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A tale of two Split Ends


Dallas94Ware

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Split End: An offensive position that was once a staple position of most passing offenses when running the ball was the primary objective. Typically larger than base receivers, but smaller than tight end size, these players were capable of playing out wide from the OL on either side to block or run a pass route; where as the TIGHT end played TIGHT to the formation, the split end played SPLIT from the formation yet their roles were very similar, although still quite different. This position has evolved quite a bit throughout the ages. It is no longer about the size and versatility that it used to be; that has become a more prototypical set of traits in today's Tight Ends, who now can split out from the OL, or out wide, and block or catch with hopefully equal capability. The split end has died off in the NFL through the years and ultimately two new positions have evolved from this - again, the prototype receving Tight End, and the prototype slot receiver.

Since Jason Garrett installed his offensive style, the Dallas Cowboys have relied heavily upon the slot - a receiving position split from the offensive line but not as wide as the typical wide receivers who are located on the edges of the formation - to bring a variable threat to the offense. This position, which typically is a tough spot to cover due to the amount of space available for his route tree to attack, is frequently a hot read in Garrett's offense; Laurent Robinson, Cole Beasley, anyone who's played from this spot in Garrett's offense has come out with pretty good production because of it's frequent use as a hot read.

A hot read can mean several things - typically it is the read a QB makes when he identifies a blitz, and this route is altered to run to the vacated area of the field caused by the blitz. It allows for a quick, safe throw to capitalize on the blitz. In this offense, that is the primary use of the slot as a hot read.

This creates a lot of opportunities, specifically for big or explosive play, by the slot receiver. 

When you combine the hot read slot position in this offense with the natural change of direction ability that players like Ryan Switzer and Cole Beasley possess, you maximize the threat that a slot receiver already poses to a coverage unit. It becomes far easier to adjust into gaps in zone coverage, much easier to use change-of-direction routes to gain separation in man coverage, and a troublesome threat to a defense that dares to blitz and leave the middle of the field open. That natural, swift change of direction ability is a perfect fit in an offense that relies heavily upon its slot options.

Cole Beasley has shown time and time again how the slot, run by a guy capable of those quick route switches and changes of direction, can burn a defense.

Now enter Switzer, a guy with perhaps a bit more natural receiving ability and just as capable in those change-of-direction routes as Beasley. He adjusts quite well to the ball and is one heck of a fit in an offense that seems to be far more reliant in the future on a spread field, given the age of Witten, the suspension of Zeke, and the capabilities of Dak Prescott to make quick throws both under pressure and on the move.

Dak has shown his swift release and ability to remain mobile can be deadly to defenses. This combines very well with the use of slot receivers, and 3 and 4 receiver sets which give him more options on the move. While most defenses will fall into a zone or adjust into one when they see four receivers hitting the field, this offense will use those two slot receivers to attack the gaps in coverage while Dak buys the time needed for them to find it. This was on display in key victories this past year against Washington and Philly.

But relying upon Switzer and Cole in just this duty isn't Garrett's style. Especially since the playcalling has fallen on Linehan, who has shown a knack for versatility out of his slot receivers - and not just with end arounds and screens, which are a threat yes, but also with utilizing them on cut and crack blocks. 

Cole and Switzer share something in common beyond their route running and capability from the slot; but both are decent cut blockers. Not ideal blockers, and Cole has gotten better by year at this, but both have shown they are willing to throw their nose into the fray. In an offense that could certainly make use of a singleback runner - McFadden and Elliott both are good singleback runners - while splitting the field with 3 or 4 receivers, a pair of slot receivers able to get under a safety or linebacker, or helping chip off a DL and buy a little extra space for a runner becomes an added dimension that could easily, and quickly, become a vital part of the offense.

Some of this is rooted in obvious X and O observations of how the team utilized Cole Beasley the last two seasons. Linehan has called a large assortment of plays the last few seasons that put Beasley in an important role; and while Whitehead, and before him, Dwayne Harris, typically ran the cut and crack roles, Beasley has grown quite a bit here. And Switzer is no intravert when it comes to doing the dirty work. So I could easily see, and predict, a larger role of the slot receiver in this offense. 

But, with an increased role in blocking, and becoming a larger factor in the offense as a whole, brings me to my initial definition that I opened this thread with: Split End.

