Was just reading a rather interesting article by Gary Etcheverry where he previews the CFL East Division:

 

http://www.rodpedersen.com/2013/06/etchs-xs-and-os.html

 

While talking about Montreal he mentions:

 

Mark Speckman, running backs coach, has fundamentally a small-college background in the US. But, he is generally-accepted as a respected expert in a unique offense known as "the Fly." Many well-known coaches have visited with Speckman over-the-years, to learn if there are elements of the Fly that can be implemented in their offensive systems.

Not-the-least of these visitors is said to have been the legendary Bill Walsh. And, my sources tell me there were significant elements of the Fly that the offense was repetitioning before Calvillo reported for training camp.

Portions of the Fly are said to be included in the offense Chip Kelly will unleash on the NFL this fall. We'll see.

 

Apparently, Montreal's offense will be 95% new this year. So does anybody know anything about this 'Fly offense'? The only references to it that I can come across involve small US colleges.

Why would you mess with AC! He has some of the most productive years of his career and you are going to change it up 95%!

When you think of the Fly .. think Wing-T or a spread option offense .. it's predicated on mis-direction .. use of no huddle .. bread and butter being a WR / Slot Sweep .. it's an offense that provides you with a balanced attack (not in terms of run / pass ratio but rather from all areas of the field .. sides .. depth etc .. then blends in an effective mix of run and pass).  The idea is that this type of balance doesn't lend itself to tendancies and keeps a defense off balance.

When you think of the Fly .. think Wing-T or a spread option offense .. it's predicated on mis-direction .. use of no huddle .. bread and butter being a WR / Slot Sweep .. it's an offense that provides you with a balanced attack (not in terms of run / pass ratio but rather from all areas of the field .. sides .. depth etc .. then blends in an effective mix of run and pass).

Sounds familiar. Brock Ralph on his way to Montreal?

In the Fly, your best back would be on the wings.... Don't know if it'll work in the NFL. Basically sweep until you drop. that's the premise of the fly & misdirection. It would ahve to be modified for the pros big time. A variation on the old Wing T offense.

I doubt Calvillo has more than a couple hundred rushing yards for the season, so the read option part will be two options not three, the reason our zone read with Buck has been next to useless.

Why would you mess with AC! He has some of the most productive years of his career and you are going to change it up 95%!

Last time they tried to mess with the way Calvillo played the game everyone was writing him off as done. Seems risky, I'd have just kept with what was working oh so well for the als offense if I was coaching. 

We found out that working a no-huddle offense based on snapping the ball quickly doesn't work in the CFL last season

 

The refs take too long to blow the ball into play to get the defense off balance

Last time they tried to mess with the way Calvillo played the game everyone was writing him off as done. Seems risky, I'd have just kept with what was working oh so well for the als offense if I was coaching. 

 

very true. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" or "You don't know what you've got till you lose it all again (listen to the mandolin rain)".  

We found out that working a no-huddle offense based on snapping the ball quickly doesn't work in the CFL last season

 

The refs take too long to blow the ball into play to get the defense off balance

 

The Fly offense has a basis around no-huddle because a lot of the play plays generate from the same formation, thus making them harder to predict by defenses, at least in principle.  They will likely have to manipulate that aspect somehow.

I doubt Calvillo has more than a couple hundred rushing yards for the season, so the read option part will be two options not three, the reason our zone read with Buck has been next to useless.

 

Perhaps the plan for a more balanced attack starts with getting AC more opportunities to run the ball on an option play.  Not likely, but maybe.

We found out that working a no-huddle offense based on snapping the ball quickly doesn't work in the CFL last season

 

The refs take too long to blow the ball into play to get the defense off balance

 

Watch them hurry their butts for the Als.

i have a hard time imagining anything as being better than trestman/Milanovich offense.

Not only did Etcheverry get run out of the CFL he got run out of The CIS half way thru last season. So I guess he is an unemployed expert. Just ask him

i have a hard time imagining anything as being better than trestman/Milanovich offense.

 

 

for now, i agree. but defences and offences kinda go in cycles... and when defences adapt to what Milanovich/Brady/Ray are doing, something else will eventually become the flavour of the month.

The biggest challenge for teams at the start of the season is adapting to the new schemes that new coaches often bring in. That is why some teams have early success and then tail off. They tail off after teams have scouted them and made adjustments.

for now, i agree. but defences and offences kinda go in cycles... and when defences adapt to what Milanovich/Brady/Ray are doing, something else will eventually become the flavour of the month.

 

I get the cycles. I for one think we are peaking on a "small linebaker" cycle right now. I agree that inovation is important too. I just think you might want to hang on to parts of Trestman's designs if you can. If things need updating do it.

 

was Etcheverry the DC in Regina when someone basically said there was no defensive playbook?

for now, i agree. but defences and offences kinda go in cycles... and when defences adapt to what Milanovich/Brady/Ray are doing, something else will eventually become the flavour of the month.

