Spread Offense Qbs Have To Fight The Stigma

[gangrene]

Spread offense QBs have to fight the stigma

by Peter Schrager

Peter Schrager is a frequent contributor for FOXSports.com. You can e-mail him at PeterSchrager@gmail.com

Updated: August 22, 2008, 2:23 PM EST 11 comments

They're the two dirty words no college football player ever wants to hear. Tossed around recklessly by draft pundits on studio sets and Internet message-board posters across the country, these two words have haunted the hopes and visions — while simultaneously discounting the achievements and successes — of Colt Brennan, B.J. Symons, and countless other players before them.

They're ugly, cruel, and, in many cases, downright inaccurate. Yes, I'm talking about the term System Quarterback.

Florida's Tim Tebow is pretty much the prototype for the modern college quarterback. At 6-4, 235 pounds, he's got the skills, body and brains to do it all. In 2007, he became the first college player ever to run and throw for 20 touchdowns in the same season. En route to winning the Heisman Trophy and scoring an average of 4.25 touchdowns per game last year, Tebow did (and ran over) everything he possibly could from the quarterback position.

As former Gator coach and Heisman winner Steve Spurrier put it after seeing Tebow play last season: "He's the quarterback of the future. Actually, he's the quarterback of today. He's really the type of quarterback that almost everyone is looking for."

And yet, even with the accolades, statistics, and universal praise — there are still some Tebow doubters out there.

Minutes after winning the Heisman in December, a reporter asked Florida head coach Urban Meyer if his young signal caller was truly a great college football player, or just a product of the (shudder) "system" they run in Gainesville. The Florida coach bristled at the suggestion.

"I've heard the word 'system' tossed around a lot this week," Meyer said. "But let me tell you something — personnel is all that matters. Tim Tebow is a great player. And that has nothing to do with the offensive style he plays in."

But the skepticism remains. In draft forecasts across the web, Georgia's Matt Stafford and Purdue's Curtis Painter — two quarterbacks in more traditional pro-style offenses — are considered better NFL prospects than the multi-talented Tebow, who gets downgraded as a "spread system guy."

Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel, a fellow spread system quarterback with his own pack of doubters, finished fourth in last year's Heisman voting. Speaking with the media following the Heisman ceremony, he gave his thoughts on the "system" label.

"The spread offense works, it's not some gimmick," he said. "It's now the staple in college football. Tim's a special player. He'd be a special player in any offense."

Daniel was really speaking for a long list of accomplished college players who have heard the criticism. Tebow, Daniel, West Virginia's Pat White, New Mexico State's Chase Holbrook, Washington's Jake Locker, Arizona's Willie Tuitama, even Texas Tech's Graham Harrell — they've all heard at some point that they are merely products of the system.

In a way, it's chicken and egg. Does the system make the player or do the players make the system?

Although Meyer may argue for the latter, insisting it takes a special group of players to run a successful spread scheme, it's sexy to take the side of the former. The aforementioned Alex Smith is the poster boy for those in the "it's the system" camp. Under Meyer at Utah in 2004, the undersized Smith threw 32 touchdown passes, just four interceptions, compiled 563 rushing yards, and ran for 10 touchdowns. After looking like a maestro on the gridiron in a Fiesta Bowl blowout victory over Pitt, Smith was selected as the top overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.

To say he's struggled in his three seasons as a pro would be an understatement. After a rookie campaign in which he stunk the joint up, he showed some encouraging signs in his second season, actually playing fairly well for offensive coordinator Norv Turner. But last year was an utter disaster — a morbid campaign in which he battled injuries, lost his starting job to a journeyman, publicly feuded with coaches and lost the confidence of his fan base.

Heading into Year 4 — this time under offensive coordinator Mike Martz's watchful eye — there's a chance Smith, one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the league, will enter the season as low as third on the depth chart.

If there's anything we've learned about the spread offense it's that when equipped with the right tools, it's nearly impossible to stop. With so many options built in and, in truth, more talent and speed on the offensive side of the ball than the defensive side, the opportunity for fireworks is limitless.

The system can truly revolutionize a team. More specifically, it can change a player. Auburn quarterback Kodi Burns looked good backing up Brandon Cox last season, seeing some action in certain situations and succeeding as a primarily running quarterback. In 2008, he'll be the likely starter, running the spread offense for Hal Mumme disciple and spread offense "guru" Tony Franklin, the new Auburn offensive coordinator.

In Auburn's old pro-style offense, Burns would have been viewed as a player on the rise, sharing the spotlight with running backs Brad Lester and Ben Tate. If he gets the starting nod in Franklin's high-flying offense (Junior Chris Todd still may win the role), watch his numbers and national profile take off.

Will Burns be the one responsible for such success? He is, after all, the same player he was a season ago. Or will it be the Franklin offense, which some summer observers say is ready to erupt down in Auburn?

The North Texas situation is one worth analyzing this season, as well. North Texas? Yes, North Texas.

