Pages

Monday, January 30, 2017

Formations: Coryell, Walsh, and Earhardt-Perkins Offense Terminology

LOOKING BACK
By John Turney
We showed last week the personnel groupings in a three of the offensive systems that were used in the NFL. Many of the same elements are used today in terms of verbiage, even though most, if not all offenses are hybrids now.

In this post we show the words used for the formations by the Coryell offense, West Coast Offense and the Earhardt-Perkins system and we are sticking to the basics, the 2-back formations.

As you can see the Coryell system uses words, the WCO uses colors and the Earhardt-Perkins uses single digits for those formations.

For example, the Coryell system uses "I-right" for the halfback to be behind the fullback and the tight end on the right side. The WCO uses "Green right" for the same formation and the  Earhardt-Perkins simply calls that "0" (Zero).

For the formation some call "Pro" with the backs split, the tight end side and the fullback in his usual spot to the tight end side, it would be "Split right" in Coryell's book, "Red right" would be in the WCO and in the Earhardt-Perkins system it would be called "6".

Coryell and WCO use "left" and "right" to place the tight end while the Earhard-Perkins uses even numbers for "right" and odd numbers for "left". Below are the pages from the various books that illustrate the formations.

Here is the Coryell system (from a Mike Martz playbook):



Here are the formations for the WCO, from a Mike Holmgren playbook:



These are from the Earhardt-Perkins terminology (from a Charlie Weiss playbook)

Complete Set: NFL Super Action Posters

MEMORABILIA
By John Turney

I often get intrigued with oddball football memorabilia especially with things I'd not seen before. Back in the 1970s when I was growing up, we didn't have access to all things they were available. No internet, limited television, etc. So, what we had available were things that would be in national magazines like Sports Illustrated, Sport, Sporting News and those types of publications.

So, I missed out on seeing lots of things. With the Intenet, often things will be posted on websites, blogs or available on E-bay that are pretty cool. The NFL Super Action poster series is no exception. Over the last decade I'd seen some of these posters on E-Bay, but until this week, I'd never seen them all so, I thought I'd post them for many fans who may have not seen them in their entirety, either.

The were cartoonish posters with silly slogans that might appeal to the target market which I imagine was teenage boys. Well, now they are a good insignia of the seemingly more innocent times of the NFL during an important growth period:  The 1970s. Whether they were really more innocent times is debatable, but what is not debatable is these are cool posters. They were by Suoper Action, Inc and distributed by Simon and Schuster.

Here they are:












Sunday, January 29, 2017

John Lynch is New 49ers GM. Didn't We Do This With Matt Millen?

LOOKING BACK and AHEAD
By John Turney
Just because something failed before does not mean it will happen again, but this does seem like déjà vu all over again as Yogi Berra was purported to have once said.

Millen and Lynch were fine football players and also excellent television color analysts (Millen was especially talented in that job). But that seems like the extent of their qualifications as General Managers for an NFL team. John Elway, for example, had some experience and familiarity with the job with an Arena team

Neither has worked in a front office, scouted, managed scouting teams, made trades or any of the other hundreds of things a GM has to do.

Millen, by all accounts failed. Lynch, time will tell. But the zero for one should be a cautionary tale for the 49ers, no?
Charles Rogers. Roy Williams. Mike Williams

Saturday, January 28, 2017

HOF Voters: Unless Jerry Jones Fixes Cowboys Uniforms, Hold Up His Election!

LOOKING AHEAD
By John Turney
Wish I Thought of this Earlier. Previously PFJ asked that Jerry Jones consider changing the Cowboys uniforms in to the classic style the had in the 1960s through the mid-1970s. We wrote these two articles: first, A Convivial Suggestion for Jerry Jones: Re-serif the Cowboys Uniform Numerals and then with Second Mild Suggestion for Cowboys Owner Mr. Jerry Jones.

The big, fat numerals never looked right to us and many Cowboys fans. They lack character:

Also, the current pants are greenish . . :

Not silver:


So, Hall of Fame selection committee, you know who you are. Tell Mr. Jones, "Fix the unis or else"!

We are only half kidding. Well, 25% kidding.

Hall of Fame Predictions: The Contributors

LOOKING AHEAD
By John Turney

The day before Super Bowl 51 the Hall of Fame selection committee will meet and debate and discuss the credentials of 15 modern-era players, one senior and two contributors. We will attempt to break down and predict who will be in the Class of 2017.

