THE 'HUFNAGEL OFFENCE' AND 'CHAP BALL'
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 6:52 pm
THE “HUFNAGEL’ OFFENCE AND ‘CHAP’ BALL
INTRODUCTION
The offence, which I refer to now as the ‘Hufnagel’ offence, began in Calgary in 1990, where John Hufnagel was appointed offensive coordinator, following two seasons as player/coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Hufnagel, as offensive coordinator of Calgary, from 1900-1996, developed an offensive system that was innovative for it’s time. The offence was so successful that it changed the style of offence played in the CFL to this very day.
Hufnagel’s background as a CFL quarterback for 12 years and his opportunity to coach in Saskatchewan for two seasons, while still playing the quarterback position, provided the background for Hufnagel’s move into coaching.
Hufnagel left Calgary in 1996. During Hufnagel’s time in Calgary the Stampeders were 93-32 on a team in which the offence was the dominant unit. Hufnagel left the CFL in 1996 but his offensive system would continue under Wally Buono and also continue to impact the league. George Cortez continued the Hufnagel system in Calgary and Jacques Chapelaine followed Cortez. Both coordinators learned the Hufnagel system as assistant coaches before being given the controls as offensive coordinators.
When Wally Buono assumed the Head Coaching position in B.C. he would eventually hire and turn the offensive controls over to Chapdelaine and his version of the Hufnagel offence. Steve Kruck and Dan Dorazio became offensive co-coordinators of the Leos in 2007. They instantly continued the Hufnagel offence with their own particular emphasis.
Kruck said recently that all offensive coordinators and offensive assistants who have worked under Wally have been ‘caretakers’ of the Hufnagel offence. Hufnagel, the architect of the offence, returned to Canada this season, working as a consultant for Wally Buono for a couple of months, including training camp. His thoughts are included in the Leos offence for 2007, although the original offence remains the core of the Leos attack.
THE ARCHITECT-JOHN HUFNAGEL
John Hufnagel, after helping to develop Doug Flutie and Jeff Garcia earn all-CFL honors, eventually made his way to the NFL in 1999. He spent two seasons as the quarterback coach with the Cleveland Browns before being named the quarterbacks coach of the Indianapolis Colts, where he coached Peyton Manning. Hufnagel then worked with Tom Coughlin’s staff in Jacksonville and Mark Brunnel. In 2003 Hufnagel became the quarterback coach of the New England Patriots, earning a Super Bowl ring while coaching Tom Brady. Hufnagel became the offensive coordinator of the New York Giants in 2004, quickly moulding them into a potent offence. Hufnagel resigned from the Giants following the 2006 season. Hufnagel returned to the CFL this season in a brief role as consultant and guest coach of our Leos.
THE CARETAKERS
George Cortez
George Cortez began his CFL career as an assistant in Montreal where he coached the running backs from 1984-85 and then coached Montreal’s defensive line in 1986. Cortez returned to the CFL in 1990, coaching the defensive line in Ottawa until 1992. He began his coaching career in Calgary, where he coached the offensive line from 1992-94, returned to Calgary in 1997 and took over as offensive coordinator of Calgary from 1998 until 2001. Cortez left Calgary to became the offensive coordinator of the University of California Golden Bears. He returned to the CFL in 2006, where he coached the Saskatchewan Roughriders offensive line for one season before resuming the offensive coordinator duties in Calgary this season.
Cortez learned the Hufnagel offensive system in Calgary before taking over the Calgary offence. Cortez also brought with him, in his first stint as an offensive coordinator, a tremendous knowledge of all aspects of the pro game. He had coached running backs, the defensive line, defensive backs, and the offensive line in the CFL as well as coaching quarterbacks at SMU.
Cortez was the mastermind behind some of the CFL's most prolific offenses during his four years as Calgary's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. In Cortez's first year as Calgary's coordinator, the 1998 Stampeders won the Grey Cup as his offense paced the CFL in 10 statistical departments. Perhaps his best season was in 2001, when he somehow managed to get Marcus Crandell to play well enough to win a Grey Cup. This time Cortez returns to the same role, with even more experience, based upon his outstanding success as an offensive coordinator in California.
Jaques Chapdelaine
Jaques Chapdelaine began his football career with the B.C. Lions as a first round draft choice. He played in the CFL for seven seasons with four CFL clubs. Chapdelaine began his coaching career in 1990 as the offensive coordinator of Bishop University. In 1992 he began his first pro coaching job as special teams and receivers coach of the Toronto Argonauts. In 1994 Chapdelaine retunred to Bishops as offensive coordinator. Chapdelaine became the Head Coach in 1997. In 1999 Laval won the Vanier Championship.
