Legendary Football Superstar

Braylon Edwards has been a wide receiver in the league for six years. This offseason, he joined the San Francisco 49ers. He started strong in his career, but injuries eventually pushed him into the background.

This is Braylon's third team. He knows that for a wide receiver, the key is to build a good rapport with the quarterback. In crunch time, the QB always goes to the receiver he trusts most. So, Braylon picked Colin Kaepernick.

It wasn't a tough call. Alex is still out with an injury, and the new guy, Luke, is just an undrafted rookie. Colin is clearly the future of the team.

Seeing Colin's serious face and then glancing at the clueless Luke, Braylon saw a chance to make a connection. He stood up confidently, looking down at Luke with a smug grin, trying to remind the rookie that he was a joke and should just shut up and hide to avoid more embarrassment.

The room was dead silent. Braylon felt even more pleased with himself. He was the only one who stepped up, and everyone else missed the boat. Colin would definitely appreciate this move.

Braylon decided to push it further, "Rookie, what was your Wonderlic score? You don't seem too bright; you can't even get a joke. Don't you know being a quarterback takes brains? A fool can't be the starting QB. Just like Colin, his Wonderlic score is a whopping thirty-seven!"

After saying this, Braylon lifted his chin arrogantly and repeated, "Thirty-seven!" like he had scored that himself.

Thirty-seven points were among the top scores in this year's rookie camp, if not in the top three, at least in the top five.

Looking at Braylon, who was acting all high and mighty, Logan almost burst out laughing. He had a strong hunch that Braylon's so-so career might have something to do with his own smarts.

Colin's face fell instantly, wishing he could disappear. He had been at the rookie camp too, and even though he hadn't interacted with Luke or spoken to him, he knew all about the perfect Wonderlic score and Cam Newton's struggles. How could he not? Colin shot Braylon a glare, trying to shut him up. But the damage was done. All he could do now was lower his head, cover his face with his hands, and pretend he didn't know that clown.

"Not too much, fifty," Luke replied with a friendly smile.

Braylon burst into laughter, mocking and disdainful, even clutching his stomach as he laughed, "Haha, only fifty, how embarrassing." But then he froze, "Fifty?" Something felt off.

Logan couldn't hold back anymore and started chuckling. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Marcus, Alton, and the others clutching their stomachs, trying hard not to laugh.

"What are you all doing!" A stern voice boomed from the door. The players turned to see Jim's stiff and rigid expression. "Everyone, sit down. The tactical meeting is about to start. The preseason is just around the corner. You better make sure you understand all the tactics, or you'll face not only my wrath but also the fans'."

Jim walked to the front table and threw down the folder in his hand, "You, what's with your outfit? Where's your training uniform?"

The person being called out was Luke, who was wearing a white T-shirt. Luke turned to face the head coach and saw Jim frowning, looking like he was about to blow up. Luke explained with a smile, "A welcome gift from my teammates. A little greeting." After saying this, Luke took off the T-shirt, folded it neatly, and placed it on the chair.

Jim was slightly taken aback, and then everyone in the room couldn't hold back any longer and burst into laughter. Clearly, it wasn't because of the T-shirt but because of the bewildered Braylon.

However, Jim didn't know the whole story. Looking at the now harmonious room, he couldn't help but shake his head in resignation.

The locker room's unwritten rules were something Jim had experienced many times as a player. But this rookie quarterback not only didn't escalate the conflict but also lightened the atmosphere. This surprised Jim a bit.

Jim knocked on the table, his tone still somewhat stiff but no longer scolding, "Quiet down, focus, the tactical meeting is forty-five minutes long, starting now."

Immediately, the entire coaching staff entered the room, officially beginning today's tactical meeting.

In his first tactical meeting, Luke deeply felt the difference between college football and the professional league.

In college, teams focused on tactics too, but there were only a few hundred core plays, and the combinations of routes and player pairings were pretty straightforward. The game mostly relied on the players' individual talents, with tactics adapting to the players.

But in the pros, the combinations of different positions were mind-boggling. Based on different tactics, players had to adjust themselves, with players adapting to the tactics.

For each play, the coach would set the lineup based on the tactical plan. One play might have two specific players on the field; the next play might switch to two different players. To survive on the field, players not only had to sharpen their strengths but also work on their weaknesses to play a more versatile role.

Talent is just the starting point in professional sports.

"Now, this is the shotgun formation. Before the snap, the opposing defense made some adjustments..." Jim stood in front of the whiteboard, moving pieces around to show the tactics and changes on the field, "...so how should the offensive line respond? What about the routes for the wide receivers? And if the quarterback reads the defense, how should he adjust?"

The shotgun formation is one of the most common and popular offensive setups in football, mainly used for passing plays.

The shotgun formation can be simply understood as the offensive line forming a fan shape, with the quarterback standing directly behind, about five to seven yards back, avoiding close contact with the defensive players. All the receivers are spread out, like a shotgun blast, with the ball potentially aimed at any one of them.

The pros and cons of this formation are pretty clear. The advantage is that the pocket is more solid, the field of vision is broader, and the quarterback's passing skills can be maximized. The downside is that the defense knows it's a passing play, and the positions of the receivers and the quarterback are exposed, making it easier to sack and defend.

In short, it's all-out firepower.

Jim was breaking down the shotgun formation and emphasizing the tactical variations within it. Even with the same shotgun formation, the 32 teams in the league could create hundreds or thousands of different variations, with even more changes in actual games.

Lost in the world of this story? Make sure you're on Ñe5s.com to catch every twist and turn. The next chapter awaits, exclusively on our site. Dive in now! Turning his head, Jim looked at the players, waiting for an answer, but the room was silent, like everyone was distracted and daydreaming.noveldrama

"First, I want to know what defensive move by the opponent revealed their defensive intent?" Luke's voice broke the silence. "Also, is the opponent in zone defense or man- to-man defense? If the routes are not exposed, sticking with the shotgun formation and snapping quickly to use the speed advantage of the wide receivers or the physical advantage of the tight end to overpower the defenders and complete the pass is feasible."

Jim didn't say anything but nodded in acknowledgment.

Luke continued, "But if the routes are exposed, or if the opponent's strong cornerbacks are pressing hard, the quarterback can move forward three yards and call the running back back, not standing behind but beside him, creating a pseudo-pistol formation. The tactic remains the shotgun, using the running back's receiving ability to make short gains."

The pistol formation is a modern, flexible tactic that was created in 2005 and has become popular in recent years.

The so-called pistol formation is derived from the shotgun and single-back formations. In this formation, the quarterback is only four yards from the offensive line, and the running back stands behind the quarterback, reducing the passing space and increasing the running space.

Typically, the quarterback will move into the offensive line, creating confusion. They might run, with the running back unexpectedly bursting out to gain yards, or pass, choosing the best passing route with close protection from the pocket. The pistol formation is considered a more flexible and varied offensive tactic.

However, because the quarterback is in close contact with the defensive players, it requires higher physical fitness from the quarterback. It also requires the quarterback to have some running ability, possibly faking a run to pass or faking a pass to run, making it difficult for the defense to judge the actual offensive tactic.

It is because of the rise of the pistol formation that running quarterbacks like Colin Kaepernick and Cam Newton have gradually come into the spotlight. However, Luke's choice was not the pistol formation but a pseudo-pistol formation, which was still essentially a shotgun formation. It confused the defensive players' judgment while keeping the passing options open. The only risk was that the quarterback would face more pressure, being closer to the offensive line and more vulnerable to sacks.

Jim showed a look of interest, crossing his arms over his chest, "Why choose a pseudo- pistol formation instead of a true pistol formation?"