futurecane
Redshirt Freshman
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2011
- Messages
- 440
Full disclosure: never played offense in FB, so take this with a grain of salt. I did play FS, so somewhat relevant, I hope…
From a mathematical perspective, a “check with me” offense leads to overloading the QB with decisions, reduces their pre-snap orientation time, and leads to hasty decisions after the snap. I’ll explain:
Scenario 1, no “check with me”: QB has team starting to line up with ~25 seconds on the clock. Play calls for a slant by the slot receiver, with a skinny post behind on the left. RB is the checkdown option, leaking right. Team lined up correctly at 20 seconds, QB spends 5-10 seconds checking LB positions, rush spacing, and forms a picture in their head of what they want to see (scenarios, if LB steps up then slant over his head, if safety bites on slant then post, etc). Ball snapped at 10 seconds on play clock, positive play.
Scenario 2, “check with me offense”: QB has team starting to line up with ~25 seconds on the clock. Play calls for a slant by the slot receiver, with a skinny post behind on the left. RB is the checkdown option, leaking right. Team lined up correctly at 20 seconds, QB looks to sideline at 18 seconds and receives new play. Communication to team and new formation at 10 seconds, giving QB almost no time to review defensive spacing and formation, create scenario in head, and snap ball. Result: delay of game, or negative play.
I made it very simplistic, but you are asking a young QB to process too much, too quickly, and with a time crunch. As a FS, I spent quite a bit of time pre-play just reviewing the formation, down/distance, whatever eye candy or motion the offense was giving, and deciding what my focus in the first 1-2 seconds would be. The QB is no different, and this is hurting them rather than helping.
From a mathematical perspective, a “check with me” offense leads to overloading the QB with decisions, reduces their pre-snap orientation time, and leads to hasty decisions after the snap. I’ll explain:
Scenario 1, no “check with me”: QB has team starting to line up with ~25 seconds on the clock. Play calls for a slant by the slot receiver, with a skinny post behind on the left. RB is the checkdown option, leaking right. Team lined up correctly at 20 seconds, QB spends 5-10 seconds checking LB positions, rush spacing, and forms a picture in their head of what they want to see (scenarios, if LB steps up then slant over his head, if safety bites on slant then post, etc). Ball snapped at 10 seconds on play clock, positive play.
Scenario 2, “check with me offense”: QB has team starting to line up with ~25 seconds on the clock. Play calls for a slant by the slot receiver, with a skinny post behind on the left. RB is the checkdown option, leaking right. Team lined up correctly at 20 seconds, QB looks to sideline at 18 seconds and receives new play. Communication to team and new formation at 10 seconds, giving QB almost no time to review defensive spacing and formation, create scenario in head, and snap ball. Result: delay of game, or negative play.
I made it very simplistic, but you are asking a young QB to process too much, too quickly, and with a time crunch. As a FS, I spent quite a bit of time pre-play just reviewing the formation, down/distance, whatever eye candy or motion the offense was giving, and deciding what my focus in the first 1-2 seconds would be. The QB is no different, and this is hurting them rather than helping.
