Unraveling the Complexity of the Bills' Option Route Offense

[@matthewbeckwith663]

This was neat and i really appreciate you breaking down this concept. It blows my mind that these guys can process and make decision so fast.

[@Cover1]

Thank you and I agree

[@juanellwebb4102]

Another masterclass Erik. This brings so much insight to the execution errors that have nagged Josh & Co. this season. Well done.

[@Cover1]

Thank you!!

[@bigslime5022]

-Great stuff. Was in the Run n shoot offense for three years at UH. Takes a lot of practice reps and we still had some mis-fires like we are seeing from Buffalo. When everyones clicking it’s unstoppable. Defense can’t be right. - Used to watch Beas and Sanders teaching tape from back in the SMU days. Makes sense they had immediate success with the bills. - On the 3rd down Davis OT read… we had a rule if you beat your defender within 10-12 on choice you take it vertical… might have been what Josh was thinking despite the inside leverage of the defender there. - We had every film session with the quarterbacks in the room. Might help the Bills of they implemented that. Helped both groups understand each other’s thought process. - Thanks and great breakdown.

[@Cover1]

No way! Thats awesome! Thanks for the kind words.

[@brianbarrows6087]

Excellent analysis as always. Thank you for the further education. Never change. Go Bills!

[@Cover1]

✊✊

[@MJ-1981]

Great breakdown. Really appreciate your work!

[@Cover1]

Thank you!

[@scaqua8723]

This is an awesome look into why these guys are at the NFL level. That being said, it seems like the offense has evolved and forgotten to a degree that it was originally designed to maximize Josh’s talents. Instead it seems like it now mostly favors the idea of scheme rather than talent. I could be completely wrong but one thing is consistent, Josh is asked to save us every game. (P.S. I am an expert now after watching this video)

[@Cover1]

Thanks for checking it out.

[@spin-rg9ib]

this is also probably why the Bills like Veteran WRS over rookie WRs so much. because it is extremely hard for rookie WRs to pick up this system.

[@Cover1]

Valid point. It’s also why they were humming when they had Diggs, Beasley and Brown.

[@craigthompson168]

And Sanders@@Cover1

[@Jason-zc9on]

Great stuff per usual ET. It would be interesting to compare our philosophy vs SF or Philly. Every team has options built in, we just seem to rely on it more. This system doesn’t seem like we necessarily scheme guys open per se, compared to what the aforementioned offenses do for their horses

[@Cover1]

It’s hard to know the options of other teams without studying them every week and or knowing players on the team like we do here.

[@eeassa]

Unless you watch film it is IMPOSSIBLE to understand how hard the offense is to learn.

[@grantlittle456]

great video

[@Cover1]

Thanks!

[@ojdidntdoit38]

Awesome video, thank you! I now understand that Gabe made a good decision on the 3rd down in OT to break outside, but you mentioned that Josh threw the seam which is another option for the route. Do you think throwing the seam is a defensible decision? I know the DB shut down middle of field, but it also looked like he was flat footed while Gabe had a head of steam. I can get why Josh threw it to the most vertical open space, whereas the corner/out breaker seems like a tighter window throw (like the Miami missile throw). Would appreciate any additional insight, and thanks again for such great content! I learn so much from these videos

[@Cover1]

I can see why Allen may have been throwing to the seam. It makes much more sense given the ball location. I just know that it rarely happens. It typically is a throw that goes to the corner or bow. Shit happens I guess hahahs

[@arthurkraft5610]

To me it seems like the seam is the easier & safer throw since Davis got by the defender so cleanly but given the coverage & leverage Davis made the correct read to break outside. Or possibly Allen made up his mind before the defenders switched (but in that case I would think Davis would go post w/ no other safety in the middle of field).

[@mikedoyle6849]

I enjoyed the education of this video and the editing and voice over is super digestable. I feel like any opposing team who had rookie defenders would just show them this super well done video on how we run our concepts. Do you fear your helping the enemy???

[@BillyBuffalo354]

If they need to go to YT to decipher our offense, then their DC is getting paid way too much, lol

[@Cover1]

No. They have way more knowledge and resources than I do.

[@fabienld2628]

Great job; I l earn a lot each time I watch your films Thanks !

[@legeis94]

You guys should definitely make a Christmas movie show!!

[@jasonlarson9886]

Killer content

[@Cover1]

Thanks!

[@frankleni6718]

Even with the clean switch, it still looks like David would’ve had Slay beat if he chose to run a post, even though Slay had inside leverage. Does that inside leverage preclude a post route, b/c there is still obviously more space to throw to the middle of the endzone (which is vacant) than the sideline? I’m no expert but I feel like a post was still a doable route, especially if Allen puts the ball over Slay’s head. Maybe I just have a bias to blame Davis over Allen. Idk it doesn’t matter anyway-it’s now Week 14 and time to hopefully win in Arrowhead. Thanks if someone can explain this play to me-I’m still baffled.

