My opinion on stopping the Spread Offense

[pvfan]

I didn't want to put this on the regular board because honestly I dont think there is anyone outside of this board that I would respect enough to actually listen to. I watched a lot of football this year, more than I ever do mainly watching spread offenses (PV in general). Teams seem to have so much trouble stopping it, why?

PV has a poor to average line, which is why I think the move to the spread was made. PV can throw short dump passes, hitches, screens, and slants allowing the ball to be thrown on quick three step drops. You'd think these plays would go for short yards, well yes and no. PV has had huge success in the LPD with this scheme, except in a few special cases. Two of which are Norton, why? Norton could make the tackles and could force pressure not allowing the ball to come out. GC was able to stop it only twice and that was in 03, when they had such an Un-Godly line I dont think it mattered what PV ran, they were only down one at the half in the Playoff game and lost 27-12 in the regular season to a much better GC team. PV faces huge problems out of conference outside of Lee High we cant beat anyone out of conference. This in my opinion is due to the athletic ability of these AA schools, they make the tackles. Local teams allow 10 yard hitches to turn into 50 yard td's.

To stop the spread this is in my opinion what must be done. You must have athletes, unless you can build up a great line like Giles had this year, Norton has, and GC did have your not beating the spread in the LPD with the current group of athletes PV has. If you have the athletes run a 3-4, and you have to get pressure from your DT's. With your extra LB, you can vary your blitz packages from your LB's and drop them in coverage depending on down and distance. One of the most successful plays out of the spread is the QB Draw, with Mitchell at QB teams should take their most athletic LB and spy him on Mitchell. If your LB is successful you've stopped the biggest threat. Play mostly man and blitz like crazy, pressure (especially at the high school level is huge) if they complete a pass you have to count on your kids to make a tackle.

For the non great athletic teams, this is what I would do. Take your two most athletic players and play them on defense one at MLB and the other at FS. Thus spying the QB and stopping the big play. Again, play a 3-4 defense, however this time run mostly cover 4 which is mostly a bend but dont break defense. Your going to give up yards but not huge plays by doing this. Once the team approaches the red zone switch to a 4-4 defense and play a Cover 2 again spying the QB with your MLB. Teams who run the spread have a huge problem scoring in the red zone, the field gets shorter and there isn't as much room to work with. Dare them to the run the ball at you, you know how have 8 in the box with your most athletic player on their best player one on one, if you win that battle you have a great chance of stopping them and in high school football field goals are a rarity.

Obviously, athletes are key however I honestly feel like we should've lost two more games this year than what we did. Those are both CW games, CW had a big enough line to over power us the problem was in my opinion they played man the entire game and gave up huge plays. The only real great run PV had was a QB draw and they lit that up everytime he did take off, however it was after some good yards.

I used PV in this example because thats who I know most about and watch them weekley. I will also say this people criticize Coach Robbins for switching but from what I've watched and seen on tape I dont think we would've went to state in 04 or won region this year without the spread. He's hiding his weakness, and nobody in the LPD has yet to pick up on it (except Norton, who's had athletes galore the past two seasons)

[UTVols2]

The only games I have watched have been Burton's games and have witnessed the success that we have had on the spread offense the past couple of years. Like you said, we have had the athletes to stop it, mainly because we could get pressure with our down lineman and had numerous options as far as blitz packages to throw at the spread and anytime Mitchell tried to scramble we had 3 or 4 guys that could run as fast if not faster than him and didn't allow him to get the big gain. I do agree with you that if you have a dominate line it can be stopped and also if you have the athletes to keep up with all that is going on. One big mistake I see a lot of teams do against the spread is they have their CB's playing a ten yard cushion on the receivers and that just plays into the spreads favor with the quick hitches and all you have to do is make one man miss and bam 5yrd hitch equals 50 yard TD like you said.

[imported_Counts]

I agree for the most part IMHO the biggest thing teams need to do is limit the Yards after catch (not letting a 5 yard pass and catch turn into a 50 yard TD) IMHO Clintwoods biggest problem for the 2nd PV matchup was we had a very tough time containing the QB srambles and honistly while I think if Dreik had been healthy at LB it would have helped I still do not think we have anyone athletic enough to spy him.(Osborn maby could but is a bit undersized and Robenson could but would leave a hole at Safty)

Another thing the spread does is wear out a team that is not as deep at the skill positions and is playing them both ways that makes a big differance late in a game an example being easly in the CW playoff game Clintwood matched if not out preformed PV early and if not for a funky fumble recovery (heck of a play by Mitchal BTW) would have been up at half however by the end of the game Clintwood was starting to give up big chunks of yardage some of that I am sure is due to Adjustmens made by PV at the half But alot is due to players getting wore down and missing tackels that they were making early in the game.

