Conventional Wisdom? Screw That!

You hear the phrase "conventional wisdom" tossed around a lot in sports, especially football.

"Conventional wisdom says you must be able to run the ball and play defense to go deep into the playoffs," for example.

"Conventional wisdom says you can't slug your way to a World Series."

"Conventional wisdom says you can't bat your pitcher in the cleanup spot."

Conventional wisdom also believed at one point that the Earth was flat, the Maginot Line was impenetrable, and that a cold-weather team would never win the College World Series (for the record, Oregon State went back-to-back. Go Beavers).

The reason I bring this up is because the Denver Broncos are defying conventional wisdom.

Conventional wisdom says that in order for an offense to be successful in today's NFL, it must have a good passing attack. The quarterback must be able to throw the football and keep defenses honest. Every team wants that prototypical franchise quarterback: a 6'5" 225 lb. right-hander with a cannon for an arm, the accuracy of a sniper, and the experience of playing in a pro-style offense in college.

The Broncos' quarterback, an obscure fella by the name of Tim Tebow, does not fit that mold. He is left-handed, not only played in a "dreaded" spread system in college but a running spread option attack at that, and is somewhat lacking in the passing ability department. While Tebow has a strong arm, he has all the accuracy of an untrained African militia member. In his last game, Tebow only completed 2-of-8 passes for 69 yards. The week before, He was 10-of-21 for 124 yards. On the season, he has completed only 44.8 percent of his passes for 605 yards. That's an average of 151 yards per game. The top quarterbacks in the game can throw for that much in a quarter.

While Tebow is not a great thrower, he is an outstanding runner. He has run for 320 yards on 48 carries this season, averaging 6.7 yards a carry. He ran for 118 yards against Oakland two weeks ago and scored a 7-yard touchdown against Kansas City this past week.

In college at the University of Florida, Tebow ran a spread-option attack under Urban Meyer. It featured a lot of zone-read plays where the quarterback has the option to either hand off to the running back or keep it himself, depending on where the defensive end commits himself. Tebow was a master at it, setting the SEC career record for touchdowns, becoming the first underclassman to win the Heisman Trophy, and winning two BCS titles.

As a result, Denver Coach John Fox and Offensive Coordinator Mike McCoy have scrapped the team's original offense and created one tailored to Tebow's strengths. The Broncos now' new run-heavy offense features elements like the option and zone-read that haven't been seen in the NFL in decades. Denver's new gameplan is to utilize Tebow's strengths as a runner and pummel opposing defenses with a power run game, allowing the team to control time of possession and keep the defense fresh.

Ever since Tebow became the starter, Denver has been the best rushing team in the NFL at a whopping 229 yards per game. Against Kansas City, Tebow attempted only 8 passes, and between the Oakland game the week prior and the game against the Chiefs, Tebow went four quarters without attempting a pass. To open the game against Kansas City, the Broncos did not call a single pass, running the ball down the Chiefs' throats all the way to the end zone.

It harkens back to bygone football ages. Sportswriters have brought up names like Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler, almost mockingly so. The Broncos have gone old-school, and the general consensus seems to be that they are setting football back decades.

Why? Because it goes against conventional wisdom.

The National Football League is a very risk-averse, tradition-bound league that adheres to many unchallenged laws; "conventional wisdom," if you will. Its followers have been brain-washed into believing these "truths" without question. Things are done because that is how they are supposed to be done. If you ask why, the answer will probably be "well that's how it's always been done." That's why you rarely see a variety of offenses in the NFL. Everyone runs basically the same formations. That's why the Wildcat fad of a couple of years ago was so news-worthy. It was something different, which is a rare sight in the NFL.

NFL coaches are among the most boring, risk-averse people in the world because they are not rewarded for taking risks. If they gamble and lose, they are lambasted for it and often lose their jobs. They have a culture of playing it safe and going by the percentages. If something goes wrong, they don't want to be blamed for it. If they play things by the book and lose, well the onus is on the players, and the coach can't be blamed. Fourth down? Punt the ball. That's why you rarely ever see fake punts or fake field goals. If it doesn't work, the coach will take heat.

Well I think it's about time someone challenged the conventional wisdom.

