The stolen tapes?
- Thread starter ZOD
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That's pretty neat. I'd like to see more links like that.
Friedgen has always intruiged me. He was one of the Bucs top choices last year, but declined. I found this quote interesting as well........
Taaffe is Friedgen's offensive coordinator at Maryland. Just for the sake of mentioning it......if Friedgen were to become the Miami Dolphins next coach (and perhaps bring Taaffe), the transition wouldn't be quite as stark as it normally would.
Taaffe is Friedgen's offensive coordinator at Maryland. Just for the sake of mentioning it......if Friedgen were to become the Miami Dolphins next coach (and perhaps bring Taaffe), the transition wouldn't be quite as stark as it normally would.
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Glad someone asked. 
I'm laying low on the posts and doing alot of reading.
All the "future coach" posts got me to looking at what different teams are finding success with and such. I got a central idea about a future coach but right now what I'm finding is the best candidate would be one who assembled the best staff because I can't see the future. It looks to me that we have the best staff assembled we could possibly get as in terms of experience.
I'm beginning to think that free agency has changed too much in the NFL and the guys we have believe in a system that cannot adapt to being exposed too frequently to "average" players. The NFL is full of the "average" players. This year they are stars and next year they suck.
I'm starting to believe that what we uninformatively have been refering to as "West Coast" is a better system. That system being the original system of Bill Walsh. I think Walsh's system is better suited for that of "average" talent.
Right now with all the crap I've read recently it's all a blur in my mind. I don't write effectively but I'm going to try to establish a "central idea" out of this little "quick study".It's a different system from what Martz and Turner are running. Walsh's system is more of a sideline to sideline system.
I'm beginning to believe that with all the change in personell that goes on that it is a far superior system in terms of success. The Walsh system (or bastards of it) is dominating the league right now. Norv Turner's system is a direct decendant of Sid Gillman and Don Coryell and challenges a defense more on the vertical side. The problem I find with that is more and more QB's are coming out of college with Walsh's preparation ala Joe Montana rather than that of Dan Fouts. Heck, even in the NFL combine the focus is more on the fluid movement of a QB rather than his "gun". From what I've read Jay Fiedler seems to be a better candidate for the Walsh system rather than that of Norv Turner. To me, Norv's system is a superior system if you have the right talent. Obviously St. Louis has it and we don't. The 1992 Cowboys had it. That's the success of Coryell's system-going vertical with superior talent.
Anyway...
Here is a link that states why ol' Bellichek is enjoying so much success right now. It's another reason why I don't favor our regime. Our regime has focused primarily on gathering the greatest group of athletes it can on the defensive side of the ball and going "man" on the offense. It's exactly the opposite from what most are doing to defend against the Walsh system. It seems Bellichek with some degree of success has said, "To hell with it. I'm going to play a West Coast offense and I'm going to build a defense to beat the West Coast offense." Chances are he's going to face that offense in the playoffs anyway and god knows we know what he's done to Norv Turner and Mike Martz. Check it out at the bottom of this page. http://espn.go.com/nfl/s/westcoast/popularity.html
Here are some more links.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/dr_z/news/1999/10/28/inside_football/
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/features/1998/drz/onfootball/0924/
Preface to this link-I began to look at the touchdown to interception ratio's of different QB's to determine which system was experiencing the most success. I think the ratio is a little convuluted as the bastards of the Walsh system dominate the league right now.
http://www.footballproject.com/story.php?storyid=154
I'm laying low on the posts and doing alot of reading.
All the "future coach" posts got me to looking at what different teams are finding success with and such. I got a central idea about a future coach but right now what I'm finding is the best candidate would be one who assembled the best staff because I can't see the future. It looks to me that we have the best staff assembled we could possibly get as in terms of experience.
I'm beginning to think that free agency has changed too much in the NFL and the guys we have believe in a system that cannot adapt to being exposed too frequently to "average" players. The NFL is full of the "average" players. This year they are stars and next year they suck.
I'm starting to believe that what we uninformatively have been refering to as "West Coast" is a better system. That system being the original system of Bill Walsh. I think Walsh's system is better suited for that of "average" talent.
Right now with all the crap I've read recently it's all a blur in my mind. I don't write effectively but I'm going to try to establish a "central idea" out of this little "quick study".It's a different system from what Martz and Turner are running. Walsh's system is more of a sideline to sideline system.
I'm beginning to believe that with all the change in personell that goes on that it is a far superior system in terms of success. The Walsh system (or bastards of it) is dominating the league right now. Norv Turner's system is a direct decendant of Sid Gillman and Don Coryell and challenges a defense more on the vertical side. The problem I find with that is more and more QB's are coming out of college with Walsh's preparation ala Joe Montana rather than that of Dan Fouts. Heck, even in the NFL combine the focus is more on the fluid movement of a QB rather than his "gun". From what I've read Jay Fiedler seems to be a better candidate for the Walsh system rather than that of Norv Turner. To me, Norv's system is a superior system if you have the right talent. Obviously St. Louis has it and we don't. The 1992 Cowboys had it. That's the success of Coryell's system-going vertical with superior talent.
Anyway...
