Chalk Talk: Playing Offensive Line in the Triple Option

In my 13 years playing offensive line, I took part in several offensive systems throughout high school and college: pro-style, spread, pistol, and even a variation of West Virginia's offense called the "shot-run." Yet one of the most fun systems to play o-line in was undoubtedly the triple option.

I reported for my first training camp at Colorado College in August 2008. The Tigers' offensive coordinator left during the offseason to take the head coaching job at Grinnell, which is actually where I ended up once Colorado College cut football. Anyway, while meeting my fellow freshmen football players for the first time, I heard rumblings that we were going to run "the triple option."

I was coming from a high school where we were in the shotgun 95% of the time, and using 5-wide sets for at least a third of our plays. This was during a magical time when coaches across the country thought the spread offense couldn't be stopped. Unicorns danced in fields made of rainbows and puppy smiles. I liked playing o-line in the spread, and the pressure of passing on most plays developed in me an unflappable confidence in pass protection. I hadn't even heard of the triple option.

Our rival high school ran a bastardized double-tight version of the flexbone which we affectionately referred to as "the turtle," but I didn't know that it was actually an abomination derived from Paul Johnson's triple option. In the coming weeks and months, I would come to simultaneously revile and enjoy playing in the sweet simplicity of the triple option.

What's so great about playing in an offense that passes the football maybe three times a game, you ask? You can absolutely terrorize the defensive linemen.

Ask any d-lineman who has played against the triple option, and he will tell you he absolutely hates it; he will also probably call it stupid, because he doesn't want to say he is afraid of it. Offensive linemen have three jobs on the base triple option play: cut a d-lineman, double-team a d-lineman, or cut a linebacker. (a cut block is aimed at the defender's knees with the intention of getting them to fall down.)

At Colorado College, we literally used our entire practice time practicing these three blocks. It gets ingrained in the very fiber of your being, to the point where all you have to think about before a snap is how you are going to ruin your defender's world.

Did I mention we played out of a four-point stance? On passing plays, we actually had to take a step forward before we could start our pass blocking. When a defensive lineman is uncertain of whether he is going to be double-teamed or cut, he can't play to the best of his ability. I prided myself in causing these d-linemen to live in fear. I was a football terrorist, and I loved it.

Let's take a look at what makes the base play of the triple option so simple for offensive linemen.

The video footage used in making these images is courtesy of ESPN.

This is Air Force, who is located in the same city as Colorado College. Their offense rushed for over 314 yards per game (third in the nation). The quarterback reads the second man on or outside the center, which in this case is the defensive end. Therefore, the right tackle won't even worry about him; instead, he will slam down on the 3-technique with the guard, with the intent of working up to the playside linebacker.

The center and left guard will execute scoop blocks. They will take at least three steps at a 45-degree angle to the right; if the noseguard stays where he is the guard will cut him while the center goes downfield to cut the flowing linebacker.

The left tackle's job is essentially to keep the 5-technique lined up on his outside shoulder from making a play. Any line-of-scrimmage players outside the 5-tech are too far away to make a play if the quarterback hands off to the fullback.

After the first step, everything is going fairly well. The left guard is in the process of cutting the nose while the center works up to the backside linebacker, and the frontside double-team is nearly underway. The quarterback already has his eyes on the defensive end in order to see whether he should give the ball up the middle or keep it.

All blocks are developing flawlessly. You can see that the left tackle's assignment is too busy trying not to get cut to pursue after the play. Meanwhile, the #1 option player has come down to tackle the fullback, so the quarterback is pulling the ball to keep his second and third options alive (keep it or pitch it).

The play has devolved into absolute carnage at the line of scrimmage, which is exactly what the offensive linemen want. It is a hallmark of this offense to be able to get your skill players in space with defenders who could potentially make mistakes. To be clear, the offensive linemen have no idea whether the ball will be given, kept, or pitched on this play. They simply execute their assignment and let the brains of the offense (the quarterback) call all the shots. It's a very blue-collar type of football to play o-line in; just punch the timeclock and beat the crap out of defenders.

The triple option is all about getting the defenders to second-guess themselves, and this play does so perfectly. The circled defender is supposed to follow the pitch man, but with the quarterback running straight at him, he hesitates. The resulting pitch goes for a touchdown.

Of course, this isn't the only play in the triple option; however, defenses think they can stop it by assigning defenders specific roles against this play. As Chris Brown has pointed out, this doesn't work. A triple-option guru can just change the blocking assignments. As an offensive lineman, you just do what they tell you. It's nice being able to turn your brain off (or at least down a little) while playing football.

