Counter Trey

For those of you who either aren't old enough to remember or you just became a fan. Here is the Gibb's bread and butter play. This WP article gives the perfect description of it:

Though the Redskins kept their offense mostly simple in preseason games this summer, Gibbs already has employed some of the classic plays in his arsenal.

They included the counter trey, once the Redskins' signature running play that Gibbs implemented his first season and used for years to take advantage of his gifted and mobile offensive line, then as now coached by Joe Bugel. In the counter trey, Bostic, the center, right guard Mark May and right tackle George Starke would block to the left, giving the appearance of a run to the left. Left guard Russ Grimm and left tackle Joe Jacoby would then pull out from their positions and head around the right corner and down the field looking for linebackers and defensive backs to flatten.

The running back would take a step to the left to draw the defense to that side, then take a handoff from the quarterback and head right behind Grimm and Jacoby, with defenders often scattered like so many bowling pins along the way.




Now just imagine Randy Thomas and Chris Samuels running right at the defense full speed with Portis following. This play is great!

A true staple of any decent running offense nowadays. It is suceptible to athletic and fast LBS who can blow around the weak side and the center. Guys like Arrington eat a counter trey up if it isn't run perfectly. Luckily he's on our team.

Thats why it takes a guy like Gibbs to run the play well. He demands perfection!

yeah we have to be wary. LBs have certainly gotten a lot faster since those days, and I think linemen have only gotten bigger and slower. there will be some teams you just can't do this to depending on who's lined up at LB

Now just imagine Randy Thomas and Chris Samuels running right at the defense full speed with Portis following. This play is great!
Imagine to if Thomas played next to Samuels. The Counter to the right works with Samuels and Dockery pulling. To the left you will see Thomas and Jones pulling. This is the counter.

the problem is that thomas and samules wont be pulling becuase they play on opposite sites. It will be fat ass dockery and Samuels... Or fast Thomas and Jones (who I dont know much about his speed).

Imagine to if Thomas played next to Samuels. The Counter to the right works with Samuels and Dockery pulling. To the left you will see Thomas and Jones pulling. This is the counter.


My bad......

The counter trey worked so great b/c riggins and other backs, like byner, had some speed, but not too fast to beat his blockers around the end. Portis on the other hand is a quicker and looking to hit that corner quickly. I think Portis may have a small problem at first, but once he realizes to wait and follow his blockers he will have more success.

The counter trey worked so great b/c riggins and other backs, like byner, had some speed, but not too fast to beat his blockers around the end. Portis on the other hand is a quicker and looking to hit that corner quickly. I think Portis may have a small problem at first, but once he realizes to wait and follow his blockers he will have more success.

he showed some problems with this exactly in the preseason. Denver uses a spread that opens holes naturally by design but the trey and Gibbs' other basic runs are generally blow 'em open type plays that require strength and technique on the part of the blockers. In essense the holes are generated by the blockers rather than by the design of the play. Portis may have early issues trying to hit a hole when it wont always materialize in the same place or at the same time. It takes patience which will need to be learned.

I saw that Portis had trouble early reading the hole on this play early, but in the Miami game you could see the light bulb really come on. I think all the early debate centered on Riggins running the play with power, but Portis' speed adds a new dimension altogether. Once Portis gets in the secondary he excels at finishing runs. Just look at his Denver highlights, once he gets past the linebackers he is not only fast, but he is extremely elusive.