How come the option isn't ran in the NFL?

Question

I watch games every Sunday and never see it ran...is there a reason for this? It is ran all the time in college.

Answer 1

You'll find the option part of a pro playbook, you just won't find it run very often with the new defensive sets in the pros.

Not just because Defensive Ends are so fast they can stuff a QB before he gets to the Tackle, but because usually the gap is not only shut down, it's been filled and a QB would end up running into a wall before his pitch man is in position.

Secondly, the second level is on the attack and can read an option well...this leaves the pitch man nearly undefended against three defenders (Cornerback, Outside and middle linebackers, not to mention a quick read or blitzing safety) AT the line of scrimmage.

Not often a productive play.

Answer 2

A good quarterback is a valuable commodity. As strong and fast as defensive players are an option quarterback would get killed.

Defensive players have all faced the option in High School and College. By the time you reach the NFL, a defensive player should instinctively know his role to stop the play.

The coaching at the NFL level is so good that defenses would be able to stop it if it was run with greater frequency then as a gadget play.

Running the option effectively is an art. It takes a lot of practice to have great fakes, to not fumble, and to make the right decisions. With the option you add so many variables that could go wrong, it becomes a dangerous play. There are much less risky ways to gain yardage.

It is a dangerous play to run in cold weather, rain, or the snow. If you are going to base your offense around running a certain type of play, it should be a style of play that works in any type of weather.

No quality wide receiver is going to want to play for an option team. Option teams do not throw much. When they do, there are less people in the pattern, and the good wide receivers would see more double teams.

If you are losing, it is hard to comeback as an option team. You are not used to throwing. Invariably, you will not throw as well. The clock does not stop on running plays in the NFL, making the option time consuming.

An option team is very one dimensional. They run the ball. This makes them easier to game plan against.

It is a good thought. These are some of the reasons why the option has disappeared from the sport just like the drop kick. There are more efficient ways to win.

Answer 3

QB's are too valuable in the NFL. Really, it is just a completely different ball game NFL to College, to High School etc. I believe that a true option offense could be successful in the NFL, but that's not going to sell tickets. Points sell tickets and the option is a 3 yards and a cloud of dust type offense. That would put a lot of pressure on the defense, because the offense isn't going to score a lot of points.
The NFL is a passing game. That's the end of it. nobody is going to run a rush oriented offense.

Answer 4

The biggest reason you do not see it in the pros is that the QB is exposed and takes some huge hits (just watch a few college games and you'll see what I mean). An NFL team is not going to put a $50 million plus investment on the field as a tackling dummy.

Answer 5

Hah, dude, I just wrote a freaking Term Paper on this for my English 1304 class (yes my teacher was awesome for letting be do it...)

For the most part the defenders are too fast and big, in college the average team has at most a few all-americans on the defensive side of the ball. In the NFL nearly every player on the team was a star player in college, they are big and they are fast, and they hit hard, especially on QBs.

Just this season Michael Vick and the Atlanta Falcons began to run a play known as the option draw. The option draw is where the quarterback drops back as if to pass, and then looks at the positioning and movement of the defensive line. At this point he either hands the ball off to his running back who is pointed to run in one direction, or runs off in the other himself.

It was fairly successful for a while, allowing the Falcons to put up huge run numbers early in the season.

Answer 6

It is run, but rarely for several reasons.

#1- Most QB's are far too valuable to risk for rushing yardage
#2- The LB's in the NFL are bigger, stronger and faster than those in college so the option is not necesarily a good play to call

and #3- Option Offenses, much like the 'Run and Shoot' are easily countered with Defenses.

Answer 7

Apparently, the Titans actually considered creating a package specifically for Vince Young that would allow him to run the option. It's noted that in almost 20 years no NFL offense has successfully run the option....

http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/story/9447461

But as far as I know they never used it, or if they did it was rather unsuccessful. Defenses in the NFL are too smart and too quick to buy into it. Just imagine how much grass Carr would be eating if they did?

Answer 8

Ask Fran Tarkenton....he tried and the defense just goes after the QB....hard. He had his nose bloodied and he was beat up pretty bad. The D just hits the QB regardless of whether he pitches the ball or not. QB's would be knocked out of every game.

Answer 9

Some teams occasionally do run it as a "gadget" play but not often.
Especially in fear of getting their multi-million dollar QB pummeled.

Answer 10

Because that formations sucks and teams don't want to expose their quarterbacks to all that punisment. Linebackers are way too fast and strong these days.