Red Zone Blues

[Stor16]

Hey
My I am the OC at a school in Louisiana we run the Wing-T. We are having a pretty good season 7-2 so far, but we have been having a bad tendency to drive the ball and stall out in the Red Zone. With the Playoffs approaching I am trying to retool our RZ package a little and I am open for any plays or suggestions. Thanks

[lewjohnston]

Coach: I'm just wondering what your play-calling is like in the other "zones" coming down the field as compared to your Red Zone calls? I just talked with a Wing T coach whom I observed recently. His team "pounded" its way down the field... 90% running play and maybe a play-action pass. Then he got in the red zone and on first down he called a pass play. Now they're "behind the sticks" and he called another pass play!!! Do you see my point? I asked him why he drove the ball all the way down the field running the ball and then gets close and starts throwing? "Stick with who brung ya!"

Secondly, do you have a specific goal-line/short yardage package? I've got one that you might want to look at. It was about 90% efficient in goal line situations. Email me at coachlewj@gmail.com and "identify" yourself. I'd be glad to send you some material.

God bless,
Lew

[Stor16]

Coach: I'm just wondering what your play-calling is like in the other "zones" coming down the field as compared to your Red Zone calls? I just talked with a Wing T coach whom I observed recently. His team "pounded" its way down the field... 90% running play and maybe a play-action pass. Then he got in the red zone and on first down he called a pass play. Now they're "behind the sticks" and he called another pass play!!! Do you see my point? I asked him why he drove the ball all the way down the field running the ball and then gets close and starts throwing? "Stick with who brung ya!"

Secondly, do you have a specific goal-line/short yardage package? I've got one that you might want to look at. It was about 90% efficient in goal line situations. Email me at coachlewj@gmail.com and "identify" yourself. I'd be glad to send you some material.

God bless,
Lew

Hey Coach
About us:
We are usually 90% run, we have been throwing a little more this year we have a good QB and WR that help create some big plays. We run PA or sprint out often on second down. Our base offense consist of 3 series Buck, Jet, and G. Each year we tend to Evolve to what fits our kids from there. One of our best plays is the Power O which we Toss to HB and our QB leads up also. We like it better vs Odd front then our Buck. We had success with the Jet early in the year(Often with FB Overload) but when our WB went down we had to get away from it. Our new WB is finally hitting it fast enough for us to use it more again. We run our QB wham and FB Trap and Jocker off the overload jet has been good series for us.
RZ
I tend to as you say "Stick with what got me there", but for some reason our bread and butter continuously stalled early in the year. If we were runny Buck or Power I stuck with it, if the G or Jet was working I rolled with it or a counter off of it. We have a Goal line series we use which consist of two tight and a bunch set. We have used Power I in the past with only a few plays Power O, Trap, and a Boot. We tried to get cute and get in a "Wildcat" type set and just snap to our best player one week a gimick series. We also tend to do uncharacteristic things in the RZ this year like a Fumble, droped toss, or a Pick, or miss an assignment we never miss. So I have tried a few things this year. We have the ability to make a good playoff run especially with a win Friday. So I'm really trying to find something we can hang our hat on in the RZ.
Thanks
Coach

[lewjohnston]

Lawrence: Just sent you an email! Lew

[andycamm]

Hey Coach
About us:
We are usually 90% run, we have been throwing a little more this year we have a good QB and WR that help create some big plays. We run PA or sprint out often on second down. Our base offense consist of 3 series Buck, Jet, and G. Each year we tend to Evolve to what fits our kids from there. One of our best plays is the Power O which we Toss to HB and our QB leads up also. We like it better vs Odd front then our Buck. We had success with the Jet early in the year(Often with FB Overload) but when our WB went down we had to get away from it. Our new WB is finally hitting it fast enough for us to use it more again. We run our QB wham and FB Trap and Jocker off the overload jet has been good series for us.
RZ
I tend to as you say "Stick with what got me there", but for some reason our bread and butter continuously stalled early in the year. If we were runny Buck or Power I stuck with it, if the G or Jet was working I rolled with it or a counter off of it. We have a Goal line series we use which consist of two tight and a bunch set. We have used Power I in the past with only a few plays Power O, Trap, and a Boot. We tried to get cute and get in a "Wildcat" type set and just snap to our best player one week a gimick series. We also tend to do uncharacteristic things in the RZ this year like a Fumble, droped toss, or a Pick, or miss an assignment we never miss. So I have tried a few things this year. We have the ability to make a good playoff run especially with a win Friday. So I'm really trying to find something we can hang our hat on in the RZ.
Thanks
Coach