In the interest of full disclosure, our offense was absolutely terrible that season. Attempting to run the triple option with spread personnel is insanely difficult; it requires lots of time drilling the concepts into players. Especially crucial is having a quarterback who is comfortable making the split-second decisions crucial to the offense's success. However, as an o-lineman, it was rather pleasant just focusing on hitting people as hard as possible. Offenses where I was actually required to think before plays were more rewarding, but this one was pretty damn fun.

How the Denver Broncos can succeed long-term with Tim Tebow

How will Tebow keep winning long-term?
Hint: JD Walton plays an important role.

Over 2000 years after His arrival on earth, there is still a debate about whether Jesus Christ is the Jewish Messiah foretold in the Old Testament.

It seems the disputation of whether Tim Tebow is the savior of Denver's Super Bowl hopes might last nearly as long.

The arguments have been hashed and rehashed to the point of white noise; it's the classic he's a winner, bro vs. he doesn't make mid-range throws any respectable QB should be able to complete. Nearly every time the man exits the postgame podium, talk-radio fires are stoked once more.

So, to avoid redundancy about whether the Broncos should keep Tim Tebow long-term, let's just talk about what they need to do if they decide to ride the Tebow Train to Super Bowl glory or utter oblivion.

If John Elway & Co. ™ do indeed buy into Tebow for the foreseeable future, they must buy in all the way. No more straddling the fence with cryptic interview answers about Tebow's future. If he's the guy, start acting like it. This starts and ends with personnel. Elway and GM Brian Xanders must look for offensive personnel that fit neatly into Mike McCoy's Tebow-ized zone-read and zone-option scheme. Finding great fits requires thinking outside the box. For example, a happy accident for this offense is Demaryius Thomas.

Thomas was Josh McDaniels' first pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. At the time, he was just the safer option over Dez Bryant, who had character questions coming into the draft. A few questions were raised about drafting a receiver who played in the triple option at Georgia Tech. However, Thomas ended up being a perfect match for McCoy's new offense because of his time at Georgia Tech.

Demaryius Thomas was a triple option wide receiver, which makes him perfect for Denver.

Receivers in Paul Johnson's triple option spend the entire game stalk blocking corners and safeties, and then they go deep for a couple touchdowns per game. Coaches recruit receivers to triple option schools by saying, "you might only catch 2 balls a game, but it will be for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns because you'll be that open." Thomas' stat line from last week's Wild Card win over Pittsburgh? 4 catches for 204 yards and a touchdown. He gets his chance on deep play-action passes, and he does not disappoint.

The most important offensive personnel to find, though? More guys like Zane Beadles and JD Walton. McDaniels' second and third round picks from the 2010 Draft (McDaniels is looking pretty smart now, right?), they were solid offensive linemen who didn't require first-round money to obtain. If Denver scouts can identify more linemen that would be comfortable in this offensive system, those same linemen will likely be undervalued by other teams because they don't fit as well in a pro-style scheme.

Tim Tebow would be the first to admit his success is impossible without the young Denver o-line.

Tebow is admittedly a master at running the zone-read option. He faked the handoff to Willis McGahee so well last Sunday that it took Steelers LB James Harrison ridiculously long to realize Tebow still had the ball. (If WR Matt Willis had stayed on his block, that play would have been a touchdown.) However, the scheme would blow up in Tebow's face every play were it not for the superb blocking of Denver's offensive line. The organization has a long-held tradition of great offensive line play by undervalued players, and McCoy's offense offers an amazing possibility to keep this tradition going. The Broncos do need to develop run blocking from their tight ends, who currently struggle with staying on their blocks.

The last step? Continue developing the defensive backfield. Denver has a pass-rushing duo in Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller that will terrorize opposing offensive lines for years to come, but when the rush doesn't come immediately the Broncos' safeties are picked apart. This is in part because rookies Quinton Carter and Rahim Moore are experiencing an oft-unpleasant trial by fire. Both show flashes of brilliance followed by frustrating mental mistakes. Denver must develop these young players, and draft young talent to develop underneath Champ Bailey and Andre Goodman (both age 33), who have been stellar but will eventually retire.

In short, success is absolutely possible with Tebow. Denver has defied all odds and can continue to do so, but they must commit fully one way or the other. Embrace McCoy's collegiate scheme and develop the personnel to run it, or scrap everything and go back to a pro-style offense. Either choice is understandable, but the Broncos will drown if they refuse to commit one way or the other. It is an incredible risk to bank on Tebow's success, as it puts the careers of nearly everyone associated with the program in jeopardy if he fails. Having said that, if I had to bet my career on one player, it would undoubtedly be Tebow.