Here is a link that states why ol' Bellichek is enjoying so much success right now. It's another reason why I don't favor our regime. Our regime has focused primarily on gathering the greatest group of athletes it can on the defensive side of the ball and going "man" on the offense. It's exactly the opposite from what most are doing to defend against the Walsh system. It seems Bellichek with some degree of success has said, "To hell with it. I'm going to play a West Coast offense and I'm going to build a defense to beat the West Coast offense." Chances are he's going to face that offense in the playoffs anyway and god knows we know what he's done to Norv Turner and Mike Martz. Check it out at the bottom of this page. http://espn.go.com/nfl/s/westcoast/popularity.html
Here are some more links.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/dr_z/news/1999/10/28/inside_football/
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/features/1998/drz/onfootball/0924/
Preface to this link-I began to look at the touchdown to interception ratio's of different QB's to determine which system was experiencing the most success. I think the ratio is a little convuluted as the bastards of the Walsh system dominate the league right now.
http://www.footballproject.com/story.php?storyid=154
Last edited by a moderator:
Just FYI for everyone, all of those "branches" aren't offensive guys. Guys like Seifert, Fisher, Rhodes, and Willingham are/were defensive gurus. But it's an IMPRESSIVE tree nonetheless.
Ok Muck, here goes the lead story...Intro to West Coast 101...
Bill Walsh and Al davis were on the same coaching staff for Walsh's first NFL job. That was in San Diego with the new vertical passing game of Sid Gillman.
Walsh then went to Cincy to help Paul Brown Sr. and a younger Ken Anderson.
The primary route of a system is what sets up the remaining progressions on a tree for recievers. The primary Bill Walsh route was the short and deep slant. The entire game then evolved from there.
The short slant is best stopped by putting a Cb on the inside shoulder for bump and run but leaves his lob/fade window free and the safeties in the most popular cover 2 then have to line up farther out to help there, leaving the middle open for te routes and motion slant or crossing routes. Walsh usually used speed to defeat bump and run at snap , it is harder to press a moving wr on the jam in first 5 yards.
The best west coast receivers(aside from Freddie Solomon) didnt have great stopwatch speed, though. Dwight Clark for example has size to beat press covers and catch underneath routes on LB switch mismatch or zones.
Jerry rice ran "slow" combo 40 times yet thrived in west coast and showed his hip turn upfield from a squared shoulder fundamentally sound pass catch target to a sleek upfield yards after catch man was something most scouts over looked.
Not Walsh, he knew that a start-stop and go route was bread and butter for high percentage plays and Rice was the yards after man to make it work.Especially timed slants.
Most teams did not 'Bump and Run', it was too risky and the new pass interference rules of time prevented any contact after five yards until ball was touched, so sitting back and timing hit was the norm, less man, more cover 2 or straight zone from 3-4 were the main covers.
The slant route when the corner plays off the line is the OLB's priority to cover. 3-4 schemes could afford this since they had an extra lb on the field, but 4-3 found them spreading their second level thin. This left the 3-4 susceptible to the run.It took the strong middle of the 4-3 and spread it out as well.
Once the outside Lb camped slant window it opened the off tackle run up since less edge help was available at point, the run could get 3 yards before contact, usally ending an four to five yard gain, a third and one or two situation on average.
Former Walsh film scout and Holmgren wr coach John Gruden , when made head coach of the Oakland Raiders was quoted as saying his "perfect play" was a four yard run.
If you are running for four a pop then it means you have already established the slant-out progression so your basic primary pass route is working and their attempt to stop it has set up your second O option and your primary run play.The short pass is a long handoff in the west coast attack and itself compliments the hand off.
The off tackle is a great play, it allows a double team at point of attack, and is a run the Fb or Hb can do effectively, finally it gives a faster back the chance to break an outside run. Especially in play pass calling, and it keeps the best backfield blocker closer to the qb to protect turnover and signal caller efficiency on the Fb leads.
The greatest west coast rb were actually college fullbacks, all of the early Niners teams that won Superbowls under Walsh featured college fullbacks as their leading rushers, from Montana's first team of RB by committee with Bill Ring and Earl Cooper to Nebraska Option FB Roger Craig's days with champion Niners, the Vikings under Denny Green, and Raiders when Mike White and Mike SHannahan were first trying to convert the vertical stratagey horizontal.Raider Charlie Garner was also an explosive pass catch Fb for Ricky Watters in the Niners system.
Leading fullback runs allows a fast recieiving halfback to be freed to work the flats more on play pass. Isolating OLB in flats from prensap window closure of the wr slant meant thay were going to be forced a matchup with a fast rb who had footwork and speed mismatch on a player who was backpedaling to become even slower.
This stretched a defense out even farther on a horizontal basis, allowing even more stop isolation control routes to move the ball with high percentage completion rate.
Shorter routes meant less qb sacks. Team keying pass rush were met with vicious block scheme that didnt let linemen get upfield if they wanted to keep knees healthy. Linemen trying to break down spots for pass deflections too often were left out of place on qb rollouts and delay runs to power fb. Linemen who got upfield found themselves letting screen passes go by for further yardage. Long Handoffs kept percentages high, clock moving, and tired out front sevens with the amount of field they were required to cover.
Less sacks led to less turnovers as well. Percentage plays that appear to be very complex unless looked at on a per man basis. When team focused on a simpler underneath route it freed up the next level of progression. On first down most often five short routes were run and the avalable route was thrown to, lots of time to do so if traditonal 2 safeties deep is used. If a blitz was used it came from a side that had a percentage pass with tremendous yards after chances with the second level having been used in blitz.