Chapdelaine was hired by Wally Buono in Calgary in 2001 as special teams coach and receivers coach. Chapdelaine learned the Hufnagel system under George Cortez that first season as the Stamps won the Grey Cup. Chapdelaine became the Calgary offensive coordinator in 2002. The team only won six games and Chapdelaine, as a rookie offensive coordinator came under heat for his play calling from fans and some players. Chapdelaine was fired by team owner Michael Feterik but Wally Buono quickly hired Chapdelaine again, after assuming the Lions General Manager/Head Coach position in 2003.
He hired Chapdealine as receivers coach in 2003, turned over the play calling of the Leos offence to Chapdealine in the latter part of 2004, and named Chapdealine as the Leos offensive coordinator for the 2005 season. Chapdelaine served as the Leos offensive coordinator for two seasons, including the Leos 2006 Grey Cup season. In a surprise move Chapdelaine left Buono and the defending Grey Cup champions to become the offensive coordinator and associate Head Coach of the Edmonton Eskimos for 2007.
Dan Dorazio/Steve Kruck
Dan Dorzio brought ten years of CFL experience (and an additional 25 years of coaching that included stops in a number of major U.S. universities) with him into his new role as the Leos co-ofensive coordinator this season. Dorazio also has previous experience being an offensive coordinator at the college level. Dorazio first came to the CFL in 1998, where he coached the offensive line under George Cortez.from 1998-2001.
He won two Grey Cups in Calgary while working with Cortez. After five seasons in Calgary Darazio followed Wally Buono to our Leos where he has coached the offensive line from 2003-2006. Dorazio earned his third Grey Cup ring with our Leos last season. Dorazio has worked in the “Hufnagel offensive system’ for all of his CFL pro career. Dorazio is an extremely dedicated coach,and has always arrived to work at 2 a.m. to begin another day’s coaching preparation. Dorazio coached at my old alma mater at the University of Hawaii so I gotta love the guy!
Steve Kruck
Steve Kruck played for the Alabama legend Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant before starting his career in coaching, Kruck was the offensive coordinator at West Chester Univesity from 1993 to 2003, where, during his tenure the pass offende ranked fifth nationally and led the nation in 1999.
Kruck joined our Leos in 2004 but already had CFL experience as a guest coach for five CFL teams including our own BC Lions (2003-2004), Calgary Stampeders (1997-2002), Saskatchewan Roughriders (1996), Ottawa Rough Riders (1995), and the Toronto Argonauts (1994).
Kruck had worked with Buono, Hufnagel and Cortez and was familiar with the ‘Hufnagel offence through those experiences. Steve Kruck joined our Leos in 2005 as our quarterbacks coach and has been given credit for the rapid development of Buck Pierce. Kruck has one Grey Cup ring from his two previous seasons with our Leos, prior to becoming the co-offensive coordinator this season.
WHAT IS THE HUFNAGEL SYSTEM?
Describing the Hufnagel offensive system is like trying to describe how quantam physics works. It was and still is a volume system, meaning that it incorporates hundreds of plays in a team’s play book. The best way to describe it would be that it is a multi-formational system that focused both on the running attack and the passing attack in a way that creates mismatches. Hufnagel was never a hype guy and therefore it’s taken a long time for CFL watchers to realize how much Hufnagel’s system impacted the CFL.
The Hufnagel system differed mostly from the versions being run today in two aspects. Firstly, the Hufnagel running attack was a very complex, comprehensive ground game that was run out of two back sets and ace back sets. The running attack attacked every area of the defense, both inside and wide. Secondly, the Hufnagel system was run with the quarterback behind centre a lot more than today’s version.
Hufnagel’s system has mostly been given it’s identity because Hufnagel pioneered the five and six receiver sets. During that time period CFL defenses didn’t carry more than one extra defensive back and he was used to replace a player due to injury. The term ‘nickel back’ was unknown and the concept of the ‘dime back’ would have had sports writers looking for change in their pockets. The extra receiver in the five receiver set created all kinds of mismatches, forcing teams to go to man defense or cover the fifth receiver with a linebacker, or they created their own nightmares by trying to cover the five receiver set with a traditional zone defense.
Hufnagel also used the six receiver set on occasion. Hufnagel believed in stretching out the defense and he also believed in having mobile quarterbacks who loved to run the football..and he took advantage of it. His quarterbacks rolled and bootlegged as well as throwing from the pocket. He loved play action in his offence, a reason why he so strongly believed in a diversified running attack. His play action was often based upon opposite flow. He pioneered the high usage of the quarterback draw in his offence when he spread his receivers. If a team moved it’s linebackers wider to deal with the spread, with no linebacker in the middle, he greenlighted his quarterbacks to audible to the draw.
