In America, the winner takes all.

Chapter 278 West Coast Offensive; Public Questioning (8K)

July 7, Oakland, California, Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

In the fan stands in areas 104, 105, 106 and 107 of the stadium, there is a uniform group of fans wearing black clothes and black masks. They are called the Raid Nation and they are die-hard fans of the team.

However, the gestures made by these fans at this moment are not very elegant. This made the on-site commentator look a little embarrassed.

"Ethan O'Connor, the newly promoted NFL player, had some misunderstandings with our reporters. Anyway, I still solemnly introduce to the audience in front of the TV - Ethan O'Connor, the former Heisman Award winner The winner, who led the University of Alabama to the nation's first BCS bowl series championship, was sidelined for a season last year due to a serious ankle injury. Today is his return."

"His opponent is the Oakland Raiders who have the fourth overall pick Charles Woodson. The quarterback on the team is also a new face, Pat Barnes, who comes from the University of California, Berkeley. Having learned the signature West Coast offense under Steve Mariu, he has yet to throw a ball in the field and didn't get any playing time last year as a sixth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers."

"Based on some pre-game data, we know that Ethan and Pat met at the all-name game in high school, but we don't know if they knew each other at that time."

"We also saw...oh, it was the famous Hollywood actresses Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock, both of whom were in the same box!"

The two men were quickly spotted by on-site cameras.

Unlike the Nicole Kidman in Ethan's impression, she looked very relaxed today and even raised her hand to greet the camera.

And standing between the two Hollywood actresses was Lisa. The three of them seemed to be chatting and laughing, and it was clear that the film collaboration in the near future would go very smoothly.

At this time, Ethan was watching his teammates kneel down and pray in the zone, which is a signature move on the football field. Many people will do this when a team member is injured. In addition, they will also do it when they go on the field. It is similar to the kissing field and the cross on the chest in football.

This time the Cowboys went out with a second-line lineup in the absolute sense. None of the Big Three were present. They had other training content.

As for Billy and Daryl Johnston, whom Ethan is familiar with, they will play this time.

As for the opponent...

Ethan turned his head and saw Pat Barnes, who was kneeling on one knee not far away, and Charles Woodson beside him.

Charles caused a lot of obstacles for Eason in the Rose Bowl early last year, almost completely blocking Alabama's strong-side passing route at the time.

As for Pat Barnes, Ethan had never officially played against him. Although he entered the NFL last year, Pat Barnes had not had any chance to play before. As for his college days, he was the starting quarterback of the University of California, Berkeley, and set a Pac-1996 touchdown record in 10 and was selected that year. Second-team All-American behind that year's Jason Steven "Jack" Plummer, who is currently the main quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals.

In short, although Pat did not appear on the scene last year, he still has strength that cannot be underestimated.

Then, Ethan got to see the head coach of this year’s Oakland Raiders.

Like Gailey of the Dallas Cowboys, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is playing his first game as a head coach.

He once served as the wide receivers coach for the Green Bay Packers when Mike Holmgren was coaching Green Bay, who led Green Bay to the Super Bowl championship in 1996.

Wonder what Jon Gruden learned from his former head coach…

"Let's go, boys, remember what I said before the game? Watch Ethan O'Connor, watch Ethan O'Connor, watch Ethan O'Connor, that's all the way to win. The most important premise." Jon Gruden gave final words to the Raiders' two pass rushers before the game began.

Both are on the blind side of the quarterback in the defensive lineup, and their main task is to rush the quarterback.

In general defense, there must be a pass rusher, and occasionally one will be added. As for the "blitz blitz" used by the University of Michigan, it is a more risky defensive strategy.

·

The game officially started. Amid the cheers of the audience, Ethan lost the coin guessing round and the Raiders got the right to attack first.

Ethan stood on the sidelines, observing the Raiders' position today.