If the safeties were being cheated up as well then it opened one vertical option.Playing closer to help the slant window freed the slant and go or fade routes, but the main west coast option was a higher percentage post or corner route the gave the wr much better chance to face the ball.
Since the reciever ran the control route, why not shorten the yard before breaking for said route, throwing pass sooner to increase odds of execution and allow the player to make the play at the next level. The post and corner went from 15-18 yard breaks to 11-14 yard breaks for example. Walsh even counted the exact number steps in game film scouting that db broke on routes from zone to get an idea of the EXACT moment needed to adjust route down so the reciever got extra step on the db in said down and distance .
Walsh's progression was usually simple, and his scripted set plays featured primary routes from this, in addition to his specialty features for said individual defensive personnell and particular coaching schemes he faced.
Thus teams that had scouted him and were ready actually faced countermeasures to their adjustments already integrated for his offensive playcalls, and once this was done said defenders may then hesitate when the next play off their set list is called the next time around, from a different wrinkle being added to what was seen . This system anticipated what would be called before it was done.
Progressions is what makes west coast go. If then reasoning would mean if this route is stopped then the next route is open.
The slant is primary option...if the slant is covered safety then the Te or Hb are open in flat. If the slant is covered lb then the off tackle or Iso pass for HB has is open.
The Wr slant and the Fb lead off tackle were the heart of this system. Other progressions will be focus at later times. Coaches under Walsh have taken this progression route and applied it vertically (Holmgren and Shannahan) and horizontally (Gruden and Gibbs). Their unique personnell enabled this for the most part, two of those coaches are looking at having to change their scheme to fit their personnell now. The one constant is the if/then reasoning of the system, the aggressive pass heavy scheme, and high percentage of execution on field.
Also these coaches have featured other personnell. Walsh did as well, but his plan was to spread the ball out, these coaches most often took that way of featuring an individual position reciever, making that the central route primary to their entire system.
original post, www.raiderfans.net
Bill Walsh and Al davis were on the same coaching staff for Walsh's first NFL job. That was in San Diego with the new vertical passing game of Sid Gillman.
Walsh then went to Cincy to help Paul Brown Sr. and a younger Ken Anderson.
The primary route of a system is what sets up the remaining progressions on a tree for recievers. The primary Bill Walsh route was the short and deep slant. The entire game then evolved from there.
The short slant is best stopped by putting a Cb on the inside shoulder for bump and run but leaves his lob/fade window free and the safeties in the most popular cover 2 then have to line up farther out to help there, leaving the middle open for te routes and motion slant or crossing routes. Walsh usually used speed to defeat bump and run at snap , it is harder to press a moving wr on the jam in first 5 yards.
The best west coast receivers(aside from Freddie Solomon) didnt have great stopwatch speed, though. Dwight Clark for example has size to beat press covers and catch underneath routes on LB switch mismatch or zones.
Jerry rice ran "slow" combo 40 times yet thrived in west coast and showed his hip turn upfield from a squared shoulder fundamentally sound pass catch target to a sleek upfield yards after catch man was something most scouts over looked.
Not Walsh, he knew that a start-stop and go route was bread and butter for high percentage plays and Rice was the yards after man to make it work.Especially timed slants.
Most teams did not 'Bump and Run', it was too risky and the new pass interference rules of time prevented any contact after five yards until ball was touched, so sitting back and timing hit was the norm, less man, more cover 2 or straight zone from 3-4 were the main covers.
The slant route when the corner plays off the line is the OLB's priority to cover. 3-4 schemes could afford this since they had an extra lb on the field, but 4-3 found them spreading their second level thin. This left the 3-4 susceptible to the run.It took the strong middle of the 4-3 and spread it out as well.
Once the outside Lb camped slant window it opened the off tackle run up since less edge help was available at point, the run could get 3 yards before contact, usally ending an four to five yard gain, a third and one or two situation on average.
Former Walsh film scout and Holmgren wr coach John Gruden , when made head coach of the Oakland Raiders was quoted as saying his "perfect play" was a four yard run.
If you are running for four a pop then it means you have already established the slant-out progression so your basic primary pass route is working and their attempt to stop it has set up your second O option and your primary run play.The short pass is a long handoff in the west coast attack and itself compliments the hand off.
The off tackle is a great play, it allows a double team at point of attack, and is a run the Fb or Hb can do effectively, finally it gives a faster back the chance to break an outside run. Especially in play pass calling, and it keeps the best backfield blocker closer to the qb to protect turnover and signal caller efficiency on the Fb leads.
The greatest west coast rb were actually college fullbacks, all of the early Niners teams that won Superbowls under Walsh featured college fullbacks as their leading rushers, from Montana's first team of RB by committee with Bill Ring and Earl Cooper to Nebraska Option FB Roger Craig's days with champion Niners, the Vikings under Denny Green, and Raiders when Mike White and Mike SHannahan were first trying to convert the vertical stratagey horizontal.Raider Charlie Garner was also an explosive pass catch Fb for Ricky Watters in the Niners system.
