Yes, you can run BUBBLE against Cover Two…

Now that it is clinic season, time to break out the DVDs and try to learn something new. I recently finished viewing Coach Rusty Stivers’ DVD  ” Two plays in one: Attaching Receiver Screens to Run Plays”  This DVD makes a great investment! It runs 55 minutes long, which is more than the normal 30 minutes, you may get from Coaches Choice.

He introduces the “Worst Case Scenario Offense.” This offense was designed to help answer common problems such as...

1. Facing a talented opponents and coaches
2. Difficult time running the football
3. Difficult time protecting the QB
4. Difficult time getting open in Man to Man coverage

Coach Stivers does an excellent job outlining each facet of this philosophy. He goes into detail of some of the screens in his offense.

I was most intrigued how he varies his speed of the bubble screen. For the longest time, I always had the rule “don’t throw the bubble against a hard corner two corner”. No matter how much you coach up the outside WR to block that corner, He always blows up the play. This disturbs me because I am a HUGE fan of the Bubble Screen. A staple of the spread philosophy that is easy to install with great reward.

So it is really simple to install this simple adjustment. It’s all about the timing of the route. Coach Stivers uses colors to signal how fast to run the route.

GREEN: soft corner run the bubble full speed

YELLOW: hard corner, run the bubble ¾ speed and then read WR block

RED: press man coverage, the bubble is off.

A few quick pointers on running the bubble route. There are many variations. The only one I don’t like is the route that teaches gaining depth, think swing route by a RB, it doesn’t get the perimeter fast enough.

1.   Straight to the sidelines, turn the shoulders slightly, to present a better target for the QB. This takes reps but produces results.
2. Two slow steps back then to the sidelines. I have used this method for years and it works great for my players.
3. Backpedal to sidelines, catch the ball then sprint to the perimeter. This may seem slower but easier to install. Notre Dame will often use this type of bubble path.