McDaniels & Coryell

This is a little history lesson about the 1980 Chargers Offense. The head coach Don Coryell, developed a new system of Offense in response to the new 5 yard bump rule created the Air Coryell Offense. The Patriots under Josh McDaniels run an Offense inspired by the principles created in 1980.

This Offense requires a QB to read defenses pre-snap with motions. Also, it operates with 1 RB, 2 TE, 2 WR. Likewise, receivers have to read the Defense, and alter their routes accordingly.  Does this sound familiar?

The Coryell offense innovated the concept of TEs running WR-type routes with Kellen Winslow. He was often put in motion so he could not be jammed at the line.  Also, he lined up split-wide and in the slot against smaller CBs. Likewise, Winslow was an excellent blocker in both the 2 point and 3 point stances. However, Winslow played alongside Greg McCrary, not Aaron Hernandez.

Still, when Defenses tried to counter Winslow with extra DBs, The Chargers would run the ball with Chuck Muncie. Then-Chargers Cffensive Coordinator, Joe Gibbs, said the 1980 season marked "the evolution of the one-back offense." Although The 1980 Chargers didn't win a Lombardi Trophy, Joe Gibbs used the same Offense to win 3 of them.

The Patriots are not doing anything that hasn't been done before.  Nevertheless, the personnel at TE is unprecedented. Gronkowski and Hernandez put so much pressure on a Defense to cover them, especially because they have different skill sets. Still, both systems rely on the same concept of creating mis-matches with the versatility of the TE. Now though, its not just 1 dominant TE, its 2, and that make the Patriots twice as dangerous.