Leading fullback runs allows a fast recieiving halfback to be freed to work the flats more on play pass. Isolating OLB in flats from prensap window closure of the wr slant meant thay were going to be forced a matchup with a fast rb who had footwork and speed mismatch on a player who was backpedaling to become even slower.
This stretched a defense out even farther on a horizontal basis, allowing even more stop isolation control routes to move the ball with high percentage completion rate.
Shorter routes meant less qb sacks. Team keying pass rush were met with vicious block scheme that didnt let linemen get upfield if they wanted to keep knees healthy. Linemen trying to break down spots for pass deflections too often were left out of place on qb rollouts and delay runs to power fb. Linemen who got upfield found themselves letting screen passes go by for further yardage. Long Handoffs kept percentages high, clock moving, and tired out front sevens with the amount of field they were required to cover.
Less sacks led to less turnovers as well. Percentage plays that appear to be very complex unless looked at on a per man basis. When team focused on a simpler underneath route it freed up the next level of progression. On first down most often five short routes were run and the avalable route was thrown to, lots of time to do so if traditonal 2 safeties deep is used. If a blitz was used it came from a side that had a percentage pass with tremendous yards after chances with the second level having been used in blitz.
If the safeties were being cheated up as well then it opened one vertical option.Playing closer to help the slant window freed the slant and go or fade routes, but the main west coast option was a higher percentage post or corner route the gave the wr much better chance to face the ball.
Since the reciever ran the control route, why not shorten the yard before breaking for said route, throwing pass sooner to increase odds of execution and allow the player to make the play at the next level. The post and corner went from 15-18 yard breaks to 11-14 yard breaks for example. Walsh even counted the exact number steps in game film scouting that db broke on routes from zone to get an idea of the EXACT moment needed to adjust route down so the reciever got extra step on the db in said down and distance .
Walsh's progression was usually simple, and his scripted set plays featured primary routes from this, in addition to his specialty features for said individual defensive personnell and particular coaching schemes he faced.
Thus teams that had scouted him and were ready actually faced countermeasures to their adjustments already integrated for his offensive playcalls, and once this was done said defenders may then hesitate when the next play off their set list is called the next time around, from a different wrinkle being added to what was seen . This system anticipated what would be called before it was done.
Progressions is what makes west coast go. If then reasoning would mean if this route is stopped then the next route is open.
The slant is primary option...if the slant is covered safety then the Te or Hb are open in flat. If the slant is covered lb then the off tackle or Iso pass for HB has is open.
The Wr slant and the Fb lead off tackle were the heart of this system. Other progressions will be focus at later times. Coaches under Walsh have taken this progression route and applied it vertically (Holmgren and Shannahan) and horizontally (Gruden and Gibbs). Their unique personnell enabled this for the most part, two of those coaches are looking at having to change their scheme to fit their personnell now. The one constant is the if/then reasoning of the system, the aggressive pass heavy scheme, and high percentage of execution on field.
Also these coaches have featured other personnell. Walsh did as well, but his plan was to spread the ball out, these coaches most often took that way of featuring an individual position reciever, making that the central route primary to their entire system.
original post, www.raiderfans.net
Last edited by a moderator:
Ok guys, here goes, oriniglly published via www.raiderfans.net
West Coast Part Two by Mr. Murder, staff for raiderfans.net
The coaching tree for West coast has found its way to the top of many organizations. As assistants from Walsh became head coaches their assistants moved up as well. Denny Green went on to coach the Minnesota Vikings, and some of the players he coached/drafted are some of the best skill players this sport now has. Green was Stanford Head Coach for two seasons before then, once again part of the Walsh history on both Pro and College levels.He stayed until the 2001 season, leading the Vikings to their 15th division title, including a 15 win season with a 6th Championship game appearance.He also was vice president of football operations, in later season (99 until exit).
One constant of Green's tenure was Offensive firepower. Even quarterback changes always resulted in points. Assistant QB coach Brian Billik took that knowledge to the Ravens of Baltimore, and despite limited talent for offensive personell he kept true to the west coast ball control creed and complimented a terrific defense for a Superbowl trophy in January, 2001.His best reults have been to use the traditional power run with control passes.
The major Offensive weapon was Shannon Sharpe, a ten year veteran of the same west coast system from Shannahan's Denver Broncos. Sharpe was their best big play reciever. He was their clutch chain mover as well.He has been the key figure in three west coast Championship teams.
Holmgren went to Green bay, his success in winning a superbowl and going to another, and being the main challenger to the Super Cowboys in the meantime helped secure jobs for two terrific assistants. Jon Gruden and Steve Mariucchi.
Gruden's Green bay tenure is where he was able to see Bill Callahan's work with the Wisconsin Badgers and their tremendous O line. He wanted to add that kind of disciplined frontline power to a pro team and got his chance to do so as a Raiders head coach.
'Mooch' was a key person to grooming Bret Favre as a great downfield passer. The Niners job he took over allowed him to develop a young Qb Jeff Garcia into a premier player.Despite limited postseason succes he was still competetive and takes his system to Detriot, a team in search of an idientity since its best player ever (Barry Sanders) retired.
How each of these coaches took what was part of the Walsh-Al Davis philosophy and matched it with personnell will be the next feature for this bye week. sources; various team sights, www.nfl.com
Perhaps I'll feature one for Norv's system here, pink slips for him or me withstanding of course!
