12 and 13 Personnel In The Air Raid Offense - Part II A - Dropback and Play-Action Passes - Coach Dale Carlson

This is the second installment of my three part series using 12 and 13 Personnel in the Air Raid Offense. The first post discussed the Quick Game. The second post will be divided into Part A and Part B. Part A will discuss Mesh, Four Verts, and Shallow Cross.

The first two Dropback concepts installed on Day 1 are Mesh and 4 Verts. Both plays have tags run for each that are installed in upcoming days.

Mesh is a play identified with Hal Mumme and the late Mike Leach. Both coaches have run Mesh extensively throughout their coaching careers.I first installed the Hal Mumme Mesh when I started the program at Ohio Dominican University in 2004. It was the basis of our offense and our most successful pass concept.

Base Mesh rules from a 2x2 Deuce formation:

Z: 4-Step Out. QB can signal Go, Corner, or Post based on coverage and leverage.

Y: Set top of Mesh. Under the LB no deeper than 6-yards. Settle in zone after mesh with X, Run vs man.

J: Shoot route. Hot. Stop at numbers and face QB if you don't get the ball hot.

X: Bottom of Mesh. Settle in first zone after Mesh with Y. Run vs man.

F: Check protection - Swing. Get to Z's original alignment no wider than the numbers. Catch ball behind the LOS. Make ball call if you can get 10 yards.

Q: Read Z - F - Mesh. Go hot to J if you feel pressure pre-snap. Throw F on his ball call. 

Not all "Air Raid" teams run Mesh. Some coaches say it is an expensive play. You do need to take time to rep Mesh everyday. This can be accomplished in a 5-8 minute period depending on the number of players you need to cycle through. Ideally we run the mesh drill in the following manner. All receivers run their routes. Each of the 5 QB;s will throw one portion of the Mesh concept determined before the rep begins. The balls should come out in the following order: J-Hot, Z, F, Mesh. Have coaches play the LB's so the receivers running the mesh can read zone or man cover and react accordingly

Each QB must go through his read progression so the balls come out in the proper order. The QB coach can stand in behind the two Mesh routes to watch the QB's head movements or behind the QB;s and watch their hip movement. Either way a coach must be watching the QB;s to make sure they are going through their progressions and the balls are coming out in the proper sequence. Rotate the QB's so they are all five throws.

 It should look something like the diagram below:

How do the Y and X know its man coverage? Teach both receivers to look at their buddy running the Mesh. If they see a defender trailing their buddy they call "Man-Man" and run instead of sitting. After the Y and X Mesh vs. man they should peak for the ball. If the ball isn't in the air begin to climb looking for the ball downfield. Sometimes a receiver will make a mistake thinking a zone dropper is trailing his buddy and call "Man." We never"get after" a receiver if he makes the Man call and its Zone.The receivers must always be looking for Man cover. If they get fooled so be it.

The first tag added to Mesh is Wheel. This can be a Single or Double Wheel Concept.

Mesh-Wheel rules from a 3x1 formation are as follows:

Z; Post

h: Wheel

Y: Top of Mesh

J: Bottom of Mesh

F: Check protection. Swing if aligned to trips. Wheel if aligned to single receiver.

Q: See C-S reaction for Post-Wheel. Mesh to Swing.

On Day 2 Install we would run Mesh-Wheel from various formations during our Mesh Drill Period. Balls would come out in this order Z-h,Mesh_F.

Defenses will try to take away the Mesh by jamming one or both receives running the Mesh. To counter this the following tag can be used to get a receiver in behind the Mesh.

Dagger. run from a 3x1 formation. The rules are as follows:

Z: Dig. Take on inside release and work to Hash +4. Get past the seam defender an look for the ball.

h: Seam - get inside the S and carry him deep.

Y: Top of Mesh

J: Bottom of Mesh

F: Check protection - Swing

Q: Peak h-Seam, Z-Mesh-Swing

The second Dropback concept installed on Day 1 is Four Verts. This concept stretches the field vertically. We can tag the outside receivers on Stop routes or check Quick Game to one side or the other.