After guiding Southlake (Texas) Carroll High School to five state titles in seven years, coach Todd Dodge made the move to the college game last year, bringing his explosive spread offense scheme to the Sun Belt Conference. In his first season as the Mean Green's coach, Dodge, a former University of Texas quarterback, introduced his "air raid" offense and saw wild results. Though North Texas finished just 2-10, the Dodge Ball offense was at times electric, averaging 24.8 points and 408 yards per game.

The greatest beneficiary of the spread offense scheme was quarterback Giovanni Vizza. Though just a freshman, Vizza started the final eight games of the season, accumulating 1,881 passing yards and 16 touchdowns in just two months of football. Against Navy on Nov. 10, Vizza went 40-for-50 for 478 yards and eight touchdowns.

Quarterback or system? Whereas Tim Tebow was one of the more heavily recruited quarterbacks coming out of high school, Vizza was a relative unknown out of San Antonio. He flourished in Dodge's system.

The real rub, though, is what happens this year down in Denton. Todd Dodge's son Riley, a Texas schoolboy superstar and Dad's former quarterback at Southlake Carroll, joins the Mean Green as arguably their most prized freshman recruit ever. He's expected to play right away.

So what about the sophomore incumbent Vizza? The kid who mastered the spread offense and made a name for himself in just two months of action? As the boys at College Football News explained: "It's not like Vizza can't play. He took his lumps last season, but he had a few phenomenal moments to suggest that he's not just going to hand the offense over. But Riley Dodge is it. He's the one who was literally born into this offense and knows it backwards and forwards. While he might not be that big, he's the ultimate triggerman for his father's attack, and he plans on playing from Day One."

So, yes, even "system quarterbacks" can be outdone by better "system quarterbacks." In Vizza's case, he may very well end up being a one-year (or two-month) wonder; a guy plucked from anonymity who showed just how explosive the spread offense could be.

If Smith is the poster boy for how the spread quarterback can be an illusion to pro scouts, Vizza's the poster boy for just what a competent kid with a solid arm can do once mastering the spread.

Hey, there's no doubt about it, the spread is spreading. It's everywhere — Auburn, Kansas, Missouri, even Michigan. What it's doing, though, is making it more and more difficult to determine which quarterbacks are the real deal, and which ones are products of the scheme. In the college game, it probably doesn't matter. But for the pro scouts, it can be quite a pain in the neck.

What would Giovanni Vizza be in Urban Meyer and Dan Mullen's Florida offense? Well, we'll never know for sure. But you can bet he'd look better and put up better numbers in Gainesville than he would in your standard ho-hum pro-style scheme.

Then again, he'd likely be considered a more attractive pro prospect if he excelled in the latter.

Chicken and the egg? Sure. But when assessing spread quarterbacks, you're dealing with some unique chickens and some scrambled eggs.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Interesting article, but clueless as to the QB situation in Denton.

[meangreendork]

Interesting article, but clueless as to the QB situation in Denton.

Basically, yes.

On the flipside, what about RBs? Aren't all RBs just the product of their system? Wasn't Cobbs just a product of a run-heavy offense? Yeah, he was. But does that make him less of a player? I'd say not.

[forevereagle]

Basically, yes.

On the flipside, what about RBs? Aren't all RBs just the product of their system? Wasn't Cobbs just a product of a run-heavy offense? Yeah, he was. But does that make him less of a player? I'd say not.

I think that the same can be said for any position. Does the system put the player in a position to make plays and showcase their skills? If so, they will get noticed. I think JQ is a good example of this hurting a player. He is very talented, but didn't get noticed because he was in a system that didn't showcase his talents.

[flyeater]

Terrible article. Last I checked, the Air-Raid is the Mumme-Mike Leach offense that Tech and NMSU run, not ours. Never once heard the Carroll/UNT/Missouri offense called Air Raid. If this was attempting to get to the bottom of the system-or-QB debate, it didn't. At all.

Also, never mentions Vizza ran very close to the same offense at Alamo Heights, save for some different terminology. Pretty insulting to say he was "created" by what Dodge runs.

Edited August 26, 2008 by flyeater

[e-bone ver2.awesome]

#10

[GoMeanGreen1999]

After a 2-10 season, I will take the publicity of this article. I think most people across the country figure Dodge will play Riley because of just how big of a recruit he was for us and that he knows the offense. I don't blame them for thinking that, I just wish they would do a little research before they write the story.

[JesseMartin]

Clueless or not, he still made us sound damned good...

[gangrene]

Clueless or not, he still made us sound damned good...

I agree. He obviously has no clue about our current QB situation but when has anyone ever publicly pondered the idea of putting a UNT QB in the Florida Gator offense???

[ADLER]

The North Texas situation is one worth analyzing this season, as well. North Texas? Yes, North Texas.

Though just a freshman, Vizza started the final eight games of the season, accumulating 1,881 passing yards and 16 touchdowns in just two months of football. Against Navy on Nov. 10, Vizza went 40-for-50 for 478 yards and eight touchdowns.

He flourished in Dodge's system.

Todd Dodge's son Riley, a Texas schoolboy superstar and Dad's former quarterback at Southlake Carroll, joins the Mean Green as arguably their most prized freshman recruit ever. He's expected to play right away.

Redshirt Riley this year.

A-11 in 2009!

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

I think the stigma has more to do with the pro game. I can't think of any college spread QBs in the NFL because the defenses in the NFL are too fast. You still have to be able to run the ball, play defense, and have a consistent special teams to win in the NFL.

In college, you can get away with winging it around because not every team will have fast, strong, athletic defensive backs. Nor will every college team have defense ends that can get a good pass rush. The average college defense is what keeps the Mike Leaches and Steve Spurriers of the world employed.

The spread is find for college. But, at the end of the day, you need a defense, too, if you are interested in championships. This is why Mike Leach has the perfect job. Lubbock is fine if Tech goes to a bowl game every year. They've never won a Big 12 title. They've never even been in a title game. It doesn't matter. They plug a QB into their dink and dunk offense, take their 7-9 wins a year, and are happy.

The old Houston Oilers and Detroit Lions have long ago proven that it doesn't work against NFL-class athletes.

To address the Tebow thing as well: The "runner-thrower" QB hasn't fared very well in the NFL either. Again, when you have linebackers, safeties, and in some instances defensive ends, that run as fast as tailbacks, you are never going to be able to have a QB who runs as much as he throws. Additionally, as big as NFL players are and as hard as they hit, it's stupid to even attempt it.

Even before he was nailed for dogfighting, Michael Vick wasn't beating the world with the Falcons. Vince Young is awful at Tennessee and has been constantly nicked up with injuries.

The bottom line is, you have to know how to play quarterback to be an NFL quarterback. It's not a backyard free-for-all up there. You need discipline and the ability to complete the ball all over the field, long and short. Athletic guys like Vick and Young and Tebow can get away with what they did in college because their teams, overall, were more athletic than the vast majority of teams they played. In the NFL, it's just not that way. Every defense is big and fast.

Remember, Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson have Super Bowl rings. Vick and Young...not so much.

[greenminer]

Fawk, the article made it sound like Vizza came out of nowhere. He played a similar offense in San Antonio. He backed out of a scholly/verbal to UNevada. Good enough, apparently, that Dodge wanted this guy from the get go, whether he had a week to recruit or a year.

[flyeater]

I think the stigma has more to do with the pro game. I can't think of any college spread QBs in the NFL because the defenses in the NFL are too fast. You still have to be able to run the ball, play defense, and have a consistent special teams to win in the NFL.

In college, you can get away with winging it around because not every team will have fast, strong, athletic defensive backs. Nor will every college team have defense ends that can get a good pass rush. The average college defense is what keeps the Mike Leaches and Steve Spurriers of the world employed.

The spread is find for college. But, at the end of the day, you need a defense, too, if you are interested in championships. This is why Mike Leach has the perfect job. Lubbock is fine if Tech goes to a bowl game every year. They've never won a Big 12 title. They've never even been in a title game. It doesn't matter. They plug a QB into their dink and dunk offense, take their 7-9 wins a year, and are happy.

The old Houston Oilers and Detroit Lions have long ago proven that it doesn't work against NFL-class athletes.

To address the Tebow thing as well: The "runner-thrower" QB hasn't fared very well in the NFL either. Again, when you have linebackers, safeties, and in some instances defensive ends, that run as fast as tailbacks, you are never going to be able to have a QB who runs as much as he throws. Additionally, as big as NFL players are and as hard as they hit, it's stupid to even attempt it.

Even before he was nailed for dogfighting, Michael Vick wasn't beating the world with the Falcons. Vince Young is awful at Tennessee and has been constantly nicked up with injuries.

The bottom line is, you have to know how to play quarterback to be an NFL quarterback. It's not a backyard free-for-all up there. You need discipline and the ability to complete the ball all over the field, long and short. Athletic guys like Vick and Young and Tebow can get away with what they did in college because their teams, overall, were more athletic than the vast majority of teams they played. In the NFL, it's just not that way. Every defense is big and fast.

Remember, Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson have Super Bowl rings. Vick and Young...not so much.

All good points, except don't totally agree on the Dilfer/Johnson argument. It might be only that they're bad examples. Both, for the most part, were pretty average QBs, which you can get away with in the NFL (see Chris Chandler and many more). Those two guys' teams had hellacious defenses that were more responsible for those Super Bowls, and a decent (but not great) amount of skill talent around them. I think Vick actually made it to an NFC championship game, but Atlanta's D has never been anything like those other two. As for Young, it's still too early to write him off. It's not like Dilfer or Johnson just went out and won a SB in their second or third season.

[greenminer]

I think the stigma has more to do with the pro game. I can't think of any college spread QBs in the NFL because the defenses in the NFL are too fast. You still have to be able to run the ball, play defense, and have a consistent special teams to win in the NFL.

In college, you can get away with winging it around because not every team will have fast, strong, athletic defensive backs. Nor will every college team have defense ends that can get a good pass rush. The average college defense is what keeps the Mike Leaches and Steve Spurriers of the world employed.

To paraphrase:

The spread works in college and doesn't work in the NFL for the same reasons the pure option works great in college and not in the NFL.

sounds good.

PS: you're still nowhere near Plumm in length.

[EagleD]