West Coast Part Two by Mr. Murder, staff for raiderfans.net
The coaching tree for West coast has found its way to the top of many organizations. As assistants from Walsh became head coaches their assistants moved up as well. Denny Green went on to coach the Minnesota Vikings, and some of the players he coached/drafted are some of the best skill players this sport now has. Green was Stanford Head Coach for two seasons before then, once again part of the Walsh history on both Pro and College levels.He stayed until the 2001 season, leading the Vikings to their 15th division title, including a 15 win season with a 6th Championship game appearance.He also was vice president of football operations, in later season (99 until exit).
One constant of Green's tenure was Offensive firepower. Even quarterback changes always resulted in points. Assistant QB coach Brian Billik took that knowledge to the Ravens of Baltimore, and despite limited talent for offensive personell he kept true to the west coast ball control creed and complimented a terrific defense for a Superbowl trophy in January, 2001.His best reults have been to use the traditional power run with control passes.
The major Offensive weapon was Shannon Sharpe, a ten year veteran of the same west coast system from Shannahan's Denver Broncos. Sharpe was their best big play reciever. He was their clutch chain mover as well.He has been the key figure in three west coast Championship teams.
Holmgren went to Green bay, his success in winning a superbowl and going to another, and being the main challenger to the Super Cowboys in the meantime helped secure jobs for two terrific assistants. Jon Gruden and Steve Mariucchi.
Gruden's Green bay tenure is where he was able to see Bill Callahan's work with the Wisconsin Badgers and their tremendous O line. He wanted to add that kind of disciplined frontline power to a pro team and got his chance to do so as a Raiders head coach.
'Mooch' was a key person to grooming Bret Favre as a great downfield passer. The Niners job he took over allowed him to develop a young Qb Jeff Garcia into a premier player.Despite limited postseason succes he was still competetive and takes his system to Detriot, a team in search of an idientity since its best player ever (Barry Sanders) retired.
How each of these coaches took what was part of the Walsh-Al Davis philosophy and matched it with personnell will be the next feature for this bye week. sources; various team sights, www.nfl.com
Perhaps I'll feature one for Norv's system here, pink slips for him or me withstanding of course!
Last edited by a moderator:
Good posts all around. :up: = Zod for starting the thread and bringing excellent content. :up: = Mr.Murder for adding more kickazz content.
Here is the final installement before we feature Norv's system
originially posted by Mr.Murder for www.raiderfans.net
West Coast 101- evolution
This famous system and style of coaching has developed and met success in many places for the NFL.Bill Walsh made this a dynasty for his San Franciso 49ers teams. His assistants have in turn taken that and moved it forward to fit their personnell for other teams.
The same way that Bill Walsh took the system he used with Sid Gillman and Al Davis as a Charger coach and then employed in Cincinnatti with Paul Brown Sr in different fashions. The best feature of the 'West Coast' offense is that it can adapt to the players on the team.
From vertical passing of San Diego with Lance Allworth, to the Isaac Curtis days of Cincy with Kenny Anderson's mobile ball control Offense, to Walsh's horizontal emphasis in San Francisco, the plan has always fit the particular quarterback's strentghs.
The most notable (and successful) coaches using this method today are Mike Holmgren, Mike Shannahan, and Jon Gruden. Each has won championships, and each has tailored the system to fit their personnell.
Holmgren went to Green Bay, a town with a young gun of a qb named Mike Maslowski with a penchant for comebacks. He replaced him with a young promising QB in Bret Favre which he obtained from the Atlanta Falcons for a second round pick. Holmgren was a first year head coach, after being an offensive coordinator in San Francisco, with Walsh. Ron Wolfe, a former Raiders assistant to Al Davis brought both together, and started a new era of success which culminated in two superbowls and their franchise record 12th league championship.
Favre was young, a mobile hostile cannon hauler who became a fan favorite. He is an iron man for quarterbacks, the longest current starters streak is still held by him and intact. What is interesting is how his skills allowed the west coast style to evolve.
Downfield passing is a Favre trademark.His arm strentgh allowed the Packers to take the slant and control timing routes, extend these to deep pass routes and achieve the desired high completion % while still getting big plays and more yardage.
The slant more often became the slant-go, or the deep timed out or hook/sits depending on wheter it was man or zone coverage. Most often teams played on heels to respect his arm, and when zone was used the qb could throw time routes to unimpeded targets. Man Routes risked big yards after, and with the arm strentgh corners had to respect the first step or play safe. Once a cover was isolated the result was a dissection. Favre could play catch with a player all day, mix it with the run in bad weather venues and win in a way that would make Mr. Lombardi smile.
Tough plays, 'pretty' plays, all styles could fit in this system if the arm made the throw. More often than not Bret's arm was on target.Holmgren took his style to another town since, and Bret continues to make a game of it on a per week, per play, and per man basis. The other fold added to compliment Bret's arm was the shotgun, which allowed deeper drops and let the qb see the rush and read covers easier.The next coach used this style as well.
The other mastermind for this style is a former Raider coach, Mike Shannahan. After a brief tenure for Al Davis that stopped as it seemed to be turning , Mike went to Denver to match skills with some tremendous personnell. John Elway was tremendous passer who carried the team to success, but the final element was finding balance to help the defense and control the time. Elway was a good game plan manager already, but his step to the next level of greatness used the West Coast style to help.
