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Using The Inside Screen as a Weapon

by: Curt Wiese
Offensive Coordinator, Marietta College
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It is an honor to have the opportunity to be a part of what I feel is the best football publication in the world. I have had the chance to read American Football Monthly religiously in my collegiate coaching career.

I will be a first-year offensive coordinator at Marietta College. I came from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where I began coaching tight ends as a graduate assistant and eventually became an offensive line coach. I have enjoyed playing and coaching on the offensive side of the ball. I enjoy attempting to outthink our opponent with personnel and formation changes.

Our philosophy on offense will be to move the chains with misdirection in our formations and our personnel substitutions. We will use our screen package out of 12 different base formations and motion in and out of six more. Our goal is to create confusion and dissension on our opponent by working our base package. It will not be more for us to learn but it will be a lot more for our opponents to prepare for.

The screen I will discuss today is what we call our inside screen. This screen will be a staple in our offense and a big part of what we are about.

The inside screen is by far the most intricate and complex screen in our package. The amount of drill and practice time that this screen takes to run efficiently is insurmountable when you look at what it can do in your offense. It is something that can be used upfield as well as on the goal line. If it is ran properly and drilled enough the risk-to- reward ratio will be in your favor.

The inside screen will be your “Game Breaker.” This is a play that we use to get the ball in the guy’s hands that can hit the seam and score from anywhere on the field. Typically it will be to our wide man in our slot sets but we will use motion to get it into different hands on certain spots on the field.

The most simplistic set to begin teaching the inside screen from is a slot set. But depending upon your style of offense and formations you can get as creative as you want.


Diagram 1.

I will begin with the footwork of the man receiving the ball. We will always teach two hard steps up field to loosen the coverage and get the corner into a backpedal mode attempting to press the outside shoulder of the man on. Next we come back towards the QB in an arch. The ball is caught five yards outside the last man on the line of scrimmage and heading down hill much like the diagram below.

The playside tackle and guard are the most important cog in this play. We will teach the playside tackle to have “happy hands” which means we want the hands up and ready for combat much like you would in pass protection. This will entice the D-line upfield and set him up for the critical cut block. The timing will vary on the speed of your receiver and QB as to when the cut will occur. It should happen just as the QB releases the ball so the D-lineman has no chance to run the play down from behind if the cut is missed. The tackle should throw his outside shoulder through the upfield thigh board of the defender. This block is one of two that will decide the outcome of this play. The other being the playside guard.

The playside guard is the man who creates the seam or alley for the receiver coming downhill. We will teach the guard to first pass protect for a two count. This will sell pass to the defender and give the QB time to set up the screen. Again “happy hands” will get the defender into the O-line and thinking pass. We want the D-line all upfield. We will coach the O-line to get beat and not to throw with the defender. This will eliminate the O-line getting their shoulders turned. He will release flat downfield and aim for the alley player. This will either be a strong safety or an outside backer. He will either make the player come underneath him or he will take his upfield thigh board and roll through his cut.

The center has the exact same initial technique. He will pass set, show his hands and get beat making sure his shoulders are not turned for a clean release. The center, after he releases, will be looking back for any penetration from the LB’s or secondary. He will also be looking to cut the upfield thigh board of the defender.


Diagram 2.

The backside guard has the same technique as the others up front. After the release he will be the guy leading up the seam. Typically this is a better athlete that can run the seam better and clean up anyone in the alley. He will be full speed up the alley making sure he is not a roadblock for the receiver coming.

The angles and areas are shown below:

Drills are done through repetition using bags. We will set bags in the area that we release to giving the players a track to hit as they release. We will coach to cut through the upfield leg leading with a forearm. After the initial contact we will roll to get the defender on the ground if he is not already. The initial contact needs to be a burst to get the defenders’ legs off the ground. The bags will be set. These are stand up bags held by either players or coaches. We will move the bag to simulate pursuit of the defender for a better perspective of the play.

To rep the timing for our QB, receivers and tackles we will have stations. This is a way to get everyone on the same page and get a lot of players reps in a short period of time. This will be done during a pre-practice period.

About the author
Curt Wiese


Curt Wiese was named the offensive coordinator at Marietta College in the Ohio Athletic Conference in January 2003 after serving in the same capacity at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Coach Wiese was also the strength & conditioning coach at UW-EC.

For more info, email
CurtWiese@hotmail.com
If you liked this article, here are three others just like it:

1. Statue Play Confuses Defenses, June 2002
2. Efficiency in the Scoring Zone, Oct. 2001
3. Play Action for the Big Play, Sept. 2001

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FV-00048A Offensive Backs (Axman)
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