDSKINS4ever

NFL head coaches are already speaking to college defensive coordinators on how to stop the read option. I don't know how much longer the Shanahans plan to use it, but I think they should use it but not as much as last year and begin having RG3 operate out of a more traditional west coast offense more.

This is my bottom line per hope/expectation. Trouble is: hard to get too "traditional" when your pass-protection looks like Swiss cheese, which ours did far too often last season. After the reg season I saw a stat RG took the highest percent of hits in the pocket among all QBs. And it's not all from the right side. Missed blocking assignments on the left, particularly involving our TEs and especially with curious presence of one Niles Paul on offense, led to several massive hits on RG. I remember commentators mention concussion on at least a few occasions.