Preface
I think Jon Gruden is ESPN’s Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino except he hangs out at Hooters and has a beer versus hanging out at the Jersey Shore and having abs.
He’s there for a goofy accent and catch phrases while being an ass. Sometimes he even talks football in between selling his phrases like “man” “gunslinger” “swingin” “arm talent” “ha haaaa” etc.
Soap Box, Maaan
Jon Gruden got on his soap box, man, and did his best to prove the point that he doesn’t like RPO’s. Gruden even smirked at Brad Kaaya when he said Miami and Coach Mark Richt’s no-huddle jargon was “LeBron” and “Jordan” for a particular Inside Zone Read RPO concept- muttering something about L for left while shaking his head. If Jon Gruden does take a head coaching job in the future there’s two things I know he’ll do: run a no huddle scheme (because he said so himself in 2015) and run some form of Packaged Play/RPO at some point. If he thinks he can get up to the line and call a 15 word play call, he’s Joel Klatt level antiquated.
Jon admits he doesn’t want to huddle, but says, “I’m still going to be able to shift. I’m still going to be able to audible.” With UDFA’s, trades and free agency at an all-time high there’s a premium on shorter, easier play-call methods. You saw Mark Richt’s original play call was Rex Gun Spread 15 Base Razor Now... which the players pick up just their part of the call and only the QB needs to know the entire call, but if you’re running no huddle and want to run that play quick with the defense out of position and give them no time to respond, you can’t say that mouthful at the line.
Hell, even NFL QB’s struggle to retain the 10-15 word play calls of the West Coast Offense Gruden loves and it’s their full-time job. I can’t find the article, but Alex Smith said that it was difficult for the Chiefs to get rookies involved in their first year because the offensive jargon was too complicated. In today’s NFL rookies have to have an immediate impact (see: Elliott, Ezekiel).
In his #GrudensQBCamp interview with Brad Kaaya, Gruden doesn’t like that Brad is looking over to the sideline for the coaches to signal in plays. Gruden waffles on his laurels to the point that he states it’s too difficult for a QB to read an ILB but he wants the QB to read the defense, know their scheme on certain down and distances versus certain looks and then make the check himself. In 20 hours of practice time while taking 9 credit hours, that’s easier said than done, Jon. Reading a defender mid-play is just as much instincts as game planning.
An RPO That Worked
Before Gruden started his diatribe, they showed an RPO that works. It’s the same play- 15 Base (inside zone). The offense benefits because GT is a) less athletic and b) the ILB away from the give doesn’t even take read steps let alone fill the hole.
I like in the Gruden spot how Kaaya puts the spotlight on his former teammate Stacy Coley
The Tooth RPO
In the play in question (below), Brad makes a solid read the linebacker just makes a fantastic play. I personally think the play, not Brad, is poorly designed. The player in conflict is the MLB but if the RT gap-hinges instead of base blocks that LB won’t come in so free. The play design allows a super athletic FSU linebacker to come free on your QB, that’s bad business.
Below is a screenshot from said play, when an inside linebacker sees a gap open that wide, he’s going to shoot that gap. That’s his read, see a down block and step into the gap. They want to read the ILB that screamed on the run fit and if he bites throw the slant, but you can’t allow a free inside release to the QB- RPO or not. That’s where Gruden is right, it’s a bad play, but RPO’s aren’t bad by design.
Coaches Corner
Some coaches got on Twitter to discuss the Camp and RPO’s:
Gruden hates RPO's and rides Brad Kaaya hard on this one. Fact is, if he hands it off instead of pulling it to pass it's hat on hat blocking pic.twitter.com/U3VkNNU4sz
— SpreadOffense.com (@SpreadOffense) April 13, 2017
How's that? They block it solid on the LOS & read 2nd level (B Gap LB), they have 5 to block 6. Looks like Cover 1, bad play vs that look https://t.co/QVIdnaHVtr
— James Light (@JamesALight) April 13, 2017
Brad
Gruden’s QB Camp really didn’t teach me a lot about Brad Kaaya besides he has a great mom, lost his tooth, he likes Future, knows his playbook, and cared for his old coaching staff immensely. He has a bad taste in shirts and says “yeah” instead of “yes sir.” I’m glad he got a haircut. They didn’t cover some of the pivotal information like: why those late game collapses happened, what type of system he feels would best suit his talents, or if Brad even likes RPO’s and why they work for him or don’t.
As a fan you have to look between the lines at Brad Kaaya to have learned much of anything. He’s humble. He didn’t place blame on having three head coaches or multiple offensive coordinators. He didn’t blame his O-Line. He genuinely cared for his coaches and took his 15 minutes of fame to talk up a teammate. He looked professional and he flashed a high Football IQ on the board, not that he received praise for it. About all we know is he was tough enough to take a hit on a play that Gruden pretended Kaaya designed and called- as if he almost was baiting him to bash Mark Richt or Thomas Brown. Brad came off looking like a good QB in a bad situation.
You can always click here for my musings on Mark Richt’s offense in 2016.
Bonus
The type of fans that find Gruden funny:
RPO = toothe loss "Ridiculous Protection Offense" _ Jon Gruden to Kaaye on #GrudensQBCamp
— Karen (@roadsterkaren) April 13, 2017