the s2a Blazer Concept

11/28/2018

The Bubble screen has been around since Drew Brees was in college setting records at Purdue in the 1990's. The concept then morphed into combining the Bubble with the Slant for a Slant/Bubble progression (see diagram below). Then the Bubble became a common tag as the advent of RPO's began to take hold of the game of football.

Diagram below: This shows a 1/2 field shot of a typical Slant/Bubble concept

This is not blazer - plain old slant bubble. More below

Through trial and error, in the Surface to Air System, we have found a wrinkle in the Bubble that we need to take advantage of far more often than we have utilized it. We call it Blazer. This concept takes advantage of how a defense structures its coverage and force to defend the Slant/Bubble.

S2A takes further advantage of how a defense deploys against any behind the line throw (Bubble, Now Screen, etc) by utilizing our Trigger concept.

S2A Members can access "Trigger" here within the Members section

This is blazer

Teaching Blazer

In the still shot below the offense aligns in a Trips set to the field. The #1 WR will run a go, the #2 WR will execute Blazer, and #3 will execute the Bubble.

Below, the #2 WR works to the outside shoulder of the L2 (S2A defensive ID System) in an upfield circular arc. His eyes are trained to ID the Trigger player. In this case that is L1 that has "triggered" as the force player with the assignment of containing (setting the edge).

S2A MEMBERS CAN ACCESS S2A Def. I.D System HERE WITHIN THE MEMBERS SECTION

Members note: when going to this System Documents page:

Make sure to be logged in
The document is the download on the left column, 3rd from bottom

In the still shot down below, the picture shows both where the #2 WR has leveraged the L2 defender as well as determining who the trigger is (denoted by red dotted line).

key coaching point

It should be noted that the key to the concept is in who #2 is assigned to for blocking purposes if the play were a traditional bubble with stalk blocks. In S2A we strive for Stalks to be Key Read blocks, meaning the onus is on the WR stalking to block the man responsible for force (the Trigger player in zone coverage) and let the deep pass defender go. In this picture the defensive structure is man, thus making L1 (man to man on #3) trigger to the bubble.

In keeping with this key coaching point (in this case the WR's recognize man to man coverage), the #2 WR leverages (widens) L2 and becomes a "salesman" for the execution of a fake block. This "suckers" L2 into both widening his alignment (opening the grass void area), and taking his eyes back inside to the bubble and off his man. The #2 remains patient, allowing the L1 to Trigger and to pass by him before the receiver advances into the void for a wide open throw.

Below is the video footage of the play both from the sideline and end-zone angles.

s2a teams executing blazer

In no particular order, the five following video clips showcase various iterations of Blazer.

In full transparency, none of the clips meet our satisfaction of how we will execute the concept in 2019. At the advent of "tinkering" with Blazer we had nothing to compare it to, thus we've learned.

In introducing each clip we will provide a commentary on what we feel we should and will improve on while running it in the 2019 season.

Clip 1, below: This is executed with a "locked backdoor RPO", using S2A parlance. The #2 should eye the R2 defender as the Trigger (that's who he would block if it were just a traditional bubble only concept). In the execution of #2's route, patience and "gamesmenship" should be employed on the player he would normally be asked to block (R2). The patience employed will make for a much larger grass void for the ball to be thrown in because R2 will increase his force pursuit to the Bubble route.
Note: in 2019 we will ask #1 to run a Go route.

Clip 2, below: Like the clip detailed above, the #2 WR exercises no constraint and patience in allowing his most important portion of the concept to develop. He recognizes who he would block, but shows no "gamesmenship" in feigning it. Then his speed and tempo runs his route into harms way and into the LB hook area. Had he shown patience and then worked to settle in the void grass area, he would have been wide open.
Note: Again, we will ask the #1 WR to run a Go route in 2019.

Clip 3, below: Again, the play is executed as a backdoor RPO with the concept tag of Blazer. As you study the execution in the clip note two important things.

The QB could have just settled and thrown the Bubble, which is totally fine, because the defensive structure to that side played drop pass and no defender Triggered for Force.
The #2 WR was far too impatient. As in the clip and video of the college at the top of this post, the #2 should have leveraged the defender over him and done a better job of feigning a stalk. The #2 should have broken for the Bee logo area on the 50 yard line, instead he led the QB in having to execute a perfect throw.

Clip 4 below: The defense is almost identical in its assignments and structure to that of the pictures and clip at the top of this post. Again, our #2 WR is neither patient nor a salesman. If he had been, we feel this would have been a much easier opening for the throw.

Clip 5, below: We through this clip in to show the power of what a RPO concept to the backdoor side can do to effect the defensive structure. Blazer can be executed to the backdoor side, but the defense has assigned 4 defenders to not only be over the trips side, but also to react to the pattern of those 3 receivers, thus ignoring the run.

Look for Blazer and more cutting edge concepts at our Clinic

The National RPO Clinic by Surface to air system

We invite you to attend the 2nd annual S2A National RPO Clinic.
WHEN: February 15/16, 2019
WHERE: Indianapolis, IN - at Decatur Central High School near the airport
WHAT: 11 hours of intense learning on the Spread, RPO's, defending the Spread, and stopping RPO's. Click the link below for Registration and details:

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