One key aspect of the Hufnagel offence, that strongly identifies it, is that the quarterback does not make decisions regarding who to throw the football to. His read determines where the football will go. It’s why, from game to game, receivers in this offence may have the ball thrown to them a lot one game and hardly see the football the next game. The way the defense plays this offence determines the quarterback’s decision. The quarterback and receiver both read the defense and therefore chemistry is important to determine each other’s tendancies.
Because the Hufnagel offence is such a volume offence, that has a very comprehensive number of formations, running plays, and passing plays, each offensive coordinator will have a tendancy to use certain formations and plays in the playbook more often than others.. and that creates an identity for the offence. George Cortez and Jaques Chapdealine emphasized different aspects of the offence differently…as Steve Kruck and Dan Dorazio are presently doing now.
It’s the same offence and the same playbook, for the most part, but each offensive coordinator has emphasized certain areas of the Hufnagel offence and also made some adjustments to it. Each offensive coordinator has created a different identity for the offence, based upon what they priorize from it’s menu!
Hufnagel was not much of a hype guy but he was and still is meticulous and detailed. That detail has helped the caretakers of the system not only learn it but understand what it is trying to accomplish.
DIFFERENT "IDENTITIES' OF THE HUFNAGEL OFFENCE
Since the Hufnagel offensive system was a multi-formation, multi-dimensional offensive system, with a huge volume of plays each offensive coordinator forged a different identity, while using the system. While, for the most part, in might have been the same plays but the amount of times each offensive coordinator used those formations and plays created a certain emphais.
The Cortez Version
George Cortez, as the first caretaker, in many ways stayed truer to the identity created by Hufnagel. However, he also brought certain strengths that were imprinted on the system. Cortez, in working with Garcia for his last two seasons and also with Dave Dickenson, not only had a solid feel for the Hufnagel system but also had a great knowledge of the game. He was very thorough, as all offensive coordinators of this system have been. He was highly regarded by his players, who played at a high level for him. Garcia has stayed closely in touch with Cortez throughout his NFL years.
Cortez really believed in spreading the football around, even more than Hufnagel. Teams werent’ able to focus on one or two receivers. Cortez broke it down from scratch and ran a very disciplined offence from game preparation to even running the huddle. However, his style could be described as both relaxed and focused. That confidence spread to his offensive players. Cortez’s second major strength as an offensive coordinator was making in-game adjustments. He wasn’t formulatic. If the defense gave him the run he took it and kept taking it until they adjusted…same for the pass.
One of Cortez's trademarks was his ability to adapt within games, or from week to week. Cortez, in one game might have his offence throw most of the game and next game really go to the running game. The Hufnagel offence is proably most known for it’s five receiver set. There can be a presumption that it’s a heavily weighted passing offence. That isn't correct. For example, Cortez’s offence led the CFL in rushing in 2000. He didn’t’ favor the run or the pass. He was consistent in always attempting to take what the defence gave, the philosophy behind this offence. Cortez used hot reads and dump offs to combat the blitz and moved his quarterbacks a lot in the offence, with lots of rollouts and semi boots. A low quarterback sack rate was a high priority in the Cortez style of offence and being a former offensive line coach would certainly be an influence.
'Chap Ball'
Jaques Chapdelaine, whom I usually refer to as ‘the Chap’ created much more of a different identity for the Hufnagel offence. Hufnagel came from the background of being a pro quarterback. Cortez was a quarterback coach. Steve Kruck also comes from a coaching background of coaching quarterbacks. Chapdelaine was a pro receiver and also spent most of the focus of his coaching career, before becoming an offensive coordinator, as a receivers coach.
That background was reflected in Chapdelaine’s version of the Hufnagel offence. Chapdelaine used the two back set in his first season as our Leos offensive coordinaot in 2005 but abandoned it in 2006. However, his three favorite formations during his tenure were the five and six receiver spread and the bunch formation. The running attack in Chapdelaine’s offence was often spartan and predictable. He usually ran in the two back set, when he wanted to run the football in 2005. However, running the football was never a priority in Chapdelaine’s pass first offence and the team was seventh in the league in attempted rushes in the Chap’s two seasons. He also used the six receiver set a lot in 2005, using slotbacks to attempt to block against the blitz.
