Air Raid - Everything You Need To Know
Thanks to HWill for posting the link - I am in the middle of burning some DVD's of old football games for a trade I am involved in and he got the link posted in the R&S thread. I thought I would start an Air Raid thread because it deserves its own thread and I didn't want it getting buried in the other one. Enjoy this. It might take you a week to get through it all, if you watch all the videos, but it's well worth the time!
http://smartfootball.com/offense/the...sen-and-beyond
A huge THANK YOU to HWill for getting it on here!
3 Attachment(s)
sharing previous call sheets
I cannot take credit for these, all credit goes to the original authors....I just don't know who they were.... I just have them on my external...hopefully they all come through.
Happy RAIDIN'
Some more Air Raid info I found on the external
Again,
These tips from years past that I saved into word b/c they helped me understand the Air Raid, hopefully someone can find some use with them.
Quick Passes: Based on getting the ball out of the QBs hands quickly (all Quick passes should have slants on the backside).
Stick - Playside Outside WR (PSOW) runs a Go. PSIW runs a 5 yard hitch (aka Stick). The back runs an "Arrow" to the flat. Both backside WRs run slants.
Progression is Pre-snap, Stick, Arrow - QB checks for pre-snap...can he hit the Go or backside slants? No, then think Stick to Arrow. If the hole player (usually OLB) widens with the back, throw the stick. If the hole player covers the stick, throw the arrow. Great play on 3rd and 4.
If you run "Stick" from trips, the progression is the same except the back is not involved in the route. Instead, the #2 WR runs an out route (attacking the flat like the back would) and the #3 WR still runs the Stick. EA also put Stick Switch in the game (which is a great play), where #2 runs the Stick, and #3 runs a bubble (again, attacking the flat).
Y-Corner - PSOW runs a 3 step slant. PSIW runs a 10 yard corner. Back runs a swing. Again, both backside WRs run slants.
Progression is Pre-snap, slant, corner, swing. QB checks for for the slants. No? Slant (check OLB) to corner (should be open vs man) to swing (will throw this if zone and corner sinks).
Drop Back Passes: More pass pro is involved. Will have to have blitz beaters because the routes take longer.
Shallow - There are A TON of variations of this play on the game. It's a concept. Any WR on one side will run a 'shallow' route (like a 1 yard crossing route). From the other side, a WR will run a Dig route (10 yard cross). The other two WRs (one on each side) will run some sort of clear routes (Post and Go). It's hard to be specific with what WRs is running what route because either WR can run the shallow from one side, and either WR can run the Dig from the other. The Back runs a "shoot" (basically a route to the flat to the side where the "shallow" came from).
The Progression for the QB is this: SAY IT OVER AND OVER:
Hot, Shallow, Dig, Shoot
Hot, Shallow, Dig, Shoot
Hot, Shallow, Dig, Shoot
Hot, Shallow, Dig, Shoot
First off, you have the two WRs running deep, which if you get press man-to-man, you could hit them deep. But this route is not meant to be thrown to them.
Hot - eyes on the WR running the dig. When the ball is snapped, if the OLB/defender covering him blitzes, THROW IT 'HOT' RIGHT NOW. If not.....
Shallow - your eyes should be right in place for the shallow. As your looking at the shallow, if that MLB drives on the shallow and covers it, just smile because....
Dig - it's wide open. Find the hole and fire the ball in there. However, the LBs might be dropping deep, and the dig is covered...
Shoot - find the back. He's on the side where the shallow came from. dump it off to him and let him run.
You can run the 'Shallow' concept out of Trips (with the Shallow and Dig coming from the same side).
Four Verticals - This play isn't a "Hail Mary" type play. It's actually (hopefully) more of a quick hitting type play. You've got four WRs runnings Go's and the back running a check down (I usually Hot Route the back to run an in or out route instead of a check down).
Progression: 2x2 - Pick a side. You are going to read the safeties.
If there are two high safeties (i.e, running cover 2) then you are going to read from Outside-In. You'll hit the outside WR if he's beaten the corner. If not, its the Inside WR. You'll have to lead him away from the safety and fire the ball into him. If their both covered, find the back.
The same holds true if it's man-to-man coverage. First off, it looks like two high safeties. Read outside-in. Outside WR covererd? The inside WR vs. man it actually better. I've found that many times the Inside WRs will "win inside" vs. man on go routes, so really lead him towards the middle of the field and fire that ball in there.
If there is one-high safety (i.e., they are rolling to cover 3). then you are going to hit one of the two inside WRs. I like to throw away from the safety that's rolling down, and you'll see that once that inside WR clears the open, he's wide open. You DON'T want to lead him to the middle of the field, because there's a safety patrolling that area. Four Verticals KILLS cover 3. If you are getting a lot of 3, you can get them out of it really fast.
In Trips, you basically going to have the same reads. Vs. Two high Safeties you'll read outside-in on the trips side (Vs man, #3 runs a bender across the field that's great vs. man - however, you have to fire it in there and watch out for that backside safety).
In trips, vs one high safety, you still read those two inside WRs. I really like #2 up the seam out of trips, but the bender (#3) is open also).
Smash - Great Cover 2 Beater, but will work vs. Cover 3. Also, the progression is simple. First off, you have mirrored routes on both sides. #1 WR runs a 5 yard hitch. #2 runs a 10 yard corner. The back runs a check down.
Progression - Pick a side with the most grass (i.e. fewest defenders). Progression is High, Low, Check down. High - if the corner route open? Take a peak at the cornerback to see what he's doing. If he squats with #1 WR, it is open. You might have to lead the WR to the sideline and away from the safety. Low - if the cornerback sinks, it's some kind of cover 3, so the OLB/SS will be the flat player. You'll have to fire that ball in there so it doesn't get picked, but it's usually open. I've also Hot Routed the #1 WR's route to an out route, and I actually like it alot. But you only want to do that if you are going to throw to the wide side of the field. Into the boundary, the hitch is fine. Checkdown - If the high and low are covered, find the back. Again, you can hot route his route to an in or out if you don't like the way he runs a checkdown.
Trips - Progression is the same, but you'll only have one side to throw to - High, Low, Checkdown.
MESH - This is a staple of the Air Raid. Two WRs run "the mesh" - it's almost like a double shallow route - and will keep running vs. man, or settle vs. zone. EA did a great job with this. The #1 WR on the RB side will run a corner, and the back will run a swing. The backside WR should run an out route, but EA makes him run a GO (one of the few things they got wrong with the air raid).
Progression - Corner, Swing, Playside Mesh, Backside Mesh - it's one of those you'll have to memorize.
Corner - read is similar to the Smash, but don't stay on it very long. If it's not there, go to...
Swing - The back out of the backfield. You'll know if he's open RIGHT NOW. In man, he usually is. In zone, usually not. Don't be afraid to throw it to him... if he's covered,
Playside Mesh - The mesher coming to the backside side. Again, if he's covered man-to-man, he'll keep running. In zone, he'll settle....
Backside Mesh - Usually vs man, one of the two meshers is open - they basically set a pick for each other and create a natural rub.
These pass plays, in addition to the screens and run game, really make the Air Raid a great offense to run . One of the great things about it is that it's the same plays from different formations. Going AGGRESSIVE no huddle, staying in the same formation, and running down the list of plays. You can put a lot of points up quick.