What ASU’s Offense Can Learn From the NFL
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The Arizona State Sun Devils had a great offense last year. However, like every facet of a team, there is always room from improvement. The Sun Devils offense can learn a couple of things from the NFL of how they can have a more effective offense.
What is Play Action
Play Action is a football concept in which the quarterback fakes a handoff to the running back in the backfield, then looks to pass the football. The defense, especially linebackers, is drawn into the front half of the field. This leaves the middle and deep parts of the field more open, where receivers can run their routes and separate.
Now, ASU did run some play-action plays. One example was against the Iowa State Cyclones in the Big 12 Championship game. However, if the ASU offense runs more play action, it could help take their offense to another level.
Play-action passes are used on about 26% of NFL passing plays. However, there are certain teams that use it at a higher frequency compared to other teams. The Detroit Lions use it on 38.4% and the Los Angeles Rams use it around the same percentage that Detroit does.
Play action is a widely used concept throughout the league that has shown that a lot of success can come from it. It has shown to help QB's go through their reads and progressions of the field to find playmakers.
Why ASU Should Use More Play Action
First, instead of passing on a play action, a QB could boot out or run to gain yards. ASU QB Sam Leavitt has some great mobility, so he could use play action as a way to get yards on the ground. Leavitt has a lot of potential to be a huge mobile threat so play action would be a great way to use his legs.
Second off, wide receivers like Jordyn Tyson and Jalen Moss who are great in space, will benefit from play action as the defense will leave the deep/middle area of the field more open. This could benefit Moss, who is new to the ASU Offense, as play action can be used an easy way to get new play makers acquainted with an offense.
Thirdly, play action can be disguised as a running play. This fools defenses as they think a run is a run, only for it to be a pass, which can make teams unsure of how to play the run in the future.
To break this down further, it is a 2nd and 7, the Sun Devils come out in a formation that looks like a run. The opposing team's defense will stack the box, or place their defends close to the line of scrimmage, as to not allow a big run by the Sun Devils. The Sun Devils then go play action and Leavitt hits Tyson for a big twenty yard gain.
The next drive, the Sun Devils come out in a formation that looks like a run. However the opposing team's defense does not stack the box and insteads spreads out the defense. However, this time the Sun Devils run the ball with their running back, and they get a huge gain as the defense did not stack the box because they thought it was play action.
A lot of football strategy is equally parts mind games as it is physical. Using play action, especially in big games could lend to some big results
Fourthly, on play action at times, the running back's route will be in the flat, or a shorter route that will be left open. This could allow the running back to catch the ball and show the athleticism and moves they do have.
Is it Easy to Implement
So play action is successful, is it easy to implement? As discussed before, ASU has ran it, so an uptick in play calls by OC Marcus Arroyo should be easy for a couple of reasons.
- Arroyo is an experienced play caller, he has had years of calling years in college, so he is knowledgable about how to use it
- A big part of play action is making sure the team has an offensive line that can move effectively in space, to block for their QB's boots out. ASU has athletic linemen who block effectively in play action.
- Sam Leavitt's quick arms and legs are perfect for play action.
So, it should be simple to use it more often. However, play action can help Sun Devil players even beyond the college level of play.
It helps prepare Players for the NFL
Ever since Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan were both hired as head coaches in the 2016 offseason, play action has been used a lot throughout the league. Now, play action has always been used in the NFL, but the uptick when McVay and Shanahan got hired was noteworthy.
The reason play action spread so quickly ever since then was due to the fact that McVay and Shanahan were so successful early on, that coordinators from their team got hired to be head coaches, and so on and so forth.
In fact there are currently 12 Head Coaches in the league, who in same way from the McVay and Shanahan tree, and there are even more who use play action.
So, by running play action at ASU, this is a great way to help prepare their athletes for the pro level. Even if a player is drafted late or undrafted, showing that they can run an offense that a good amount of the league uses, is super beneficial.
In conclusion, ASU's offense is already a great unit, however by using it more, it could help the team in so many ways.
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Tanner Cappellini holds a mass communications degree from Arizona State University and is pursuing his dream of being the person at the games, practices, and events who takes others inside the team they love.