FanPost

How Much Does the Shotgun Formation Affect the Running Game?

If you've ever played running back, then you know that plays don't always develop according to plans. You also know that things happen really fast in the trenches, and that holes can open and close in flash. As a back, the only the thing you really hope for is that your in position to explode through the hole when it opens, where ever that hole may be. Some of the best runs happen when the defense flows to the play side and an undesigned cutback lane develops to pop through. I don't think that getting the overwhelming majority of handoffs from the shotgun is good for the running game.

In a traditional handoff, the QB takes the snap directly from center and runs to meet the back on his way to the hole. This allows the back to set his motion forward and keep his eyes on the line to see how the play develops. The back is square to scrimmage as he moves forward, and is in position to cut in either direction if he needs. If the hole is there, he can explode immediately through it. If its not there, he's in position to scan for either a cut back or a bounce to the outside.

In a shotgun, the back must first wait for the ball to reach the QB, then wait for the QB to catch and handle it. These are micro seconds, but in the trenches these micro seconds sometimes matter. Then the back sets in motion to take the handoff, which is usually in a motion parallel to scrimmage. The play is already mostly developed before the back can get squared to the designed hole. But if the hole doesn't develop as designed, the back is rarely in a good position to capitalize. He's not in position to see whats happening on the backside. Its very difficult to deal with a defensive surge when the handoff is delayed and you're just beginning to set in motion.

Its always good to have a plan, but sometimes you have to block a guy to where he wants to go. It would be nice to be able to have our back in a position to see it, read it and react.

This is a FanPost written by a registered member of this site. The views expressed here are those of the author alone and not those of anybody affiliated with Gang Green Nation or SB Nation.