As the game officially began, the Cowboys' pass rushers immediately rushed toward Pat. Pat didn't wait for the Cowboys to close before throwing the ball.

This was a short to medium passing route, and the tight end received the ball. This was a successful fast break tactic and gained four yards.

Four yards is perfectly acceptable for the Cowboys.

Ethan felt something unusual. This time, including the running backs covering the offense, except for the two wide receivers, everyone barely moved.

"Create space while running" is almost a theorem, engraved in the mind of every offensive player. There is no offense without running.

At first, Ethan just thought this was a special tactic and didn't pay much attention to it. However, as the game progressed, Ethan discovered that this was not a special case, but a tactical system that he had never seen before.

Even Pat's movements have formed a certain pattern.

He used the shortest distance to take three steps back, only looking at three directions, the tight end, the running back, and the weak-side receiver, and then the football was quickly released. If there is a gap in that position, pass the ball to that position.

There has never been any significant movement in the corresponding three positions, and they often choose to run the ball after receiving the ball.

Although simple, it was effective. In the third gear, the Raiders successfully got the first attack.

But when the new round of attacks came, the same routine appeared in different variations.

The slot receiver only ran forward a few steps after getting the ball. Under the coverage of the Cowboys corner, he did not try to break through, but passed the ball out.

The slot receiver had obviously been trained, and he passed the ball in a decent manner. He had already been attracted to the safety and corner, and watched helplessly as the football flew behind him and was caught by the receiver on the far side. If the strong safety guard hadn't reacted very quickly, turning around when the football was flying in the air, and after the wide receiver received the ball, he launched with all his strength and knocked the wide receiver down with a flying dive. I'm afraid this time the Raiders would have directly reached him. Array.

But even so, the Raiders easily gained thirty yards.

Ethan only heard the furious voice of head coach Gailey in his ears.

"God, can't you see such an obvious West Coast offense?" Gailey couldn't help shouting toward the out-of-position corner.

Ethan's mind immediately recalled the relevant introduction he had seen in the tactical manual.

In addition to the various specific tactics used within the team, the tactical manual also lists some of the current mainstream NFL tactical styles compiled and collected by the previous coach and the previous coach.

The vertical offense, also called the Collier offense, is the current mainstream tactical system in the NFL. In a simple summary, stemming from the NFL rule changes in the 70s, the deep end receiver will hardly be disturbed before catching the ball. With this as the core, the vertical offense emphasizes mobilizing players in a wide range, using running to open up gaps, as much as possible. Try to pass the ball with a large number of yards.

This set of ideas has been accepted by the entire rugby world, and Ethan has also been influenced by this tactical idea since high school.

In contrast, the "West Coast Offense" is completely the opposite of a vertical offense.

This title was originally a reference to the Giants head coach's mockery of the 1985ers' tactics during an interview after the Giants defeated the 49ers in the 49 playoffs.

"This is the 'West Coast Offense.'"

Bill Walsh, the object of ridicule at the time, had already led the 49ers to two Super Bowl championships. A few years later, the 49ers won another Super Bowl championship. It can be said that Bill Walsh proved it with his actions. Tactical leadership.

It was he who led the 49ers to become the biggest winner in the entire s.

He, along with his group of players, shone.

The most typical one is "Golden Arm" Joe Montana, and later included Ronnie Lott, Charles Haley and Jerry Rice, each of whom entered the Hall of Fame.

In 1988, Bill Walsh traded a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick for Steve Young, a move that brought another decade of prosperity to the 49ers.

In his more than ten years coaching, the 49ers averaged 24.4 points per game, the highest in the league.

In addition, what he is most talked about is that before each game, he will list the first 15 to 25 detailed offensive deductions. Not only the offensive tactics, but also how the opponent will respond is taken into consideration. , players only need to write these down in detail to gain an advantage throughout the game.

It is a "magical plan" in the true sense.

In addition, he is also known for his large number of students.

