"Two tight ends? You naughty boys!"
Posted on 09/08/2009 3:13:05 PM PDT by Dysart
The Wildcat was the fashionable offensive formation in the NFL in 2008.
The Miami Dolphins introduced it in their upset of the New England Patriots on the third weekend. By season's end, it seems half the teams had incorporated the formation into the playbook.
During my tour of training camps this summer, I sensed another trend emerging on offense – the two-tight end set. The Houston Texans have already made a sizable investment in that formation, carrying four tight ends on their 2009 roster.
It's all common sense to Texans coach Gary Kubiak, who sees the multi-tight end sets beneficial to both his passing and running games.
"Protection is No. 1 in this league,". "If you can't protect your quarterback, it doesn't matter how good you are offensively. If he gets beaten up, you're not going to be successful. A two-tight end [package] widens those great defensive ends. It allows you to chip [block] on your way out and slow those guys down.
"It also balances the field so you can go either way when you run the ball. There are a lot of advantages to it. But it all starts with keeping your quarterback upright."
Actually, the formation is staging a re-emergence in 2009. Joe Gibbs removed the fullback and went with two tight ends at Washington with great success in the 1980s. He favored running the football. Don Coryell ran three tight ends through his offense in the 1980s with the San Diego Chargers. He favored passing the ball.
... The Cowboys have a Pro Bowl tight end in Jason Witten but still spent a second-round pick in 2008 on another tight end [Martellus Bennett]. Same with the Washington Redskins. They have a Pro Bowler in Chris Cooley but used a two in 2008 on Fred Davis.
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
forget 2 tight ends...put in the triple option. (LOL) Each team would need about 8-10 quarterbacks :o)
I want to see some team reincorporate the flying wedge offensive play where everyone on offense runs down the field in a big ‘V’ shaped formation like Notre Dame did in the early 1930s.
Also, I just noted an error:
The Giants have Michael Boss there but used a third-rounder on Travis Beckum last April.
Should of course be Kevin Boss.
"Two tight ends? You naughty boys!"
Cowboys will run this a lot with Witten and Bennett.
Two Tight Ends ???
That ought to make Barney Frank VERY happy ...
The Lions will also run this with Pettigrew and Heller/Fitzsimmons. The Lions need all the help they can get- but I think they will win at least 3 games this year.
Witten- Bennett. Your NFC Pro Bowl Starter and Back up on the same team. Book it.
I feel your pain.
Buccaneer fan here
I started thinking the Bucs would win six this year, downgraded to three if we are lucky.
Bennet will be an animal at this level. He wasn’t used well in college at all.
Bennet will be an animal at this level. He wasn’t used well in college at all.
Interesting point, but Gibbs' rationale for instituting the two-TE formation was likely based on pass protection needs, not their running game. He has said many times that the primary purpose of the two-TE formation was to try to cope with New York Giants' linebacker Lawrence Taylor by eliminating the whole concept of a "weak side" on offense.
He once said something to this effect: "You simply can't have Lawrence Taylor playing against air."
LOL! Well, when Taylor had the benefit of facing no two-TE set, he was hardly playing against air. I mean, he had to slam against the QB eventually!
go figure......
Don’t worry about it, it’s so prophetic that is probably worth saying twice anyway, or twicest as we say in the South.
Colts have been using 2 TEs for a couple of years. They split Dallas Clark in slot from time to time to give the defense more looks from the same offense and to run no-huddle.
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