Catch the snap, one step, square your feet and shoulders, keep all your cleats in the ground and deliver. Quick Game is an integral part of offensive success in the NFL, especially with a young quarterback. Manufacturing completions both early in games and when adversity hits is crucial in keeping your quarterback in rhythm and high in confidence. While Offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s inventory of quick-game concepts might not be to the liking of many, including former NFL quarterback and internet QB coach J.T. O’Sullivan, they’re in the comfort zone of Kenny Pickett – and that’s all that matters.
Canada opened the Steelers’ first preseason game last Friday night with a concept commonly referred to as “Shock.” Aligning in a three by one trey formation, Pat Freiermuth goes in “yo-yo” motion to verify zone coverage. Pickett immediately crosses George Pickens off his list as he would only want to throw the slot fade against Cover One Man. Now confirming the defense is playing some form of single-high-safety zone, Pickett knows he has free access to throw a hitch to Johnson. He just has to beat the flat defender (No. 34) with the throw.
Just two plays later, Canada calls quick game again. This time it’s a concept called “stick spacing,” which is essentially just a quick-out route paired with a bunch of sit routes and a swing from the back. Pre-snap, Pickett picks a side of the field to work based on the number of defenders, leverage, or just straight up preference.
The sophomore quarterback opts to work the boundary. Maybe he expected a more vanilla look because it’s the first week of the preseason, but the defensive scheme fools No. 8 here. The play side defensive end is in a “blitz peel” technique, meaning he rushes the passer unless the running back releases to his side, in which case he peels off and guards him. While Pickett undoubtedly wants this one back, it’s far from the end of the world to mess up a read like this in the preseason.
While attempting to get Tanner Morgan in a rhythm early in the fourth quarter, Canada calls spacing again, but decides to put a “dragon” (slant/flat) concept to the boundary. The Bucs align in a split-safety shell but appear as if they might roll to a 1-high zone at the snap. This fools Morgan as the safeties bail into a Cover-2 Tampa zone: playing chess while Morgan was playing checkers.
Despite the corner playing a soft squat in the flat, the slant window is still gaping as Hakeem Butler comes out of his break. The ball should come out immediately. The misread of coverage causes Morgan to get flustered, but nonetheless he makes a nice play out of structure finding Butler late.
Quick Game will continue to be a pillar for the Steelers’ as it is for most NFL offenses. Finding competitions early in the game for Pickett should help create those chunk plays that were so scarce in 2022.
