New Podcast! This one is a little different. Alberto Cantú is the author of the NFL Playbook, an annual look at the state of the game on both sides of the ball. Last year, Alberto used his founding subscription to The Read Optional to interview me for his upcoming book. It was a fun time, and so we’ve decided to make it an annual event breaking down where offensive schemes are at (in the NFL and beyond) and where they could head this upcoming season.
We discuss a whole bunch, including:
What we mean when we say ‘power spread’
Why gap-scheme runs are on the rise, and what that could mean in 2023.
How coaches are marrying empty formations with power-based runs
The merits of positional versatility
Why the game’s best coaches are leaning into heavier personnel groupings
The use of option routes — the different kinds, why some work for some and not for others
The lessons from Ben Johnson’s Lions
What’s to come in Baltimore, Atlanta, New York, Chicago, Cleveland, and Indianapolis
How (and why) teams use pre-snap motion and shifts in different ways
Why ‘two back’ football is back, but with different presentations
What makes Andy Reid and the Chiefs special
What NFL coaches can take from the evolution of college football’s best offenses
The top ‘league pass’ sides to watch next season
Lots more!
The State Of Offensive Football