NFL teams have begun dipping into the college coaching ranks in an effort to solve the read-option looks that proved so successful for the Washington Redskins, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks last season.
Many NFL analysts and executives believe the advantages of the read-option will be curtailed once defensive coaches devote more time to studying the tactics. Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is taking a more blunt approach.
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"I think it's the flavor of the day. We will see if it's the flavor of the year," Tomlin said Tuesday at the NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix. "See if guys are committed to getting their guys hit."
It's no surprise that Tomlin would point to the physicality of football as a drawback to the read-option. This is a coach who once said of his team, "We are going to fight. We aren't going to always put out works of art."
Tomlin isn't the only coach to have come to the realization that the read-option is too much of a health risk for quarterbacks. Chuck Pagano of the Indianapolis Colts acknowledged Tuesday that he would be railroaded out of town if he placed quarterback Andrew Luck's career in jeopardy.
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