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Question about how audibles work?

idinkido : 6/25/2017 7:11 am
It seems that the language of calling a play in the huddle is very lengthly, so how do teams get everyone working on the same page when the QB audibles? Also, when the audible is called who calls out the OL adjustments? Is an audible paired beforehand to a play called in the huddle? Are there more mental mistakes when an audible is called?
Seems to me there must be a very limited choice of audibles for a game  
idinkido : 6/25/2017 11:29 am : link
The verbiage must be shorter also.
the problem I noticed last year  
Vanzetti : 6/25/2017 2:45 pm : link
is that whenever Eli audibled it was to a running play. I'm sure opposing defenses picked that up because the audibles became increasingly less successful or so it seemed to me.


I think true audibles are rare nowadays.  
81_Great_Dane : 6/25/2017 6:24 pm : link
I don't think most QBs are empowered to come to the line and call a completely different play from what came in from the bench. Peyton Manning had that authority, there may be some other guys that have it.

If I understand what the Giants do, I don't think Eli comes to the line with the option to call any play he wants. He comes to the line with an option of a run and a pass. One is called in the huddle. If he doesn't like what he sees, he can check to to the other one.

Remember that while the QB may see something and want to call a particular play, he's limited by the personnel package on the field. And, as noted, that takes time. If he wants to completely change the play at the line, then everyone has to reset, the center has to change the line's blocking call. That takes time -- often more time than is left on the clock.
Good defenses often disguise coverage.  
idinkido : 6/25/2017 9:54 pm : link
If audibles become predictable, then I can easily see defenses tricking the opposing offense to switch to an audible.
Its a shell game with the D, and I think Eli has a lot of flexibility  
PatersonPlank : 6/25/2017 9:58 pm : link
Sometimes they will fake and audible to see if they can get the D to show its hand. I also think Eli has more flexibility than just one play, that is true for other QB's. However I've read that Eli can call a lot of different things at the line, the 2 minute drill being a perfect example.
"when ever Eli audibled it was to a running play"  
grizz299 : 6/26/2017 7:06 am : link
That's tough to say, only the coaches know when he audibles. Early on there's a code word, sometimes a color, that means that everything that follows is Buloney...disregard.
So you might think he's changed to a running play when in fact that's the original play and all the pointing etc is invalid.
Imagine Eli coming to the line and sees a defense that's perfect to stop the play he'd called in the huddle. He puts on a show and gets the defense to adjust to the play they think he's calling at the line. Now he runs the original play.
That's a technique to stop them from adjusting...and the moves and countermoves become infinite.
Lombardi didn't care, he'd just overpower the other guys. Those teams would be humiliated by an average college team - A WWI Jenny going up against a P-51 as a P51 goes against a F-16.
Football is about war in many regards and really a fight about territory.
I always thought, perhaps unfairly, that guys like Favre never had enough brains to play this game...strong arms notwithstanding.

Audibles  
djstat : 6/26/2017 11:04 am : link
Typically work in two ways:

1. The team creates a specific number of audibles for each game based on the defense that the QB can check into at the LOS (Line of Scrimmage). This is part of the mental game. Plays often have a code name so as a new play is not needed to be called.

2. IN the huddle the QB may call a run play and a pass play and make the decision at the LOS. If the QB calls "Kill" often that means kill the play he called and run the other. SO if at the line he started the cadence for a pass and yells KILL it tells the team they are running the run play.

Thank you Guys.  
idinkido : 6/26/2017 12:12 pm : link
Have a greater understanding of how audibles work. Must be difficult for teams with young QBs { Eagles, Cowboys) to audible successfully against the Giants D.
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