Introduction to the Dairy Raid Offense - Package Plays
This piece was written last February for Badger Notes as part of my effort to introduce the Dairy Raid Offense to a wider offense. I put a lot of effort into these pieces and the accompanying videos, and since they are no longer online I’d decided to re-upload them here. The Dairy Raid Offense is gone, but it’s important to look to the past as we shape the future. Enjoy!
Welcome back to Chapter Six of our Introduction to the Dairy Raid series. Today, we are going to break down and install package plays. Package plays are an all-encompassing group of plays that can be defined as either/or plays.
They take the concept of the standard option play to the next level by not only moving the reads farther and farther downfield but also changing how the reads are processed—reaction, footwork, and more. We're also taking the concept of audibles, where instead of wholesale changing plays based on alignment or whatever we read from the defense, we allow the defense to put themselves in conflicts of assignment. When you put a defense in conflict of assignment, you can be very basic with your offense while still being very effective.
The groupings of these package plays that we’ll go through today include:
Access throws.
RPOs, PPOs—the PO section of plays.
Package plays, which involve two or three plays in one.
As always, at the end, we’ll break out the film and look at various examples of how Phil Longo uses these plays in Wisconsin's offense. With that being said, let’s get into the huddle and the classroom to talk about some of these plays.
Access Throws
Here we are in the huddle and our classroom, and we’re going to start learning how to install various versions of these package plays. Package plays, in general, are any plays that combine more than one concept. There are various versions of them, but they all fit into that same package play category.
The first one we’ll discuss is Access Throws, which we saw a lot of last year. An access throw is a pass route that is built into or tagged onto a run play. If we get high-percentage leverage on that receiver based on the route he’s running, we’re just going to throw the football. This is a pre-snap, yes/no kind of play—it’s not an RPO where we’re reading a defender. Instead, we are reacting to the alignment of a defender and deciding from there.
An example we saw often last season: We have our offense in a 2x2 set, running inside zone and working our double teams, etc. Our "readed" guy will come out here as usual. Regardless of anything, this is a good box to run in—a typical six-man box that we see versus a spread offense. Usually, to the boundary, the wide receiver would be given a short route, like a hitch or a quick out. He’ll just run that route based on leverage.
The quarterback needs to take one step with his backside foot (his right foot for a right-handed quarterback) and deliver the ball as quickly as possible. By running access throws, we’re saying that the chance of gaining five yards through this route is higher than the chance of gaining five yards on a run play. On any run play, no matter how good your offense is, it’s roughly a 50-50 shot for success (success being four yards or more). With an access throw, assuming the quarterback is accurate and the ball isn’t dropped, the odds are much better.
For instance, if a cornerback is playing a cover-4 shell and is seven or eight yards off the receiver, this becomes an easy pitch and catch—especially if the play is run to the boundary. The quarterback sets his foot, delivers the ball, and it turns into an eight-yard play. The throw is short and quick, with a high percentage of success.
The quarterback has to consider whether he can set his foot and get the ball out before an unblocked defensive end with "blood in his mouth" can reach him. Practicing timing—catch, set, throw—is crucial for success. The route can also vary: it could be an out-breaking route, a slant, a quick go, or other options. But again, this is a yes/no, pre-snap decision: Do we have the leverage we like? If yes, throw it. If not, run the inside zone as planned.
This approach also forces defenders into conflicts. If you consistently hit access throws, defensive backs may creep downfield, taking them out of the run fit and setting them up for play-action passes or shots downfield. Access throws cheat for free yards, provided they’re executed correctly.
Package Plays
Next, let’s talk about package plays. Package plays, much like access throws, involve pre-snap reads to choose one of several options. However, they expand on the concept by offering at least two or three options, allowing you to address nearly any defensive alignment. With the right setup and against the right defense, you could run the same package play for an entire series.
For example, consider an outside zone run. We’ll base block the backside to ensure a clean pocket while running outside zone on the front side. In addition to the run, we’ll have a simple backside slant and a bubble screen out wide. Pre-snap, the quarterback has three options:
Run: Evaluate the box. If we’re man-to-man and the running back can make one player miss, run it.
Backside slant: Based on leverage and alignment, this might be the best quick-pass option.
Bubble screen: If the defense is playing off coverage, this could be an easy gain.
The quarterback reads leverage and alignment to choose the best option. Repeatedly hitting the bubble screen, for instance, might force the defense to adjust, opening up other plays. The goal is to force the defense into basic, vanilla alignments where we trust our athletes to outperform theirs.
Run Pass Option (RPO)
Finally, let’s install the RPO. A run pass option involves reading a second-level defender to decide whether to run or pass. This effectively modernizes old-school option football by moving the read from the line of scrimmage to the second level.
For instance, in a basic inside power scheme, we’ll block as usual and assign the quarterback to read the Mike linebacker. If the linebacker attacks downhill, we pull the ball and throw a seam route behind him. If he hesitates or drops back, we hand the ball off. No matter what, the defender is wrong.
RPOs can be run effectively against zone coverage and can manipulate defenders’ alignments to gain advantages. It’s about using eye manipulation and quick decisions to put the defense in conflict.