New emerging offensive strategy?

[East Coast Bias]

I have noticed something new in College and the NFL recently and wondered what the guru's here think? We see it in Alabama and in the NFL with the Patriots. Offense predicated on the tight ends. The Patriots are the best example. With 2 tight ends in, it always looks to be a running play, but the goal is to get the ball to the tight ends. Alabama does this as well. The formation is great to run out of, but most of the time the ball goes to the tight end.These teams are not looking to go deep unless you sell out to cover the ends. Play action makes it all happen. The strategy depends on having 2 tight ends that can block and are great receivers as well.New England is totally committed to this. Watch the Patriots on Saturday, the tight ends wreck havoc all over the field, complimented by a possession receiver. Is this a trend, and could Oklahoma do something like this if the talent is there?

[CowboyMRW]

I think it's more of their personnel and adjusting to it. Neither team has a great go to WR so they implement their TE's in the passing game. Hernandez and Gronkowski are guys that can play any position. They are extremely fast and big and run good routes

[SoonerAtKU]

Finding a TE like that who can run block well and be an effective receiver is like finding a dominant two-way center in basketball. It's an amazing asset to have, but to build a gameplan around finding one (or heaven help us, TWO) just doesn't seem like an effective use of time. To use another analogy, it's like having your retirement plan be winning the lottery.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

There is really nothing new about what New England is doing or anyone else...MRW is spot on..Those NE TEs are fast and technique wise strong enough to split out or do whatever they want.

[Curly Bill]

Yep, I don't see anything new here, just folks taking advantage of what they have available.

[goingoneight]

OU already ran something similar with JJF and Jermaine Gresham. They tried it with Eldridge a little when JJF graduated, too. It works based on personnel. Not really new-new. I see the Nevada pistol formation becoming a lot more popular than that at all levels of the game because of all of these QBs used to taking shotgun snaps.

[BoulderSooner79]

It creates instant matchup problems. It helped the Broncos win back-to-back superbowls with Elway and Shannon Sharpe.