“Chap Ball’ changed in 2006, when he went with the five receiver set and ace back almost exclusively. Chapdelaine departed from his customary offence in Montreal in 2006, using a two tight end set almost exclusively with great results but in the return match abandoned it. ‘Chap Ball’ could be identified as a pass oriented, underneath passing offence, with lots of crossing patterns. For the most part Chapdelaine liked to keep his quarterbacks in the pocket. It was an offence that had a high percentage completion rate and a high quarterback sack rate. It rarely used dump offs and hot reads but focused more on the quarterback making the correct pre and post snap read and finding the open receiver. By 2006 Chapdelaine also was running the offenced almost exclusively out of the shotgun formation, something previous offensive coordinators had not done.
Kruck/Dorazio Creating A Different Identity
While it is still early to assess the identity of the Kruck/Dorazio version of the Hufnagel offence a pattern is already emerging. First of all, it’s important to understand how the co-offensive coordinator role works during games. Baresi spots and relays down and distance to Dorazio. He provided the information to Kruck. Kruck calls the play and sends it to the quarterback. The game plan is created by all the offensive coaches, which is not different than how the offensive game plan has always been created under Buono, except there is the opportunity for more creativity. Overall, research shows that groups make better quality decisions than individuals.
In comprehensive simuilations of plan crashes with a number of survivors most individuals would make decisions that would result in not making it out alive. In a group process, the quality of decision making is greatly increased (unless Orange Shoes assumed leadership of the group ) There is no question that Kruck and Dorazio want to focus on improving the offence in two areas. The first is the running attack. We’ve already seen more diversity with reverses and the return of the two back set with Joe Smith lining up at fullback and at tailback.
There has been an increased focus of trying to take what the defense gives up in the passing attack. Most teams crowd the underneath passing game and Kruck/Dorazio are trying to take advantage of it by going over the top early. Kruck/Dorazio are also more a reflection of the Cortez style of continuing to attempt to take what the defense is giving up. There was strong evidence of that in the Edmonton game when Edmonton was playing run and crowding the underneath passing game in the first half. We only ran the ball once and worked at going over the top. In the second half, with Edmonton’s defensive line showing that they were very tired and the defensive backs playing off we ran the football 13 times I a row.
The Kruck/Dorazio offence also looks like it will be more creative. In the first half of the Edmonton game we put our running backs out wide in an attempt to take advantage of the personell on the field and isolate them against a linebacker. We will likely see more new plays than the Chap Ball version. We'll also see less quarterback sacks. Wally has been on Dickenson to get rid of the football in 3 seconds for years. However, with Kruck and Dorazio at the controls you'll likely see less of Dickenson holding the ball longer than that on passing plays this season.
THE ARCHIECT RETURNS
John Hufnagel was asked by Wally Buono to come to B.C. prior to training camp this year as a consultant and guest coach. He did it as a favor, being still under contract to the New York Giants.
Hufnagel spent more time observing at training camp in Abbotsford, possibly because he needed time to recognize how both the offence and the game in general have changed in the 10 years since he left for the NFL.
However Hufnagel’s approach was to be there to answer any questions from Dorazio and Kruck but not to be telling them what they should do. Hufnagel said he had a lot of respect for the Leos offensive coaching staff. The impetus of Hufnagel even being at the Leos training camp was the fact the Leos offensive coaches have a lot of respect for him and valued his input.
Hufnagel noticed the changes from his time quickly from CFL teams operating out of the shotgun to the specialty of different defensive packages, with different personel, based upon down and distance. He also noticed how defenses try to disguise their coverages more from his days of coaching in the CFL.
The 2007 Leos offence has only changed subtly. For the most part it’s the same plays but the identity is changing. For receivers like Paris Jackson it may provide for more footballs being thrown his way. For the other receivers, the offence will likely try to spread it around more than last season, when Geroy Simon was thrown so many more passes than his receiver teammates, although he will still be the go-to receiver.
The increased emphasis on the running attack will likely mean a different ratio between pass and run than Chapdelaine but that will depend on what defenses are giving us. Chapdelaine was going to utilize the underneath passing game as our priority, no matter what the defense was in. Kruck and Dorazio will attempt to focus on the opposition defenses weaknesses in a more comprehensive approach.
WRAP
The ‘Hufnagel Offence’, now in its 17th season, is the offence that has most impacted the CFL. It’s influence has effected every CFL team for years now. With Cortez in Calgary, Chapdelaine in Edmonton, and Kruck/Dorazio in B.C. we are going to see this offensive system a lot in the West this season. However, each team will emphasize it differently.
However, the recent influence of the offence in the CFL, towards a ball control passing attack, has been negated by complex defensive packages based upon down/distance and field position. The Hufnagel offence will need to adapt or return to its roots of being a multi-formation, multi-dimensional offence. It’s all their in the original playbook! It just needs to be utilized!!