1.) Running Quarterbacks Can't Succeed in the NFL

Conventional wisdom says that running quarterbacks cannot be successful in the NFL. They can't take the pounding they will receive when they run the football. Over the course of the season, all those jarring hits will take a toll and cause injuries. Quarterback is the most important position in the game, and no team wants to lose their QB to an injury. If a QB does down for any length of time, it almost always spells doom for that team. Just look at the Colts without Peyton Manning.

That is the big concern for Tebow. He is a physical, bruising runner who is more battering ram than sprinter. Numerous pundits have said they are worried that he can't hold up for an entire season due to all the punishment he will absorb. Michael Vick is the poster child for this argument. He has battled injuries his entire career and has only started all 16 games in a season once. In fact, it was reported today that he suffered broken ribs in his last game against Arizona. Football commentators always worry that his body can't take the pounding. They say he has to run less and become more of a pocket passer, and they say the same thing about Tebow.

I'm not buying it.

Usually, the argument makes sense, but not in this case. Most running quarterbacks in college are shifty, speedy guys, like Michigan's Denard Robinson or Pat White at West Virginia a few years back. They are smaller, lighter guys (think 6'1" 190 lbs.) with explosive speed and elusiveness. They are often asked to switch to receiver, safety, or kick returner in the NFL to take advantage of their speed and athleticism. Joshua Cribbs and Brad Smith are perfect examples of this.

Tebow is not like those guys. He is 6'3" 240 lbs. and built more like a fullback rather than a wide receiver. In college, he was basically the short-yardage power back for Florida. The majority of his touchdown runs came in goaline situations. He's not going to have an 87-yard run like Robinson but rather a bunch of 4-8 yard runs.

I believe Tebow can take the pounding. One, he's used to it. He played in the SEC, known for its fast, powerful defenses. He's been hit by these guys before and kept on ticking. Second, even NFL scouts and experts believe he can handle punishment. Prior to the 2010 NFL Draft, many experts suggested he should change positions because they doubted he would become a high-quality NFL quarterback. They advocated he convert to either a tight end or fullback. The fullback blocks on almost every play in which he takes part, and when he does run, it's straight up the gut. Tight ends have to block a lot as well and are often subjected to big hits while going over the middle.

If Tebow can stand up to the rigors of crashing full speed into oncoming linebackers as a fullback or handling defensive lineman as a tight end, then why can't he handle running the ball 10-15 times a game?

2.) The Zone-read/Option Attack Won't Work

Conventional wisdom says that the type of offense the Broncos are using won't succeed in the NFL. "It's a college offense," they say with derision. "The defenders are too fast and are better athletes," they add.

So?

What's wrong with it being a "college" offense? All innovation comes at the college level anyway. The NFL is a copycat league; it doesn't invent anything. The coach who came up with the idea for the Wildcat at Miami was on the University of Arkansas staff with Houston Nutt when they lined up tailback Darren McFadden behind center. Those prolific passing offenses that the Packers and Patriots boast? Yeah, they've incorporated elements of the spread passing attacks so prevalent throughout college football.

Yes, the defenders are faster and more athletic than most college players, but so are the offensive players. Linemen in the NFL are bigger, faster, and stronger, as are the skill players. Wouldn't faster defenders be canceled out by faster offensive players, thus canceling each other out? They're equivalent, which should be an added bonus in favor of the offense.

The option is a great equalizer, that's why Navy, Air Force, and Army all use it. Due to their unique nature, the service academies face challenges different from all other colleges. They are not going to get the best recruits. Their teams are always slower, weaker, and less athletic than their counterparts, yet they have been wildly successful. Why? The triple option.

For one thing, very few teams actually run the triple option. Nebraska runs some option plays, but Georgia Tech is the only BCS school that runs it exclusively. There might be one or two other Division I teams that run it beyond the academies and GT, but you're looking at 5 schools out of 120. Since nobody uses it, the triple option is extremely hard to prepare for, especially in one week during a season. Teams just aren't used to seeing it. Defenders have to think more instead of reacting, thus slowing down the defense.

While I love the triple option (I used it to lead the Guam State Penguins to a plethora of titles in NCAA Football on the Xbox, usually over the pro-style Glacier Falls Ice Puppies), perhaps a better model for what the Bronco offense should look like is the University of Oregon. The Ducks boast one of the most explosive offenses in the country. Oregon uses a high-tempo, run-heavy spread option attack. Now, before you point out that the Ducks were stifled by Boise State, Auburn, and LSU, let me say that in both cases, those teams had months to prepare for Oregon's offense. With just a week to prepare, the Ducks have been unstoppable. They have run roughshod through the Pac-10/12 and annihilated non-conference foes.

