Broncos Defense-Raiders Offense Scheme Talk

[MOtorboat]

OK...I'm bored...

The Raiders offense played a more straight up scheme, with zone-like principles against the Broncos in the first meeting of the season, a Broncos 37-6 win. The Raiders still used play-action, but utilized less stretch plays and more power blocking schemes, to obviously zero success.

Last week, against Cleveland, however, the Raiders ran a very stretch-based, mis-direction offense, very similar to the one Broncos fans became accustomed to when Kubiak was the offensive coordinator in Denver. It resulted in more success, but still a loss (It is the Raiders after all).

Here's a play early in the Oakland-Cleveland game, after several stretch zone runs with Marcel Reece that went for several first downs, it's a bootleg right by Palmer and a throw back to tight end Brandon Myers.

The Raiders are in an old-school eye formation with Myers lined up to the left.

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r250/clapton_2/Raiders_BrownsBoot2.jpg

The Raiders have already run several stretch-zone runs to either direction with mild success.

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r250/clapton_2/Raiders_BrownsBoot1.jpg

Notice the safety on the left side of the formation, pinching up. His assignment (this is man defense) is the tight end.

He bites on the playfake:

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r250/clapton_2/Raiders_BrownsBoot4.jpg

And Myers slips behind the defense for a significant gain.

I don't expect Denver to cheat their safeties up, especially in base 4-3 formations, but its something to watch.

Likely, Denver will play a lot more over and under formations, as they've utilized much of the season.

Here, we're actually looking at the Broncos-Texans game, at the formation leading to the Andre Johnson touchdown that began the scoring for Houston. It's trips right, with Johnson lined up to the left. It's a nickel package.

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r250/clapton_2/Broncos_TexansTripsTD1.jpg

The Broncos show bltz with the weak-side linebacker out of the nickel formation.

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r250/clapton_2/Broncos_TexansTripsTD2.jpg

As you can see in the next slide, Adams bites, Porter gets beat, thinking Adams is over the top, and it leads to a touchdown for the Texans.

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r250/clapton_2/Broncos_TexansTripsTD3.jpg

So, here we see the Raiders in a trips set against Cleveland. The middle receiver and Myers on the opposite side of the formation, run similar routes to what we saw in the previous play that Houston ran for a touchdown.

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r250/clapton_2/Raiders_BrownsTrips2.jpg

However, Cleveland stays disciplined and the safeties stay deep, and Palmer is forced to throw to the outside receiver in the bunch trips who runs a basic outside curl.

The Broncos have to stay disciplined, if the Raiders come out in the stretch-zone offense, which they did against Cleveland last week. And didn't in the first match up against the Broncos.

I think Allen and his staff are growing more accustomed to their personnel, and the zone-stretch offense is what they've decided works. I'd look for a lot of it against Denver tomorrow night.

[Tned]

With McFadden back, it will be interesting to say. It's been reported/speculated that one of the major problems with his lack of production this year has been the Raiders switch to primarily the ZBS. So much so that a month or so, Davis supposedly encouraged McFadden to talk to the coaches about it and prior to his injury, they had started moving back towards a power blocking scheme and he was showing signs of producing again.

So, it will be interesting to see what they come out with tomorrow. The ZBS they clearly wanted to move to, or power blocking that McFadden apparently runs better behind. It might also depend on how much of a workload McFadden is ready to take on.

[MOtorboat]

With McFadden back, it will be interesting to say. It's been reported/speculated that one of the major problems with his lack of production this year has been the Raiders switch to primarily the ZBS. So much so that a month or so, Davis supposedly encouraged McFadden to talk to the coaches about it and prior to his injury, they had started moving back towards a power blocking scheme and he was showing signs of producing again.

So, it will be interesting to see what they come out with tomorrow. The ZBS they clearly wanted to move to, or power blocking that McFadden apparently runs better behind. It might also depend on how much of a workload McFadden is ready to take on.

The Raiders definitely ran a more straight-up scheme, with both zone blocking and power blocking schemes incorporated in the first match up. Against Cleveland (last week), without McFadden, they ran almost strictly a zone-blocking based scheme. It's going to be interesting to see what they do with the return of McFadden. The power-blocking scheme has worked extremely well against the Broncos over the last four or five seasons, especially with McFadden.

[HORSEPOWER 56]

The Raiders definitely ran a more straight-up scheme, with both zone blocking and power blocking schemes incorporated in the first match up. Against Cleveland (last week), without McFadden, they ran almost strictly a zone-blocking based scheme. It's going to be interesting to see what they do with the return of McFadden. The power-blocking scheme has worked extremely well against the Broncos over the last four or five seasons, especially with McFadden.

I was under the impression that McFadden flourished under the ZBS installed by Tom Cable and kept with Hue Jackson... Maybe I'm dumb, but I thought the ZBS is exactly what they ran against us when they kicked the crap out of us in the game that we don't speak of... :confused:

[MOtorboat]

I was under the impression that McFadden flourished under the ZBS installed by Tom Cable and kept with Hue Jackson... Maybe I'm dumb, but I thought the ZBS is exactly what they ran against us when they kicked the crap out of us in the game that shall not be named... :confused:

I think they've been running power schemes.

[Tned]

I was under the impression that McFadden flourished under the ZBS installed by Tom Cable and kept with Hue Jackson... Maybe I'm dumb, but I thought the ZBS is exactly what they ran against us when they kicked the crap out of us in the game that we don't speak of... :confused:

I was looking for the USA Today article that Cecil Lammey pointed me towards, but came across this, which while dated, kind of sums it up pretty well:


New offensive coordinator Greg Knapp is expected to install a zone-blocking scheme in Oakland.