Basic Four Verts rules are:

Z: Go route.Hug the bottom of the numbers. Expect to bat the defender deep. MUST take a outside release vs press coverage.Be ready for QB signal for Quick Game or Stop route (12 drop-off to 10).

Y:/J To field - MOF Closed Seam. Get hash +2. looking for ball 20 yds.  MOF Open - choice of Post, Dig, Hook 10-12 yards. To Boundary -  MOF Closed Seam. Get hash +2. looking for ball 18 yds. MOF Closed - Hook at 10-12 yds or Dropoff if Seam defender is walling you off.

X: Go route.Hug the bottom of the numbers. Expect to bat the defender deep. MUST take a outside release vs press coverage.Be ready for QB signal for Quick Game or Stop route (12 drop-off to 10).

F: Option route of MLB. Possible tags - Angle or Out.

Q: Read Boundary to Field. X-J-Y-F. Check Quick Game or Stop to Z/X based on depth and leverage of defender.

2x2 vs Cover 4 check F-Out. The Seam defender will be carrying The Y on the seam. F-Out is always open.

Rules for Four Verts from a 3x1 Early Heavy formation are:

Z: Go route.Hug the bottom of the numbers. Expect to bat the defender deep. MUST take a outside release vs press coverage.Be ready for QB signal for Quick Game or Stop route (12 drop-off to 10).

J: MOF Closed - Seam hash +2. Look for ball 20 yds. MOF Closed - Hookat 10-12 yds or Dropoff if Seam defender is walling you off.

Y: MOF Closed - get across to opposite hash to the grass. MOF Open - Split the S's.

X: Go route.Hug the bottom of the numbers. Expect to bat the defender deep. MUST take a outside release vs press coverage.Be ready for QB signal for Quick Game or Stop route (12 drop-off to 10).

F: Check protection - Angle Tag. Release outside like running shoot route. Plant on outside foot and work back inside on an angle no deeper tan 4-5 yds.(Like to run F-Angle from 3X1 to get under the MLB trying to carry the Y across).

Q: Read boundary to field. X-Y-J-F Angle.

I like to give the QB freedom when calling Four Verts by sending the play in Four Verts-Check. This allows the QB to check to a Quick Game concept to one side. He can check to a Stop route for one of the outside receivers. He can check to F-Out if he's getting a Cover 4 look to one side of the field.

In the diagram below the defense is playing a Deuce formation with and 8-man box Cover 3. The C's are mid pointing the vertical routes so the QB checks Stop to the X in the boundary.

Another example vs. Deuce. 3rd-5 the defense elects to play Cover 4. QB checks to Friday (Fade-Out) to the field. (Could check FB out as well)

One of myfavorite tags from Early Heavy is 90 Choice. This is an old Run-and-Shoot Concept.

X: Go route. QB can signal Stop or Slant.

Y: MOF Closed - May tag Y-Post

J: Shallow Cross

Z: Drive at 8-10 yds. May tag Z-Post.

F: Check Protection - Swing

Q: X-Y-J-F. Check X route vs leverage. Z-Y Post  Tag read X - Post.

Day 2 Install would include Shallow Cross. From Deuce I like to run either X or Z Shallow.

Z-Shallow rules are as follows:

Z: Shallow Cross. Aim at the heals of the DL run no deeper than 3 yards. Catch he ball and run to the opposite hash mark before turning upfield.

Y: Slot fade

J: Dig 10-12 yards. Get over the top of the Seam defender. Read drop of MLB to settle in open zone. run vs. Man.

X: Go

F: Check Protection. Let Z-Shallow clear and run Shallow Cross Opposite Z.

Q: Pre-snap to X-Go. Read Seam Defender for Shallow Cross-Dig check down to F-Shallow Cross.

X-Shallow would be exact opposite. X-Shallow, J-Slot Fade, Y-Dig and Z-Go.

Coach Leach was the first Air Raid coach that I saw run the F on the Shallow opposite. Coach Mumme and many others run the F on a Swing away from the Dig. I like Coach Leach's concept because the defense loses the F. I believe this is a beneficial change up to the normal F-Swing run in many of the Air Raid plays.

