Harry
ASFN Consultant and Senior Writer
There seems to be confusion on the board as to what a game plan is or how it functions. The actual game plan, offense-wise, is the selection of plays likely to be used and the sequence in which they are employed. The play comes in and the offense lines up in the relevant formation. Assume it’s a pass. The QB’s first job is to determine if the defense is playing man or zone. Motion will usually tell you the answer. If someone on defense shifts with the offensive players who shifts or goes in motion the defense is typically playing a version of man. The next thing a QB does is to visualize which defenders will likely encounter which receivers along the routes the play instructs them to run. Plays are design to favor particular receivers or game situations. However, reading the defense tells a good QB where the defensive mismatches will likely occur or where the routes will send a receiver near a hole in a zone system. In most systems the QB decides where the ball will go.
What I saw as the QB differences were obvious to me. Murray almost always throws the ball to the receiver favored by the play design. If he’s covered early, Murray delays hoping his target will come open or throws into coverage. McCoy decided, almost always correctly, where the defensive weakness was. Studying film helps a QB do this quickly. He was able to target that receiver almost immediately. He could get the ball out quicker and this kept the receivers more involved and focused on clearing. McCoy did use progressions a little. Like most coaches Kingsbury’s routes contained options. McCoy chose his option before the ball was snapped. Murray still stares down some receivers and only changes to his outlet when pressured. Otherwise, he rarely throws to a secondary target.
I’m not sure the game plan was dramatically different for McCoy, but he’s not a great deep thrower. So deep routes were seldom thrown. The plan just seemed better because the execution was focused on the defensive alignment, not the play design.
What I saw as the QB differences were obvious to me. Murray almost always throws the ball to the receiver favored by the play design. If he’s covered early, Murray delays hoping his target will come open or throws into coverage. McCoy decided, almost always correctly, where the defensive weakness was. Studying film helps a QB do this quickly. He was able to target that receiver almost immediately. He could get the ball out quicker and this kept the receivers more involved and focused on clearing. McCoy did use progressions a little. Like most coaches Kingsbury’s routes contained options. McCoy chose his option before the ball was snapped. Murray still stares down some receivers and only changes to his outlet when pressured. Otherwise, he rarely throws to a secondary target.
I’m not sure the game plan was dramatically different for McCoy, but he’s not a great deep thrower. So deep routes were seldom thrown. The plan just seemed better because the execution was focused on the defensive alignment, not the play design.