I'm not advocating the frenetic pace that the Ducks use, but their offense does make extensive use of the zone read as well as mixing in some safe throws for the quarterback. The Ducks throw a lot of screens and some short passes, and those are safe throws that Tebow should be able to make. Combine those with some deep throws off play-action, and it should provide enough of a passing game to complement a strong running game.

3.) You Must Throw the Ball in Order to Win in Today's NFL

Today's NFL is a pass-happy league. Think about it: when you think of the top NFL players, who first comes to mind? Most likely, you came up with guys like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, or Aaron Rodgers, all prolific quarterbacks.

New England is 61.7 percent pass, 38.3 percent run this season. New Orleans calls passes 61.2 percent of the time. Even the Steelers, long-known for playing tough defense and pounding the rock, have become much more of a passing team with Ben Roethlisberger.

Rule changes over the years have greatly benefited the passing game. Need a first down? Chuck it deep but behind a receiver, have him stop, let the defender run into him, and watch the ref throw a flag for pass interference. Instant offense.

The NFL is a much more pass-friendly league nowadays, so conventional wisdom says that you must have a great passing attack to be successful. The Broncos, with such a lackluster passing offense, can't succeed by hammering away all day with the run game. They racked up 299 yards rushing against Oakland, but they caught the Raiders off guard. They won't enjoy that type of success as the season continues because the cat's out of the bag. Teams won't be caught by surprise, and now that they will be able to practice for the zone-read, the Broncos will not have nearly as much success going forward.

Again, I'm not buying it.

Tebow completed only 2 passes in his 8 attempts against the Chiefs the other day, yet the Broncos still won. Despite losing their top two running backs to injury early in the game, the Broncos piled up 244 yards rushing on 55 carries.

The Chiefs knew what was coming, yet they still couldn't stop it.

As it stands, the Broncos currently have the most unique offense in the NFL. There is nothing else like it, so Denver will enjoy the same advantage as those college teams that run the option. NFL defenses just are not used to facing this type of offense, and trying to prepare for it in just one week will be a nightmare.

Plus, defenses now aren't used to an offense running the ball that often. As I mentioned earlier, the NFL is now a passing-dominated league. Premiums are placed on pass rushers and defensive backs. Look at some of the top offenses in the NFL: New England, New Orleans, and Green Bay. None have standout running backs, and all spread out the field with multiple receivers and pass-catching tight ends. In order to combat such an offense, defenses go to nickel or dime packages with more defensive backs. They go against big passing offenses in practice and emphasize faster, quicker guys in the draft. All of these moves make them more susceptible to a heavy run attack.

Columbine has dominated 5A high school football in Colorado for years doing this. Air Force and Navy have pulled upsets and reached bowl games, and Georgia Tech has won ACC titles and made the Orange Bowl. It can work.

Regardless of whether or not this approach ultimately ends up working, John Fox should be commended for being flexible and trying something new. Too often, coaches get full of themselves and believe it's their system that is responsible for success, not the players. They try and force players to fit their system rather than adapting it to suit the players they have. It is almost unheard of for a team to radically change its offense in the middle of the season, but Denver did just that.

Let's face it; what the Broncos had been doing wasn't working. Using a conventional pro-style offense under pocket passer Kyle Orton, the Broncos had one of the worst records in football. Fans were disillusioned, and the offense was poor. Tebow wasn't ready, but a change had to be made. His first two starts were awful. Yes, Tebow led a stirring comeback against Miami to win his first start of the year, but he was downright dreadful prior to that. Against Detroit, Tebow was abysmal. It was clear that he was ill-suited and not ready to be a conventional quarterback. What choice did Fox have? Stick with an offense that did not suit his quarterback and be subject to horrendous football, or try and switch to something that Tebow is comfortable with and plays to his strengths.

Ironically, John Fox believes in conventional football. Traditionally, you ran the ball to control the clock and played defense to win, and that's the style of football Fox wants to play. By using the most traditional, conventional style of football around, he is now bucking conventional wisdom and an unconventional coach.

Who knows how it will play out, but remember: at one point in time, you couldn't win with the forward pass.