Break It Down: Aaron Rodgers and his "read-option" play

"I got the ball, and I decided to keep it." That's what Aaron Rodgers told Jason Wilde on his weekly radio show Tuesdays With Aaron. There was some controversy regarding a third-and-one rushing attempt, as fans were split on whether or not it was a read-option play or a designed keeper.

As the coaches' tape went up, it became obvious, it wasn't a zone-read, but it wasn't a designed play, either. Jason Wilde asked, "That was a run/pass option, and you took the option of you running?"

Rodgers replied with, "Maybe." He's too intense of a competitor to tell the world directly what the plan was on that particular snap, but he did indeed pull the ball on a running play designed for Eddie Lacy, the Packers' running back. 

Play 1: Aaron Rodgers runs for a first-down

[1] Green Bay came out with a 1-2 receiver split, a tight end (Finley) to the right, and running back (Lacy) to the left of Rodgers, in the shotgun. Rodgers signaled Finley to move to the left, likely to test the defense and see if they switch coverages.

[2] The defense did very little besides shift their linebackers towards the left side of the Packers' offensive line, where Finley motioned to.

[3] This is what the designed play looked like. A typical zone blocking scheme, Bowman (#53, highlighted in the yellow box) went unblocked, as he's a backside linebacker, and the Packers only needed one yard for the first-down.

[4] This is what the mesh-point would look like if it was a read-option. It's not. Look at Rodgers's eyes; they're looking at the sideline. If it were a read-option, Bowman, again highlighted, would be the read man. Rodgers shows no signs that he's reading him at all.

[5] Here's another view of the mesh-point, illustrating where Rodgers's eyes are, and where the running paths of Lacy and Rodgers would be.

[6] Rodgers pulled it, though. Bowman, out of position, couldn't make the stop as his momentum was already going to his left. He quickly tried to get going to the right, but it was too late.

[7] There was just too much space for him to make up for.

[8] Rodgers got much more than a first-down, even before the penalty Bowman would have after the play.

The only way the play could have been a read-option was if someone else made the read for him. He was looking at the sideline, so that wouldn't be totally impossible for a coach to give him a signal during the play based on what Bowman did, but I've never heard of that happening before. It's likely just a case of Rodgers seeing backside linebackers flowing to the running back at the sign of a hand off time after time, so he made the ballsy move to keep it himself.

When asked in-depth about the play, Rodgers replied, "I can't give away all the secrets here. You're asking me to give away way too many secrets."

Aaron, the secret's out.