Darren McFadden never flourished under former coach Tom Cable's zone-blocking scheme, only emerging once Hue Jackson molded the offense to his strengths. ESPN's John Clayton suggests the Raiders will have to decide whether to re-sign free agent Michael Bush or trade McFadden this offseason. Knapp has been a decidedly run-heavy play-caller, though it's odd that the Raiders are now installing an offense that won't cater to the skills of its most dynamic player. Beat writer Steve Corkran suggested last week that McFadden could be dangled as a trade chip for new GM Reggie McKenzie.

http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/nfl/227385/zone-blocking-raiders-to-dangle-mcfadden

[Tned]

I can't find the article I read last month, but here's something from the other day, where they talk about the line's struggle with the ZBS early.


With McFadden poised to come back this week, the Raiders are excited to see what he will be able to do now that the offensive line is adjusting to the new zone blocking scheme.


McFadden missed the last four games with the injured ankle, including last week when he practiced but was unable to play in a loss to Cleveland. But running backs coach Kelly Skipper said he is seeing much more burst from McFadden in practice this week and is optimistic he'll be able to play Thursday night for the Raiders (3-9) against the Denver Broncos (9-3).


''We're very excited,'' quarterback Carson Palmer (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/6337) said. ''I can't wait to watch him. We were kind of working through a lot of things when he was healthy in the new scheme and a lot of guys doing a lot of different things that they haven't done in their careers. But now with as many games as we have underneath our belt up front, getting him back will be a big bonus for us.''

McFadden averaged just 3.3 yards per carry before spraining his right ankle early in the eighth game against Tampa Bay. McFadden had averaged more than 5 yards per carry over the previous two seasons, but struggled to adjust to the team's new zone blocking system.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/raiders-hopeful-mcfadden-return-222801330--nfl.html

[Chef Zambini]

frankly I see the TE as the raiders go to playmaker and the raiders will look to explore and expose his match-ups. mcfadden will just be a distraction(play action pass) in recent weeks, not last month or last season, the TE has been the linch-pin of their offense.

[Chef Zambini]

who is drawing the TE assignment, Mo?

[MOtorboat]

who is drawing the TE assignment, Mo?

Linebackers. Safety on a few plays. He'll likely be bracketed if they run the stretch-zone misdirection scheme they did last week. He's not a very dynamic tight end, the Raiders just don't have much else.

[Tned]

Linebackers. Safety on a few plays. He'll likely be bracketed if they run the stretch-zone misdirection scheme they did last week. He's not a very dynamic tight end, the Raiders just don't have much else.

Against SD last time, I think Harris had Gates almost exclusively (except for a few zone defense calls). Even though Brandon Myers is all the rage, because he had 14 receptions last week, I'm not sure the Broncos will put the focus on him that they did Gates and other elite tight ends.

[MOtorboat]

Against SD last time, I think Harris had Gates almost exclusively (except for a few zone defense calls). Even though Brandon Myers is all the rage, because he had 14 receptions last week, I'm not sure the Broncos will put the focus on him that they did Gates and other elite tight ends.

He did, but I don't expect the Broncos to be all that worried about Myers despite his catch numbers. I just don't see him as a dynamic player.

I'm more worried about McFadden and Reece out of the backfield. I'd expect a lot of two back sets with both those players in the game tonight.

[Tned]

He did, but I don't expect the Broncos to be all that worried about Myers despite his catch numbers. I just don't see him as a dynamic player.

I'm more worried about McFadden and Reece out of the backfield. I'd expect a lot of two back sets with both those players in the game tonight.

Agreed. Even with the big catch numbers, he hasn't been a big yards guy or overall big threat. The ONLY reason to be worried about Myers is the fact that prior to the second SD game the Broncos had been abused by tight ends (something that has been a multi-year pattern). That said, except for the freak blown coverage on long passes, I'm most concerned with both the running game and screen game, two things that at times have gashed the Broncos.

[Chef Zambini]

He did, but I don't expect the Broncos to be all that worried about Myers despite his catch numbers. I just don't see him as a dynamic player.

I'm more worried about McFadden and Reece out of the backfield. I'd expect a lot of two back sets with both those players in the game tonight.and yet, like you said, 'thats all they got" especially if we take away their run game.
of course the raiders are going to try and establish the run and keep the chains moving via the run.
for all the obvious reasons.
the TE will be part of that equasion,taking either the LB or safety out of the box.
TE and run game,
' that is the raiders 1-2 punch.
I have been impressed with JDR and our Ds ability to stop the offenses we face, it just concerns me that sometimes we dont get it figured out until the second half!
our half time adjustments are GREAT. but I wonder why we look so 'confused' or ill prepared in the first half !

[Nomad]

He did, but I don't expect the Broncos to be all that worried about Myers despite his catch numbers. I just don't see him as a dynamic player.

I'm more worried about McFadden and Reece out of the backfield. I'd expect a lot of two back sets with both those players in the game tonight.

McFadden has been a thorne in my side for too many years (being at Arkansas and Raiders)....he needs to switch conferences.:lol:

[Chef Zambini]

McFadden has been a thorne in my side for too many years (being at Arkansas and Raiders)....he needs to switch conferences.:lol:I am ok with mcfadden staying in the AFC west...
as long as he becomes a bronco !
our new training staff would keep him healthy and on the field !

[Ravage!!!]

McFadden can't stay healthy. He could be one of the very best in the NFL, but is just too fragile. Taller RBs just have a harder time in the NFL.