As coaches, we all have the tendency to overanalyze scheme and under utilize and prepare for personnel. There will be no drawings accompanying this article. At times and sometimes more often than not, our egos can be our worst enemy. We end up defeating ourselves rather than attacking our opponent. This article will highlight the critical aspects of the Jimmy’s and Joe’s.
My beliefs and subsequent convictions were derived from my experience as a coach at every level including the National Football League. My initial introduction into the NFL was as a Pro Personnel Film Evaluator. I became obsessed with studying film and learned something new every play. I watched an individual player in 3 games and evaluated his strengths and weaknesses. Yes, my scheme experience continued to develop but the importance and deployment of the Jimmy’s and Joe’s really opened up my pores.
A present Head Football Coach in the NFL once walked into an offensive game plan meeting took a dry-erase marker and put a player’s # on the board and walked out without saying a word. We all knew what he was saying. That player had 11 touches in the game and we came out victorious. We must get our best players the football regardless of the scheme and be flexible enough to deploy them where they can create mismatches.
Defensively, we once had a 4 strong blitz vs. 21 personnel with a double zone call behind it while changing the direction of the blitz in case the receiver strength changed with motion. It was sound vs. run and pass. The major problem with its execution was the 4th blitzer. He didn’t believe he could get there, had no burst and explosion to his landmark and wasn’t a very physical player. Good scheme, wrong JIMMY.
We must continue to overemphasize personnel on defense, offense and special teams while continually remembering our playing days are over. You might be an “I” formation guy but your line better be able to double team and get to the next level. Not to mention, have a blocking fullback and a very good running back. If your offensive lineman have quick feet and you don’t have a fullback why not be a zone team. It’s about people not preferences and schemes. You adjust to what your players can and cannot do. You played a 34 in college and that’s all you think you know. Wrong. We all can learn what we want to learn. Being stubborn is a quick reason to not explore new ideas and subsequent growth.
If you have more defensive lineman than linebackers, play the scheme that first and foremost puts your personnel in a position to be successful. Running plays that we like and calling defenses we would execute if we were playing, is the quickest way to defeat ourselves. Believe it or not it happens at every level. There are only so many plays in a game. Take advantage of each call. Yes, the defense, special teams and offense are always going to win their share, but maximize your calls wisely.
GAME PLANNING
Most staff’s want input and this suggestion might get them more involved and continue my belief of the JIMMY’S and JOE’S. Each assistant, each week can make up a 3 to 5 minute DVD or CD on the opponents best player at each position. The O-line coach looks at the opponent’s best Defensive Lineman. Are you going to try and double their best D-lineman?
The Running Back coach identifies the best Linebacker. Will you try and possibly crack him on perimeter run plays? The Receiver coach will focus on the best Secondary tackler. Will you always block him with a wide out? This drill should then be repeated by identifying the weak link (imposter) at each position. The QB coach whoever it might be, studies the body posture, mannerisms and stances of someone at each defensive position and you might be able to locate a consistent pre-snap cue on defense. There are players at all levels who immediately change their stance when they align in some form of man coverage. We try like hell on defense to show them this offensive advantage but most of the time they can’t break the habit.
Defensively, this drill should be done the same way. Identify their best and weakest offensive players and get that cut-up ready to present. In addition, how are you going to protect your weak links? Remember, all good coaches
watch film. The great one’s study film.
The above task will usually take more time than just watching scheme and reading computer print outs. Usually, the overall outcome of a season will be about how good your Jimmy’s and Joe’s are and did you get them touches on offense while setting your weekly plan around them on defense and special teams.
YOUR OFFENSE
OFFENSIVE LINE
• Are you running behind your best player regularly?
• Are you helping your weakest player?
• How are you going to handle their best defensive lineman?
• How are you going to attack their weakest defensive lineman? (Run and Pass)
• What pass protection scheme does your O-line execute the best based on ability? Yes, change-ups are necessary
RUNNING BACKS
• What 3 plays does your best back feel the most comfortable with?
• Do your backs need help in pass protection?
• How are you going to block their best blitzer?
• Is your best back getting enough touches?
QUARTERBACK
• Is he comfortable inside or outside of the pocket?
• What protection does he feel the most comfortable with?
• What 3 routes does he throw the best?
• QB and receivers most comfortable routes?
RECEIVERS
• Can they block or do they need help?
• How are they going to handle the best tackler in the secondary?
• Who can align in multiple alignments and create mismatches?
• What 3 routes do your best 2 receivers run? Are they in sink with the QB?
TIGHT ENDS
• Do they need help when run blocking?
• Can they align in multiple positions and create mismatches as well as be a decoy?
• What 2 routes do they run the best?
YOUR DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE LINE
• Who is aligned on your weakest defensive lineman?
• How are you going to adjust to that?
• Who is their best run blocker?
• Who is their best pass protector?
• Who is their weakest run blocker?
