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

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.

Yes Kaep is the system! He is from another planet...like Krypton. Chris Ault would be a great signing as a consultant, he is an innovator.

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

Every time Kaep handed it off, he was face to face with the DE and that DE was on a cautious rush to only contain. If you send the DE full speed completely disregarding the RB, Kaep would take some hits. You don't even need to send a DE, you can have the DE crash down and line a FS or OLB right next to him to go full speed at the QB no matter what. But, that will make them vulnerable if we decide to pass but it will be a very difficult blocking assignment to try and get the RT out to that blitzer.

Originally posted by Wrathman:

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.

Yes Kaep is the system! He is from another planet...like Krypton. Chris Ault would be a great signing as a consultant, he is an innovator.

Nah, we already took what Ault did and build on it. Don't need him anymore as it's not that complicated to install. What we did with it was take it and the read option to another level. We are the only team with a lead blocker on the QB keep portion of the read option.

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.

What Mangini is talking about is called a scrape-exchange - the DE automatically takes the QB option every time, while the playside OLB takes the dive man every time. (Obviously if the DE can get a free hit on the QB after the mesh, it's a bonus.) It's one of the oldest ways to stop the option.

The counter is obvious though: make someone other than the DE the read for the option. I.e., on an option left, Staley would actually kick-out block the DE, Iupati would turn loose the DT and take on the OLB directly. Kaep would read the free DT to determine whether to give the ball or keep it.

Usually the most tried-and-true way to stop the option , regardless of the defensive scheme, was just make the QB keep it and hit him hard when he runs. Most teams won't run their QB for 5 yard gains all the way down the field, he'd be a dead man walking soon enough.

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.

If Kap hands it off and the DE comes full speed and hits the QB, then that could easily result in a penalty - roughing the passer/late hit. If the DE comes in full speed, then we know Kap can get to the outside (50+yd TD run against GB, Dolphins).
Also, do you guys remember when one of Atlanta's lineman followed thru and hit his hand on Kap's helmet that extended our drive due to a penalty? Didn't look like much a hit but it shows fefs are always looking out for QBs.

Originally posted by johnnyredneat:

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.

What Mangini is talking about is called a scrape-exchange - the DE automatically takes the QB option every time, while the playside OLB takes the dive man every time. (Obviously if the DE can get a free hit on the QB after the mesh, it's a bonus.) It's one of the oldest ways to stop the option.

The counter is obvious though: make someone other than the DE the read for the option. I.e., on an option left, Staley would actually kick-out block the DE, Iupati would turn loose the DT and take on the OLB directly. Kaep would read the free DT to determine whether to give the ball or keep it.

Usually the most tried-and-true way to stop the option , regardless of the defensive scheme, was just make the QB keep it and hit him hard when he runs. Most teams won't run their QB for 5 yard gains all the way down the field, he'd be a dead man walking soon enough.

The only problem with this is that it limits Kaep to rushing off tackle instead of around, if the DE ends up sealing the edge on being blocked.

Originally posted by nevadalove9ers2:

Originally posted by johnnyredneat:
You guys are technically right: the pistol is just an alignment, not a playcall. And of course any QB can run it. But saying that kind of misses the larger point: it's an alignment designed for QB option runs. The QB gets the ball at the perfect depth for the QB/RB mesh point right at the start of the play. His eyes can immediately go to the read man without worrying about getting in the right spot for the mesh first. It's a small advantage to the QB right off the bat. That's really the pistol's only schematic advantage.

So the pistol might be just an alignment, but it's one that designed to work off of the read-option as its offensive staple. Tom Brady running the pistol would be rather pointless, since it doesn't really give non option-based offenses an edge on "standard" plays.

Its still a viable formation. Like coach said the defense has a harder time seeing the running back and keying in on whats happening.you can still do all the same stuff power, playaction or the read option.

Originally posted by nevadalove9ers2:

Originally posted by johnnyredneat:
You guys are technically right: the pistol is just an alignment, not a playcall. And of course any QB can run it. But saying that kind of misses the larger point: it's an alignment designed for QB option runs. The QB gets the ball at the perfect depth for the QB/RB mesh point right at the start of the play. His eyes can immediately go to the read man without worrying about getting in the right spot for the mesh first. It's a small advantage to the QB right off the bat. That's really the pistol's only schematic advantage.

So the pistol might be just an alignment, but it's one that designed to work off of the read-option as its offensive staple. Tom Brady running the pistol would be rather pointless, since it doesn't really give non option-based offenses an edge on "standard" plays.

Its still a viable formation. Like coach said the defense has a harder time seeing the running back and keying in on whats happening.you can still do all the same stuff power, playaction or the read option.

You're right, naturally you can run standard playcalls too. It wouldn't be a viable formation at all if it gave away the play every time we lined up in pistol set. But normal plays don't get an edge from the pistol set.

If you want to run the spread, get into the shotgun. If you want to run the west coast O, line up under center and have timing-based route combinations that sync up with the number of steps in the QB dropback. If you want to run option, get in the pistol.

Virtually every team, college or pro, that uses the pistol set as a staple of the offense also runs the read option as a staple. That's really my only point to make - that it's kind of missing the point to refer to the pistol as only a formation, when it was built for the read option play.

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.

Who cares what Mangini says. He is a loser. He has been a failed head coach twice. When he starts talking I just change the channel. Why ESPN hired him as an analyst is beyond me. You want to hire successful guys not losers. He $ucks!

Originally posted by Mertonschickendance:

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.

If Kap hands it off and the DE comes full speed and hits the QB, then that could easily result in a penalty - roughing the passer/late hit. If the DE comes in full speed, then we know Kap can get to the outside (50+yd TD run against GB, Dolphins).
Also, do you guys remember when one of Atlanta's lineman followed thru and hit his hand on Kap's helmet that extended our drive due to a penalty? Didn't look like much a hit but it shows fefs are always looking out for QBs.

It wouldn't result in a penalty if Kaep is just finishing the play fake and is nailed in the chest. He's not throwing the ball, he's holding it. DE can hit him as hard as he wants as long as he stays away from the head and does not lead with the helmet.

Also, what's up with Kaep faking the handoff to the right when the RB goes to the left? Why even fake? Is Kaep doing it wrong?

Atlanta DE and LBers could not even touch Kaep or Gore and LMJ. Good luck trying to have a deplayer come right at the qb and make a hit on him.

Originally posted by Joecool:
Also, what's up with Kaep faking the handoff to the right when the RB goes to the left? Why even fake? Is Kaep doing it wrong?

Botched execution. May be Kaep, may be Gore.

Originally posted by Joecool:
Also, what's up with Kaep faking the handoff to the right when the RB goes to the left? Why even fake? Is Kaep doing it wrong?

Yeah, thats happened a few times. Im not sure if thats Gores fault or Kaeps fault, but its funny to see. Hard to hear the calls in that Atl dome though, that much I know.

Originally posted by Joecool:

Also, what's up with Kaep faking the handoff to the right when the RB goes to the left? Why even fake? Is Kaep doing it wrong?

Even though he faked it to the wrong side, it still froze the linebackers and safeties for a few seconds.

Originally posted by Joecool:

Originally posted by Wrathman:

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.

Yes Kaep is the system! He is from another planet...like Krypton. Chris Ault would be a great signing as a consultant, he is an innovator.

Nah, we already took what Ault did and build on it. Don't need him anymore as it's not that complicated to install. What we did with it was take it and the read option to another level. We are the only team with a lead blocker on the QB keep portion of the read option.

Basically, because Roman has already gone to school with him, so-to-speak. I can
see another team -- interested in the formation -- bringing him onboard in that capacity.