To Read Option, or Not

NFL head coaches are already speaking to college defensive coordinators on how to stop the read option. I don't know how much longer the Shanahans plan to use it, but I think they should use it but not as much as last year and begin having RG3 operate out of a more traditional west coast offense more.

Not only keep the read option, but expand it and tweak it.
More spread read-option from 3-4 WR sets.
Mix in a lil no-huddle.

Not only keep the read option, but expand it and tweak it.
More spread read-option from 3-4 WR sets.
Mix in a lil no-huddle.

Agreed. And more read option play action passes.

To stop the read option defenses will send one guy take the QB and have another defender shadow the RB for the pitch option. We saw several teams (eg. Dallas, Baltimore) try this last year. This will leave defenders out of position for pass coverage. So when defenders set themselves to defend the read option run, it will not be difficult to go over their heads.

The ravens showed in the super bowl, you knock the crap out of out him when they do the option play, whether he has the ball or not. It starts to get the QB rattled, more snaps to the RB, and as we saw when the QB is rattled or hit a lot, he doesn't play up to par with some bad throws, just like Kaepernick did.

The ravens showed in the super bowl, you knock the crap out of out him when they do the option play, whether he has the ball or not. It starts to get the QB rattled, more snaps to the RB, and as we saw when the QB is rattled or hit a lot, he doesn't play up to par with some bad throws, just like Kaepernick did.

Until the 49ers OC realized that if a defense commits to stopping the read option, that other plays are completely open without putting your QB in harms way. Once the 49ers OC pulled his head out of his ass, the 49ers came charging back.

We run the quick pitch. Let the defense commit outside guys to the inside. A good OC will burn that, just like the 49ers OC burned the Ravens the entire second half.

Most of you against the read option think that we run it 85% of the time. It doesnt need to be done more than a couple of times a game to get the desired result.

Not only keep the read option, but expand it and tweak it.
More spread read-option from 3-4 WR sets.
Mix in a lil no-huddle.

I like this idea. Turn it into a passing offense or use passing formations and then hit the defense with the option run.

Rg3 has to have learned. When a 350 pound NT crashes into your leg and kills your knee, then you begin to think of what can be done differently. Diving, sliding, and running out of bounds should be his focus when he's running out there with the pigskin.


For a brief second, I saw the Team name!

Every bad hit came from Griffin not wanting to give up when he saw a sliver of opportunity, he will be successful if he can reset his internal gauge for success from college speed openings to pro speed openings, and only game experience will prove that one way or the other.

for sure.

RG is a very good passer, but he will also be a running QB whether we run the read-option of not. Again as others have said many times, RG took the worst hits scrambling, not on the read-option.

So the question is, does the read-option increase the chance of RG taking vicious shots? Last season says that the confusion and hesitation inflicted on opposing defenses actually reduced the risk.

If you want to reduce RG's vulnerabilities as a running QB, you have to make him stop scrambling, extending plays, and running upfield on broken plays. That's why running QBs don't last, before and since the read-option was introduced to the NFL.

So...what's your expectation for our boy?

NFL head coaches are already speaking to college defensive coordinators on how to stop the read option. I don't know how much longer the Shanahans plan to use it, but I think they should use it but not as much as last year and begin having RG3 operate out of a more traditional west coast offense more.

This is my bottom line per hope/expectation. Trouble is: hard to get too "traditional" when your pass-protection looks like Swiss cheese, which ours did far too often last season. After the reg season I saw a stat RG took the highest percent of hits in the pocket among all QBs. And it's not all from the right side. Missed blocking assignments on the left, particularly involving our TEs and especially with curious presence of one Niles Paul on offense, led to several massive hits on RG. I remember commentators mention concussion on at least a few occasions.