Spread Offense Is Not NFL Offense
May 12th, 2015
Bucs OC Dirk Koetter explains why America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, may have an easier transition to the NFL than other drafted quarterbacks.
Joe knows many fans go nuts when they hear or read this: The spread-option offense, so popular in college, is killing the NFL.
First, look at the roadkill of spread quarterbacks littering ditches outside NFL facilities. For every spread QB that makes it, it seems a half-dozen or more are thrown aside.
The recent NFL draft showed seven quarterbacks selected. For a league that has too many teams crying for quarterbacks, the fact only seven were taken, and only five after the No. 2 overall pick, is mind-boggling.
That is the fewest number of quarterbacks drafted since the NFL and the AFL merged the draft in 1967.
Joe finds that astounding.
A few days after the draft, former Ravens offensive coordinator and former Colorado, Washington and UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel appeared on SiriusXM NFL Radio and stated the dearth of quarterbacks selected was the NFL essentially telling college football programs, “We don’t want your stinking spread quarterbacks.”
Bucs offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter understands. He has dealt with spread offenses in college and has good friends who run spread offenses in college.
Koetter, speaking to the Tampa Bay pen and mic club yesterday at One Buc Palace, stated fans should never confuse a college spread offense with an NFL offense. He spoke in the context of how America’s Quarterback, Bucs signal-caller Jameis Winston, should have a smoother transition to the NFL than others.
“Even though I love watching spread football on TV, spread football doesn’t necessarily prepare guys the best for the NFL,” Koetter said.
Then Koetter detailed Winston was the product of a pro-style offense at Florida State that Koetter said may be more complicated than his Bucs playbook.
“Aside from Jameis, when we were up there for Jameis’s pro day, I was in the offensive line room and George (Warhop) was doing our install with the O-linemen we were working out from Florida State,” Koetter explained. “There was a playbook sitting right there. It was their spring ball playbook. Their spring ball install. I’m going to lie and say I was bored when George was talking, so I picked up their playbook and I started looking at it.
“Heck, Florida State was probably installing more stuff per day than we do. I’ve known about Jimbo Fisher and his style of offense for a long time. They truly do run an NFL style system. They ask a lot of their guys mentally. I think, to get back to the point, Jameis is as well prepared as most any guy could be right now.”
That’s impressive, and Joe has heard similar things before; Fisher quarterbacks from Florida State impressed NFL coaches when they were told to hit the whiteboard.
Of course, Joe hasn’t heard from any NFL type that Christian Ponder or E.J. Manuel reminded people of Peyton Manning on a whiteboard, the way Jameis did at the NFL Scouting Combine.
To hear more from Koetter, click the black button below. Audio player courtesy of Joe’s friends at WDAE-AM 620.
May 12th, 2015 at 9:01 am
There you have it.
May 12th, 2015 at 9:09 am
it’s nice to hear these things, and i’m among those who is expecting great success in the JW3 era, but that seems a bit oversimplified. i have to admit i don’t watch a ton of saturday football, but it seemed to me that part of what his 2 predecessors (Manuel and Ponder) struggled with was some regression when presented with NFL wrinkles after being fairly proficient with Fisher’s offense. maybe i ought to be giving more credit to the NFL defenses, or was the gap between him and the other two (as an NCAA QB, not as an NFL prospect) more significant than i realized?
May 12th, 2015 at 9:14 am
Joe, stop misleading your readers
Koetter worked with Mark Helfrich that one time, which obviously means Koetter is going to be running the spread option next year.
Great misdirection on his part, but he can’t get it past us….he met Helfrich that one time so the spread is coming to Tampa, obvi
May 12th, 2015 at 9:19 am
Whoa!…….are we setting ourselves up for potential disappointment with the high expectations?
I’m as much an optimist as anyone…but the reality is that we have a way to go before we are champions…..every year….I hope I’m right about how good I think we’ll be….this year….I’m being more cautious.
May 12th, 2015 at 9:21 am
In regards to Ponder and Manuel; you have to remember that even though they
came from FSU, they plainly were not nearly as GOOD as Winston, talent wise. Ponder also had trouble even while at FSU.
May 12th, 2015 at 9:21 am
First off, according to ESPN Stats and Information in 2006 15% of all NFL snaps were taken out of a Spread formation. In 2013 it was up to 50% and in 2014 a whopping 60% of all NFL Snaps were taken out of a spread formation. So the spread is here that’s for sure.