Elway already used the shotgun under previous head coach Dan Reeves, whose head coach as a player and assistant(Tom Landry) revived it for the Dallas Cowboys and made it part of the modern forward pass. The two minute drill was famous time for using this 'spread' set.
Strong arm makes the extra closing distance to reach a QB in the shogun spread a key to deep passing. The idea was to take the initial three step drop, time the shotgun snap when a player could have the ball in throwing position and be set to deliver, and fashion deeper timing routes and progressions from that primary route.
Elway and Favre both made this possible, their arm strentgh let timing routes on three and five step shotgun snaps work. The hard slant was from the snap, the timed deep out, deep in, or slant-go was the three step progession, and deep routes from the five step drop were the last option, used rarely since outside rushers take wide angles to avoid contact and try to force fumbles on the pass 'wind-up' that makes bombs work.
Watch a shotgun snap for a true west coast team, the qb usually throws by the time he makes his third step. The three step drop is added to the initial presnap depth to make the qb aware of footwork.It sets up screen passes on rushers later in the game once the defense gets seperation layers in its second and third levels.
This is the staple look for almost every team now. The shotgun worked in deep timing plays, a hybrid of two great styles.
The other factor 'Shanny' made a staple was the use of the TE downfield. Shannon Sharpe was a college WR whose transition to tight end was made possible within this system. The Second tight end was an H-back, could move around prensap to show covers, make overloads vs. either zones or blitzes, and challenge the 'seams' of the field vs. standard 2 deep or cover 2 zones where each safety lined up presnap along hashmarks.
At 6'2" and 228 Lbs. he is more of a Rb playing Te, a true slotback. His speed and size make him mismatches for many players, and since he he can motion or be offset jamming him at snap is a difficult task. The all time leader for catches at his position, he is still a dangerous clutch player. Although older,and sometimes inactive, he is NEVER at a loss for words.
The deep pass, a slot Te outrunning LB and safeties and challenging a defense on every play were all done within the system, his primary or secondary progressions forced teams to leave other players open. Great players make everyone better on their team, he has done so.
This year the Raiders have a player this caliber and style, Teyo Johnson, also a college WR making his first start at TE. Perhaps with him taking down set snaps the quick catch specialist Doug Jolley can work the slot 'H-back' sets and get jammed less and use his quickness and footwork to win position too. Both players have the ability to make tough catches, and are smart as well. Broncs fans will get heavy dose of their own medicine from these two in the next matchup, especially with their starting LB minus two good players.
The final west coaches to feature are Jon Gruden and Bill Callahan, both of whom were Raiders head coaches, both of whom played in last year's superbowl.Gruden was an assistant for film scouting (quality control) for the Niners. His winning ways continued as assitant for the Packers and Eagles, where he had Bill join him for a brief tenure as assitants and their team got within a game of the superbowl.
Each coach has brought special wrinkles to the game as well. Gruden's trademark is no huddle plays. Every practice day they practice no huddle after lunch with the players making competetive and quick attempts to score in near game simulations. His team always features a good ball control offense that compliments other aspects of the game.
Gruden took a micromanaged pass heavy set, maximized the percentages, and won a superbowl with an already intact and marvelous defense. Notice the next time you see them play when a down is really needed how often he runs a control route with his biggest Wr Keyshaun Johnson or one of the TE. Their pass routes are usually shorter routes to maximize ball control, long handoffs.When good teams face them , or division foes who know their system well, he may try downfield plays, but more often than not he will run control plays(often the same play back to back) and when done with the script use the same play flipped or change formations and use similar routes in them from different looks for one particular personnell matchup. The man at whose expense he won in the final game last season was the current Oakland Raiders coach. Mr.Bill Callahan has been very successful with the offensive line, his area of expertise. From 90-94 he coached Wisconsin's O line which included many first team All American and Lombardi/Outland finalists and a heisman Runner in Ron Dayne. Gruden saw his work as a Green Bay Assistant, had him join the staff of Ray Rhodes for their time as Eagles assistants, and the two have been business and professional friends ever since. Callahan and Gruden each learned from the other. The complex angleblock and leverage schemes Cally employed to make Wisconsin's team prominent was admired by Gru, and Jon helped the studious Callahan absorb the intricacies of the West Coast scheme . When broken down per man this is a fundamentally sound scheme which is the heart of a Callahan method. Both systems compliment one another and combine for the most effective use of ball control football perhaps ever.
'Chuckie' Jon made Bill his offensive coordinator and his offensive line coach with the Oakland Raiders for two seasons. In addition Callahan was a TE position coach in 98. When Jon left for his hometown and more money, Bill stayed. The worst factor of their superbowl meeting was that either coach had to come out a loser for that day.
Oakland's final two seasons with Gruden the team set records for the least sacks allowed. Callahan was a big part of this, and upon assuming head coach he opened things up even more. The team set a record for passing attempts, their veteran qb Rich Gannon had a career year culminating in the MVP award. The team went for the throat, Zack Crokett led the league in short yardage conversions, the Raiders completed more passes than many teams threw in previous seasons.Charlie Garner had almost 1,900 combined yards.
