Let me first say that Dee-Mack was loaded with speed and athletic ability last year. Talent is always the most important part of the equation, but it's not the only part of the equation. Offensive design is about maximizing that talent. Dee-Mack began the season unranked and ended it losing to a 14-0 Sterling Newman team in the state semi-finals. They were picked to finish third in the conference in the coaches poll and went 8-0 winning all conference games by at least three touchdowns.
There is nothing new about Dee-Mack's version of the Wing-T. At its core, its based on the Buck Series, but with a few wrinkles.
1.
Many wing-T teams employ a multitude of formations, including shotgun formations. Not Dee-Mack. The quarterback is always under center. Shotgun snaps take a lot of valuable practice time, and that's practice that has to be mastered before any plays can be run. Shotgun teams are asking a lot of their centers to accurately make that snap and block at the same time. The next time you watch a small high school team run an offense out of shotgun, watch for the number of bad snaps. Odds are, you will see at least two bad snaps that will either be on the ground or sail over the quarterback's head. Even from good teams that work that skill everyday in practice. So for Dee-Mack, all plays begin with the quarterback taking the snap from under center and then turning his back to the defense as he begins his gives/fakes in the backfield. The defense loses sight of the ball for a split second. As a former linebacker, I can tell you that this drives defenders nuts. That is why I believe the wing -T is the ultimate misdirection offense. You can't tackle the ball until you find it. Option coaches like to talk about making defenders play responsibility defense, but it is still easy to locate the ball and get into good position quickly. Like the option, the wing-T also forces defenses to play responsibility defense, but without the benefit of finding the ball as quickly. Also, the option forces half the defense to play their responsibility after the ball is snapped. With the wing-T's flank-to-flank attack, all defenders have to play responsibility defense.
2.
Dee-Mack always aligns in double tight formation. There are no wide receivers. Double tight formations forces defenses to balance up. Most defenses are built around a strong side/weak side philosophy. If the defense runs a 5-2 with a monster/strong safety, where does he line up against a balanced double tight formation that attacks each side equally well? To the wide side? The wing-T features an off-tackle game that repetitively be run to the short side of the field. And if the strong safety is a good player, the offense can run away from him to boot. For obvious reasons, pro-I offenses that feature one tight end tend to run to that side the majority of the time. Defenses can align their best players to the tight end gaining a personnel advantage. Of course the best reason for running double tight is that all plays can be run to both sides knowing that the defense will look the same either way. You don't have to worry about reduced defenses to the weak side. Lastly, more time can be spent executing plays and techniques instead of getting lined up in the correct formation. As noted by the title of this blog, Dee-Mack is also a hurry-up, no-huddle offense, with the idea of getting the ball snapped as quickly as possible to keep constant pressure on the defense. Getting lined up in different formations costs a hurry-up, no-huddle offense precious seconds. More on that later.
