You only have so much time ⏰ where will you invest it?
Apr 04, 2022 4:48 pm
Coach ,
Plays that take a lot of time to install and perfect are commonly referred to as being “Expensive.”
You really have to be sure about these in order to put them in your playbook and then installation plan. This is especially true in the passing game.
Route Concepts that have multiple purposes are the most valuable because the time spent in teaching those routes isn’t wasted because it only works in attacking a specific coverage.
The Mesh has definitely been trending over the last few seasons with more and more tight man coverage being used to stop the RPO. That’s where a man-beater like mesh comes in handy, though as Scotty Walden explains, it is a great all coverage beater.
Why Mesh?
Though Austin Peay Head Coach Scotty Walden never loved the mesh initially, it definitely is a play that he loves now. The main reason is that it can give an offense both man answers and zone answers. As teams prepare to stop RPO with man answers, Mesh becomes a very good answer with high percentage throws. He explains in this video.
Reading the Mesh
Understanding how to read the Mesh is a good starting point for understanding how it attacks coverages.
But Houston Head Coach Dana Holgorsen runs an efficient, high percentage play offense, leaning on Air Raid concepts like the Mesh.
His goal is to get 5-6 yards a play, paired with their larger receiving core and hybrid tight ends to open up the passing game. Coach Holgorsen dives into the QB read progression in the video below (click image for video).
Video: Return of the Mesh -Dana Holgorsen
Coach Holgorsen shows an 11 personnel 2x2 Mesh against tight man coverage in this video:
Motioning the Slot in Mesh
Movement can give your QB clues to coverage. Coach Walden shows an example of Mesh with motion being utilized (click on image for video)
Condensed Sets to Help Mesh
Mesh is a known man beater and is definitely helped by the condensed set. Jason McManus shares multiple condensed set examples in this video (click on images for videos):
Video: Condensed Set to Help Mesh
3x1 Bunch - Hit the Back for Big Play
In this example, Steve Rapp, state champion offensive coordinator at Wise HS (Virginia) explains how the alignment to bunch trips with a pressed inside corner away give a big play opportunity to the back up the sideline. He follows it up showing a variation against Cover 2.
The value of a concept is in direction proportion in how “expensive” it is in terms of the time necessary to make it effective within your offense.
Still concerned about how expensive Mesh is?
7x Arizona state champion Jason Mohns likes the “Rail” as an inexpensive Mesh concept for any offense.
This way of running mesh allows you to get some of the man beater aspects of mesh without having to spend a ton of time. Through recruit, Coach Mohns got the opportunity to learn this from Steve Sarkisian and Clay Helton when they were at USC.
He especially likes it because it provides a very effective boundary pass game, which as he points out, most high schools do not have. Through window dressing he’s been able to get a lot out of this from any 2x2 concept. He explains it here (click on image for video):
Video: Benefits of Running the Rail
*The added bonus of “Rail” is this is a tremendous route for your 7 on 7’s this summer.
So how much time do you have to invest?
The good news is that you can make a full investment into the concept knowing you can carry it into every game plan from just about any formation. Your time will be invested wisely.
If you want the benefits of Mesh without a heavy investment, you are able to do that as well, taking an approach like Coach Mohns has at Saguaro.
Either way, this is a play that can pay dividends this fall!
Always be growing!
Coach Grabowski