INTRODUCTION
The offence, which I refer to now as the ‘Hufnagel’ offence, began in Calgary in 1990, where John Hufnagel was appointed offensive coordinator, following two seasons as player/coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Hufnagel, as offensive coordinator of Calgary, from 1900-1996, developed an offensive system that was innovative for it’s time. The offence was so successful that it changed the style of offence played in the CFL to this very day.
Hufnagel’s background as a CFL quarterback for 12 years and his opportunity to coach in Saskatchewan for two seasons, while still playing the quarterback position, provided the background for Hufnagel’s move into coaching.
Hufnagel left Calgary in 1996. During Hufnagel’s time in Calgary the Stampeders were 93-32 on a team in which the offence was the dominant unit. Hufnagel left the CFL in 1996 but his offensive system would continue under Wally Buono and also continue to impact the league. George Cortez continued the Hufnagel system in Calgary and Jacques Chapelaine followed Cortez. Both coordinators learned the Hufnagel system as assistant coaches before being given the controls as offensive coordinators.
When Wally Buono assumed the Head Coaching position in B.C. he would eventually hire and turn the offensive controls over to Chapdelaine and his version of the Hufnagel offence. Steve Kruck and Dan Dorazio became offensive co-coordinators of the Leos in 2007. They instantly continued the Hufnagel offence with their own particular emphasis.
Kruck said recently that all offensive coordinators and offensive assistants who have worked under Wally have been ‘caretakers’ of the Hufnagel offence. Hufnagel, the architect of the offence, returned to Canada this season, working as a consultant for Wally Buono for a couple of months, including training camp. His thoughts are included in the Leos offence for 2007, although the original offence remains the core of the Leos attack.
THE ARCHITECT-JOHN HUFNAGEL
John Hufnagel, after helping to develop Doug Flutie and Jeff Garcia earn all-CFL honors, eventually made his way to the NFL in 1999. He spent two seasons as the quarterback coach with the Cleveland Browns before being named the quarterbacks coach of the Indianapolis Colts, where he coached Peyton Manning. Hufnagel then worked with Tom Coughlin’s staff in Jacksonville and Mark Brunnel. In 2003 Hufnagel became the quarterback coach of the New England Patriots, earning a Super Bowl ring while coaching Tom Brady. Hufnagel became the offensive coordinator of the New York Giants in 2004, quickly moulding them into a potent offence. Hufnagel resigned from the Giants following the 2006 season. Hufnagel returned to the CFL this season in a brief role as consultant and guest coach of our Leos.
THE CARETAKERS
George Cortez
George Cortez began his CFL career as an assistant in Montreal where he coached the running backs from 1984-85 and then coached Montreal’s defensive line in 1986. Cortez returned to the CFL in 1990, coaching the defensive line in Ottawa until 1992. He began his coaching career in Calgary, where he coached the offensive line from 1992-94, returned to Calgary in 1997 and took over as offensive coordinator of Calgary from 1998 until 2001. Cortez left Calgary to became the offensive coordinator of the University of California Golden Bears. He returned to the CFL in 2006, where he coached the Saskatchewan Roughriders offensive line for one season before resuming the offensive coordinator duties in Calgary this season.
Cortez learned the Hufnagel offensive system in Calgary before taking over the Calgary offence. Cortez also brought with him, in his first stint as an offensive coordinator, a tremendous knowledge of all aspects of the pro game. He had coached running backs, the defensive line, defensive backs, and the offensive line in the CFL as well as coaching quarterbacks at SMU.
Cortez was the mastermind behind some of the CFL's most prolific offenses during his four years as Calgary's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. In Cortez's first year as Calgary's coordinator, the 1998 Stampeders won the Grey Cup as his offense paced the CFL in 10 statistical departments. Perhaps his best season was in 2001, when he somehow managed to get Marcus Crandell to play well enough to win a Grey Cup. This time Cortez returns to the same role, with even more experience, based upon his outstanding success as an offensive coordinator in California.
Jaques Chapdelaine
Jaques Chapdelaine began his football career with the B.C. Lions as a first round draft choice. He played in the CFL for seven seasons with four CFL clubs. Chapdelaine began his coaching career in 1990 as the offensive coordinator of Bishop University. In 1992 he began his first pro coaching job as special teams and receivers coach of the Toronto Argonauts. In 1994 Chapdelaine retunred to Bishops as offensive coordinator. Chapdelaine became the Head Coach in 1997. In 1999 Laval won the Vanier Championship.
