A fresh look at the Redskins' offense: Week 12 against the 49ers – Washington Post (blog)
The Fresh Look series examines 2014’s games to determine what we can learn about the Redskins’ offense and how it operates under Jay Gruden.
After a bad loss to the Buccaneers at home, Washington traveled to San Francisco to take on the 49ers. Here’s how Gruden and his offense performed.
What worked
After Robert Griffin III’s poor outing against Tampa Bay, Gruden looked to simplify the playbook further for him. He went back to what Griffin did best in his rookie campaign, using the play-action to try and settle him down.
Washington used the post route off the back of play-action all of the 2012 season and had great success with it. This is what Gruden opted to use against the 49ers. But initially, Griffin still struggled.
At the top of his drop, Griffin has wide receiver Pierre Garcon cutting open inside. In 2012, Griffin would have pulled the trigger and hit Garcon in stride for an easy completion. But on this occasion, Griffin hesitates, allowing the defense to recover.
That hesitation left Griffin to look to his check down option in the flat, throwing off-balance as a defender closes in on him.
But as the game progressed, Griffin settled down a bit and started making the throws that gave him so much success in 2012.
This time, DeSean Jackson runs the post route.
Griffin doesn’t hesitate, finding Jackson in space across the middle.
That set up Jackson to gain plenty of yards after the catch.
By the third time Washington ran this play, Griffin appeared much more confident.
Garcon aligns close to the formation, inside the numbers. But the change in formation and alignment doesn’t change the concept. It’s all just window dressing to try to give the defense something else to think about.
The play-action draws in the linebackers, but Chris Borland does a good job recognizing the play and dropping back into coverage. Previously, Griffin might have tried to check it down or take off running. But here, he remains patient in the pocket.
Griffin anticipates Garcon getting open on the other side of Borland. He waits until the last possible second to make a throw just before he takes a big hit.
Garcon goes up and makes a good catch over the middle.
Clearly, this is a concept that Griffin is familiar and comfortable with. I’d be surprised if we don’t see it more consistently going into the 2015 season.
Another concept that Gruden brought in for this game was a run/pass option concept. Griffin ran a few of these types of concepts in his rookie year and in college. Teams such as the Philadelphia Eagles have had success running this particular one.
This play is all about the pre-snap read. It’s a simple numbers game for the quarterback. Washington splits two receivers wide outside on either side of the field. That spreads out the defense and makes it easy for the quarterback to get a good look at what the defense might be doing. For this play, Griffin can either throw a screen or hand the ball off to Alfred Morris. The defensive alignment will tell him which to do.
On this play, San Francisco stays in its nickel package and keeps both safeties deep. That leaves cornerback Chris Culliver, now with Washington, in a two-on-one match up. That tells Griffin to throw the bubble screen.
Ryan Grant does a good job closing the gap between himself and Culliver, setting up the block to give Jackson options on his screen. Jackson picks up seven yards on the play.
Washington ran that play within their first 15 to 20 scripted plays. They used it early to see how the 49ers would respond. After having success, Gruden wisely came back to it to see if the 49ers would adjust.
San Francisco did adjust, bringing a safety down to give them an even numbers matchup on the outside. That tells Griffin, pre-snap, to run the ball.
Washington then adds a read-option element to the play, leaving the back-side defensive end unblocked and having Griffin read him. The defensive end stays home, signaling Griffin to hand it off to Morris.
The unblocked defensive end does a nice job recovering to make the tackle, but not before Morris is able to pick up four yards. A four-yard carry on first and 10 sets up the offense to do as they please on second down.
This is another play that Gruden would be wise to keep in the playbook for next season. With the addition of rookie Jamison Crowder to Jackson and Garcon, Washington has plenty of receivers capable of picking up yards on bubble screens, while running the read-option against a six-man box is always a favorable matchup for the offense.
What didn’t work
The biggest concern I had in this game was Gruden’s decision to run quarterback draws on third and long. Washington’s second third-down attempt was a third and 13 inside their own half. Gruden called for a quarterback draw.
Washington once again spread out the 49ers defense.
But the first problem Washington encounters is San Francisco’s pass rush. They run a ‘TEX’ (tackle-end exchange) stunt. Left guard Shawn Lauvao fails to recognize the stunt, allowing Aldon Smith to get a free rush up the middle.
Griffin does a fantastic job to elude what should have been a certain sack. However, Washington’s other blockers also fail to maintain blocks, allowing the 49ers defenders to close on Griffin, who barely makes it back to the line of scrimmage.
It was odd to me that Gruden would use that play as part of his first section of scripted plays. That suggests they saw something in the 49ers defense that made them believe it would be successful. But it’s difficult to believe that a quarterback draw on third and long would work against a well-coached and disciplined San Francisco defense.
But what was worse was Gruden going back to it, having already seen it fail.
This play came midway through the fourth quarter, with the score tied. Washington faced another third and long, needing to pick up at least a few yards to get in field goal range for Kai Forbath. Despite having barely made it back to the line of scrimmage on the previous attempt, Gruden went back to the quarterback draw.
This time, Washington’s offensive line blocks the play better for Griffin, giving him a clear rushing lane.
But this is where the biggest concern is for me. Ever since Washington spent a fortune to move up and get Griffin, there has been an emphasis on protecting him. Washington has invested time in trying to teach Griffin to get out of bounds when he runs with the ball, to avoid taking as many hits as he can. He started to show progression in that aspect of his game in the weeks leading up to this game. But his natural instinct is to try and fight for a few extra yards to get the first down, even if that means taking a hit.
By calling a quarterback draw on third and long, you’re asking Griffin to go and get the first down all by himself. With the defense spread out and playing to defend the first-down marker, they all have eyes on the quarterback. As soon as he takes off, the entire defense focuses on him. Griffin manages to get through the line of scrimmage untouched on this play. But then he faces a decision. He could simply sprint to the sideline and get out of bounds, as he’s been taught, but that would have him well short of the first-down marker. Instead, the play call and Griffin’s instincts tell him to turn back upfield and try to make the first down. Fortunately, Griffin avoids taking a big hit, but by cutting back up the field, he opened himself up to hits. As we see in the picture above, the 49ers corner could have quite easily hit his knee and injured him.
In my opinion, the only time I’d run a quarterback draw is inside the five yard-line, looking for a touchdown. Even then, I’d give the quarterback an option to bail out if the look isn’t right. For Gruden to script it into the first 15 plays, on third and long no less, and then go back to it after it failed is a very poor decision.
Tendencies
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Mark Bullock is The Insider’s Outsider, sharing his Redskins impressions without the benefit of access to the team. For more, click here.
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