Callahan helped to build that system, he kept it intact, let his players make plays and won. He knew the players could execute, kept the things flowing smooth so the offense could work. Faith in his players made the next level a reality. Gannon met his match in the final game, the team knew his habits and he forced passes into coverages. Tampa's Defense scored to earn the title. Open players downfield were never connected with, and he kept going to his safety blanket routes for sure catches and missed that these routes were the focus of the edge covers. Cover switches caught him off guard. Since the O line was working under pressure (another story) it had a carry-over effect. Once the system was one dimensional it was known what the triggerman would revert to. This season Rich has tried to make up for that game by playing it safe, he has lacked command and authority of his game. The same faith Callahan has shown for the team that led Oakland to the cusp of greatness has now teetered it onto playoff elimination.
Faith in Callahan is something many question, this fan says if let go it will be the third consecutive head coach let go of who will win a superbowl for another team within a few years.Nothing for him this time either, cannot make coach for picks trades anymore.
No to the recall Cally effort!
The West Coast style continues to evolve. The power run game and control trends are winning now. Making the entire field available is the key.Downfield effectiveness seperates west coast champs from marginal west coast clock management teams
By Mr. Murder, staff columnist for raiderfans.net sources: various NFL team sights, NFL films, live game references... stop by our sight or check out www.profootballcentral.com !
originially posted by Mr.Murder for www.raiderfans.net
West Coast 101- evolution
This famous system and style of coaching has developed and met success in many places for the NFL.Bill Walsh made this a dynasty for his San Franciso 49ers teams. His assistants have in turn taken that and moved it forward to fit their personnell for other teams.
The same way that Bill Walsh took the system he used with Sid Gillman and Al Davis as a Charger coach and then employed in Cincinnatti with Paul Brown Sr in different fashions. The best feature of the 'West Coast' offense is that it can adapt to the players on the team.
From vertical passing of San Diego with Lance Allworth, to the Isaac Curtis days of Cincy with Kenny Anderson's mobile ball control Offense, to Walsh's horizontal emphasis in San Francisco, the plan has always fit the particular quarterback's strentghs.
The most notable (and successful) coaches using this method today are Mike Holmgren, Mike Shannahan, and Jon Gruden. Each has won championships, and each has tailored the system to fit their personnell.
Holmgren went to Green Bay, a town with a young gun of a qb named Mike Maslowski with a penchant for comebacks. He replaced him with a young promising QB in Bret Favre which he obtained from the Atlanta Falcons for a second round pick. Holmgren was a first year head coach, after being an offensive coordinator in San Francisco, with Walsh. Ron Wolfe, a former Raiders assistant to Al Davis brought both together, and started a new era of success which culminated in two superbowls and their franchise record 12th league championship.
Favre was young, a mobile hostile cannon hauler who became a fan favorite. He is an iron man for quarterbacks, the longest current starters streak is still held by him and intact. What is interesting is how his skills allowed the west coast style to evolve.
Downfield passing is a Favre trademark.His arm strentgh allowed the Packers to take the slant and control timing routes, extend these to deep pass routes and achieve the desired high completion % while still getting big plays and more yardage.
The slant more often became the slant-go, or the deep timed out or hook/sits depending on wheter it was man or zone coverage. Most often teams played on heels to respect his arm, and when zone was used the qb could throw time routes to unimpeded targets. Man Routes risked big yards after, and with the arm strentgh corners had to respect the first step or play safe. Once a cover was isolated the result was a dissection. Favre could play catch with a player all day, mix it with the run in bad weather venues and win in a way that would make Mr. Lombardi smile.
Tough plays, 'pretty' plays, all styles could fit in this system if the arm made the throw. More often than not Bret's arm was on target.Holmgren took his style to another town since, and Bret continues to make a game of it on a per week, per play, and per man basis. The other fold added to compliment Bret's arm was the shotgun, which allowed deeper drops and let the qb see the rush and read covers easier.The next coach used this style as well.
The other mastermind for this style is a former Raider coach, Mike Shannahan. After a brief tenure for Al Davis that stopped as it seemed to be turning , Mike went to Denver to match skills with some tremendous personnell. John Elway was tremendous passer who carried the team to success, but the final element was finding balance to help the defense and control the time. Elway was a good game plan manager already, but his step to the next level of greatness used the West Coast style to help.
Elway already used the shotgun under previous head coach Dan Reeves, whose head coach as a player and assistant(Tom Landry) revived it for the Dallas Cowboys and made it part of the modern forward pass. The two minute drill was famous time for using this 'spread' set.
Strong arm makes the extra closing distance to reach a QB in the shogun spread a key to deep passing. The idea was to take the initial three step drop, time the shotgun snap when a player could have the ball in throwing position and be set to deliver, and fashion deeper timing routes and progressions from that primary route.
Elway and Favre both made this possible, their arm strentgh let timing routes on three and five step shotgun snaps work. The hard slant was from the snap, the timed deep out, deep in, or slant-go was the three step progession, and deep routes from the five step drop were the last option, used rarely since outside rushers take wide angles to avoid contact and try to force fumbles on the pass 'wind-up' that makes bombs work.
Watch a shotgun snap for a true west coast team, the qb usually throws by the time he makes his third step. The three step drop is added to the initial presnap depth to make the qb aware of footwork.It sets up screen passes on rushers later in the game once the defense gets seperation layers in its second and third levels.
This is the staple look for almost every team now. The shotgun worked in deep timing plays, a hybrid of two great styles.
