Running routes short of the first down

“Well the defense expects them to run past the line, so they are outsmarting them then they can catch it and sneak past tbem.”

Yards after the catch

As a Fins fan, it's the most frustrating part of watching them. 3rd and 9? Two yard screen. 4th and 1, screen. 3rd and 25, screen.

McDaniel is the master at throwing passes short of the first down marker.

You'll get the snob lazy responses, "you don't know football!"

I've seen this question on here before and the myriad of responses of how running a curl short of the sticks is genius and perfectly designed to fool the D.

And the receiver comes up a yard short, because game of inches beats being so-called fooled.

This question gets "baseball purist" responses and how being a Baseball manager is the MENSA of sport coaches. Its all poppycock. Admit coaches out think things that are blatantly obvious.

YAC.

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Your route is going to absolutely be covered tighter the closer you get

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Cant be covered too tight, the flag will come out like that for illegal contact

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Your route is going to absolutely be covered tighter the closer you get

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So draw the flag or at least be guaranteed a 1st down if the receiver completes the pass.

Designed to come up short but for freak tackle avoiding capabilities?

You're designing failure and asking for a super human effort....just to get a yard of separation. Rather the 1st down was guaranteed if the super human effort was already beyond the sticks. I hate it and running routes short almost never works beyond having to break tackles. Its high risk for what it purports,to offer.

Why not just heave it to the end zone on every play?

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Why?

Third down and you run the route short of the line to gain.

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Because they don't want to get the first down that's why. It's not what you want to hear but it's the truth. No WR should be running 5-8yd crosses when they need 10 yds.They are professionals. They know exactly where those sticks are without even looking.

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You're designing failure and asking for a super human effort....just to get a yard of separation. Rather the 1st down was guaranteed if the super human effort was already beyond the sticks. I hate it and running routes short almost never works beyond having to break tackles. Its high risk for what it purports,to offer.

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Or maybe the particular play called has several different options and the option that the QB chose based on coverage was a route that you are hoping gets the YAC and the first down. I'm honestly not sure you understand just how complicated these offenses are and what all goes into it. How many times on 3rd down have you seen a WR run a drag, catch it short of the 1st down but run for the first down. The answer is all the frickin time. It happens in every game of football that is played on Saturdays and Sundays.