Snap to QB

ibeattetris

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,606
Uhhhh so Brent Key said in the interview last week that a snap to a QB in shotgun is faster than a direct snap alluding to the Johnson style formation. My initial gut reaction was WTF?

This is Tech. Anyone care to measure and run the numbers?
He said that it "get in the hands of the running back faster". This is probably, literally true. I wish whoever asked the question would have followed up with why NFL teams have short yard formations under center and why we do not if we are trying to be a pro based offense. If their plan is to never be under center I would just like to hear their rationale. I also wish we would have had a shotgun package for third and nine+ under CPJ.

Here is my response from the "Bye Week Media" thread when we initially discussed it
Pretty interesting take by Key regarding the shotgun when short yardage situations. “Is the center going to sneak it”, well no, but the QB could. He also mentions that being in the shotgun gets the ball in the RB hands quicker, which while potentially true, doesn’t mean that the RB gets to LOS quicker.

I haven’t found any data for CFB yet, but here is an article I found with NFL data:
https://statsbylopez.com/2015/10/30/on-3rd-and-one-why-do-teams-go-shotgun/

"League-wide, there’s an absolute improvement of about 4.5% (67.5 success rate versus 63%) comparing plays under center versus from shotgun. The difference is statistically significant (and if you want the p-value, it’s about 2 in 10000)."

Again, that’s for NFL teams, I will keep trying to see if there is any CFB stats for it.
 
Last edited:
Messages
13,443
Location
Augusta, GA
He wasn’t talking about Johnson’s offense he was asked about goal line and short yardage situations.
It doesn't matter which offense he is talking about. A snap under center is definitely faster than a snap in the shotgun formation. And WTH would anybody think that adding another couple of yards distance to the end zone or the first down marker would work better than a couple of feet?
 
Messages
13,443
Location
Augusta, GA
He said that it "get in the hands of the running back faster". This is probably, literally true. I wish whoever asked the question would have followed up with why NFL teams have short yard formations under center and why we do not if we are trying to be a pro based offense. If their plan is to never be under center I would just like to hear their rationale. I also wish we would have had a shotgun package for third and nine+ under CPJ.

Here is my response from the "Bye Week Media" thread when we initially discussed it
I disagree that it even gets it to the running back faster, unless it's a pitch.
 

jgtengineer

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,069
It may get to the runningback faster in theory however your running back has no head of steam coming forward. In a zone scheme with designed cutbacks. This can be useful however in less than a yard situations lining up the the shot gun allows line backers more leeway to read and react because the threat of a QB sneak is gone. One of tom Brady's best plays is his sneak he's probably continued more drives on it than anyone in the game and also probably has more quick slant completions because of a frozen linebacker keeping his eyes inside.

This honestly sounds like key trying to address something he might have read on a message board somewhere.
 

BleedGoldNWhite21

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,519
Yeah The Eagles got at least two first downs on QB
Sneaks earlier tonight. I really don’t get this philosophy.

To be fair to our coaching staff, I see this asinine philosophy with a lot of college football teams, so they aren’t the only ones doing this.
 

jgtengineer

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,069
Yeah The Eagles got at least two first downs on QB
Sneaks earlier tonight. I really don’t get this philosophy.

To be fair to our coaching staff, I see this asinine philosophy with a lot of college football teams, so they aren’t the only ones doing this.

It almost cost clemson a shot at a championship once. Lined up with stoudt in gun shotgun snap over his head.
 

White_Gold

GT Athlete
Messages
314
Location
Dahlonega
Yeah The Eagles got at least two first downs on QB
Sneaks earlier tonight. I really don’t get this philosophy.

To be fair to our coaching staff, I see this asinine philosophy with a lot of college football teams, so they aren’t the only ones doing this.

To be fair, Navy and the Triple Option got stuffed by MEMPHIS multiple times on 3rd+4th and short. Memphis.
 

ibeattetris

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,606
This honestly sounds like key trying to address something he might have read on a message board somewhere.
He was responding to a direct question of why we don't line up under center when 3rd or 4th and short. I don't feel like he was trying to address anything.
The quesiton begins here:


Ken's been putting out better content recently, but he can use some work interview question asking.

To be fair to our coaching staff, I see this asinine philosophy with a lot of college football teams, so they aren’t the only ones doing this.
100%
 

ibeattetris

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,606
I’m pretty sure Tebow+Chris Leak used to take goalline snaps from the gun.

It doesn’t particularly matter so long as you have a system/set of plays that work off each other.
I don't think we should *never* go gun when we have one yard to go. I think there are a lot of benefits to shotgun (even with short yards to go). I would just like for us to have a package under center for these scenarios as well. I really think removing the threat of QB sneak is pretty big.
 

pbrown520

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
586
To be fair, Navy and the Triple Option got stuffed by MEMPHIS multiple times on 3rd+4th and short. Memphis.

You act like Memphis isn't a good match up for Navy. Navy.

There are lots of teams that go under center some who aren't running the 3O. There are lots of teams who don't. I've never been a huge fan of it, but running short yardage from the gun can work.

Frankly the offense just doesn't do anything well right now and any time we get something going, Pnode changes QBs and therefore the entire play package that he runs.
 
Top