49ers Offense -- The Pistol portion -- Explained by Chris Ault on NFLN

Originally posted by notsoempty86:

Originally posted by Joecool:
Mangini and and Mike from Mike and Mike provided an interesting way to stop it. You know how a few times the DE was standing there staring at Kaep after the handoff? Well, Mangini said you don't have the DE make a read. You have him go full speed at the QB and hit him as hard as you can and completely ignore the hand-off to the RB.

You do that a few times and that QB's head coach will call it less in order to not put his QB in a position to get injured.

Mangini is right, that is a free hit on the QB and it would be legal considering the threat of the QB running.

That assuming the DE can Tackle Kap in the open field. If he comes straight at kap, don't you think Kap could escape around him.

Maybe willis or bowman could get him, not many other DE/LBs

just look at how teams like boise etc played against nevada. the DE played the mesh point of the ball not the players and disrupted the offensive flow. also if you have the de stay at home and not crash the rb, a lb takes away the RB at the gap. if you do that though, that takes 2 players off the defense away from playing the pass which makes the pistol read option play action deadly.

Originally posted by Furlow:

Originally posted by TheWooLick:

Originally posted by Furlow:
Even at the expense of our QB's health and longevity?

Winning is first
Health and longevity are second
HOF is third at best

I don't think the Pistol formation is in itself harmful to a QB's health and longevity.
Dumbing down an offense to suit the backup is poor way to build a winning offense.

Dumbing down? There is nothing more rudimentary than the Pistol/Read option. It's why these young QB's are able to have so much early success. The problem is that it is their physical ability that is enabling them to beat the defense. Once they slow down and the threat of the run is gone, it will be much harder for them to pass. Which is why I prefer pocket passing QB's. Their longevity is much longer, and their ceiling is much higher, because even though they will age, they get smarter over time, and can still win games with their instincts and experience.

This is not a knock on Colin. I think he has all of the ability to have a long career as a pocket passer. But Harbaugh is not forcing him to do that. He's actually doing the opposite, he even said so (that he wouldn't change his mechanics, try to change him, etc). So, eventually, this style of play is going to catch up to him. The Niners are selling their souls a little bit for this championship. I'm happy that we're winning, but in the back of my mind I keep thinking that this is just not sustainable, Kaep is going to get killed, and then we're going to be back at square one.

the ball moves faster than players can run, and multiple wr sets offset player speed when running routes against a defense. one route is designed to open another and the qb stands in the pocket and "reads" where to throw the ball based on how the players on defense cover the routes. thats faster than any player can run especially with those running qbs starting 4-7 yards behind the l of scrimmage. pocket passers will always be the norm and teams will always try to find that prototypical qb. but its nice to have it right now since no one can stop it so far lol

You know what's awesome about the pistol read option? It forces defense to show their hand and not get too cute. You KNOW they MUST assign the DE. THAT alone forces them to restrict their creativity or disguise.

Originally posted by Joecool:
Isn't this awesome, we run an offense that was specifically engineered for Kaepernick. We are not trying to put a QB who has similar skills into the system. Kaep literally has this system mastered. He doesn't just operated the system well, he IS the system.

What some don't understand is how difficult it is to make the smart read on that end or 2nd level LB and pull that ball or hand it off. A split second is the difference between scoring a 50+ yard TD or only gaining 5 yards.

Indeed kaep is the master of the pistol offense, but no it was not created or engineered for him. Couch Ault "invented" (renamed) the pistol in 2004 and implemented it on the team in the 2005 season. kaep was a redshirt in 06, a year after the offense was installed on the team. He wasnt even the first qb to run the offense but i cant remember the dudes name, he was no where near as effective as kaep was.

people have been asking if there will be valuable qbs to run this type of system in the future or if there will be a pool to draw from....well just keep your eyes here in reno boys! Cody Fajardo is the starter we have here now and he is not that bad himself, maybe even better than kaep imo but we will see in the next couple of years.

All the "experts" are still saying that you can't run the pistol forever because you're qb will take a beating. Surely they know that the pistol does not equal the read/option? So, are they ignorant, or just spewing bs they know isnt true?

And it's funny, I guarantee QBs take more hits while they're throwing than they do while running. If they're smart and use the sidelines or know when to slide, they're less likely to take hits while running.

Originally posted by notsoempty86:
All the "experts" are still saying that you can't run the pistol forever because you're qb will take a beating. Surely they know that the pistol does not equal the read/option? So, are they ignorant, or just spewing bs they know isnt true?

Originally posted by Whomeam:
And it's funny, I guarantee QBs take more hits while they're throwing than they do while running. If they're smart and use the sidelines or know when to slide, they're less likely to take hits while running.

Here's a good tidbit on this topic

Originally posted by kodiak9er:
Indeed kaep is the master of the pistol offense, but no it was not created or engineered for him. Couch Ault "invented" (renamed) the pistol in 2004 and implemented it on the team in the 2005 season. kaep was a redshirt in 06, a year after the offense was installed on the team. He wasnt even the first qb to run the offense but i cant remember the dudes name, he was no where near as effective as kaep was.

people have been asking if there will be valuable qbs to run this type of system in the future or if there will be a pool to draw from....well just keep your eyes here in reno boys! Cody Fajardo is the starter we have here now and he is not that bad himself, maybe even better than kaep imo but we will see in the next couple of years.

That is unpossibull

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by WildBill:
If they put in the dime package, just run them over. when they get flatlined, they will be so worn from getting beat up that VD or Crab will be even more open.

This. Gotta have good coaching and a smart quarterback and you can really hammer teams. The only thing this offense is lacking is a legit #2 WR opposite Crabtree, get a guy with good quickness that can cause matchup problems and they'll be straight cramming the ball down the opposing teams throat.

A #2 WR! Hallelujah!

It will be interesting to see how Baltimore defenses the read-option. Mangini and others who've said that the DE should immediately crash the RB or QB seem to forget the third player in the backfield. The Niners scored twice against Atlanta with the third player doing little but running an arc around the DE, holding the DB with the threat of being a receiver. On the NFL website, Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers maximizing Pistol offense, Bucky Brooks displays three different Pistol setups the Niners use that vary the third player's position: double wing ("ace"), and weak ("far"), and strong (near).

• The third player can defend Kaep with a full block or chip
• Kaep can follow the RB after the fake, while the RB becomes a lead blocker
• The RB can sweep outside the DB (as LMJ did at least once in the playoffs with success)
• After the play-action, Kaep can roll out and throw to the RB or the third player
• Kaep can step back and throw a slant to either side
• If the defense crashes to one side, Kaep can bootleg to the other side and pass or run

X's & O's!!!

All-22 with Matt Bowen

Quote: This Pistol offense is new to me. I didn't see as a player back in the Big Ten or during my time in the NFL. However, I learn something every time I turn on the tape. With Kaepernick, the Read Option is always a threat. I get it. But after watching tape today, I'm more focused on the blocking angles and the path of the RB the Pistol offense creates. That's tough to defend.

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/All22-A-closer-look-at-49ers-Pistol-offense.html