Honistly if a team has the speed not to get beat deep I think pressing the recevers and bringing pressure up the middle is the way to go

[aoa_stripes]

I believe the matchup between CW and PV will be very interesting next year. Could you inform me on how many players CW lost and from what positions?

[Jason]

That was also GC's problem this year. When you thought we had them stopped for short gain they would get loose and pile on some more yards. With GC it was too many trying to hand tackle and you cant do that against the talent PV has. With all that said and I know some will get mad with this statement but it is all to true. GC's team this year was the biggest embarassment to GC football I can think of. Our 98 team would have drilled this years team. We are digging a deeper hole every year on defense. The best defensive coardinator in the state is sitting in our press box. I feel like we have a coach that needs to go just like how the PV fans felt about Crockett. But this coach isnt the head coach. He is the defense coach Reed. But that is my opinion. Sorry for the ranting.

The spred does hide a lot of weakness some teams have. That is a given. We have all talked about it for years.
One big reason a lot of teams, have not adapted to it, is lack of speed to run it.
And the one thing that stops the spred is speed on the D line, and the ability to play on the receivers, at the line. Pop them and run with them into coverage. Or hit them and release them into coverage, but never let them be free for 5 - 10 yds. The longer the QB has to wait and read the harder the spred is to run.
If you will notice, most of the CB's, in highschool are set up to be man to man, but as UT said give a cushion.
Esp. in the spred. That only gives the room for the catch and run.
If you attack the spred instead of wait to let it come to you. Then you stand a better chance of beating the team that runs it.
Notice how Burton constantly changes it's middle front up. So they don't get tired or worn. That way you get that constant pressure. And they are in the faces of the receivers and turn them inside after a bump and run. That way the CB's can play pass or run.
There is where the speed on defense pays off.
If Appy had had just some speed when they played WC in 02 for the title. It would of been a better game. But the lack of it. Made for Appy having to lay back and not be able to be agressive. As a person who helps out. We never told the kids, but we all knew we had to make tackles, within 5 yds of any play, or it would be off to the races for WC, because we didn't have the speed to match.
What we need is some better defensive coaches, who can coach from an attack stand point.
The spred is designed to be a quick offense. You take that away by being in the middle of the flow. Which disrupts the offense.
Only thing i think PV needed to do was make a switch from the spred back to the I.
Had they gotten their offensive line ready for the backfield they have it would of been awesome.
A little side note to the year Appy played WC and the reason speed in that offense and a must to have on the opposing D.
WC had 5 or more people on their team who were all-state in track. 2 or 3 of them were in the offensive and defensive line.

[imported_Counts]

3

#71 RT and DT (Heck of a player and by far our biggist lose in a couple of years)

#30 LB near the end of the season (Was a late bloomer but played well when he steped into a starting role)

#5 WR played a little safty early in the year but not a starter on D (Was his firt year playing since he was in 9th grade but was able to become a solid contributer until a shoulder injury cut into his PT near the end of the year)

That was it as far as Seniors go. On offince we lose 2 starters but return more that 11 kids that started at least 1 game. On D we lose 2 and return more than 11 that have started a game.

I am unsure how well we will be able to replace #71 on D but I think we SHOULD be OK everywhere else. Clintwood also has what should be some pretty good kids that will be 9th graders next season and while I don't look for them to get alot of PT next season I do think that they will be a big boost on ST giving our starters a much needed break

[imported_Counts]

Why don't you give a quick breakdown of who PV loses

LPD you could do Appy and someone who knows could do Norton or any of the other LPD (or non LPD) Teams

[aoa_stripes]

PV Lost on Offense-
Off the line - Jason Neely, Casey Bently, Jacob Thomas
WR- Stephen Mumpower

Defense-
MLB- Brian Murphy
Defensive Line- Wes Isom, Jason Neely, Joshua Spurlock
DB- Stephen Mumpower

[imported_Counts]

Were they all starters? I did not think PV was loseing that much on the line (But with all there skill people back I will not cry to much for them LOL)