How Wisconsin Football Uses Screens and Checkdowns in the Badgers Offense

Welcome back to the classroom for Chapter Two of our series on Introducing the Wisconsin football team’s Dairy Raid Offense.

We started this series by dispelling myths about playing football under center. In Chapter 1, I broke down four basic Air Raid passing concepts, how to install them, and how the Wisconsin Badgers utilize their own versions under Phil Longo.

Today, in Chapter 2, we will talk about two misunderstood aspects of the Dairy Raid passing game, which are check-downs and the screen game.

Wisconsin Football Throws Too Many Check-Downs

Wisconsin quarterback Tanner Mordecai throws a pass during first spring football practice of the season on Saturday March 25, 2023 at the McClain Center in Madison, Wis.
Uw Football Spring Practice 9 March 25 2023

To understand why Wisconsin football throws so many check-downs, it’s important to understand what their function is in a passing concept. 

First, they are utilized hot routes or quick outlet throws as a reaction to pressure. In situations where the pass protection breaks down, it’s important to have an easy outlet that the QB can get the ball to just to get the ball out of the pocket. It may not result in any real positive yards, but at least it helps us avert disaster. 

Another way check-downs are used in a passing concept is a low-level route in a high/low read or inside/out read. Giving flat defenders some eye candy to look at while the play develops behind them is important to the overall mission of forcing the defense to cover the entire field.

Finally, and perhaps the most overlooked reason for throwing a check-down, is the fact that simply no one else is open. When at the end of a play, the QB is left with the choice of either forcing the ball into a window that isn’t open, potentially risking a turnover, and checking down to an RB, the QB coach in me is screaming through the check-down. If that throw nets even a single hard, it is a win over the alternative. 

Now, there is a risk that we may lose yards, or our back could make someone miss and turn a short gain into a nice chunk of yards. It is a low-risk option that has the potential to turn into big gains. 

To put it simply, if you’re in a situation where zero yards is the likely outcome, wouldn’t you rather take zero with a chance of something over zero and nothing? I know which I would pick, and I know what Wisconsin football offensive coordinator Phil Longo would pick. 

So when you see Braelon Allen catch six passes for 11 yards, it may look bad statistically until you look beyond the numbers. In reality, by checking down, instead of forcing a pass into a bad situation, you have gained 11 yards and removed six likely incompletions.

How the Badgers Use Screen Passes as Constraint Plays

If there is one thing defensive players and coaches hate is having to play boring assignment football. 

Call it machismo or call it what you will; they would rather see rules change to make the sport easier for them to play aggressive football than play a style that makes offensive football difficult. 

So when a defense sees a team that wants to drop back and throw the ball, it automatically triggers the urge to attack.

That’s where constraint plays come in. Constraint plays are designed to take advantage of a defense’s aggressiveness by attacking the areas of the field that are left vacated. Screen plays follow that same mentality by inviting the defense to occupy one space on the field and getting the ball quickly into another with blockers in front to create a numbers advantage.

There are many different types of screens, such as the Quick screen, tunnel screen, smoke screen, slow WR screen, and slow RB screen, with many tweaks and tags augmenting them. 

The Wisconsin football screen game evolved as the season went on. 

Early on, we saw a bit more variety as Phil Longo tried to attack the defensive perimeter. However the way the offensive line was constructed and their overall lack of athleticism saw variations of the tunnel screen give way to more bubble screens and screens of play action. Quick screens were also an important component of the Badgers package plays…but we’ll get into that in another chapter!

Wisconsin Football Wants to Gain Yards, but Not Losing Yards or Forcing Turnovers Is More Important.

When you see the outcome of a play, it’s very important to take in the totality of the situation. 

So when we hit a running back in the flat for a one-yard gain, what was the alternative? With no downfield option, is it better to get something than nothing at all? Even the least educated football fan can understand that the offensive game plan is to gain yards and score, but not losing yards is a big part of that strategy. 

Check-downs are another part of the overall Air Raid philosophy of making the defense cover the entire field at all times. Screens encourage these defenses to get complacent in their aggressiveness and add even more of the field to cover. At the end of the day, we want to find as many chances as we can to get the ball to our playmakers in space, even if it’s not the greatest situation. Let’s at least give them a chance!

Scouting Wisconsin Football RB Braelon Allen Ahead of the NFL Draft

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