McVay’s favourite dropback concept is definitely choice

He had tons of success running it when he was with Washington as he knew when to call it and he had guys like Jamison Crowder and Jordan Reed that were great at running it

Thread on how McVay runs option routes:

A quick clarification- choice and lookie are certainly similar concepts as the primary route on both of them is an option route (on lookie the receiver runs a ‘slant until you can’t’), but there are some important differences

@BruceFeldmanCFB did a great article on Lucy/lookie

Lookie/Lucy

Choice- this diagram from McVay’s Washington playbook isn’t that accurate as they almost always ran it with the option route receiver aligned inside

This is an important difference as the whole point of choice/lookie is to win inside

To win inside the receiver needs to cross the face of the defender

Guys like Michael Thomas can do this easily without help, but the smaller, quicker guys like Crowder can struggle with it

So, with the option route receiver trailing the corner route WR from the inside, it creates the illusion that he is going to run to the flat with the outside receiver rubbing the defender, which usually gets the defender to open outside

This is a great illustration of this

Here is another good illustration https://twitter.com/Abyrne44/status/1360348895671427073

Another benefit of choice vs lookie is that the corner can be a viable option too, particularly against cover 2, which is usually the best of defending option routes as it results in an inside-out bracket

However, in 2020 McVay mostly ran lookie (42 reps of lookie and 16 of choice), even though he had a great quick receiver in Kupp

The only logical explanation for this is that McVay mostly called it on second and long and anticipated zone, so was happy with getting a few yards

The reason this wasn’t the best idea was because Kupp is gonna win every time when he’s 1-on-1 on choice

Most of the time the Rams ran choice it was with their TE’s as they used a TE stack formation to the boundary a lot

The Rams must have averaged close to 15 yds an attempt and an almost 100% rate and no Int when running choice

Similar numbers to @CoachW_Francis

Here are some of their best reps:

Of course Kupp can still win on a lookie route as he is good but it’s not as easy and it’s less likely that he will be able to completely beat the defender like on the play above

Notice how Kupp attacks the DB outside in order to get him to open up that way

The DB on the following play does a great job keeping some of his cushion and not opening up outside

Another great job staying vertical. Made easier bc he has help inside

The ball is always designed to go to the option route receiver, so the QB just needs to see if he’s getting bracketed or not

Most of the time this will be the Mike giving help from the inside, but can also be a cloud CB giving help from the outside

In order to conflict the Mike, offenses always run something like stick or shock to the other side that the QB can throw if the Mike brackets the option

Here all of the Rams’ option routes from 2020 https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0ZG60dj6Gkjxxz

HB choice is a must install if you run rail routes as the defender will usually look to get over the top of the rub to defend the rail route, which makes it easy to beat him inside

A concept to work off of choice when the defender is staying inside is stucko (stick return with a speed out) from a stack- get the defender thinking it’s an out breaking choice route

Good illustration of how choice doesn’t work that well when the defender stays inside

Also, the choice receiver should try harder to win inside when the underneath middle is open

Space is more important than leverage

Nice rep of stucko choice

Throw away from the Mike

The Raiders running choice stucko

Stick returns are great outlet routes

Flat returns are very similar

Key part of McVay’s dropback pass game https://twitter.com/abyrne44/status/1365762576622174209