Chapdelaine was hired by Wally Buono in Calgary in 2001 as special teams coach and receivers coach. Chapdelaine learned the Hufnagel system under George Cortez that first season as the Stamps won the Grey Cup. Chapdelaine became the Calgary offensive coordinator in 2002. The team only won six games and Chapdelaine, as a rookie offensive coordinator came under heat for his play calling from fans and some players. Chapdelaine was fired by team owner Michael Feterik but Wally Buono quickly hired Chapdelaine again, after assuming the Lions General Manager/Head Coach position in 2003.
He hired Chapdealine as receivers coach in 2003, turned over the play calling of the Leos offence to Chapdealine in the latter part of 2004, and named Chapdealine as the Leos offensive coordinator for the 2005 season. Chapdelaine served as the Leos offensive coordinator for two seasons, including the Leos 2006 Grey Cup season. In a surprise move Chapdelaine left Buono and the defending Grey Cup champions to become the offensive coordinator and associate Head Coach of the Edmonton Eskimos for 2007.
Dan Dorazio/Steve Kruck
Dan Dorzio brought ten years of CFL experience (and an additional 25 years of coaching that included stops in a number of major U.S. universities) with him into his new role as the Leos co-ofensive coordinator this season. Dorazio also has previous experience being an offensive coordinator at the college level. Dorazio first came to the CFL in 1998, where he coached the offensive line under George Cortez.from 1998-2001.
He won two Grey Cups in Calgary while working with Cortez. After five seasons in Calgary Darazio followed Wally Buono to our Leos where he has coached the offensive line from 2003-2006. Dorazio earned his third Grey Cup ring with our Leos last season. Dorazio has worked in the “Hufnagel offensive system’ for all of his CFL pro career. Dorazio is an extremely dedicated coach,and has always arrived to work at 2 a.m. to begin another day’s coaching preparation. Dorazio coached at my old alma mater at the University of Hawaii so I gotta love the guy!
Steve Kruck
Steve Kruck played for the Alabama legend Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant before starting his career in coaching, Kruck was the offensive coordinator at West Chester Univesity from 1993 to 2003, where, during his tenure the pass offende ranked fifth nationally and led the nation in 1999.
Kruck joined our Leos in 2004 but already had CFL experience as a guest coach for five CFL teams including our own BC Lions (2003-2004), Calgary Stampeders (1997-2002), Saskatchewan Roughriders (1996), Ottawa Rough Riders (1995), and the Toronto Argonauts (1994).
Kruck had worked with Buono, Hufnagel and Cortez and was familiar with the ‘Hufnagel offence through those experiences. Steve Kruck joined our Leos in 2005 as our quarterbacks coach and has been given credit for the rapid development of Buck Pierce. Kruck has one Grey Cup ring from his two previous seasons with our Leos, prior to becoming the co-offensive coordinator this season.
WHAT IS THE HUFNAGEL SYSTEM?
Describing the Hufnagel offensive system is like trying to describe how quantam physics works. It was and still is a volume system, meaning that it incorporates hundreds of plays in a team’s play book. The best way to describe it would be that it is a multi-formational system that focused both on the running attack and the passing attack in a way that creates mismatches. Hufnagel was never a hype guy and therefore it’s taken a long time for CFL watchers to realize how much Hufnagel’s system impacted the CFL.
The Hufnagel system differed mostly from the versions being run today in two aspects. Firstly, the Hufnagel running attack was a very complex, comprehensive ground game that was run out of two back sets and ace back sets. The running attack attacked every area of the defense, both inside and wide. Secondly, the Hufnagel system was run with the quarterback behind centre a lot more than today’s version.
Hufnagel’s system has mostly been given it’s identity because Hufnagel pioneered the five and six receiver sets. During that time period CFL defenses didn’t carry more than one extra defensive back and he was used to replace a player due to injury. The term ‘nickel back’ was unknown and the concept of the ‘dime back’ would have had sports writers looking for change in their pockets. The extra receiver in the five receiver set created all kinds of mismatches, forcing teams to go to man defense or cover the fifth receiver with a linebacker, or they created their own nightmares by trying to cover the five receiver set with a traditional zone defense.
Hufnagel also used the six receiver set on occasion. Hufnagel believed in stretching out the defense and he also believed in having mobile quarterbacks who loved to run the football..and he took advantage of it. His quarterbacks rolled and bootlegged as well as throwing from the pocket. He loved play action in his offence, a reason why he so strongly believed in a diversified running attack. His play action was often based upon opposite flow. He pioneered the high usage of the quarterback draw in his offence when he spread his receivers. If a team moved it’s linebackers wider to deal with the spread, with no linebacker in the middle, he greenlighted his quarterbacks to audible to the draw.