While they won't be that larger player, split ends used to be a big part of passing offenses way back when. Their blocking, threat in the immediate areas of the field, and use in beating blitzing defenses made then tremendous impact players. Could we see a newer, revitalized, more modern style of split end concept make its return to the NFL with Dallas making Switzer and Beasley more vital players the offensive unit? Maybe calling them split ends is a bit old fashioned and even presumptuous, but if they do take on the role I see them having on this offense, calling them slot receivers won't quite tell the whole story, either.

And then there's Rico Gathers............

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I would love to see this, or something similar. Dak like Romo before him is very accurate and with his quick release he can give defenses fits in a short passing type offense with Dez skill on the outside keeping the safety honest. With Switz Witten and a better ball catching Williams to supplement Beasley then this team can run a ball control passing game that will help relieve the pressure on a Elliot less running game.    

I remember back in the day the oilers with moon controlled the clock with a 4 wide receiver core where  they had a great mix of quick receivers and mixed with deep routes. In a lot of ways Dak reminds me of Moon with his quick release and decision making.  This is also similar to what the saints had a while ago only they used the RB's. To create the mismatch with LB.  

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6 hours ago, quiller said:

I would love to see this, or something similar. Dak like Romo before him is very accurate and with his quick release he can give defenses fits in a short passing type offense with Dez skill on the outside keeping the safety honest. With Switz Witten and a better ball catching Williams to supplement Beasley then this team can run a ball control passing game that will help relieve the pressure on a Elliot less running game.    

I remember back in the day the oilers with moon controlled the clock with a 4 wide receiver core where  they had a great mix of quick receivers and mixed with deep routes. In a lot of ways Dak reminds me of Moon with his quick release and decision making.  This is also similar to what the saints had a while ago only they used the RB's. To create the mismatch with LB.  

Dak has nowhere near the gun Moon had.

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12 hours ago, quiller said:

I would love to see this, or something similar. Dak like Romo before him is very accurate and with his quick release he can give defenses fits in a short passing type offense with Dez skill on the outside keeping the safety honest. With Switz Witten and a better ball catching Williams to supplement Beasley then this team can run a ball control passing game that will help relieve the pressure on a Elliot less running game.    

I remember back in the day the oilers with moon controlled the clock with a 4 wide receiver core where  they had a great mix of quick receivers and mixed with deep routes. In a lot of ways Dak reminds me of Moon with his quick release and decision making.  This is also similar to what the saints had a while ago only they used the RB's. To create the mismatch with LB.  

Moon and that offense was more predicated upon forcing defenses to play 3 deep and cover 3 looks from the defenses, and abusing that with underneath routes. Much like we did when we played Seattle not too long ago, who runs cover 3 almost exclusively as a base coverage.

The moment you didnt run a cover 3, there were 3 receivers adjusting their routes to split the deep halves and Moon simply had to lay it out there to right man.

Different offensive style. But the four man spread offense was vital to Moon's Oilers and I think it could become a big part of this one. Especially with Zeke missing time. It wilk be fun to see how it develops.

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Part II: Adding in some Rico

 

Guys like Jimmy Graham, and even to an extent Jermichael Finley, and yes, even Antonio Gates, have made a living as a tight end who can also play split off from the formation, practically playing slot receiver. While Switzer and Beasley play more classic slot and would be a completely modern take on a split end offensive position, basically a slot receiver with a more prolific use, the players mentioned above play a more tight end/split end role similar to the original split ends that were a mainstay of offenses way back. The main difference is that these new types tend to work deep down the field playing against the safeties, both at the hashes and the corners. They usually are not as blocking oriented as the old school styles, but are close to it.

This is where Rico Gathers comes in.

Rico is cut from the same mold as Finley, Graham, Gates, etc. He has the athletic frame to outleap and outrun and overall outhustle most common DBs, especially safeties. He has the height and strength to play physical at the line or when fighting for the ball. He has been developing some blocking capability as well, which should allow him to be a bigger use on the field.

What makes this a special fit for the COwboys is that it allows us to put even more emphasis on two-slot or "split end" sets offensively. As mentioned in my original post, I could easily see where this could become a staple in the offense given our roster and the talents of both Dak PRescott (Mobile, quick release, extensive experience in spread systems) and Zeke Elliott (patient, vision, elusive burst), not to mention the capability of our offensive line to hold the point of attack without much help.The depth and player styles are there. 

Rico gives that concept an extra dimension - the ability to motion to a split position or a tight position, even stringing out wide altogether. Him on the field does make it difficult to squeeze in both Switzer and BEasley, and I can't see an immediate future where Witten is off the field in favor of Gathers.