Remember only five of the 15 modern-era players can be voted in, and there will be a simple yes or no vote on the contributors (Paul Tagliabue and Jerry Jones) and the senior nominee (Ken Easley).

Now, the Contributors:

The Hype:  Paul Tagliabue was the NFL Commissioner from 1989 though most of 2006. He was awarded the NFL Alumni Order of the Leather Helmet and a Walter Camp Distinguished American Award winner and is a member of Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.

The Knock: It's really a matter of comparison. If you will indulge us a baseball analogy:  Yankee outfielders. If Pete Rozelle was Joe DiMaggio then is Tagliabue Micky Mantle? Making Goodell Bobby Murcer. That would be one thing.

But if Bert Bell is the DiMaggio and perhaps Joe Carr is the Ruthian figure, making Rozelle Mantle, leaving Tagliabue as Murcer then that would be another thing (making Goodell Elliott Maddox?).

In those cases, most would agree Murcer, though a very fine player, is not a Hall of Famer. So, it will be up to the presenter to make a case that Tagliabue is really a "Mantle" figure.

The Prediction:  This one is tough. It will be an interesting debate in the selection committee room with the pros and cons being presented. We think that Tagliabue will get the 80% votes needed. However, it will be likely because a good case is made and also, voters realizing that if he does not get in this year, his name will come up again and again.

The practical side of the matter is that there are good contributors waiting, like a George Young or Bobby Beathard and others that if Tagliabue or Jones, for that matter, do not get in, there is enough support in the contributor committee that they will likely come back over and over, like a version of the 1990s Lynn Swann debates. So, if there is any doubt the benefit will possibly go WITH election rather than not.

The Hype: Much of the same as with other owners, Jerry Jones was a key player in the NFL ownership ranks since entering the NFL in 1989. His teams had great success, early, but have not reached those pinnacles as of late. However, on the TV committee and other committees he's been a mover and a shaker.

The Knock:  Some may feel it's too early for him and that he may have leaped-frogged Pat Bowlen, for example. Another knock may be that his team's on-field success is largely linked to Jimmy Johnson. There are some others.

The Prediction:  Again, as with Tagliabue, voting Jones down will just cause him to come up again someday and therefore clog the system. Remember, readers, this is our analysis, not our deep felt views on the matter, they are not always the same. These can be weight matter for the HOF committee and why we respect their role, it is not a simple "Is he a Hall of Famer or Not" is a nice phrase, but in a zero-sum game (only a maximum of 8 people inducted per year) there are many matters that have to be considered when you have more than 8, and as many as 18 qualified people it makes many of the votes difficult. More than numbers matter. More than All-Pros. More than a "player personel evaluation" matters. All those things, and more need be considered. It's a tough process for the players and voters.

In some ways the HOF process is like making sausage (not unlike the lawmaking process in Congress) and thus our guess is that Jones will be voted in and then in the next few years Bowlen, Young, Beathard and others will get their turn.

Hall of Fame Predictions: The Linemen

LOOKING AHEAD
By John Turney

The day before Super Bowl 51 the Hall of Fame selection committee will meet and debate and discuss the credentials of 15 modern-era players, one senior and two contributors. We will attempt to break down and predict who will be in the Class of 2017.

Remember only five of the 15 modern-era players can be voted in, and there will be a simple yes or no vote on the contributors (Paul Tagliabue and Jerry Jones) and the senior nominee (Ken Easley).

Now, the Linemen:
The Hype: Kevin Mawae was a Pro Football Hall of Fame First-team All-2000s Team member, a Seven-time First-team All-Pro and an 8-time Pro Bowler and was also a Second-team All-Pro once. He has plenty of the "honors" to be a Hall of Famer.

The Knock:  No real knocks, though some may say he was an AP All-Pro only three times, which, we think is not the standard, since PFWA and SN All-Pro teams are in the NFL/NFLPA CBA that the NFLPA and NFL uses to determine All-Pro bonus and are included in the NFL Record & Fact Book and in Total Football, the Official Encyclopedia of the NFL. Also, Mawae was never fortunate enough to play in or win a Super Bowl.

The Prediction:  Not this year, though qualified, we feel he will not make the Final 10 this year and will likely begin to advance next year.


The Hype:  Alan Faneca is a First-team All-Decade peformer, a Six-time consensus All-Pro, and a 9-time Pro Bowler and has a Super Bowl ring.