The other factor 'Shanny' made a staple was the use of the TE downfield. Shannon Sharpe was a college WR whose transition to tight end was made possible within this system. The Second tight end was an H-back, could move around prensap to show covers, make overloads vs. either zones or blitzes, and challenge the 'seams' of the field vs. standard 2 deep or cover 2 zones where each safety lined up presnap along hashmarks.
At 6'2" and 228 Lbs. he is more of a Rb playing Te, a true slotback. His speed and size make him mismatches for many players, and since he he can motion or be offset jamming him at snap is a difficult task. The all time leader for catches at his position, he is still a dangerous clutch player. Although older,and sometimes inactive, he is NEVER at a loss for words.
The deep pass, a slot Te outrunning LB and safeties and challenging a defense on every play were all done within the system, his primary or secondary progressions forced teams to leave other players open. Great players make everyone better on their team, he has done so.
This year the Raiders have a player this caliber and style, Teyo Johnson, also a college WR making his first start at TE. Perhaps with him taking down set snaps the quick catch specialist Doug Jolley can work the slot 'H-back' sets and get jammed less and use his quickness and footwork to win position too. Both players have the ability to make tough catches, and are smart as well. Broncs fans will get heavy dose of their own medicine from these two in the next matchup, especially with their starting LB minus two good players.
The final west coaches to feature are Jon Gruden and Bill Callahan, both of whom were Raiders head coaches, both of whom played in last year's superbowl.Gruden was an assistant for film scouting (quality control) for the Niners. His winning ways continued as assitant for the Packers and Eagles, where he had Bill join him for a brief tenure as assitants and their team got within a game of the superbowl.
Each coach has brought special wrinkles to the game as well. Gruden's trademark is no huddle plays. Every practice day they practice no huddle after lunch with the players making competetive and quick attempts to score in near game simulations. His team always features a good ball control offense that compliments other aspects of the game.
Gruden took a micromanaged pass heavy set, maximized the percentages, and won a superbowl with an already intact and marvelous defense. Notice the next time you see them play when a down is really needed how often he runs a control route with his biggest Wr Keyshaun Johnson or one of the TE. Their pass routes are usually shorter routes to maximize ball control, long handoffs.When good teams face them , or division foes who know their system well, he may try downfield plays, but more often than not he will run control plays(often the same play back to back) and when done with the script use the same play flipped or change formations and use similar routes in them from different looks for one particular personnell matchup. The man at whose expense he won in the final game last season was the current Oakland Raiders coach. Mr.Bill Callahan has been very successful with the offensive line, his area of expertise. From 90-94 he coached Wisconsin's O line which included many first team All American and Lombardi/Outland finalists and a heisman Runner in Ron Dayne. Gruden saw his work as a Green Bay Assistant, had him join the staff of Ray Rhodes for their time as Eagles assistants, and the two have been business and professional friends ever since. Callahan and Gruden each learned from the other. The complex angleblock and leverage schemes Cally employed to make Wisconsin's team prominent was admired by Gru, and Jon helped the studious Callahan absorb the intricacies of the West Coast scheme . When broken down per man this is a fundamentally sound scheme which is the heart of a Callahan method. Both systems compliment one another and combine for the most effective use of ball control football perhaps ever.
'Chuckie' Jon made Bill his offensive coordinator and his offensive line coach with the Oakland Raiders for two seasons. In addition Callahan was a TE position coach in 98. When Jon left for his hometown and more money, Bill stayed. The worst factor of their superbowl meeting was that either coach had to come out a loser for that day.
Oakland's final two seasons with Gruden the team set records for the least sacks allowed. Callahan was a big part of this, and upon assuming head coach he opened things up even more. The team set a record for passing attempts, their veteran qb Rich Gannon had a career year culminating in the MVP award. The team went for the throat, Zack Crokett led the league in short yardage conversions, the Raiders completed more passes than many teams threw in previous seasons.Charlie Garner had almost 1,900 combined yards.
Callahan helped to build that system, he kept it intact, let his players make plays and won. He knew the players could execute, kept the things flowing smooth so the offense could work. Faith in his players made the next level a reality. Gannon met his match in the final game, the team knew his habits and he forced passes into coverages. Tampa's Defense scored to earn the title. Open players downfield were never connected with, and he kept going to his safety blanket routes for sure catches and missed that these routes were the focus of the edge covers. Cover switches caught him off guard. Since the O line was working under pressure (another story) it had a carry-over effect. Once the system was one dimensional it was known what the triggerman would revert to. This season Rich has tried to make up for that game by playing it safe, he has lacked command and authority of his game. The same faith Callahan has shown for the team that led Oakland to the cusp of greatness has now teetered it onto playoff elimination.
Faith in Callahan is something many question, this fan says if let go it will be the third consecutive head coach let go of who will win a superbowl for another team within a few years.Nothing for him this time either, cannot make coach for picks trades anymore.
No to the recall Cally effort!
The West Coast style continues to evolve. The power run game and control trends are winning now. Making the entire field available is the key.Downfield effectiveness seperates west coast champs from marginal west coast clock management teams
By Mr. Murder, staff columnist for raiderfans.net sources: various NFL team sights, NFL films, live game references... stop by our sight or check out www.profootballcentral.com !
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