Dallas Cowboys: How Tavon and the bubble screen will help Zeke
By Reid Hanson
A look at how Tavon Austin and the bubble screen will play a big part in keeping opposing defenses honest, while also facilitating big plays for the Dallas Cowboys offense.
During the offseason we spoke almost incessantly about what we expect the Dallas Cowboys’ revamped offense to look like in 2018. Once training camp and the preseason started, our attention moved towards personnel related expectations – particularly who’s standing out and who’s going to make the team.
With the regular season now roughly ten days away, and the expected starters all on ice until the real actions begins, let’s shift back to some scheme expectations…
On Day 3 of the NFL Draft, the Cowboys acquired Tavon Austin from the Rams for a sixth round pick. While the Rams will pick up majority of what’s owed, the Cowboys get themselves an NFL-ready one-year rental.
The move was met with scrutiny around the league. Apparently adding a low risk/high reward player like Austin for the cost a late draft pick was foolish, for some reason. Never mind the fact few sixth round picks make NFL rosters, let alone make an impact. To many of us, it seemed like a gamble worth taking and a draft pick well spent.
Following the draft we dissected every last word said by the front office regarding it’s shiny new toy. We speculated what a web back is and what kind of role he’ll take on the 2018 Dallas Cowboys. Yours truly has spent more than a few pages discussing what a web back really is and how much of an impact he’ll make on game day. But today I’m going to hone in on one specific role Tavon will play and how it will help the Dallas Cowboys offense in 2018.
The Bubble Screen
The bubble screen plays a critical role in any run-pass option (RPO) attack. That’s because the RPO is an attack that’s designed to take advantage of over/under committed defense. It’s part numbers game and part read-and-react. I broke it down thoroughly awhile back and I encourage you to catch up here:
The bubble screen is a common element of the RPO that plays the numbers game. Presnap, the quarterback is tasked with counting defenders and searching for advantages. If he finds too many players loaded in the box committed to stopping the run, he might look for a quick RPO or he could look outside for options and/or mismatches. It’s here where we find the bubble screen.
Bubble screens are quick passes at or behind the line of scrimmage. They usually involve quickly throwing the ball to a receiver who is dangerous in space, while one or two other skill players block for him upfield.
If the QB counts more pass-catchers than defenders in shallow coverage (which is often the case since defenses stagger defensive backs deeper into zone), the bubble screen become an attractive call. Tavon, more receiver than anything, would be the optimal target for these screens. As one of the quickest, fastest, and most dynamic players in the NFL, Austin is a threat to take the ball to the house at any given moment.
Additionally, the Cowboys are loaded with blocking receivers right now, and have even been using TE Blake Jarwin flexed out wide in training camp. These large bodies can accomplish quite a bit lead blocking for a guy like Austin.
The point of all of this is simple – it gets the ball in the hands of its playmakers and it punishes teams for stacking the box to stop the run.
Next. Why Dallas needs the RPO. dark
Since we fully expect teams to stack the box to stop Zeke this season, the bubble screen is a good way to make them pay for their transgressions.
- Published on 08/29/2018 at 13:41 PM
- Last updated at 08/29/2018 at 13:41 PM