The Knock: None that we can find.

The Prediction:  Like Mawae, not his year, though we think he will make it to the Final 10. We predict Faneca will be in the HOF Class of 2018.


The Hype: Joe Jacoby was a vital member of the Hogs unit, the offensive line for the Washington Redskins that played in 4 Super Bowls, winning three. He was a 3-time First-team All-Pro and a 4-time Pro Bowler and played in 21 playoff games.

The Knock: The only one we can find is that when the Redskins traded for Jim Lachey, he moved from the premium position of left tackle to right tackle to accommodate Lachey who was also an All-Pro.

The Prediction:  In Jacoby's final year before moving to the Senior's category, we think Jacoby, who was in the Final 10 last year, will move up and make the Final 5. We fell pretty confident he will then get the 80% required for election. By reading tea leaves, if you will, we think there is some sentiment that more than one "Hog" should be in the Hall of Fame, given the run they had and that Jacoby is as deserving, if not more, than already-inducted Russ Grimm. We feel his year is this year.
The Hype: Tony Boselli is a 3-time Consensus All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler. he also won 3 Offensive Linemen of the Year Awards and was a Second-team All-1990s selection. Was known as a prototype left tackle, good run blocker and excellent in pass protection.

The Knock: Again, like with Davis and Easley, it's longevity. Had career-ending injury and left him with fewer "honors" and games played and other things that other tackles were able to amass.

The Prediction:  Boselli will get a good case presentation and it's good he's being considered. We think he will fall short, but the groundwork will be laid for his inclusion later on.

Hall of Fame Predictions: The Receivers

LOOKING AHEAD
By John Turney

The day before Super Bowl 51 the Hall of Fame selection committee will meet and debate and discuss the credentials of 15 modern-era players, one senior and two contributors. We will attempt to break down and predict who will be in the Class of 2017.

Remember only five of the 15 modern-era players can be voted in, and there will be a simple yes or no vote on the contributors (Paul Tagliabue and Jerry Jones) and the senior nominee (Ken Easley).

Now, the receivers:


The Hype: Terrell Owens has the numbers, the catches, yards, especially touchdowns to be a Hall of Famer. He also has the "honors" Five-time All-Pro and six Pro Bowls. He was also a Pro Football Hall of Fame Second-team All-2000s Team member. He led the NFL in touchdown receptions three times and has 153 career touchdown receptions.

The Knock:  The knocks are still the same, dropped quite a few passes for an elite receiver, accused of being a poor teammate, a "me-first" guy.

The Prediction:  The knocks will keep T.O. out of the Hall of Fame for a couple more years, while players who are more of a "complete package" like Tomlinson pass him, but he will get in. Lots of great receivers had to wait, we think because they didn't have it all, like the first-ballot careers of a Don Hutson, Lance Alworth, or Jerry Rice. But they all get in eventually.

We also predict the "numbers" crowd will spout off and rip the Hall of Fame selection committee but will omit the fact that Owens didn't get much support for NFL Offensive Player of the Year, etc. Marvin Harrison got more votes for those awards, as did Randy Moss. None, however, were close to Jerry Rice. And that is the difference in first-ballot receivers and the others. Rice and Hutson had it all, the others, while great, we behind in what we term "the extra". 


The Hype: Isaac Bruce was a pro's pro. He was one of the top route-runners ever, according to many accounts. He had good hands, got open, and could get deep, he was a complete receiver. He was All-Pro in 1999 and went to 4 Pro Bowls, and should have gone in 1995 as well. he was part of a massive passing game under Mike Martz and was a hero of the Rams only Super Bowl win and ended his career with over 15,000 receiving yards.

The Knock:  Here, the "honors" are the knock. He was All-Pro only once, and led the league in yardage just once. He didn't leave a monster trail of numbers and honors like, for example, Owens or Randy Moss.  He had to share catches with Torry Holt, since the Rams didn't really have a #1 WR and a #2, they had two #1s.  He didn't total 100 career TDs, though some other HOF WRs didn't either.

The Prediction:  It won't be Ike's year, we don't think he'll advance to the Final 10, though we could be wrong there. He's one of the players the presenter will have to make the case for in the following way:  He Was Better Than The Numbers Might Indicate. And because of that induction to the HOF will have to wait.