From 3x1 Early Deuce J-Shallow is diagrammed below:

Z: Go

h: Dig 10-12 yards. Get over the top of the Seam defender. Read drop of MLB to settle in open zone. run vs. Man.

Y: Post

J; Shallow Cross. Aim at the heals of the DL run no deeper than 3 yards. Catch he ball and run to the opposite hash mark before turning upfield.

F: Check Protection. Let J-Shallow clear and run Shallow Cross Opposite J.

Q: Pre-snap read Y-Post, Read Seam Defender for Shallow Cross-Dig. Check down to F-Shallow Cross.

In Part II - B I will discuss Y-Cross, Y-Sail, and Play-Action concepts from the Air Raid Offense for 12 and 13 Personnel. Feel free to contact me with any questions at:

dalercarlson1@gmail.com

12 and 13 Personnel In The Air Raid Offense - Part I Formations And The Quick Passing Game - Coach Dale Carlson

There are many variations of the Air Raid Offense being run today at all levels of football. The Air Raid is not just about a play or a series of plays. Yes there are certain plays identified with the Air Raid such as Mesh and Y-Cross. The Air Raid developed by Hal Mumme is an overall approach to offensive football covering personnel, practice procedures, and game planning.

I was coordinating the run-and-shoot offense as the Head Coach at Lakeland College in the late 1980's when our team faced Iowa Wesleyan in Hal Mumme's first year as Head Coach. Over the years and by visiting with Coach Mumme I fully embraced the Air Raid offense when I started the program at Ohio Dominican University. We had some very talented TE's that we used in the Air Raid.

In Part I - I will discuss the formations used and the Quick Passing Game. Part II will cover Dropback and Play-Action. Part III will cover Run Game, Goal Line, and 13 Personnel.

From our base personnel group of 11 personnel we employed the TE is various positions within the formation. Those are show below. 2x2, 3x1, and 20 with the TE in the backfield.

We can also flex the TE putting stress on the defense. Instead of an attached 11 personnel group we have moved to 10 personnel without substituting a WR.

Next step is to add multiple TE's. We have done this in the following manner.

Using some of the formations above we ran the basic Air Raid Quick Game. These included Stick, Stick-Switch, Hitch, Y-Corner, Friday, and Outlaw.

From 3x1 we run the basic Stick Concept. #1 - Vertical #2 - Shoot #3 - Stick. QB peaks the Vertical and reads the Nickel for the Shoot to Stick.

When teams try to cheat the backside FS towards #3 strong with Nickel now aligned outside #2 we run Stick-Switch. #2 and #3 "switch" routes. The Nickel has to take the TE (#3) on the shoot opening up #2 on the Stick. The Mike has a long way to run to cover #2 on the Stick.

Hitch is run from a 2X2 formation. We call the concept either to the right or to the left. On Hitch Right #1 - Hitch #2 - Slot Fade. Backside both #1 and #2 will run routes based on the QB. #1 runs a Slant. Once #1 makes his break on the slant if the QB's eyes are not to him #1 will convert to the Sluggo route. #2 works 4 yards OTB and settles in the open zone. If #2 is collisioned or its man cover he will work back outside. QB can choose to go frontside to the Hitch combination or backside pre-snap. QB's read frontside is C for the Hitch-Slot Fade to backside #2 OTB.

Y-Corner is the next concept we teach in the Quick Game. From 3x1- #1 - Slow Slant (let the corner route clear. Settle in the opening vs. zone - run and climb vs. man) #2 - Shoot #3-Corner (8 yds - aiming at the front pylon outside the 20 yd line & the back pylon inside the 20 yd line). QB will read flat defender for the Slow-Slant to the Shoot. Corner comes into play vs Cover 2 or in the Red Zone. From 2x2 - #1 - Slow Slant #2 - Corner  #3 (RB) - Shoot.

Friday is the next concept installed. #1 - Fade #2 - Speed Out. QB reads the C for Fade to the Out then backside #2 OTB. As with the Hitch the QB can choose to backside pre-snap.