Mike Holmgren, who led the Green Bay Packers to the Super Bowl in 96, is one of his assistants.

Today, when the Cowboys face the Raiders, head coach Jon Gruden is Mike Holmgren's assistant. According to seniority, he has to call Bill Walsh a master. Under his leadership, the Raiders' performance rebounded quickly. Later, after becoming the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he became the youngest Super Bowl champion coach.

And Andy Reid, another member of Holmgren’s coaching staff at the time! The latter is the head coach of the Kansas Chiefs since 2013 and continues to this day...

Two of Andy Reid's former assistants, John Harbaugh and Doug Pederson, later became Super Bowl champion coaches.

Although it is far away from the days when Bill Walsh was active, it is undeniable that Bill Walsh's pioneering tactical strategies have influenced the tactical trajectory of the NFL for the past thirty years.

Coming back to this game, Jon Gruden has always been a stalwart of the West Coast offense. In his first game as a Raider, he decided to apply the West Coast offense's philosophy throughout every minute of the game.

After gaining 30 yards, the Raiders' offense did not stop, but they scored a touchdown in one go.

It was still a stereotyped offensive routine. After taking the ball, Pat Barnes took three steps back. After observing that there were no passing opportunities in the three positions, he immediately decisively charged with the ball himself.

He made a long pass after crossing the line of scrimmage, relying on himself to attract the attention of the Cowboys defensive team, and directly helped the running back get rid of the defense. After the latter got the ball, he ran all the way, and finally rushed into the formation with the ball at great speed. district.

This is the West Coast offense, which uses short passes to penetrate the defense instead of running. Compared with the vertical offense, it is more complex, has more passing options, and there are more changes in the routine after the pass.

With the help of great tactics, the disadvantages of speed and strength will be caught up, and the Raiders themselves have multiple starters on the team.

Tactically, we are completely ahead...

Ethan knew that it was very likely that he would end in failure in this game.

The Raiders have a leading tactical system and leading player abilities. In comparison, the Cowboys do not have many coping strategies.

In other words, the Cowboys' response strategy has been perfectly predicted by the opponent's head coach...

Even with the level of understanding, the Cowboys are no match.

Pat Barnes gradually mastered this tactical style when he was at the University of California, Berkeley. It can be said that it is very suitable for the entire tactical system. This is why Pat Barnes is also a quarterback who has just entered the team. The reason why he seems to be like a fish in water.

But Ethan seems a little acclimatized here.

Although Ethan's passing is still exquisite and fast, and his accuracy is not low, he often thinks in the completely opposite direction to Billy. Billy retreats and he passes forward. Billy tries to use his speed to get rid of the defense. Ethan But he passed the ball to the outside route.

He has no understanding at all with the wide receivers.

"Billy, why do you have to force a breakthrough? No one is marking you on the outside. If you break through from the outside, you can get at least fifteen more yards, or even a direct touchdown."

During the meeting, Ethan questioned Billy.

"I just...Troy is used to giving advance notice. I didn't think about how to run after catching the ball..." Billy shook his head innocently.

This kind of lack of tacit cooperation also appeared with other teammates more than once. Fullback Daryl Johnston was about to clear the way for the running back, but was blocked by his own family.

"What Ethan said before, run the ball up the middle, don't tell me you're deserting."

he couldn't help but tell freshman Florzel Adams from the University of Michigan.

"That's right, that's why I have to make way for you. I shouldn't have done anything wrong, right?" Frozell Adams also seemed quite helpless when faced with the question.

"No one did anything wrong, it's just a lack of understanding." Ethan looked at the scoreboard.

At this time, there were less than five minutes left before the end of the second quarter of the game. The Dallas Cowboys still had zero goals, while the opponent Raiders had already scored two touchdowns and a free kick, scoring 17 points.

This game will probably end with Dallas losing by a big score. Unless... the head coach can come up with some effective solutions.

When walking back to the locker room at midfield, Ethan looked at head coach Gailey.

