Fitzpatrick succeeds in empty sets

Things can get a little hairy for quarterbacks who make frequent use of the empty backfield.

The absence of backs means opponents can tee off in the pass rush, unconcerned about the threat of a run and eager to overwhelm an offensive line that’s not going to get any blocking help.

But Titans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has used the benefits of the empty backfield – the ability to use multiple receivers and the ability to spread the defense – to full advantage over his last two starts.

He’s completed 20-of-24 passes out of the empty-backfield set in those two games, according to Greg Cosell, a producer and analyst for NFL Films.

“I don’t want to talk too much about it because I’ll give away all the secrets,” Fitzpatrick said. “But it’s just a way to spread the field out a little bit, something we’ve been successful with the last few weeks. I think it’s a formation where you can kind of pick and choose, and get different guys involved in the offense.”

It takes an intelligent quarterback to succeed using the empty-set backfield, and Fitzpatrick, a Harvard graduate, certainly fits the bill.

“The main thing is understanding the blitz,” Titans wide receiver Nate Washington said. “Because when you get an empty backfield, defenses feel (compelled) to put pressure on. They make a blitz come from anywhere. So he has to understand where the pressure is coming and understand the pre-snap reads, and I think he’s doing an awesome job of that.”

The ability to avoid rushers and keep plays alive is important as well, considering the pressure a quarterback can get at times.

“That’s part of his game that doesn’t get talked about enough is that he does have that ability to extend plays,” Titans offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said of Fitzpatrick, who’s carried nine times for 52 yards over the last two weeks. “Anytime a quarterback can move in the pocket and buy time, I think it helps the receivers and the tight ends because I think they understand that they can’t stop on the routes. They have to keep them alive.”

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Posted In: Team News

Source: Titans Insider