Hall of Fame Predictions: The Coach

LOOKING AHEAD
By John Turney
The day before Super Bowl 51 the Hall of Fame selection committee will meet and debate and discuss the credentials of 15 modern-era players, one senior and two contributors. We will attempt to break down and predict who will be in the Class of 2017.

Remember only five of the 15 modern-era players can be voted in, and there will be a simple yes or no vote on the contributors (Paul Tagliabue and Jerry Jones) and the senior nominee (Ken Easley).

Now, the coach:

The Hype:  Don Coryell is credited with advancing the NFL passing game and making use of the H-back and making tight ends, via Kellen Winslow, more involved in the passing game than ever before. In short, he's known and an innovator.

The Knock:  It;s always been the playoff performance of his teams. They never advanced to the Super Bowl and never, obviously won one. Marv Levy never won one but got his team there four times.

The Prediction:  We think it is Coryell's year. It won't hurt having Dan Fouts as a voter, who will be in the room to help make the case. We think Coryell did advance the passing game, however, some of the claims we read are not backed up with much evidence. We've read in the past that he invented the 3-digit system, the passing tree, and other things.

We've spoken to folks who knew him well and they said that "Don would say much of his passing came from Sid Gillman and Gillman got his basics from Paul Brown". We think that "invention" of something is a big word, however, we are comfortable thinking that Coryell took something and made it better and was part of taking something to a new and higher level.

Regardless, his bone fides as a passing game innovator are not challengeable. So, we think he advances from the Top 10 to the Top 5 and will get 80% "yes" votes to gain election.

Hall of Fame Predictions: The Running Backs

LOOKING AHEAD
By John Turney

The day before Super Bowl 51 the Hall of Fame selection committee will meet and debate and discuss the credentials of 15 modern-era players, one senior and two contributors. We will attempt to break down and predict who will be in the Class of 2017.

Remember only five of the 15 modern-era players can be voted in, and there will be a simple yes or no vote on the contributors (Paul Tagliabue and Jerry Jones) and the senior nominee (Ken Easley).

Now, the runners:

The Hype:  LaDainian Tomlinson was a consensus 2006 NFL  MVP, the 2006 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year and on the Pro Football Hall of Fame First-team All-2000s Team. he was also a four-time First-team All-Pro and was a Second-team All-Pro twice more. he was voted to five Pro Bowls. he led the NFL in rushing twice and in rushing touchdowns three times.  Additionally he's considered one of the best, if not the best, receiving back of his era.

The Knock:  Again, no real knocks, other than lack of a Super Bowl ring, but that has not hindered candidates these days like it did in the 1980s and 1990s when such players were held out (just name any Minnesota Viking).

The Prediction:  We think Tomlinson will be a First-ballot Hall of Famer.
The Hype:  Terrell Davis has almost all the Tomlinson has, an MVP, plus a rushing title, two rushing TD titles, was a 2-time Offensive Player of the Year, plus a Super Bowl MVP and two Super Bowl Rings. He was a 3-time All-Pro and a 3-time Pro Bowler.

The Knock:  What he lacks in longevity. He suffered the severe knee injury and never really recovered.

The Prediction:  This one is tough. But, we are going out on a limb. Davis made the Final 10 last year and we think he will move up to the Final 5 and be elected. With Ken Easley in the mix, voters can see that Davis had plenty of "extras", that is to say, he wasn't just All-Pro, he was a Player of the Year and MVP and a Super Bowl MVP. We think the "Gale Sayers exception" will apply and that is the fact a player does not have longevity can be ignored if that player was truly great and the longevity was cut short due to a career-ending injury. So, we predict this year for Davis.

Hall of Fame Predictions: The Cornerback

LOOKING AHEAD
By John Turney
The day before Super Bowl 51 the Hall of Fame selection committee will meet and debate and discuss the credentials of 15 modern-era players, one senior and two contributors. We will attempt to break down and predict who will be in the Class of 2017.

Remember only five of the 15 modern-era players can be voted in, and there will be a simple yes or no vote on the contributors (Paul Tagliabue and Jerry Jones) and the senior nominee (Ken Easley).

Now, the coverage man:
The Hype: Pro Football Hall of Fame Second-team All-2000s Team, and a two-time First-team All-pro and a 5-time Pro Bowler. He led the NFL in interceptions twice. He also was terrific in the playoffs and has 3 Super Bowl rings, though he was hurt for most of 2004. Among the metrics of the day, Law usually was among the leaders in lowest passer rating against, a stat that attempts to individualize passing stats that a cornerback allows.

