The NFL Play-Action Awards – Picking the best teams, QBs and more

Play-action is so important in football. It puts defenders in conflict. It creates space. It’s also the first answer for offenses when looking for a numbers advantage in the passing game. And when executed on early downs, to mimic the base run game, play-action becomes an aggressive tool in the call sheet.

The routes haven’t changed much since I played safety in the league: flood one side of the field, open a window to throw the seam, sneak a running back out on a screen pass, take the deep ball shot over the top to hit…