[MV72018]

To bring Lamson in on 4th and short is to tell the D what the play will be.

IMO this isn't at all the case. It is similar to running the wildcat with a running back or what we did with Isaiah Sanders. In most cases, Lamson is going to read the blocking and chose where he is going to run. The defense doesn't know exactly where he is going because even he doesn't know exactly where he is going :-). There is a designated "point of attack" (which can be anywhere along the LOS) but Lamson is free to go wherever he sees a crease that will get the first down. This offense is oriented towards fourth and less than two yards. We are saying "You (think you) know what we are going to call but you won't be able to stop it". It mostly works. It is not a play that will get you five yards unless you do throw the ball. Lamson is a QB and can throw the ball. He has done it, so the defense really can't totally "sell out" to stop the run.

Ideally you would prefer to run this play with your "regular" QB, but if you have someone who is a much better short yardage runner it makes sense to use them instead. I think that is the case with Lamson. It was also with Sanders. The fact both could throw a bit was an added bonus.

I respectfully and strongly disagree. I can think of only one Lamson pass from the cat formation and 9 times of 10 if not 19 times out of 20 he plows just to the left or right of center, in other words up the middle. I can’t remember a single instance of him going around the left or right end. Hence the D knows with a very high degree of probability what the play will be.

[MV72018]

To bring Lamson in on 4th and short is to tell the D what the play will be.

IMO this isn't at all the case. It is similar to running the wildcat with a running back or what we did with Isaiah Sanders. In most cases, Lamson is going to read the blocking and chose where he is going to run. The defense doesn't know exactly where he is going because even he doesn't know exactly where he is going :-). There is a designated "point of attack" (which can be anywhere along the LOS) but Lamson is free to go wherever he sees a crease that will get the first down. This offense is oriented towards fourth and less than two yards. We are saying "You (think you) know what we are going to call but you won't be able to stop it". It mostly works. It is not a play that will get you five yards unless you do throw the ball. Lamson is a QB and can throw the ball. He has done it, so the defense really can't totally "sell out" to stop the run.

Ideally you would prefer to run this play with your "regular" QB, but if you have someone who is a much better short yardage runner it makes sense to use them instead. I think that is the case with Lamson. It was also with Sanders. The fact both could throw a bit was an added bonus.

I respectfully and strongly disagree. I can think of only one Lamson pass from the cat formation and 9 times of 10 if not 19 times out of 20 he plows just to the left or right of center, in other words up the middle. I can’t remember a single instance of him going around the left or right end. Hence the D knows with a very high degree of probability what the play will be.