However, the combinations of routes and sets, and the mismatch problems presented by this trio make for a very intriguing concept offensively. 

Gathers and Witten on the line, each tight to the formation on opposite ends; BEasley and Dez lined up on the same side, on Witten's side. Gathers motions out wide to the opposite side. A defense now not only must fear the stack route concepts from Dez and Beasley with Witten in tight, but now must string coverage wide to watch for a deep attempt to Gathers on the other end of the field. Dez and Gathers can easily beat a defense deep; Beasley and Witten can murder you underneath and across the middle, or beat most defenses with sharp route running to the outside, and both are known for their quick adjustments in option routes. But, as that defense spreads itself thin - a linebacker sliding out to the edge, the safety taking a step further out from the hash to better guard Rico, etc, Zeke gets the ball up the middle. Rico has pulled a LB out of the box, another LB has shifted over to Witten, and now Zeke can capitalize on a weak box to go untouched past the second level; the safeties, both of whom stepped wide to cover the deeper threat posed by the formation, now lay out of prime position - still in general positioning - to assist up front on the run up the gut; they close in fast, but Zeke has already galloped for 15 yards through the spread front 7 and now has an easy choice on which safety to attack, because they stepped out of prime run defending position. Make that safety miss, he's gone. 

Now, in the instance of that same formation being used as a pass: Beasley is running a simple shallow crossing pattern across the formation, Dez is a coverage lifter taking a deep post right to the safety on his side of the field. Witten gets the simple flare to the vacated portion of the field. Rico, a mere decoy, getting to force coverage outside while the real route concept was a quick and effecient throw shallow to Beasley or Witten. BUt, the next time a D sees this formation, Witten takes the hash route he used to make famous running up the seam; while Rico now is the one running a post intersecting with Witten. The D didn't adjust this time because of RIco's decoy role previously, and the shallow post route by RIco against a coverage now rolled opposite of him gashes the D for a big gain.

THis is just one concept, but I think it draws a good picture. And yes, while you could technically apply this concept to any formation and package, the fact Rico and Beasley have similar yet so different roles allows for a constant rolling of matchups and can cause more confusion down after down by defenses than doing the same thing with, say, Terrance and Dez with Witten and Beasley also out there, because Williams and Dez are already so likely to run different trees and be utilized differently, Witten could never run that slot receiver style of route tree to bring the same coverages opposite of Beasley that say, Switzer or Rico could; and the potential of Rico out wide and going deep or simply muscling his way to the middle from out wide will always bring consideration from defenses to weaken the box, moreso than Williams out there or Witten or Hannah; which in turn, again, opens up a big chance for our big play runner behind this big-play-opening offensive line.

The possibilities of this offensive wrinkle are deep. Switzer and Beasley will likely see more of this as a duo later in the year as Switzer develops better as an overall pro route runner and blocker. With Rico, we're probably looking at next year for him to have a bigger part in this - his route running, his blocking, his overall football instincts, all still show they need work. But with all the signs pointing this way and the potential it has for this team, it'll be a nice addition to an already potent offense that has featured this sort of design before, just never on the scale I could see it growing into.

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I like the idea of a Rico Witten 2TE that suddenly turns into a run and shoot with 260+lb slot WRs.  :-)

And then run similar play concepts with a double conventional slot with Bease/Switzer. 

An interesting Redzone package becomes Shotgun02 with Witten tight, Gathers and Noah Brown in the slots, Dez and Butler outside. You have big powerful matchup nightmares everywhere, but the coup de grace is when you motion Witten and run Dak on a keeper off tackle as Witten whams the DE and Collins fetches a LB while Dak walks in.

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Thats the right idea, Dirk. Open it up inside by making a defense scramble to align themselves for better matchups, and use that as a route to an easier box to run against. 

If you look back to old school tape, I mean those black and white days of the 50s, this was commonplace. The split end evolved into two separate positions...the now classic slot receiver and the more versatile tight end. When you teach both to block and possess a depth chart with guys capable of forming mismatches, you revive a long dead concept of using power from the slot, or versatility, or both while forcing the D to weaken the box in fear of those matchups on the sides of the formation. At the same time you maintain steady matchup problems for a defense, utilizing receivers that are usually easier targets for a QB (Big tight ends/split ends and shifty slot guys able to get quick separation)

The future becomes that much brighter for Prescott.

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