• Who is their weakest pass protector?
• What offensive lineman has the most trouble with slanting, stunts and games?
LINEBACKERS
• A Prominent Division 1 team does not block the worst LB and worst DB on each team they play.
They feel their running backs should beat them and a high percentage of the time they do.
• Don’t let anyone have this philosophy against you.
• Where does their best back like to run the football?
• Is there an offensive lineman that can give you a run pass cue prior to the snap? Light Stance = Delta/ Pass Heavy Stance = Army/ Run
• Do the running back’s eyes and or depth give you a run/ pass cue?
• What running back has the most difficulty
with blitz protection?
• What primary arm does the best back use when protecting the football?
• Where does (RB) not like to get hit?
• Does the quarterback demonstrate any mannerisms that might indicate run/pass?
• Width of feet under center?
• Where does (QB) not like to get hit?
SECONDARY
• Who is their best run blocker? (receiver)
• Who is their weakest run blocker?
• Where is ball run?
• Inside or on perimeter?
• Do they crack block?
• Will they dig out the most dangerous defender?
• Will they only block the interior 9 and let the corners go?
• Who is their most dangerous receiver. (speed, after the catch)
• What receiver rarely catches the football?
• Chart alignments and stances? Look for cues and indicators?
• Who can’t get off against press coverage? Who can?
• Where is ball being thrown? Right/Left Curls, Flats. Use a field hit chart. If the chart reads 65% or more, sell it to your team. What combo routes do their best receivers run?
The Above Questions Need to be Answered Each Week
This drill should be done by both sides of the ball each week. Your offense and defense as well as the opponent’s offense and defense. As the season goes on, there will be injuries and adjustments that need to be made.
Charting
It’s critical on offense during the game to chart your calls. Why? You must constantly review whether or not your best players are getting the football. You can’t wait until the 2nd half! You must examine the chart after each series. Yes, you are charting the calls but also circling who is carrying and catching the football. Are you running behind your best offensive lineman?
Not only should you chart your offensive calls but also your defensive calls. Are you dialing up your best blitzer’s number? Are you slanting against their slowest offensive lineman? Are you calling the coverage’s your secondary executes the best? Remember, our egos can be our worst enemy! If you are making calls that are winning for you, -3 yards or less, they are probably designed around your better players. Why not repeat those calls?
Offensive and
Defensive Deployment
Just as an example: if your best offensive player is your tight end, why must he align in the traditional tight quarter’s position next to a tackle. Move him out wide against their weakest tackler and just throw him the ball quickly and play one on one. Your best against their weakest tackler. This can and should be done and some of us already do this with multiple skill players. In addition, by moving people around and widening the perimeter, some of your better skill people can be used as decoys as well. You can make up a simple rule for your QB to check to the mismatch. It’s easy to look at the box count and check to something. Check to the mismatch personnel wise. That’s about Jimmy and Joe.
Defensive deployment is something I really studied and learned in the National Football League. One of my responsibilities was the opponent’s quarterback. This included all mannerisms as well as what part of his body was obviously an area where he did not like contact. We made a point to create a cut-up for our defensive squad on mannerism’s and aiming points on the quarterback’s body. Remember, this game is first and foremost about the Jimmy’s Joe’s who then are asked to execute a particular scheme. I believe, schemes are overrated and Jimmy and Joe are underrated. Sending 4 to a side is great on paper if you catch the protection going the opposite way, but it better be 2 players who first have the ability to get there and more importantly believe they can get there. Yes, breaking down protections is important, but the people who attack the protections are more important. Too many of us come from the traditional linebacker blitz school. If your best blitzer is a corner, design a package around him. What about your safeties? Deploy your best people and if you get beat, the other team had better Jimmy’s and Joe’s. Always be ready to adjust to mismatches both offensively and defensively and be objective enough to realize when a particular play is not successful. Maybe it’s the right call on paper but the wrong player trying to execute it on the field.
Conclusion
Football is a great and sacred game that I certainly understand can be coached in many different ways. The one constant are the players. Schemes are constantly changing and to be quite blunt, I have never seen a scheme make a tackle or score a touchdown. I have also seen Jimmy and Joe fumble the ball as well as drop touchdowns. On defense, missed tackles are created by people and getting beat deep might have been a mental error but it also might have been physical. Your overall results will be determined by your Jimmy’s and Joe’s not the X’s and O’s. Yes, you might be able to out scheme a team once or twice a year, but in the off-season, review the film and you might find out it was the right Jimmy and Joe who had the ability to execute and perfect the scheme. I do realize that as the level of play increases, everybody has good Jimmy’s and Joe’s but they also have some question marks. Locate those questionable players and create mismatches both on defense, special teams and offense and take full advantage of them. I believe we must be disciplined enough when game planning to make personnel our number #1 priority. In addition, we must be flexible enough to leave our egos at home and that scheme should not be the focal point when preparing for an opponent.