Third and Inches: Examining The Art Of Short Yardage in The CFL

It’s third down and inches to go, the back-up quarterback comes in to take the snap and the hoggies come in from the sideline to load up the line of scrimmage. The quarterback takes the snap and plunges forward… a simple play right? In the Canadian Football League short yardage plays are often taken for granted. Usually, a team can usually easily earn the few inches for a first down, but when the team fails to execute, it can be detrimental to the team…

In the three down game of the CFL, short yardage plays never fail to entertain.

With the defensive lineman having to line-up one yard off of the ball, teams in the CFL are much more likely to gamble on plays like third and inches, third and one, and sometimes even third and two. This differs from the NFL for example, where teams are usually hesitant to gamble when there is a yard to go.

On the surface, short yardage plays seem like they would be easy, especially with the defensive lineman one-yard off the ball. Yet, if short yardage plays are indeed easy, then why do we often hear about goal line stands, or teams stuffing their opponents when they only need one yard?

It is because short yardage plays can be like a work of art or a disaster.

In a short yardage masterpiece, the snap from the center to the quarterback will be clean, the quarterback will plunge forward or give the ball to his running back, and the offensive line will dig in and the team will pick up the first down.

In a short yardage disaster, there will often be problems with the snap, or the offensive lineman will fail to get a push or even let a defensive lineman through free to break up the play in the backfield.

To further understand short yardage in the Canadian Football League, let’s take a look at the team that executes arguably the best short yardage offensive in the league: the Montreal Alouettes.

Led by back-up quarterback Adrian McPherson, who comes in for Anthony Calvillo on short yardage plays, the Als have been nearly flawless in their execution. The Als have gotten a good push from their offensive line, but it has been McPherson’s ability to run that has made Montreal’s defence truly spectacular.

While most quarterbacks choose to plunge straight ahead on third down plays, McPherson quickly reads the defence, looking for any hole along the defensive line, and then sprints in that direction. This has usually resulted in a first down for the Alouettes, and McPherson usually pulls off five yards or more on these third down scrambles. A few times, McPherson has been one broken tackle away from going all the way to the house.

McPherson has probably become the first ever short yardage specialist in the CFL.

While the Montreal Alouettes have found success in the short yardage game with Adrian McPherson, other teams who don’t have such a playmaker have had some struggles.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?