The Knock: It could be said he was not All-Pro all that often (twice), and 5 Pro Bowls is somewhat less than, say, Aeneas Williams, so on the "honors" scale he may be a bit below other inducted corners.

The Prediction:  Law will likely get eliminated in to vote to the Final 10. He's new to the Final 15 and perhaps lesser known among some. Even though he had a great career, he's still a "sleeper" if you will. We think he will eventually get in, just not this year.

Hall of Fame Predictions: The Edge Rusher

LOOKING AHEAD
By John Turney

The day before Super Bowl 51 the Hall of Fame selection committee will meet and debate and discuss the credentials of 15 modern-era players, one senior and two contributors. We will attempt to break down and predict who will be in the Class of 2017.

Remember only five of the 15 modern-era players can be voted in, and there will be a simple yes or no vote on the contributors (Paul Tagliabue and Jerry Jones) and the senior nominee (Ken Easley).

Now, the edge rusher:

The Hype: Jason Taylor was the 2006 NFL AP Defensive Player of the Year and 2007 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year a 2-time AFC Defensive Player of the Year, and was a Second-team All-Decade selection. In addition, he was a three-time First-team All-Pro and a six-time Pro Bowler. He had 9 defensive touchdowns and three safeties for a total of 12 defensive scores. He had 139.5 sacks, 69.5 run/pass stuffs, and 46 forced fumbles and recovered 29. As far as the "numbers" go, he ranks near the top of this year's finalists.

The Knock:  No real knocks on Taylor's career unless someone wants to make an issue of his lack of a Super Bowl ring.

The Prediction:  Taylor will eventually be elected to the Hall of Fame in our view, but not this year. We think he will advance to the Final 10, but be eliminated there. We equate his career, roughly, with others of his era, like Michael Strahan and he was not a first-ballot HOFer.

Friday, January 27, 2017

Hall of Fame Predictions: The Kicker

LOOKING AHEAD
By John Turney
The day before Super Bowl 51 the Hall of Fame selection committee will meet and debate and discuss the credentials of 15 modern-era players, one senior and two contributors. We will attempt to break down and predict who will be in the Class of 2017.

Remember only five of the 15 modern-era players can be voted in, and there will be a simple yes or no vote on the contributors (Paul Tagliabue and Jerry Jones) and the senior nominee (Ken Easley).

Now, the kicker:

The Hype:  Morten Andersen was a Five-time First-team All-Pro, once a Second-team All-Pro and was a 7-time Pro Bowler. He is the NFL's all-time leading scorer, kicked the most field goals all time, is a 2-time First-team All-Decade selection.

He was, also, the one of the first couple of kickers to be reliable from 50-yards and out and not just from 50- or 51-yards, but from 54- and 55 yards. He was a definate advantage for the Saints and Falcons, before the rest of the NFL's kickers caught up. Also, with his big leg, he was an aide to the kickoff coverage teams, being able to outpace most other kickers in touchbacks.

The Knock: Really only that he had a bit of an advantage kicking indoors in 22 of his 25 seasons. Also, there are so many good and worthy players, for good or bad, kickers get overlooked.

The Prediction:  We think Andersen will make the Top 10 this year and has a chance for induction, but will have to wait. We don't see him making the Top 5 and then getting the 80% yes votes needed.

As with most, if not all, of the Final 15, he's worthy of induction, he was a cut (or two) above even the good kickers of his day.

Hall of Fame Predictions: The Quarterback

LOOKING AHEAD
By John Turney
The day before Super Bowl 51 the Hall of Fame selection committee will meet and debate and discuss the credentials of 15 modern-era players, one senior and two contributors. We will attempt to break down and predict who will be in the Class of 2017.

Remember only five of the 15 modern-era players can be voted in, and there will be a simple yes or no vote on the contributors (Paul Tagliabue and Jerry Jones) and the senior nominee (Ken Easley).

Now, the quarterback:

The Hype:  Kurt Warner is a 2-time MVP (actually a 3-time MVP as he won the final NEA MVP in 2008 to go with his 1999 AP and PFWA and 2001 AP awards) and a Super Bowl MVP. He set plenty of records in his time in the NFL and led his team to three Super Bowls. In those games he played well and had his team in position to win, but lost two in the final seconds.  He is a two-time passing champion and led the NFL in TD passes twice and his 7.9 yards per attempt is 6th all time. He was also the 2008 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.

