Thoughts on Norm Chow's Offense

This is in response to questions about what Norm Chow is doing. My disclaimer is I have no insider knowledge, nor have I seen a playbook, so I may not be very accurate. This is mostly just my thoughts as a casual observer. The question was about what is Chow doing differently from the BYU days. These are just some thoughts, and I try to talk about them in a universal way that applies to all of us.

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Thanks for the email. I'd love to get an insiders view
of some of what Chow used to do, most of what I know
has been more external viewing and second-hand info,
coupled with a clinic here or there.

As far as what I've observed from some tapes and
whatnot I don't think his offense is that different.
Structurally I think the plays are mostly the same,
the techniques the same, and the goals the same. I
still see most of the same flood routes, option routes
to the RB, curl/flat, and that ever present draw-trap
that they have used since the beginning of time. The
differences from my perspective are thus:

1) Different personnel, not just better. I think one
thing this has resulted in is less of the traditional
pro-set and a lot more 3-wide/single back as well as
no-back and things like that. The old strategy seemed
to be more of getting 5 athletes on the field with
your HBs and TEs. Remember, in those days everyone still
lined up with 3 big run stuffing LBs, so they got
those RBs and TEs on those LBs and had good
mismatches. Defenses have gotten faster but also teams
in HS throw more so I think there are simply a greater
number of WRs and slot-men who are D1 caliber, and of
course USC gets them. Look at the NFL draft and all
the WRs who got chosen.

My completely unfounded and uneducated prediction will be
that next season with the top two WRs gone and all
those RBs you'll see Norm use a lot more 2-back, even
if one of those guys motions out of the backfield half
the time.

2) Greater reliance on 3-step - I think this is a two
part issue: one, they have more individual 1 on 1
matchups that are favorable so throwing a slant or a
fade to a guy in that situation is more favorable,
whereas without those you have to get a bit more
creative. Norm is smart enough to KISS it, and if the
choice is between throwing a slant to a Mike Williams
or dropping back 5 steps and trying to run some
crossing pattern or whatnot, KISS becomes TTSS, throw
the slant, stupid.

The other being that defenses have reacted to the
passing offenses and are just faster. BYU always tried
to get rid of the ball quickly, and they did not hang
onto the ball for 7 steps and do a lot of
double-moves, but now with such good defensive ends
and pass rushing LBs etc, it makes more sense to just
drop back the 3-steps and get the ball out and protect
your QB. Chow knows that your QB can't play if his
face is bloodied and he gets knocked around, and
Philip Rivers, Carson Palmer and Matt Leinert aren't
exactly Michael Vick in the pocket.

3) More zone runs. Not sure for the rationale with
this, probably just simplicity and the greater use of
one-back sets. Also, the variety of blitzing fronts
and things make zones a simpler concept than some of
the man schemes which can require each potential front
being gameplanned.

4) Just a few new packages. I think most of the
difference people notice is with the new packages.
First, they now use a bunch package, which seems to
include the snag or Coverdale/Robinson mesh as well as
some variations off of it, such as the corner-man
running a skinny post. I could not tell you if they
teach these as seperate plays or simply tags. They
also use the Green Bay Packers concept, which is like
a 3-step stem deal, where #1 drags immediately at a
depth of 1-2, #2 hitches/sits at 5-6 and #3 shoots
right now. They also do all kinds of tags backside,
with slants/hitches/fades/and sluggo (slant-corner).
They have loved this using Mike Williams backside.

The other thing is they seem to be using a bit more
play-action, but their play action seems very simple.
it seems like it is their 5-step passes with some
fake-zone or fake-draw action.

Anyway, I think it is mostly window dressing. When I
see them yes I see the mini-curl, yes I see a lot of
3-step (of course I remember the BYU game where they
completed 18 straight of a bunch of speed outs,
hitches, sticks and slants) and some of the bunch
stuff, but overall I still see the draw-trap, I see
the frontside and weakside floods, I see all curl, I
see corner post flat, I see the double shallow
crossers, 4-vertical, etc.