Haha you always manage to make me chuckle. Such a raging homer but you're nice and subtle about it. Pretend that it's all the argos guys doing this and not giving credit where you should which would be Trestman and Calvillo. I see what you did there. 

Haha you always manage to make me chuckle. Such a raging homer but you're nice and subtle about it. Pretend that it's all the argos guys doing this and not giving credit where you should which would be Trestman and Calvillo. I see what you did there. 

 

well, since Trestman and Calvillo aren't running that offence... why would i say that other teams will catch up to them doing it? logic'd.

 

 

was Etcheverry the DC in Regina when someone basically said there was no defensive playbook?

 

Yeah, I remember hearing that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i22v1fxflbw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i22v1fxflbw

That video never told us anything about the offense other than it is great. I coached a DW offense & a true DW couldn't work in the pros. In a true DW there are no splits on the LOS, the fullback lines up right behind the qb, Literally 5 to 8 cms away from his ass & he's called the "sniffer".for obvious reasons. The backs are lined up as wings outside of 2 tight ends & there is one wide receiver. QB pivots left or right. Blocking schemes include the QB Wedge & Sniffer Wedge where the entire OL from  right & left block towards the nose guard. QB either keeps the ball or hands off & because the formation is so tight, the wings stay slightly behind the play to block any leakage... that is players coming in from behind the wedge to make the tackle. There are traps & counter treys. The premise is the qb spins but the defenders can't see the back because he's so tight to the LOS that he literslly disappears (& he does) only to pop out suddenly from a mass of humanity. OL can tee off on the run game because they have no splits. Also from the center out on both sides of the LOS the guard, tackle & TE line up on each others heel so the guard is slightly off the LOs from the center, as is the tackle a little off of the guard & the tight end the same. So imagine an arrow if you were looking from above. This is a run 95% of the time offense with only one receiver split out wide. Clearly, this offese would not work in the pros even with a hurry up. I used this offense in bantam football & we averaged 300 yards a game rushing.... It is virtually unstoppable. The kids loved the wedge. Our OL just wanted to kill the DL & LB's. It was intimidating, nasty & mean.  Imagine the poor NG with seven guys coming at him off the LOS. It worked best against a 3 man front & was not as effective vs a 4 man front. Teams could stop it using a 5 man front & that is what they started to do....  .

Well, don't be surprised if our new offensive playbook to protect Buck looks a hell of a lot like this youtube video.  To me, it looked like Crowton trended towards a 'spread option' - if i can use that mangled terminology - last year...  this is really not that far away.

 

Of course, if they are planning to ask Calvillo to go 'no huddle' after a zillion years in the league, we may have a chance... he likes to have his rhythm and no huddle is more of a no momentum offence in the CFL.

 

On the other hand, we are still talking about fast-pace and rhythm too... sigh.  I would like a run the clock down and rest the defence offence myself.  Buck can't get hurt if he keeps taking a knee...!

That video never told us anything about the offense other than it is great. I coached a DW offense & a true DW couldn't work in the pros. In a true DW there are no splits on the LOS, the fullback lines up right behind the qb, Literally 5 to 8 cms away from his ass & he's called the "sniffer".for obvious reasons. The backs are lined up as wings outside of 2 tight ends & there is one wide receiver. QB pivots left or right. Blocking schemes include the QB Wedge & Sniffer Wedge where the entire OL from  right & left block towards the nose guard. QB either keeps the ball or hands off & because the formation is so tight, the wings stay slightly behind the play to block any leakage... that is players coming in from behind the wedge to make the tackle. There are traps & counter treys. The premise is the qb spins but the defenders can't see the back because he's so tight to the LOS that he literslly disappears (& he does) only to pop out suddenly from a mass of humanity. OL can tee off on the run game because they have no splits. Also from the center out on both sides of the LOS the guard, tackle & TE line up on each others heel so the guard is slightly off the LOs from the center, as is the tackle a little off of the guard & the tight end the same. So imagine an arrow if you were looking from above. This is a run 95% of the time offense with only one receiver split out wide. Clearly, this offese would not work in the pros even with a hurry up. I used this offense in bantam football & we averaged 300 yards a game rushing.... It is virtually unstoppable. The kids loved the wedge. Our OL just wanted to kill the DL & LB's. It was intimidating, nasty & mean.  Imagine the poor NG with seven guys coming at him off the LOS. It worked best against a 3 man front & was not as effective vs a 4 man front. Teams could stop it using a 5 man front & that is what they started to do....  .

 

lol, I couldn't understand a word of it but hoped that Montreals was as smooth as that vid.

For a coach to overcome a speech impediment like that & be successful more power to him. He must be able to get his point across to his kids extremely well. When I first saw the video, the first reaction I had was "Huh"??? Then later I thought that he must be a pretty solid coach. So, I think he deserves a lot of respect. Plus for him to to put any videos on the internet takes courage. 

Very SIMILAR Offense that Mike Kelly ran here.