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Redskins' Offense Is Put Under the Gun
New Redskins quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave snaps the ball to rookie quarterback Jason Campbell at the team's minicamp. Hoping to give his offense more options, Joe Gibbs will implement the shotgun for the first time.
(Kevin Clark - The Washington Post)
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"I've been doing it forever," said Rabach, who signed as a free agent after spending four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.
Several players -- particularly Ramsey, who had great success with the shotgun at Tulane -- are enthused about the formation, which give offenses:
· A better opportunity to counter blitzes, particularly inside pressure. (During his first tenure, Gibbs's offenses didn't face zone blitzes, which have become standard in today's defenses.)
· Extra time -- some coaches believe a half-second -- to get the ball downfield.
· Better sightlines for quarterbacks prior to the snap. Ramsey has been criticized for being too slow to read defenses, and the shotgun could help.
A secondary benefit is that the shotgun ostensibly makes an offense less predictable.
But the shotgun has its drawbacks, which Gibbs rattled off last season when asked about the formation.
"We had never used it for the same reason that Bill Walsh -- and people that come out of Bill Walsh's system -- didn't," Gibbs said of his fellow Hall of Fame coach.
The drawbacks include:
· Making it more difficult to hear the quarterback, who is farther from the line of scrimmage. This can cause problems in road games.
· Requiring better concentration from offensive linemen, who must use peripheral vision to watch the ball and opposing defensive linemen. Left tackle Chris Samuels explained: "It's a whole lot easier when the quarterback is under center, because you just listen to the snap count. If you focus on the ball too much [in the shotgun] then a speed rusher can beat you. If you focus on your guy too much, then the ball can snap and he still beats you."
· A higher margin for error, possibly leading to turnovers. "You can't send a bullet back there and have it go over his head," Rabach said, chuckling. (Last season, however, the Redskins botched several snaps under center.)
· Less time than a three-step drop, some say, to quickly get rid of the ball. But offensive coordinator Don Breaux said that his staff has learned that the shotgun allows passes to be unleashed just as quickly.
"It's not been part of our offense, but that doesn't mean it's not good," Breaux said. "We're adaptable. It's not really a big deal."