it's happened to me in the past. big thing is a) practice a goalline situation at least once a week. chances are you won't get the same look you're getting on the 30 yd line. 43 guys get into a 60. 30 guys get into a bear. All kinds of gap 8s. if your guys don't apply rules and/or anticipate worst case scenarios you need to have a package. 2 tights gap schemes. belly pass. nomotion runs. a wedge. qb power off misdirection.

all you need is 3 plays and a 2 pt play

nomo wedge to fb
nomo belly pass
gap scheme d gap play
gap scheme qb misdirection opposite

coach erd always had a great goalline package with a tackle over out of 2 tights (blast play).

we're 1-8 this year so grain of salt all of the above!

andy cammarano
spotswood

[Stor16]

it's happened to me in the past. big thing is a) practice a goalline situation at least once a week. chances are you won't get the same look you're getting on the 30 yd line. 43 guys get into a 60. 30 guys get into a bear. All kinds of gap 8s. if your guys don't apply rules and/or anticipate worst case scenarios you need to have a package. 2 tights gap schemes. belly pass. nomotion runs. a wedge. qb power off misdirection.

all you need is 3 plays and a 2 pt play

nomo wedge to fb
nomo belly pass
gap scheme d gap play
gap scheme qb misdirection opposite

coach erd always had a great goalline package with a tackle over out of 2 tights (blast play).

we're 1-8 this year so grain of salt all of the above!

andy cammarano
spotswood

Thanks Coach!
We scored on 100% of our RZ chances this week and beat our District rival pretty good!Playoff start next week we are the 8 seed; hopefuly we are peaking at right time!We amped up our RZ period and took some of Coach Lew's advice making it game like as possible. We scored on Reverse pass one time we have used it twice the past two years and scored both times on about the 6 yard line.We scored on our Power Toss twice, QB wedge off Jet motion twice, and Joker off Jet motion to off set FB. We like our QB Power in the RZ lol one of my favorite plays we run it under center away from high motion and out the gun. Has been a staple of our short yardage plays for past few years. We see a lot of Eagle/over Front and 50.

Have a Blessed day
Seth
OHS

[Rich Erdelyi]

A few thoughts on this topic. First of all is scheme and formation. As Andy said we went tackles over to the SE flank so in Rip formation we had a TE/wing/LG to the left then OC/RG/RT/LT/Wing.....SE to the right. If we went Double Tight Rip we would have a 5 man surface which almost always allowed us to find a "Bubble" to run Belly Slide. We would put the RH in the dive back (maybe sub our 2nd FB) and run Blast which is Belly action in the backfield and the wing would come in Jet motion and kick out the EMOLS while the line all blocks down usually with a double team somewhere with the Dive back leading through the hole. We ran a Keep Pass, a throwback pass to the TE, Counter Boot and a QB Keep with the Dive back lead. It was basically a Power blocking scheme with no puller.

The other aspect besides scheme is how you practice it. We ran 8 Goal Line plays at the end of our team drill every day. Team 1 and 2 each ran 4 plays. I'd put the ball on the 3, the 5, the 7 and say what the D&D was. Make it game like so your kids understand the constricted field for their patterns. On Thursdays during my Indi pass period I'd take the TE's and we'd run our GL passes at the 5 yard line for 5 minutes. On Fridays I'd have my 4th and 1 call at the opponents 35 when we were not going to punt so that's where we put the ball and ran the play. I had a 1st and goal from the 8 call...that's important that the players understand the critical and crucial nature of the call and execution. They must be put in those situations.

As always write or call with questions.

Rich Erdelyi