The Offensive Explosion Can be Stopped

I hope you are enjoying the offensive explosion across professional football. There is no doubt that high school and college offenses have made it to the grandest of stages. It seems that high scoring games, and fantasy stats, are the new generation of football and defense is the thing of the past, gone like the age of dinosaurs. Most fans are excited about this new breed of football. Like the old saying in baseball, "chicks dig the long ball, fans crave scoring. The NFL has recognized this and even supported this with the bevy of rules that now benefit the offense. With the new rules to make the game safer it is no wonder everyone wants to play offense these days. At the youth level you are seeing the better athletes lean towards offense for fame and fortune. Teams like Alabama and Clemson have even embraced the offense is king mentality this year. But if you are like me there is hope on the horizon, defenses can still make a difference, with a little help.

Look no further than the Dallas Cowboys' win over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night. The formula was there. The best way to beat a high powered offense is a joint effort by the entire coaching staff, both offense and defense. No longer can defense and offense be separate entities on a team, they have to work in unison and show patience in the overall game plan. I know your thinking I am crazy, but I tell you bits and pieces of this are being used all over the NFL, but no one is talking about it or committing fully. And boy does it take commitment from the team. Fans want explosive plays, players want explosive plays, but what matters in the end is did you win? It makes no difference if it was 53-50 or 7-6, a win is a win and they count exactly the same.

So how does this joint effort work? It is an easy concept. If you are playing a team that scores on 80% or more of its drives, give them less drives and they score less points. This means controlling the ball and sustaining long drives. This can keep the defense fresh as well has shorten the game. This does not just mean running the ball either. Hell, most NFL passing plays are 1-3 yard short throws now anyways, anything that keeps the drive going works. It also means snapping the ball as close to the end of the play clock as you can. The Chargers are doing this right now. They have the slowest offense in the NFL, but they are winning. They are controlling the ball and shortening the game. Before you realize it, the game is almost over. The Lions did it against the Patriots in their win this year. They took their time and shortened the game and kept the ball out of Brady's hands. Sounds like a simple concept. Teams just do not commit to it as an entire game plan enough. They get anxious and start trying to air it out even with a lead and before you know it the game is over, talking to you Steelers fans. Now comes the second half of this strategy.

Remember I said it takes a joint effort, both offense and defense. Your defense has to have a part in this for it to work. The defense being rested allows you to focus on two things. One, no big plays, you have to scheme a way to force them to slow down the drive. Whether is it taking your best corner and putting him on their #2 play maker, and doubling their #1 play maker, or a combination of blitzing and zone, it does not matter, the key is to force a long drive. Second, yards do not matter. Let them have the yards who cares, let them have field goals, who cares. The key is to prevent Touchdowns, or at least give them the most resistance to points. No team wants to dink and dunk down the field but if you open that up and let them, eventually the desire to force it will be there. Just like shortening the game it takes a commitment that no matter what, you have to keep with the game plan. The last few weeks in the NFL have even began to prove this theory, I.E. Seattle, Dallas, and Chicago.

So to those that say it is going to require a top defensive tactician to combat the offensive explosion in football, I say it will take a Head Coach and staff that is committed to "mucking" up the game. It might not be pretty, but at the end of the day you do not win championships for style in football you win championships by beating your opponent no matter the margin of victory. Remember old adages can still work, "Defense wins Championships" well partly.