But soon, Ethan's hope was ruthlessly shattered.

"There is no doubt that our opponents are far ahead of us tactically. Don't worry, just practice our own tactics. This is just a preseason game." Gailey said with a helpless smile.

Are you just surrendering now?

Even though this was just a preseason game, Ethan didn't want to lose, at least he didn't want to lose so embarrassingly.

"I think since I already know that I can't win this game, it's better to give it a try..." Before Ethan could finish his words, he heard Gailey take the initiative to talk about the arrangements for the second half.

Ethan saw Michael Myers on the defense shaking his head at him.

He wanted to tell Ethan that this wasn't Alabama.

And Ethan's suggestions were quickly drowned out by the voices of other teammates.

·

At the end of the third quarter, the sleepwalking Dallas Cowboys second team only relied on Ethan to force a free kick.

As last season's leading field goal kicker, kicker Richie Cunningham's performance was very stable. He made the free throw from a strange position near the sideline at 48 yards. This was the first person Ethan trusted in this game. Feeling teammates.

The score at this time has reached 28 to 3.

Even the Raiders cheerleaders wearing white clothes and black shorts on the edge of the field seemed to move much more briskly at this time.

Raiders supporters are already celebrating the victory.

Ethan caught a glimpse of a large number of fans wearing cowboy hats and Blue Star shirts in the away fan area. These were all loyal spectators of the Dallas Cowboys.

If the NFL has a voting champion, the Cowboys will continue to win the championship until 2023. No matter where they go, there will always be many fans in Big D to support them.

Compared with the fans who still haven't given up, Ethan even heard his teammates behind him quietly discussing going out for a drink after the game.

"Listen, the big cuts are going to be after the second preseason game, and by mid-August there will only be 60 people left on the team. Do you think Jerry Jones will be happy to keep you with your performance today? ?”

Ethan questioned.

"And you, Gai Li, do you want to see yourself demoted?" Ethan asked.

Players will lose their jobs, and the head coach will not have a guaranteed job. There are many coaches who were fired before the season officially started.

"Ethan, I have to tell you, this game is impossible to win. The opponent fielded nearly half of last year's starters."

"Then don't be beaten into disgrace." Ethan continued.

"If you still want to keep your job opportunities, just listen to me." This time Ethan no longer communicated with Gailey, but said directly to the team members.

He didn't want to let Gai Li, a mediocre person, affect him.

"Ethan, I warn you that what you are doing now may result in a fine. On the field, obeying the head coach's arrangements is the first priority."

Gally's face turned grim, obviously not satisfied with Ethan's behavior.

"Ethan, we can have a better solution." Daryl Johnston, the old man in the team, tugged at the corner of Ethan's clothes.

"If my head coach has no fighting spirit, then I refuse to listen to his arrangements." Ethan responded unceremoniously.

The conflict between the two sides did not intensify further because the game was about to resume in the fourth quarter.

Many of the teammates on the offensive team supported Ethan. No one needs this contract. Even if you are in the most marginal position in the team, the money you get every month is better than most jobs.

Ethan has not yet thought of any good way to contain the West Coast offense, but as an offensive team, this is not the problem that needs to be solved.

"The previous offensive problems were due to poor coordination. The West Coast offense is a problem that the defensive team needs to deal with, and our offensive team needs to give the opponent some color." Ethan told his teammates during the meeting.

"Ethan, I'm listening." Billy was curious about Ethan's thoughts.

He contributed the most offensive yards in this game.

"Since we can't form an effective teamwork, then we will fight alone..." Ethan expressed his thoughts.

·

"The game resumed in the fourth quarter. In the first three quarters, the Dallas Cowboys did not achieve the ideal results. Let's see what adjustments the Cowboys will make now..." Mike Patrick said.

"As the first game back on the field, Ethan O'Connor is still in the period of recovery. His passing success rate in this game is obviously behind his previous performance." Joe Sisman continued.