Secondly I am VERY glad that JW is our QB. I am liking it more and more every day However to call him”America’s QB” is just borderline stupidity. I know that it is tough for most to swallow but outside of the state of Fla people despise JW and that is a fact. All Joe does is get himself laughed at by any non TB fan that reads this and half of the TB fans laugh at him too. He is our QB Joe. Can you just let him be JW please.
May 12th, 2015 at 9:23 am
FSU won games despite Manuel and Ponder and they won a lot more games the past few years because of JW3. Those two were average QBs and no FSU fan I know has ever said anything otherwise.
May 12th, 2015 at 9:30 am
impementing spread concepts and running a college style spread offense are 2 different things. when the spread offense has worked best in the NFL, it has been part of a blended offensive philosophy where spread plays can catch a defense off guard at times. not to mention, the %ages were skewed by a number of sub-.500 teams (carolina, SF, WAS, Jets, etc) who relied almost exclusively on spread plays in unsuccessful attempts to build winning teams around that style of QB.
May 12th, 2015 at 9:35 am
The NFL is going to have to evolve, simple as that. If 90% of the NCAA is running spread offenses, then guess what, those are the QBs that will be available to the NFL to draft. The college assistants and OCs of today are the NFL head coaches of tomorrow, and they’ve all be raised on the spread offense. It may not be tomorrow or next season, but with the next decade the NFL will be a spread offense league, especially with the way the rules are written against any kind of pass defense.
May 12th, 2015 at 9:38 am
Was ATL running a spread Offense the last couple of years and I missed it somehow?
Good points Pick6- per usual.
May 12th, 2015 at 9:55 am
America’s QB,sounds damn good to me.
May 12th, 2015 at 9:58 am
It’ll be Jamesi reading defenses more than understanding the Bucs playbook and game plans……
May 12th, 2015 at 10:07 am
The guy is a Professional OC and he’s telling you knuckleheads what’s real. This proves that people get stuck with a narrative and just can’t let it go. No wonder FOX NEWS is so popular.
May 12th, 2015 at 10:13 am
but the reality is that we have a way to go before we are champions….
TBBF
If you’re talking another Super Bowl Title or even a Conference Championship I agree whole heartedly!
But I don’t think our crapola division is not up for grabs and the Bucs have just as good a chance as the other three.
I expect ten wins this season, a quick one and done in the playoffs.
Another draft and another year of maturity for Fameis and 2016 should be even better and then I expect us to be contenders to reach the SB by 2017 Famies 3rd year and two more drafts.
May 12th, 2015 at 10:14 am
As an FSU fan, I expected Ponder to be a 3rd round pick and did not think EJ would be drafted.
Winston was/is much better than both.
May 12th, 2015 at 10:17 am
Realistically…StPeteBF……I think you are at least a year ahead of schedule….hope I am wrong but 10 wins is a hallucination
May 12th, 2015 at 11:34 am
“Jameis Winston will win a Super Bowl within 3 years of entering the NFL whether it be with the Bucs or some other team.” – Buc1987 pre-draft.
May 12th, 2015 at 11:45 am
I guess I could sit here and retype the fact a spread formation isn’t the same as lining up in the shotgun formation….
…but what’s the point. Its been said time and time again and people either just seem to ignore it or not believe it.
Recent head coach hirings say otherwise.
It also shows that the selection was Winston’s to lose the whole time.
May 12th, 2015 at 1:02 pm
This is so blown out of proportion its laughable. The off-season of nothing to write about syndrome….so lets make issues up or retread old issues that had little merit.
May 12th, 2015 at 1:55 pm
That whole “America’s Quarterback,” is such BS hyperbole.
Maybe we should start referring to Joe as the President of the Famous Jameis’.
sycophant society
May 12th, 2015 at 2:58 pm
If he’s so smart and so prepared with the most awesome pro offense ever in college, the smartest QB ever to play, why did he throw 18 interceptions against COLLEGE defenses last year? In only 12 or13 games, mind you.
May 12th, 2015 at 3:24 pm
Does no one else find it troubling that someone at Florida State would leave their playbook laying around for others to take a look or potentially heist?
May 12th, 2015 at 4:57 pm
Teebee, i was thinking that too. That’s how you know the story is made up.
May 13th, 2015 at 8:45 am
@StPete – 10 wins???? That is crazy. You know how many games the Bucs are favored to win next per Vegas? ZERO! This team is not going to be very good next. Lots of back ups forced to start combined with a lot of rookies. I would love to see the team do well, but I’m also a realist. Predicting 10 wins is nuts!