The last Quick Pass Concept is Outlaw. Coach Mumme added this concept when I coached with him in 2021 with The Spring League Champions The Lineman.  #1 - Speed Out #2 - Stick. This is run from a 2x2 alignment. Like this anytime the C is bailing. QB reads Flat Defender for #1 - Out #2 - Stick to backside #3 - OTB. QB can presnap backside.

These Quick Game passing concepts are the basics of the Air Raid Quick Game. They can be run from multiple formations. These are the ways I've incorporated Multiple TE's into these concepts.

In Part II I will discuss the Air Raid Dropback and Play-Action concepts using Multiple TE's.

Feel free to email me at dalercarlson1@gmail.com with questions or for information regarding the Air Raid.

Pro and College Passing Systems- Air Raid vs the Pederson Model

Hal Mumme and Doug Pederson are architects of the 2 major passing systems you will see in college football. Both are excellent systems just a little different in a few ways. 

You have the Eagles tree, the artists which include Frank Reich, Doug Pederson, Nick Sirianni, Parks Frazier and Shane Steichen.    

The Air raid coaches include Hal Mumme,  Mike Leach "God rest his soul", Zach Kittley, Sonny Dykes, Graham Harrell and Tony Franklin to name a few.  

There are plenty of excellent coaches who utilize both systems. Many coaches out there try to emulate these two systems. They do have some concepts that are similar but how they are taught vary which makes each one a little different. The reads are different as well as some of the routes you will see. I will try to go over each system with you and show how each route  concept is taught differently.

When studying the 2 most successful major passing systems you will see some major differences in them.

Let's start with y cross.

Y CROSS vs Deep Over

Y cross is a play that is run in both the Pederson system and in the NFL as well as the air raid coaches. The major difference is explained below as the Pederson system calls it Deep Over.

Air Raid

In the air raid system, you will get a curl with the #1 wr on the backside. This is the route you will see. The other parts are primarily the same except the route by #1 to the side of the crosser. Crosser and rb route is primarly the same in both systems but the air raid will run #1 on a curl. In air raid, they can hit the hole 2 shot (#1 on the left below) first at times and the x will sometimes convert to a speed out against other coverages other than cover 2. These are a few differences because they will look for the hole shot first vs cover 2 on the left.  

Air Raid Clips of the play Leach runs with y cross.

Coach Kittley is another air raid system coach. Here is Air Raid Kittley Y Cross(they run it with a #2 wr) when he was at Western Kentucky below.

Here are some clips of the concept 3x1 as well

Kittley's concepts

In Pederson's model you will have the #1 wr on the side of the deep over run a dig. This is the major difference in what you will see vs man coverage. Vs zone you get the high low read with the crosser and the rb. If it's man you will have the dig on the backside. The air raid purists will run a curl with #1. 

The concept below the Lions (Johnson) way.

Pederson  wuth the dig concept as well.

Some deep over film from the Eagles:

Mesh

The next play that is different is the mesh concept. The mesh is primarily the same except for 1 major coaching point. 

Vs Man coverage, it is primarily the same play but vs zone is where it differs. The Pederson system will have the wr run no matter what. The route concept doesn't change. In the Air raid system, the wr will shuffle down and try to sit down their routes vs zone coverage. That is the major difference. 

Pederson system- nothing changes based on coverage.

Progressions:

1. The running back

2. Crosser coming to the side of the back

3. Sit route (very popular vs zone coverage)

4. 2nd crosser 

5. The dig route.

5 examples below

Air Raid explained.

The crossers are told to sit down in any zone window which is the major difference in the teaching. Pederson doesn't have the mesh runners sit down at all. They run! Also, the #1 wr can run a go vs cover 2 or has an out cut in the air raid system to the side of the  running back. 

Lincoln Riley's air raid route concept below. Just another variation. 

Here are some clips of the air raid model.

You'll see some out cuts by #1 and also some sit downs by the mesh runners below. 

These are just 2 concepts:
Check back soon as I will update it with 4 verticals and the differences with those.