The two are also old partners and have commented on Ethan's games before.

The game officially resumed. Ethan did not take action immediately after receiving the pass from the center. At this time, two pass rushers were already in front of Ethan.

The two people responsible for rushing the pass in this game are linebacker Rob Fredrickson and defensive end Greg Bickert. The former was a first-round pick in 94, and the latter is the leader of the defensive team. They are all the absolute main players in the team.

In the pass rush position, the Raiders sent two top defensive players, which can be said to have given Ethan enough respect.

One of these two black men weighs 240 pounds, and the other weighs 239 pounds. The combined weight exceeds kilograms. In the game just now, they directly injured a rookie player, providing Jerry Jones with a spot for elimination.

At this time, the two of them were running left and right like a high-speed steamroller. Seeing that they were about to arrive in front of Ethan, Ethan, who retreated seven steps, observed that his teammates in the frontcourt did not have any good opportunities and made a backhand. He rushed directly towards the two of them.

Facing the Raiders, Ethan even had the illusion of facing the University of Michigan before. After all, both teams had the defensive monster Charles Woodson. Although Ethan had won a head-to-head matchup in previous games, That was in a matchup situation. Now Charles Woodson is facing off against the little-known Patrick Jeffers. He played on the Denver Broncos' practice squad last year and joined Dallas as a restricted free agent this year. It was obviously impossible for him to break through Charles Woodson head-on.

As for Billy, he was on the weak side and was double-teamed by two players. He had occasionally made breakthroughs before, but he was quickly noticed by the defenders. Now there is no room for him to perform. There is too little pressure from other teammates. .

But it's not hard for Eason. If there is any weakness in this Raiders defensive team that can be seen at a glance, it must be the two pass rushers.

When there are two pass rushers dedicated to guarding the quarterback throughout the game, there will inevitably be gaps in the backfield. This is the cost of defense.

The two of them were preparing to flank Ethan on the left and the right. The next second, one side of Ethan's body was very dexterously wiped out from between the two of them. In a relaxed and freehand way, he easily got rid of the passing of the two. All the members of the Raiders team began to surround Ethan. This was a pre-agreed response strategy. Ethan had been blocked in this way several times before.

But this time, Ethan obviously changed his tactics. He made a hook with one hand. He seemed to be charging, but in fact, the football had already been released.

The rugby ball created a rapid falling arc, and at this time, Billy had already gotten rid of the two defenders through continuous changes of direction and high-speed overtaking, and caught the ball firmly before it hit the ground, and Quickly rushed towards the formation area.

"Touchdown!"

"Ethan O'Connor used a fake move to run the ball to attract everyone's attention. At the same time, Billy Davis chose to suddenly speed up to get rid of his opponent and connected with Ethan, helping the Dallas Cowboys almost without any danger. Win back the victory!"

In the distance, Ethan saw a group of Dallas Cowboys fans in the away stands going wild.

The counterattack of the Dallas Cowboys offensive team has just begun. Ethan is getting better and better, and after continuous breakthroughs in the new round of offense, he actively chooses to pass the ball to Patrick Jeffers.

It wasn't that Ethan did it deliberately. He was originally planning to run the ball. When he saw Patrick Jeffers miraculously open up space with Charles Woodson, Ethan keenly realized that this would be a good opportunity, and then changed his mind. idea, passing the ball to the opponent.

And Patrick Jeffers responded with a perfect one-handed catch.

He fully stretched his body in mid-air. Even though Ethan passed the ball extremely hard, he still caught the ball firmly when his body lost balance and was about to fall backward.

Catching the ball with one hand has always been the romance of every wide receiver.

This has very strict requirements on the prediction of the ball's landing point, arm strength, and body stretch.

In terms of purely ornamental value, although this goal is not as good as OBJ in the future, it also boosted the morale of the Cowboys.

