To Spy or Not to Spy a Mobile QB
As we enter the 2023 season, one trend that shows no sign of slowing down is the prevalence of mobile quarterbacks. There are probably 7 or 8 quarterbacks who are flat-out weapons when they choose to run. And most starting quarterbacks in the league have the ability to at least scramble for first downs in critical moments. There are very few statues in the pocket still playing in the NFL.
That leaves defenses with a difficult choice when it comes to accounting for a quarterback’s running ability - Should they use a spy or not?
The Case Against Using a Spy
The argument against using a spy is simple. You’re either removing a defender from the pass rush without the benefit of adding him to the coverage, or vice versa. If the quarterback ends up staying in the pocket, he has the advantage of playing against a 10-man defense, for all intents and purposes. This might be an okay trade-off in certain cases, especially if a defenses is looking to keep the quarterback from scrambling at all costs. But what about those quarterbacks who can also succeed consistently from the pocket?
Other problems that arise with using a spy have to do with the athletic mismatch between the spy and the quarterback. Too often, teams will use a linebacker or another defender who can’t actually hang with the quarterback, which negates the purpose of even having a spy in the first place.
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Just look at this play from the 2019 AFC Championship Game between the Chiefs and Titans. Here, Tennessee used linebacker Rashaan Evans (#54) to spy Patrick Mahomes and ended up rushing just 3:
It didn’t work out as the Titans hoped. Mahomes eventually fled the pocket, toyed with Evans as he worked to the sideline, and then made a game-altering run to the end zone:
Perhaps the question isn’t about spying or not spying. Perhaps the better question is, “What is the most effective way to spy?” There are various disguises and schemes that defenses can use to give themselves a better chance against these dangerous running quarterbacks than on the play you saw above.
Cutting the Field in Half
One approach is to flush the quarterback from the pocket and force him to move into an awaiting spy. You can see an example of this below.