The play of the offensive line is arguably the most distinctive, recognizable, and crucial element of Shanahan-tree offenses. The very best lines playing this style of offense (such as LA Rams and SF 49ers) appear almost to move as one, with each player forging one link of a moving phalanx. Players are coached to play by certain relatively simple rules– whether a player is “covered” (meaning with a defensive player lined up opposite them), “uncovered”(meaning the opposite), and to the play side or not– determines the entirety of the offensive lineman’s role. However, within those simple rules are endlessly complex nuances, with specific steps accounted for, and with players required to fully trust that those to each side of them are following those rules (about who to block, who to team block, and who to ignore) with equal subtlety and commitment.
Continue reading Nathaniel Hackett’s Projected Denver Offense: Part 2