NFL offenses have been speeding up recently, skipping the huddle and having a simple one- or two-word play call at the line of scrimmage, and it’s pretty easy to see why. There are clear advantages an offense gains over the defense by running an uptempo attack.
And the biggest reason is it negates the biggest advantage a defense has, which is its defensive line.
A coach once told me that the biggest mismatch in the NFL game is the defensive line against the offensive line. You’re asking 330-pound guards to block tackles far more athletic than they are, or even having 310-pound offensive tackles against guys like Robert Mathis and Robert Quinn. Think about how hard that is. You’re athletically overmatched. It’s pretty simple.
And defensive lines are getting even more athletic on passing downs, with more defensive ends moving inside to tackle in the “NASCAR” package or whatever teams want to call it. They’ll have their four best down pass rushers, all athletic guys, on the field at the same time. The sub-package defensive line against your typical NFL offensive line is a huge mismatch. We saw that in the Super Bowl, when Seattle shut down Denver’s offense.
When you start playing faster, defensive linemen hate it. It’s harder for them to rush the quarterback like that. The other thing that goes with uptempo is there are a lot more quicker drops. There are very few seven-step drops by uptempo offenses, unless it’s an orchestrated shot play. You want to get the ball out. The offensive line doesn’t have to protect as long, and that helps too. The Packers are planning to run more uptempo this season, and it makes sense because of their offensive line, which doesn’t protect well. It benefits them. And even on running plays, the defensive line plays slower. Because of these factors, I think you’ll see more teams speed up the pace. You’ve lessened the defense’s biggest edge, its defensive line against your offensive line.
Also, a huge and obvious benefit is if you don’t substitute on offense, it’s hard for the defense to sub. The smart quarterbacks will just snap the ball when you’re substituting. The offense puts out the personnel it feels works best against your D. You are reacting rather than playing proactively.
The uptempo offense puts the defense on the defensive.
Keep in mind that for years the concept was that an offense was synchronized execution, and the defense was built on disruption and deception. You’re significantly minimizing the disruption and deception of a defense when you’re playing uptempo. And in uptempo offenses you usually spread the field horizontally. That makes it easier for the quarterback to recognize quickly. When the field is spread, it’s harder for a defense to disguise what they’re doing.
Philadelphia’s Nick Foles is a great example of a quarterback who is helped by running an uptempo attack. I like him as a player, but if you just looked at him, nobody would say, “Wow, that guy has all the tools.” He doesn’t have great arm strength, he’s not that nimble in the pocket – if the pocket collapsed last year he had a hard time – so Chip Kelly’s uptempo scheme negates what would be viewed as Foles’ limitations. There are quicker throws so arms strength isn’t an issue, and because they’re quick throws there’s not many people around him in the pocket. And because the defensive line is worn down, the pass rush is slowed down. Foles can be a very efficient player in that system, as he was last year.
Even though the uptempo style can limit a quarterback’s weaknesses, it still takes a certain kind of quarterback to run it. Theoretically it’s easier for the quarterback but the quarterback has to be a disciplined, sharp player.
The downside is you’re not playing offense in a vacuum. Your defense is going to face a lot more plays if the offense is playing fast. Can your defense hold up to that? If you look at a team like Chicago, you’d think that they have all the weapons to play that style. But do they have the defense to face so many plays? You need depth on defense. Your defense needs to be able to hold up. Some coaches would rather shorten the game, limit their defense and control the clock. And you can win that way, or 10 different ways in this league. Look at what Seattle and San Francisco did last year. They were basically playing 1970s old school football.
Still, with all the benefits to the uptempo offense, more teams will use it. Miami seems committed to it. Green Bay will use it more. You might see it from a team with a veteran quarterback and great weapons like Detroit. New England and Denver have run it for a while. It’s a foundation for a team like Philadelphia.
The NFL is playing a lot faster, and for all the advantages it gives the offense, that’s probably not changing anytime soon.
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NFL analyst and NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell watches as much NFL game film as anyone. Throughout the season, Cosell will join Shutdown Corner to share his observations on the teams, schemes and personnel from around the league.
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