Offensive Analogies

I was tweeting back and forth with @warpathia responding to @washpostlive about whether or not our beloved Redskins should draft Auburn QB and Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton in the 2011 NFL Draft. My response was that I was indifferent because there were several other things that needed to be in place before anyone took snaps. Doesn't matter who is the QB if there's no protection, people are dropping passes, and/or making bad blitz pickups. Consequently, when all these things go wrong and the team is losing, who gets the blame? Of course, the QB. Was it all the QB's fault? No. It's possible that the fearless leader could have made some bad calls/passes, but it doesn't matter... if the battleship goes down, you blame the captain.

So anyway, the analogy came into play when comparing them to a flight crew.  Then I got curious and began to look up definitions of the flight crew positions.  Then compared them to textbook definitions of offensive positions. Very interesting similarities. If you remember the reading section from your SAT's, you'll understand how this blog is written. (DISCLAIMER: I am an engineer by trade. If the content of this blog is too technical, I'm sorry, this is what I do.)

(i.e. Leaf :: Tree -- Arm :: Body or Leaf is to Tree as Arm is to Body)

Flight Crew :: Offense -- Pilot in Command :: Quarterback

Quarterback -  leader of the offense and calls the plays that are signaled to him from the sidelines. Also responsible for calling the team's offensive plays based on the defense's formation, or game situation.

Pilot in Command - 1. (from FAA) (a) The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of that aircraft; (b) In an in-flight emergency requiring immediate action, the pilot in command may deviate from any rule of this part to the extent required to meet that emergency; (c) Each pilot in command who deviates from a rule under paragraph (b) of this section shall, upon the request of the Administrator, send a written report of that deviation to the Administrator. 2. (from ICAO) The pilot-in-command of an aircraft shall, whether manipulating the controls or not, be responsible for the operation of the aircraft in accordance with the rules of the air, except that the pilot-in-command may depart from these rules in circumstances that render such departure absolutely necessary in the interests of safety. The pilot-in-command of an aircraft shall have final authority as to the disposition of the aircraft while in command."


Flight Crew :: Offense -- First Officer (Co-Pilot) :: Running Back

Co-Pilot - second-in-command of the aircraft. In the event of incapacitation of the captain, the first officer will assume command of the aircraft. Sometimes the co-pilot operates as the PNF, or Pilot Not Flying -- or Pilot Monitoring.

Running Back - one who lines up behind or beside the QB and specialize in running with the ball. They also block, catch passes and, on rare occasions, pass the ball to others or even receive the snap.




Flight Crew :: Offense -- Second Officer :: Fullback

Second Officer - Third in command on a flight; Second Officer is a flight engineer who is also a licensed pilot. A Second Officer on some airlines is part of a relief crew.

Fullback -  Usually lines up in front of the RB/HB, although a FB is technically a running back. However fullbacks are primarily valued for their blocking in most modern day offenses (both pass protection and clearing the way for the RB). In many offensive schemes, the fullback is used as a receiver, especially when the defense blitzes.

Flight Crew :: Offense -- Third Officer :: Tight End

Third Officer - serves as a relief pilot and aircrew member and can move between pilot, co-pilot, radio officer, and flight engineer positions to provide a rest period for the primary crews.

Tight End - one who lines up outside the offensive line. They can either play like wide receivers (catch passes) or like offensive linemen (protect the QB or create spaces for runners). Sometimes an offensive lineman takes the tight end position and is referred to as a tackle eligible.

Flight Crew :: Offense -- Flight Engineer :: Wide Receiver

Flight Engineer - member of an aircrew that operates and monitors various aircraft systems; required to diagnose and where possible rectify or eliminate any faults that may arise. During an emergency, protocol is as follows: the Captain hands over the actual flying of the aircraft to the Copilot, then the Captain and Flight Engineer together review and carry out the necessary actions required to contain and rectify the problem. Flight Engineer reads the check-lists and executes actions required under the auspices of the Captain (First Officer - PNF). Because a flight engineer is so skilled in several areas, many commercial airlines will not hire pilots that do not have a flight engineer's license.

Wide Receiver - the pass-catching specialists. Usually among the fastest and most agile players in the game. WRs are key component in hurry up offense (i.e. 2 Minute Drill) to be able to quickly gain yards and get out of bounds to stop the clock. They are also required to block downfield for running plays or when another eligible receiver requires protection. On errant passes, receivers must frequently play a defensive role by attempting to prevent an interception. If a pass is intercepted, receivers must use their speed to chase down and tackle the ball carrier to prevent him from returning the ball for a long gain or a touchdown.




Flight Crew :: Offense -- Purser (Chief Flight Attendant) :: Center

Purser - the person responsible for the handling of money on board; In charge of supplies such as food and drink, etc. In charge of providing direction to cabin crew.

Center - the innermost offensive lineman responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback and neutralizing the nose tackle. Also responsible for calling blocking assignments to the other offensive linemen. 




Flight Crew :: Offense -- Flight Attendants (Cabin Crew) :: Guards/Tackles

Cabin Crew - members of the flight crew that primarily ensure the safety and comfort of people on board.


Offensive Linemen - five players whose job is to protect the passer and clear the way for runners.


I know it was just a simple listing of definitions and duties, but I found it interesting and learned a lil' bit too! Even though all these flight crew positions are critical to the safety and operation of a commercial airline flight, the Pilot in Command always gets first blame. He still depends on everyone behind him to do their jobs so he can do his, but if the plane goes down, he still takes all the blame.

Conversely, if the RB/FB are not reading defenses correctly on pass plays and miss picking up blitzes, WRs/TEs drop passes, and/or there is little or no protection from the offensive line, the loss still gets blamed on the QB... simply because, he's in charge. If you break down the reasons behind the QB's failure, you can probably trace it back to another person (or a number of other people), but at the end of the day, the finger isn't pointed at them, it's pointed at the quarterback.

Strangely familiar, isn't it?

#HTTR