Relying on this long pass, Dallas once again broke into the Raiders' half within two minutes, only 25 yards away from the end zone.

"If the Cowboys can complete this round of offense well, they will successfully reduce the score. Before the start of the fourth quarter, many people felt that the Raiders had a chance to win, but Dallas used practical actions to tell its opponents that they had not given up. "

"Unconsciously, the game began to enter the rhythm of the Cowboys. Ethan's outstanding engine proved with actual performance that he is fully worthy of the sky-high rookie contract given by Dallas."

The Dallas Cowboys had a long meeting before starting to line up. Because most of them were free agents this season, they were not yet familiar with the entire set of tactical signals. Ethan arranged everyone's positions and post-kickoff work one by one. .

As backup center Clay Shaver kicked off the ball, Ethan glanced at the slot receiver first, then at the tight end, and finally caught a glimpse of the fullback running around behind him out of the corner of his eye. Darryl Johnston.

Ethan had previously arranged special routes for these three positions. He was also learning the West Coast offensive routine. The first two did not open up the situation, but the full guard used Ethan's cover to quickly make a surprise attack. There was no player to mark, so Ethan decisively passed the ball to him, then started quickly and bypassed the contacting forward.

At this time, Ethan was standing in the slot receiver position where Billy was just now, between the forward and the receiver. Although there were four defenders around him, these people did not start to guard Ethan. As for the previous two The pass rushers are all running towards Daryl Johnston at this time.

As soon as Ethan settled down, he immediately looked up and saw the rugby ball flying over.

This is the essence of the West Coast offense. It uses continuous short passes to open up gaps. What it wants is big-yard opportunities. It perfectly balances short and long yards. No wonder Bill Walsh has so many disciples who won the Super Bowl. champion.

During the period of time when no one could react, Ethan got the ball. Although there were many Raiders defenders around, no one was approaching Ethan. Faced with this situation, Ethan ran the ball. The probability of a touchdown is - 1000%!

After a quick start, Ethan relied on his speed to forcefully distance himself from the defenders. Although they still wanted to catch up, they could not catch up with Ethan. The last safety guard was also nimbly dodged by Ethan, and Charles Wood on the strong side. Sen could only stare when he saw Ethan running away. Ethan easily ran the ball for a touchdown.

"Beautiful! I seem to have seen Ethan's wonderful performance on the college football field for the first time. From the very beginning, Ethan dazzled everyone with his rapid speed."

"If you ask me, Ethan's ranking as the eighth pick in the first round is obviously an underestimated ranking. If it were not affected by injuries, Ethan's pick would have been firmly in the top three, or even directly selected by the Colts."

The implication is that he is the real champion.

The passion of the two commentators was ignited by Ethan.

Then the camera moved to the box, and the three women could be seen cheering for Ethan's perfect performance.

Although Eason's performance was enough to leave a deep impression on the hearts of Dallas fans, there was not much time left for Dallas, and in the next round of offense, the defensive team was once again completely overwhelmed by the Raiders.

As the Raiders once again scored this touchdown, they completely killed the game. Even before the end of the game, Ethan scored two touchdowns in a row with his personal performance and a Hail Mary. Lost the game by a margin of several digits.

"If we could have reacted earlier, the outcome would obviously not be like this." Ethan took off his helmet and saw Gailey walking towards the field and shaking hands with the opponent's head coach...

"You mean...the head coach didn't take effective measures?" The ESPN reporter standing in front of Ethan was stunned when he heard the news.

This is when players openly question their coaches.

Clearly, this is a declaration of war.

The winner will stay and the loser will leave.

"Yes, I don't think this Cowboys team can break through last year's results under Gailey's leadership." Ethan reiterated.

Once this incident breaks out today, whether he talks about it now or not, his relationship with the coach will get worse in the future.

"Can you tell me some details?" Michelle Besner keenly saw the hint in Ethan's eyes and immediately asked with understanding.

(End of this chapter)