One key aspect of the Hufnagel offence, that strongly identifies it, is that the quarterback does not make decisions regarding who to throw the football to. His read determines where the football will go. It’s why, from game to game, receivers in this offence may have the ball thrown to them a lot one game and hardly see the football the next game. The way the defense plays this offence determines the quarterback’s decision. The quarterback and receiver both read the defense and therefore chemistry is important to determine each other’s tendancies.
Because the Hufnagel offence is such a volume offence, that has a very comprehensive number of formations, running plays, and passing plays, each offensive coordinator will have a tendancy to use certain formations and plays in the playbook more often than others.. and that creates an identity for the offence. George Cortez and Jaques Chapdealine emphasized different aspects of the offence differently…as Steve Kruck and Dan Dorazio are presently doing now.
It’s the same offence and the same playbook, for the most part, but each offensive coordinator has emphasized certain areas of the Hufnagel offence and also made some adjustments to it. Each offensive coordinator has created a different identity for the offence, based upon what they priorize from it’s menu!
Hufnagel was not much of a hype guy but he was and still is meticulous and detailed. That detail has helped the caretakers of the system not only learn it but understand what it is trying to accomplish.
DIFFERENT "IDENTITIES' OF THE HUFNAGEL OFFENCE
Since the Hufnagel offensive system was a multi-formation, multi-dimensional offensive system, with a huge volume of plays each offensive coordinator forged a different identity, while using the system. While, for the most part, in might have been the same plays but the amount of times each offensive coordinator used those formations and plays created a certain emphais.
The Cortez Version
George Cortez, as the first caretaker, in many ways stayed truer to the identity created by Hufnagel. However, he also brought certain strengths that were imprinted on the system. Cortez, in working with Garcia for his last two seasons and also with Dave Dickenson, not only had a solid feel for the Hufnagel system but also had a great knowledge of the game. He was very thorough, as all offensive coordinators of this system have been. He was highly regarded by his players, who played at a high level for him. Garcia has stayed closely in touch with Cortez throughout his NFL years.
Cortez really believed in spreading the football around, even more than Hufnagel. Teams werent’ able to focus on one or two receivers. Cortez broke it down from scratch and ran a very disciplined offence from game preparation to even running the huddle. However, his style could be described as both relaxed and focused. That confidence spread to his offensive players. Cortez’s second major strength as an offensive coordinator was making in-game adjustments. He wasn’t formulatic. If the defense gave him the run he took it and kept taking it until they adjusted…same for the pass.
One of Cortez's trademarks was his ability to adapt within games, or from week to week. Cortez, in one game might have his offence throw most of the game and next game really go to the running game. The Hufnagel offence is proably most known for it’s five receiver set. There can be a presumption that it’s a heavily weighted passing offence. That isn't correct. For example, Cortez’s offence led the CFL in rushing in 2000. He didn’t’ favor the run or the pass. He was consistent in always attempting to take what the defence gave, the philosophy behind this offence. Cortez used hot reads and dump offs to combat the blitz and moved his quarterbacks a lot in the offence, with lots of rollouts and semi boots. A low quarterback sack rate was a high priority in the Cortez style of offence and being a former offensive line coach would certainly be an influence.
'Chap Ball'
Jaques Chapdelaine, whom I usually refer to as ‘the Chap’ created much more of a different identity for the Hufnagel offence. Hufnagel came from the background of being a pro quarterback. Cortez was a quarterback coach. Steve Kruck also comes from a coaching background of coaching quarterbacks. Chapdelaine was a pro receiver and also spent most of the focus of his coaching career, before becoming an offensive coordinator, as a receivers coach.
That background was reflected in Chapdelaine’s version of the Hufnagel offence. Chapdelaine used the two back set in his first season as our Leos offensive coordinaot in 2005 but abandoned it in 2006. However, his three favorite formations during his tenure were the five and six receiver spread and the bunch formation. The running attack in Chapdelaine’s offence was often spartan and predictable. He usually ran in the two back set, when he wanted to run the football in 2005. However, running the football was never a priority in Chapdelaine’s pass first offence and the team was seventh in the league in attempted rushes in the Chap’s two seasons. He also used the six receiver set a lot in 2005, using slotbacks to attempt to block against the blitz.
