The offensive techniques and formations prevalent in the
contemporary game developed from the ideas of early and
mid-20th century coaches such as Walter Camp, Alonzo
Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding “Hurry Up” Yost, Bob Zuppke,
Knute Rockne, and Paul Brown. Following very few
historical precedents, these men innovated unique
strategies that changed the nature of football forever.
Stagg, operating out of the early T-formation,
originated the between-the-legs snap from center to
quarterback and put a player in motion in the backfield
before the snap of the ball. In 1906 Warner unbalanced
his line, placing four players on one side of the center
and two on the other side, while shifting the backfield
into a wing formation. The quarterback functioned as a
blocker, set close behind the line and a yard wide of
the center. At the same depth, but outside the line, was
the wingback. Deep in the backfield was the tailback,
who received most of the snaps, and in front and to the
side was the fullback. This formation became known as
the “Single-Wing,” and it remained football's basic
formation until the 1940s.
From the Single-Wing emerged
Warner's “Double-Wing,” with wingbacks set wide on
either side of the line. This formation forced the
defense to spread itself across the field in order to
protect against the pass, thus creating favorable
conditions for the offense to execute unexpected running
plays. The strategy is the same as today's “draw” and
“end-around” concepts, but Warner's teams could also
pass from the formation. Warner would also open up the
lines completely, splitting the ends into modern “slot”
positions, inside the wingbacks. This was a
four-receiver formation that evolved into the “Shotgun”
offense, popularized by the San Francisco 49ers of 1960.
Like the double-wing, the “Shotgun” utilized two
wideouts and two slot players, with the passer set deep
in the backfield next to a running back. The NFL's
newest formation of the 1990s, the “Run and Shoot”
offense, also resembles Warner's formation. With
Warner's innovations, wing formations came to dominate
the NFL. Coach Zuppke at Illinois ran single- and
double-wing formations, often sending four or five
receivers downfield in pass patterns. Some teams would
use a short-punt formation, with the quarterback and
wings set on different sides, providing a more balanced
look.
At Notre Dame in 1923 and 1924, Rockne instituted
his famous Four Horsemen offense. At the beginning of a
play, Rockne set up the backs in a four-square, box
alignment on one side. Then, in the famous “Notre Dame
Shift,” the backs would shift out of the box and into a
single or double wing. In later years, other coaches
imitated Rockne's innovation and achieved similar
success. For example, former Washington Redskins' coach
Joe Gibbs implemented an offensive strategy called the
“Explode Package.” Modeled after Rockne's Notre Dame
Shift, the Explode Package helped the Redskins defeat
the Miami Dolphins in the 1983 Super Bowl. In Gibbs's
system, the backs and receivers would jump into new
positions before the snap, thus unsettling the defense.
Although talented, the quarterbacks of the 1930s and
parts of the 1940s seldom completed 50 percent of their
passes, while many were even less successful. A major
cause of these low percentages was the primitive nature
of pass-blocking schemes. With little protection,
passers always had to throw while avoiding incoming
rushers.
In the 1940s Paul Brown, the coach of the
Cleveland Browns, installed a blocking system which
transformed the passing game forever. Brown changed the
system by arranging the linemen in the form of a cup.
They pushed most incoming pass-rushers to the outside.
Anyone who penetrated the line was met by a firmly
planted fullback named Marion Motley. From that point
on, the passing game achieved a new significance.
Other
teams implemented strong blocking lines, providing the
quarterback with more time to release the ball. The
contemporary game of the 1980s and 1990s is noted for
its exciting and effective passing plays in both the
professional and college ranks. Artificial turf, the
surface in many of the nation's stadiums, provides
excellent footing for quarterbacks and receivers.
With
strong protection, talented quarterbacks make a
perceivable difference to a game. For example,
quarterback Joe Montana keyed the San Francisco 49ers'
three Super Bowl victories in the 1980s. Montana, who
benefited from good protection, could instinctively read
defenses and had the ability to deliver the ball
accurately to his receivers while on the move. In
college football, the University of Miami Hurricanes
dominated the game in the late 1980s with a flashy
passing game and a quick defense that could react
effectively to the pass. |
