Pistol Offense For Dummies

Not that you (or I) are dumb to football. We know plenty, despite what the "experts" on TV and on the sidelines constantly want us to think.

I just thought this article did a great job of explaining the X's and O's of this devastating pistol-based scheme the Redskins are running this year with Robert Griffin III. (Or, "Bob3" my new fave alt-nickname).

Sort of like all those "_____ for Dummies" books out there.

Here's the key quote from Greg Schiano, who went from asshole-who-bullrushes-kneeldowns, to darling-college-newbie-with-exciting-team, to moron-who-might-be-in-over-his-head in the span of just one season.

“As I’ve tried to explain to people, whenever the guy who takes the snap is a threat to run, it changes all the math of defenses,” Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano said last March [source]. “That’s really what defense is, it’s getting your troops to where the ball is going to be. And when that guy holding it is a threat to run, it changes the numbers – minus-one.”

And oh boy is he right.

The Redskins offense has been scarily un-stoppable at times this year. And it's been hilarious giddy fun to watch opposing defense just freak-the-fuck-out trying to outwit the concept.

The Redskins were #1 in total rushing. They were first in rushes that gained 4+ yards, with 51.2% of the team's rushes going for at least four yards. Not only did this offense and Bob3 face a seemingly endless horizon of simple 2nd and 5's and 3rd and 2's, but the 20-yard square-in or slant off pistol play-action, was absolutely unstoppable.

In fact, it was so easy most of the year, it was a joke. A lark. It was GREAT. Let me emphasize that, so nobody misunderstands me.

G.R.E.A.T.

But when I said on the air about 3 weeks ago that this offense was - and you need to take my words precisely here "a little bit of a scam" - I only meant to say that it would be foolish to expect this level of production to continue unabated going forward.

Scams are a good thing, when you are the one pulling it off. 

This article posits that a revolution is underway. Others have said: "this is the new NFL, get used to it."

Ohhhkay. But I've been around the NFL for a few of these "revolutions" and they all have one thing in common: eventually, they run out of steam.

The NFL is a passing league, and shall remain a passing league. QB protection in the pocket, along with strict new rules on defenders tilt the advantage to the slinger even more. And YES, the pistol scheme can produce great passing numbers. But go back to what Schiano said: it's all predicated on a running QB.

And QB's who run in this league, get beaten down. Period. It's just a matter of time and reps.

So my take on the pistol is that it is more like a gold rush, than a revolution. And right now, Kyle and Mike have secured a very lucrative parcel and are just hauling gold out fistfuls at a time.

But like a real gold rush, competing interests affect the landscape and trade. And eventually, the easy finds get snatched up.

This league will adjust. It always does. There are only so many Bob3's or Colin Kaepernick's. But there are endless numbers of maniacs on the other side of the ball ready to kill them.

I know: the pocket is not safe. No. Not by any measure. But I still say it's still much safer than running this scheme as 50% of your offense or more, week over week, year over year.

It's a blast now. So let's ride it.

But we won't be able to see who was more right, until the 2014 season is over. If there are multiple teams using pistol-zone-read as their "base" offense, with very fast running QB's racking up 700+ yards of rushing per year - then I'll kneel on the altar of "you told me so."

If not, then it was fun while it lasted.