“Chap Ball’ changed in 2006, when he went with the five receiver set and ace back almost exclusively. Chapdelaine departed from his customary offence in Montreal in 2006, using a two tight end set almost exclusively with great results but in the return match abandoned it. ‘Chap Ball’ could be identified as a pass oriented, underneath passing offence, with lots of crossing patterns. For the most part Chapdelaine liked to keep his quarterbacks in the pocket. It was an offence that had a high percentage completion rate and a high quarterback sack rate. It rarely used dump offs and hot reads but focused more on the quarterback making the correct pre and post snap read and finding the open receiver. By 2006 Chapdelaine also was running the offenced almost exclusively out of the shotgun formation, something previous offensive coordinators had not done.
Kruck/Dorazio Creating A Different Identity
While it is still early to assess the identity of the Kruck/Dorazio version of the Hufnagel offence a pattern is already emerging. First of all, it’s important to understand how the co-offensive coordinator role works during games. Baresi spots and relays down and distance to Dorazio. He provided the information to Kruck. Kruck calls the play and sends it to the quarterback. The game plan is created by all the offensive coaches, which is not different than how the offensive game plan has always been created under Buono, except there is the opportunity for more creativity. Overall, research shows that groups make better quality decisions than individuals.
In comprehensive simuilations of plan crashes with a number of survivors most individuals would make decisions that would result in not making it out alive. In a group process, the quality of decision making is greatly increased (unless Orange Shoes assumed leadership of the group ) There is no question that Kruck and Dorazio want to focus on improving the offence in two areas. The first is the running attack. We’ve already seen more diversity with reverses and the return of the two back set with Joe Smith lining up at fullback and at tailback.
There has been an increased focus of trying to take what the defense gives up in the passing attack. Most teams crowd the underneath passing game and Kruck/Dorazio are trying to take advantage of it by going over the top early. Kruck/Dorazio are also more a reflection of the Cortez style of continuing to attempt to take what the defense is giving up. There was strong evidence of that in the Edmonton game when Edmonton was playing run and crowding the underneath passing game in the first half. We only ran the ball once and worked at going over the top. In the second half, with Edmonton’s defensive line showing that they were very tired and the defensive backs playing off we ran the football 13 times I a row.
The Kruck/Dorazio offence also looks like it will be more creative. In the first half of the Edmonton game we put our running backs out wide in an attempt to take advantage of the personell on the field and isolate them against a linebacker. We will likely see more new plays than the Chap Ball version. We'll also see less quarterback sacks. Wally has been on Dickenson to get rid of the football in 3 seconds for years. However, with Kruck and Dorazio at the controls you'll likely see less of Dickenson holding the ball longer than that on passing plays this season.
THE ARCHIECT RETURNS
John Hufnagel was asked by Wally Buono to come to B.C. prior to training camp this year as a consultant and guest coach. He did it as a favor, being still under contract to the New York Giants.
Hufnagel spent more time observing at training camp in Abbotsford, possibly because he needed time to recognize how both the offence and the game in general have changed in the 10 years since he left for the NFL.
However Hufnagel’s approach was to be there to answer any questions from Dorazio and Kruck but not to be telling them what they should do. Hufnagel said he had a lot of respect for the Leos offensive coaching staff. The impetus of Hufnagel even being at the Leos training camp was the fact the Leos offensive coaches have a lot of respect for him and valued his input.
Hufnagel noticed the changes from his time quickly from CFL teams operating out of the shotgun to the specialty of different defensive packages, with different personel, based upon down and distance. He also noticed how defenses try to disguise their coverages more from his days of coaching in the CFL.
The 2007 Leos offence has only changed subtly. For the most part it’s the same plays but the identity is changing. For receivers like Paris Jackson it may provide for more footballs being thrown his way. For the other receivers, the offence will likely try to spread it around more than last season, when Geroy Simon was thrown so many more passes than his receiver teammates, although he will still be the go-to receiver.
The increased emphasis on the running attack will likely mean a different ratio between pass and run than Chapdelaine but that will depend on what defenses are giving us. Chapdelaine was going to utilize the underneath passing game as our priority, no matter what the defense was in. Kruck and Dorazio will attempt to focus on the opposition defenses weaknesses in a more comprehensive approach.
WRAP
The ‘Hufnagel Offence’, now in its 17th season, is the offence that has most impacted the CFL. It’s influence has effected every CFL team for years now. With Cortez in Calgary, Chapdelaine in Edmonton, and Kruck/Dorazio in B.C. we are going to see this offensive system a lot in the West this season. However, each team will emphasize it differently.
However, the recent influence of the offence in the CFL, towards a ball control passing attack, has been negated by complex defensive packages based upon down/distance and field position. The Hufnagel offence will need to adapt or return to its roots of being a multi-formation, multi-dimensional offence. It’s all their in the original playbook! It just needs to be utilized!!