[@Cover1]

Given the switch and leverage, the Post is out. Josh didn’t even throw it to post tbh.

[@frankleni6718]

@@Cover1 Got it. Thank you-I really appreciate it.

[@kenlubkowski809]

Really good stuff here. The receivers are athletic and smart. Eagles got lucky that the Bills didn't execute as often as they could have.

[@Cover1]

Thanks!!

[@alpharob6959]

Like the words of John madden forget all the technical stuff just get open and always like he said the cowboys were running u knew they were running u still have to stop it

[@peterwilson4865]

To me that is a pretty preposterous way to design an offense in this day and age. It was the same issue with Leslie Frazier's defense in the playoffs. You can't have guys thinking that much instead of just playing fast and loose. It reminds me of the Rex Ryan defenses that are borderline impossible to run without a Rhodes scholar or two in the mix and some HOF type of talent. On offense it gives way too much leeway to opposing defenses to influence the read by both the QB and the WR. You can't have so many variables when it comes to plays that give a total of 3-4 seconds to read properly.

[@BillyBuffalo354]

Yeah I get it but 1st, although it may seem like it, it's not every play. Erik highlighted most if them from the Eagles game, a game where Allen had 60 dropbacks. 2nd. Your assertion that it allows the defense to dictate is just flatout wrong. You simply CANNOT dictate dictate vs a concept that is designed to make you wrong no matter how you try to defend it, by definition. 3rd, every smart, good QB makes use of these concepts precisely bc they are smart and talented. Brady made a career of it, and Mahomes and Kelce have been winning SBs taking it to the extreme basically converting nearly all of his routes to option routes. Last, Allen is nearly indefensible with these route concepts bc he is smart, for one, and because of his ability to wait that extra split second to allow the route development and still throw to every area of the field bc of his once in a generation arm talent - something he should've done on that last play vs Philly. He had the extra split second bc of the zero blitz, even though it was picked up tremendously by the OL, and just panicked. Regardless, this offense has been the highest scoring and 2nd most efficient since 2020. Suggesting they shouldn't be running these concepts is crazy. If you want to make the argument that in critical moments, like the potential last play of the game, where all they need is a quick slant for a 1st down, and then maybe continue with the option routes, ok, I'm on board. Don't run something where a miscommunication can occur at a time when you literally can't afford one. Agreed. But that's really the only change that should be made.

[@adamant5550]

I completely agree. It's not sustainable as seen during our lulls.

[@WAFRICAN125]

Just because you don’t get it doesn’t mean these professional athletes who only have one job don’t get it. This is literally just a structure to help them make the right decisions while playing fast and loose AND limit the options of that looseness so the QB has a good sense. If they can all read the D right then you can make magic / gain leverage. It’s also a way to translate knowledge from coaches to players.

[@peterwilson4865]

@@WAFRICAN125 😂. All offenses use option routes. Bills just did far more than any other club under Dorsey, as in the entire offense was predicated on it. How many times have we seen Gabe guess the opposite of what Allen has this year? I can think of at least half a dozen. He even got an intentional grounding on one. The point is that doing that all the time is irresponsible. You've got 2.5-4 seconds most plays to correctly diagnose the pre and post snap pictures and that's assuming the defense didn't bait one or both of the QB/WR into seeing it a certain way based on disguising looks. That's a lot of moving parts that have to be in perfect harmony to make the right call. Not all players are equal in terms of processing. It makes the scheme needlessly complicated and doesn't allow them to play loose. You give me shit about not understanding and proceed to tell a nice story about what that type of offense can do, but fail to acknowledge that they looked robotic and listless all year using that approach. Allen was seeing ghosts and WRs weren't executing. It's not something to base an entire offense around.

[@Jason-zc9on]

@@peterwilson4865 Eric also mentioned that Mahomes was right up there with Josh for the # of missed passes due to miscommunication. It sounds like KC uses a lot of options too, and makes me wonder if that is having a negative impact on their passing game. For a supposedly scary offense, KC scored 27 or more pts only 4 times this year (41 vs CHI, 27 vs MIN, 31 vs LAC, 31 vs LV), and 21 pts or less 7 times. It would be interesting to compare ours/ KC’s scheme vs San Fran or Philly.

[@chrismiller5875]

Brady the best OC Allen has had yet....this offense time has come 😎 this not Daboll's or Dorsey's offense anymore

[@adamant5550]

In the future, I hope Brady gets rid of the option-based offense that Dorsey installed.

[@Cover1]

Daboll installed*

[@KCX8788]

Why does this offense seem to put a lot of pressure on the receiver and QB to execute on a high level EVERY play? No wonder the offense would stall out mid drive. But there should be 20 plays where you have these options routes and they hone their skills on those 20 plays. The others should be rhythmic plays and run plays to help change things up. Too much pressure on the offense to be perfect. Hopefully Joe Brady helps to manage that better than Dorsey