Ault-ernate Plans: Give The Pistol A Shot
Early in Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid’s tenure, Chris Ault was hired as a consultant to help them deal with the rise of the pistol formation in the NFL. They used a few pistol plays, but it seemed like they mostly were focused on defending running QBs like Russel Wilson and, at the time RG3, but that’s not all the pistol is good for. This is what Wikipedia has to say about the Pistol Offense:
It is a hybrid of the traditional shotgun and single back offenses. In the pistol offense, also commonly referred to as the “pistol formation”, the quarterback lines up four yards behind the center, which is much closer than the seven-yard setback in a traditional shotgun formation. The running back then lines up three yards directly behind the quarterback, which is in contrast to the shotgun, where they are beside each other. It is argued that the position of the quarterback in the pistol formation strikes an advantageous compromise: the quarterback is close enough to the line of scrimmage to be able to read the defense, as with run situation sets such as the I formation, but far enough back to give him extra time and a better vision of the field for passing plays, as in the shotgun. The pistol formation is thus very versatile
Kansas City has struggled as an offensive unit in recent memory. They’ve been throwing the ball a lot from under center and not running much at all. This has led opposing defenses teeing off on QB Alex Smith with little fear of getting burned by inside runs. Using the pistol, Smith would be able to see the pressure as it develops. Too often, Smith hits his drop already under pressure and can’t set his feet to throw. Having more time to watch the pressure, he should be able to shift in the pocket to avoid pressure and still set his feet for the throw, improving his accuracy. He could also, more quickly, identify the coverage scheme that the defense is deploying. While I wouldn’t recommend a ton of Read Option plays with Smith, a few here and there can put pressure on a defense. Smith also seems to get fired up after a good run and the Pistol lends itself to these plays.
The Pistol could also really help Spencer Ware, who can push a pile well with some momentum, but has struggled, because injuries on the O-line have forced him to avoid free rushers. The Pistol allows the RB to gain momentum, while still getting him the ball faster and further in the backfield than under center. Just as Smith can survey the defense, so Ware has better sightlines and more time to make his reads. The pistol can put a lot of pressure on ILBs which could help Ware as well. That’s not even to mention Jamaal Charles who should be coming back full force after the bye week. Giving a guy like Charles some open field to work with is never a bad thing.
The Chiefs are facing a ton of zone defense right now. This allows defenses to keep an eye on Smith without committing a player to spy him. This has kept Smith from extending plays with his legs and left him jittery in the pocket. The good thing is… the pistol offense pairs very well with a zone-beating staple: crossing routes. Crossing routes put pressure on the ILB to guard the middle of the field, which can free up the RB for some big gains. If the ILB decides to commit to stopping the RB, he leaves the field wide open behind him for a fast WR like Jeremy Maclin or Tyreek Hill on a crosser.
Finally, the pistol forces the opposing defense to prepare multiple pass rush options. It’s easy to practice when you know where Smith will be in the pocket on every play, but if Smith takes snaps under center, in the pistol and back in the shotgun, you have to prepare options to attack different parts of the pocket. The more a team has to prepare for, the less time they have to prepare each part of the game plan. One of Andy Reid’s strengths, in the past, was his use of multiple personnel groups and multiple formations. That’s something Chiefs need to get back to and the pistol is a great place to start.
The pistol isn’t a cure-all for Chiefs offensive woes. Players still need to execute much better than they have been and Andy Reid needs to grow a pair in the red zone, but as a part of Reid’s offensive adjustments, I think it would make a lot of sense.
Random Draft Thought: Denver’s biggest weakness on defense is dealing with pass-catching RBs. The Chiefs should take a serious look at Christian McCaffery out of Stanford as he would be perfect for this role.
And those are my Sizzling Takes!
