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West Coast Principles

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  • I was interested in learning more specifics about "west coast" offense. I was reading about it and came across this diagram of this basic west coast concept:

    westcoast.jpg

    and then I went back to an article I'd saved from a long time ago that had this diagram of the basics of the Texas passing game and got this diagram.

    twomangame.jpg

    Look similar?

    The basic idea of the west coast is to release all five eligible receivers into the pattern. It places a lot of pressure on the QB to make the right reads (there's more to process). The Texas "Two-man" game or "stick" concept is basically this:

    - it can used on any side of the formation with at least two receivers. Texas likes to run it with three receivers so that the outside guy runs deep to draw coverage.

    - one receiver (usually slot) will run to the flat

    - the second receiver runs eight yards or so upfield and then will cut in or out depending on the defensive alignment/pressure. He wants to find the crease in the zone and to find the window that gets created as the flat defender widens for the other receiver on the “shoot” route to the flat. Against man coverage, he can break back to the sideline.

    This seems like it would translate to the above west coast idea.

    Here's a video of McCoy in this concept.

    On some level, it makes sense that Holmgren would like THIS particular player. Perhaps I am reading too much into it but I thought it was an interesting connection.

    References:

    1. "Colt McCoy's Texas Passing Game". Smart Football.com (see article here)

    2. www.westcoastoffense.com

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  • Great stuff!!!

    Is a pig's ass pork?

  • Colt makes a quik judgement/read and release on that tape. Very nice.

    Maybe we have a real NFL QB coming in.

    Head or Gut?

  • This post is superb. Very well done.

  • Great thread, and for more information about Texas' offense during the Colt era (and to challenge those who claim Texas ran a gimmicky offense), there's a great article on it at smartfootball.com

    EDIT: wow, I hadn't actually read that page in a long time, and didn't realize it was one of the original parents' references. So, definitely check out the link, but it's the same one the OP posted.

  • Two things:

    1. I would say yes, McCoy could easily adapt eventually to the West Coast Offense....but the question is: what offense is Daboll running? I don't think the Browns ran anything like a WCO last year.

    2. When McCoy is in there, can we be assured that all the defensive backs are going to make a bonehead play like that Ohio State DB did on the video to give Texas that Fiesta Bowl game? That DB made a lame read and a lameass tackle...with 16 seconds left...giving UT the game. Can we be guaranteed to get that kind of poor performance from all Browns future opponents?

  • i believe we'll be balanced forever-more. well, throughout this regime anyway. i just hope it's long lived. balance or more specifically excellence on both sides of the ball with the flexibility to do either at will is the Belicheck/Romeo/Mangini ideal as far as i can tell. you'd think it would be everyone's goal really. having both the ability to run over weak D's on the ground (see '09 PIT, OAK, KC, JAX) and passing effectively when needed as well (see _______ er, yet to be seen) is what they've sought for the past five years, give or take, and fell short of except for parts of '07.

    if they filled in the blank with some type of Paul Brown-offshoot-Erie-compatible-WCO-Mangren-offensive ninja strategy hybrid mixed in with a little hard running to keep em honest that seems like an all around hard to beat combination. and if they get lazy with their tackling or fatigued and jooked Harrison, Hardesty, and Davis will make them pay all day long.

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