The Knock:  The knock is the so-called "donut hole" in his career, the few years he spent injured and in the doldrums in-between his Super Bowl appearances.

The Prediction:  The donut hole caused Warner to not really be worthy of first-ballot consideration but now, a couple years later and with Brett Favre out of the way, we predict Warner will be elected and then inducted in the Summer of 2017.

Hall of Fame Predictions: The Safeties

LOOKING AHEAD
By John Turney

The day before Super Bowl 51 the Hall of Fame selection committee will meet and debate and discuss the credentials of 15 modern-era players, one senior and two contributors. We will attempt to break down and predict who will be in the Class of 2017.

Remember only five of the 15 modern-era players can be voted in, and there will be a simple yes or no vote on the contributors (Paul Tagliabue and Jerry Jones) and the senior nominee (Ken Easley).

We start today with the safeties.


The Hype:  Easley was an NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1984 and an AFC Defensive Player of the Year in 1983 and 1984. He was a four-time First-team All-Pro and a Second-team All-Pro once and was voted to five Pro Bowls and was a Second-team All-AFC in 1986. So, six of his seven seasons he garnered post-season honors, along with being All-Rookie in 1981. He also was an All-Decade selection.

He was what could be considered a prototype strong safety in that he could cover, hit, and support the run defense. He had height (6-3) and was fast for a strong safety.

The Knock: He had to retire early due to injuries and a medical concern, so longevity is not one of the things that he has on his "resume" if you will.

The Prediction:  We think he will receive 80% yes votes and be elected to the Class of 2017.

The Hype: Dawkins, like Easley, was a prototype safety, but a free safety. He could do it all. He was a five-time First-team All-Pro and was voted to nine Pro Bowls.

He picked off 37 passes, had 26 sacks and 47.5 run and pass stuffs, showing he spent time "in the box" as well as in coverage. He spent his final three seasons in Denver as a strong safety and did very well there in two of those three seasons.

The Knock:  The only negative to his being elected is that he is up for the first time and voters will have to consider if his career has the certain cachet needed to be a First-ballot player.

The Prediction:  We predict Dawkins will bump John Lynch back in the que but not be elected tis year. We predict enough voters will think he doesn't have the little "extra" needed to be in the Ronnie Lott/Larry Wilson class of safeties.

The Hype:  Lynch was a nine-time Pro Bowler and was part of the best coverage defense during his time in Tampa Bay. Though a strong safety there, with the Tampa-2 system, Lynch spent lots of time in coverage, taking 1/2 of the deep zone, something some strong safeties were not asked to do.

He had 44 run/pass stuffs and was usually one of the Buccaneers leading tacklers, totaling over 1000 career tackles and he was part of a Super Bowl winning team. He was a three-time First-team All-Pro, and was the NFL Alumni Defensive Back of the Year in 2000.

The Knock:  He only had 26 interceptions and no defensive touchdowns. For a safety that played quite a lot of Cover-2, that is a low total for interceptions, though he also did play in the box as well.

The Prediction:  Lynch was in last year's Final 10 but did not make the Final 5. Usually, those in the Final 10 move up and have a real shot at election, the next year, but with Dawkins and Easley in the mix, we think he will not make the Final 10 this year.


Thursday, January 26, 2017

Personnel Groupings: Coryell, Walsh, Earhardt-Perkins


LOOKING BACK
By John Turney

Don Coryell
 
Bill Walsh

Ron Earhardt
These days many, if not most, personnel groupings in NFL offenses have been shortened to numbers or digits, for example, 2 running backs and 1 tight end and 2 wide receivers would be "21". Or if there is one running back and 2 tight ends and 2 wide receivers it would be "12". The number of wide receivers is left off to shorten the terminology.

Back in the day, however, there was terminology for those groupings and different offenses would use different verbiage.

Three of the most-used offenses in the 1980s through the mid-2000s (we contend most offenses are hybrids and borrow from each other the routes, but many still maintain much of the verbiage for formations but it seems most use digits or numbers for the personnel groupings).

Here are examples from those three offenses we think were most prevalent, the Coryell system, the Walsh system (called the West Coast Offense) and the Earhardt-Perkins offense.

First is Coryell, then WCO, then Earhardt-Perkins: