Just recently I have had discussions with a few offensive coaches regarding their running backs in pass protection schemes. It seems simple enough on the surface: Pick up the EMLOS on a full slide, dual read the LB's away from the slide call, etc. If you use two backs in the backfield the potential for a "max protect" comes into play.
But with the trend in offensive football over the last 10 years to go faster, and get more speed on the field, what to do with your running back in your pass protection has created a new dynamic for offensive coaches everywhere.
THE PRACTICE TIME DILEMMA
If you know me then you that I am very specific when it comes to how we spend our practice time. I don't like "doing things just to do it." My high school practices as a head coache didn't last more than 2 hours once school started. So I told my coaches to do (what they think) are the most important drills to them, to help us win a game on Friday (obviously your everyday drills apply as well here).
If you are a "full speed ahead" spread team then your philosphy is to attack, attack, attack. You want great tempo, got the ball out of your QB's hands yesterday, wear down your opponent's defense because of your superior athleticism and stanima, etc.
Even if you aren't a "warp speed" spread team your philosophies are similar: you like the advantages that letting your playmakers play in space gives you.
So if 1 of the 2 examples defines you, I ask the question, "How much practice time do you give your running back's coach to practice pass pro?" Before we attempt to answer that, here is some facts I have obvserved while coaching in this offense:
1. RB's in my version of the spread have never been very big.
2. Their demeanor is very similar to that of a WR (some, not all, hate stalk blocking).
3. It is the type of player that I want to get the ball to in space.
Now let's assume you are playing on Friday night. Some coaches I know practice offense on Monday, defense on Tuesday, and let Wednesday kind of be a situational day. So Monday is your big offensive indy day to work on all of your drills. So knowing these things about the personnel of my RB, my daily drill package as an RB coach would consist of: ball security, footwork drills, making sure the exchanges with the QB are on point, keep working landmarks and foot work on run plays, shore up route running, etc.
When do you try and fit in pass pro? Even if you do in this type of practice structure, you will only get about 10-15 minutes a week do live blocking drills. Maybe you will do some indy offense on Wednesday, but I venture to guess that pass pro isn't the RB coach's top priority that day. Ask any offensive line coach you know if he'd be ok with only 10-15 minutes of live blocking drills a week and see how he would feel about that.
Let's say you are a coach that prefers to practice offense and defense everyday. The RB coach will most likely be given less indy time due to the fact that you are working both sides of the ball on the same day. What part of your drill package do you sacrifice to get the pass pro drills in? Do you try and force it in multiple times a week? Or just the one day so you can get to your other drills? Anybody else see the problem here?
MY SOLUTION
It's late in the 4th quarter of a game you are trailing by 6. It is a tough battle with both teams playing some physical football. It is 3rd and 12 on your own 30 yard line with less than a minute left. An obvious pass down to most, and if you are a drop back team then a 5 step pass concept down.
Your undersized, speedy RB has already carried the ball 18 times, is a 2 way player, and on this passing situation he will be asked to take on a blitzing LB that outweighs him by 30 pounds. I don't like the odds.
My solution to the above problem? Don't bother trying to block the guy!!! Put your RB in the route and get him the ball. Even if it is a hot situation where he gets a quick pass due to the blitzing LB then so ge it.
"But what if he gets tackled short of the first down, isn't that what defenses want?" Yes, but this is 4 down territory anway. And even if it isn't 4 down territory, punting and defense are part of the game.
"See, I don't like teaching my QB to throw hot. It is too much to give a high school QB." How is it any different then teaching your OL to bump out if there is a blitz off the edge? How is it any different than having your RB read 1 to 2 on zone? Your QB should be your smartest kid as it is, so if he can't handle something you have drilled in him all offseason then maybe he shouldn't be your QB.
"I don't like throwing hot all the time and having my QB get hit." Throwing hot is basically quick game from the gun. If you are afraid of that in your drop back scheme then don't run that scheme!! Throw quicks, screens, sprintouts, boots, etc. There are a lot of ways to get the ball downfield if you have too.
We could spend hours upon hours talking about different pass protections for different schemes and personnel groupings. I wanted to give my opinion on RB's in pass protection with the type of scheme I am most comfortable with running. Thanks to Nick Marrogy, Jim Sparks, Pete Niglio, Tony Rouse, and Terrance Wilson for the ongoing discussion.
Brian
Make sure to check out some of my favorite football sites:
smartfootball.com
http://brophyfootball.blogspot.com/
http://nohuddlespread.proboards.com/index.cgi?
http://coachhoover.blogspot.com/
http://blitzology.blogspot.com/
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