Tanier diagrams Jags option

Walkthrough is always a treat

So Branch commits body, heart, and soul to stopping Jones-Drew. Garrard executes a beautiful-but-unnecessary fake, selling the pitch with his head and body. Branch just lets Garrard run right inside of him. It looks like a Jedi mind trick, but Branch would have needed to do something superhuman to stop this play. Garrard runs straight down the sideline until free safety Michael Huff brings him down.

The Titans ran a version of this option last year with Vince Young and Chris Johnson. NFL teams have proven in the last two seasons that option plays are a viable wrinkle, and that some of the dangers of the college-style option (like an unblocked Julius Peppers body-slamming your quarterback) can be minimized with proper play design. This year’s Jaguars, like last year’s Titans, are trying to generate big plays from their running game, and an option is a great way to get Jones-Drew (or Garrard) on the edge with room to run. We will be seeing more of the Jaguars option in the weeks to come, and even in the playoffs.

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