Under utilized

[JWright]

Coaches
One of things I speak about at my clinics is tight end and here is a post I wrote about it.
Enjoy
Coach Wright

So like all of us,my brain has a mind of its own and while taking a shower it hit me....
What is the most under utilized position in college football and now high school?
The tight end
I mean you turn on Saturday football and you see a few teams using the tight end. But mostly their 10 personnel. Even the military academies with their flexbone offense under utilized the TE. The teams we play in our league same thing mostly 10 personnel.
Why is that?
Is it because there is no need for them anymore or is it because you can not find them anymore?

Turn on Sunday football and not only will you see them using them, you will also find them using two or three of them.
Why is that?
Because you have a need for them or is it because you can not find many receivers anymore?

Why is it on college there is no need for them, but a need on the pro level?
I have a theory that is based entirely on matchups and the discrepancy of talent at each level.
1. What does a three man surface offer that a two man can not?
2. What is the discrepancy of talent between a NFL rushing end verse a NFL offensive tackle?
3. What kind of matchup does a 10 personnel present vs a 11 or 12 or 21 personnel to the defense in terms of number of backers to cover guys and cover guys having to tackle and tackling guys having to cover?

Let's break it down:
THREE MAN SURFACE
-allows us to dictate to the defense where we want to run the ball via controlling the 3 tech location etc..
-How about when defenses are going to place their better run defenders to the tight end side and us simply using a tight end to get their better guys verse our weaker linemen and then our better linemen verse their weaker defenders. Take it one step further where using the tight end can not only give us their weak vs our strong but then even gives us wide side to their weaker defenders as well....try that with 10 personnel.
-double tight causes real problems for defense because it allows you to run the same play to or away a 3 tech based on matchups
-creates more opportunity to have double teams

NFL DISCREPANCY
-the biggest way to control a rush end in the NFL is chipping my him with a TE or extended his path to the QB with the TE.
- They also like to check release the TE because now you get another pass blocker, but if you do not need him you gain another receiver.

MATCHUPS
Tight end forces the defense to keep run defenders in the game, but if the matchups is favored to a tight end now you can have a huge talent discrepancy with a LBER trying to cover a TE.

Wing t coaches have been using the tight end for years and for good reason....he is a huge weapon in this offense. When we get good ones we are really tough to defend. Play action becomes a major pain in the butt for defenses or that small wing or HB cannot block an oversized 5 tech or ILB. Tight end kicking out or veering inside allows a better matchup in the wing run game. I am sure the list goes on.
Just some thoughts
Coach Wright

[CoachCorrea]

Here is how important our TE is in our scheme.


http://www.hudl.com/video/3/8657009/...fa8066a8c83992

[bucksweep]

I was just talking to a rival coach that recently retired and he was commenting on how tough it was to defend our TE side game was.

Nice post coach.

[EM44]

We're at a small school, and there have been years where we didn't have a quality TE. This really throws a wrench in the works. Rather than always going with 2 SE sets, we had to get creative with substitutions and formations.

[DeaconKlemme]

So then....what do you do to get the TE touches and chances to make plays? Drag/banana route on waggle, Maybe an arrow on 3 step? Pop passes? Y screen. Vertical or a bender route?

I think they are very underused in HS. I want to know more to get them utilized better. I have a Jr and a Soph who could be special kids.

[lewjohnston]

Deacon (and others): It ain't a "Wing T Offense" without a Tight End!!! ha ha! But... true! We'll take one of the 2-3 toughest kids we have and make him a TE! First, he's got to want to block! If pressed for a good blocker, we'll take our 3rd Guard or Tackle and put him there. If we want to throw to the TE, we'll "sneak" an athlete in at the appropriate time.

Tubby used to say that "Waggle to the TE flank is a better play than Waggle to the SE side!" I agree. We also got a LOT of completions to the TE off of Down Keep Pass to that flank. Probably our most consistent pass to the TE came on what we called "Waggle Solid." I got it from Coach Erdelyi. The QB starts to roll to the SE side on Waggle but pulls up in the split-side B gap. The TE starts across on his Drag but "sits down" right over the Center about 8-9 yards... between the 2 Inside LB's. We LOVED this on 3rd and 6-8 yards. The TE was almost always wide open.

The last way we utilized our TE was: if he was athletic enough... and had some speed!... we ran Down Reverse to the TE. Fake Down to the Fullback and give to the TE coming around behind the QB. Pull the b-s Guard and away we go!!!

[Rich Erdelyi]

Lew gave you some great ideas. If you have 2 TE's you are really in great shape. We usually had at least 2 good ones because they knew the offense when we recruited them. Jim mentioned a 3 man surface and I offer you a 4 or 5 man surface. Go double tight with tackles over left. You now have a 4 man surface and with a wing it in essence becomes a 5 man surface. I guarantee you'll have a bubble somewhere to run our Belly Slide, Jet Lead(Red Light) or Down. We also ran Buck Sweep to that flank pulling the covered linemen sometimes getting 3 pullers(got that from Herschel). To the nub side we'd run Jet Sweep usually with an offset FB, Jet Lead, QB Sweep and Belly Keep Pass. When we ran BKP we'd block down with the wing to seal the flank thus giving the corner a false run read. TE releases inside for the corner pattern, backside TE drags, backside wing comes across in Jet/slide motion and runs arrow to the flat. This was my favorite 4th & 1 play when going for it in + territory.

We would also go tackles over to the SE flank keeping TE/OG backside and set the backfield strong to the nub and run Belly Keep Pass and Counter Boot to the nub on first sound using the wing to seal the flank with the SE running the drag. To the tackles over SE flank we'd go wing nub side dive back behind the tackles and run counter boot to the SE flank using the wing in Jet/slide motion to log the flank. You must pull the inside tackle to protect backside thus creating the true Counter Boot false key. The TE on the drag was almost always open.

If you are in Gun at all we'd line up Trips Gun TE flank with SE/dive back away and run our 50 series(5 receivers out) Y stick with the TE reading the PSILB to sit at 6 if he blitzes or peel to the outside keeping him on his back. The wing runs arrow to the flat; flanker runs skinny post; dive back flares and SE runs slant. Linemen block the 5 down linemen (including DE's) with QB reading the ILB's. QB catches snap and is left/right throw...2 quick steps making the read. This was our go to 3rd &4-6 play. It was the last play I called in my career and we hit the TE for a TD (anticipating red zone blitz and FS didn't cover up in time.

Lew mentioned Down Keep Pass. We loved this from Pro Red formation with TE/wing/flanker. This usually gets the corner out of the action so you get a high/low...inside/out on the SS. You can control the FS from jumping the TE by sending the SE through Center field. If he jumps the TE you run Down Pass Throwback for a TD.

Hope this gives you some food for thought. As always write or call with questions.

Rich Erdelyi

[DeaconKlemme]

Good stuff fellas! thanks. You know its a good day when you have to sit with a notepad next to the laptop to see your ideas on paper. I hope the Snow-magedon doesn't keep you all down out east.