Coach ,

The little things make a big difference. How often do we wait to teach the little things after they happen?

What are those things that happen and we correct after the fact on film on Saturday or Sunday?

Here’s a few examples:

-Two men in motion

-The defense trying to let the offense score

-The ball heading toward the sideline on the kickoff

These are just a few. The list is extensive and in some of these situations, it can be the difference between a penalty or a touchdown or if at a significant time, a win or a loss. 

Unique scenarios in football are inevitable. 

There are two approaches to this. You can wait until they happen and teach based on that...OR you can start teaching those and make them a part of your team's collective Football IQ.

Penn Offensive Coordinator Dan Swanstrom teaches over 30 of these scenarios to the team. Whether it’s offense, defense, or special teams, he wants all of his players to be aware of them.

Here are a few examples of how he thinks about, handles, and teaches situational awareness.

Offense

Two men in motion is something that can’t happen. How many times do you see a big play called back because of illegal motion?  

Coach Swanstrom teaches his players how to handle this with a “May Day” call which anyone on the field or sideline can call to alert the QB/players on the field to ensure at the snap of the ball they are legal.

In this one he uses the Patriots having an easy TD called back because of two men in motion (click on image for video):

Video: Two Men in Motion

Defense

While it goes against all defensive philosophies, there is a time when letting the other team score to preserve one more opportunity for your team to score after them for the win is viable.

Coach Swanstrom teaches this situation as “Free Lunch.” The example he used is from Atlanta against Detroit.

The Lions gave running back Todd Gurley a tantalizing path to the end zone and he couldn't help himself. He tried to fall down, but it was too late. He landed on the goal line for a touchdown that led to a loss for the Falcons.

Detroit let Gurley score with just over a minute remaining to get the ball back, giving Matthew Stafford enough time to drive the Lions to the winning TD as time expired.

Coach Swanstrom explains how they teach “Free Lunch” in this video(click on image for video):

Video: Free Lunch

Special Teams

One which we saw a few times this past season on special teams that is definitely worth teaching is the straddle return.  

The ball moves to the 35 yard line in college and high school when the ball is kicked out of bounds.

What becomes difficult for returners to handle is the ball that is slowly rolling and not necessarily going straight out of bounds.

The straddle return is what helps the return team.

If an out-of-bounds player touches a loose ball, it puts the ball out of bounds. And when you have a kick that goes out of bounds untouched by the return team in the field of play, that's a kickoff out of bounds, and they're going to get the football at the 40 (NFL).

Coach Swanstrom illustrates this with an example of the straddle return being executed by the Green Bay Packers (click on image for video):

Video: Straddle Return

Those are just three examples of how teaching situational awareness to your players creates a smart football team that will ultimately have more success on the field because you spend time teaching and practicing these situations.

Thank you to Coach Swanstrom for putting this useful body of knowledge together in his clinic.

Always be growing!

Coach Grabowski