The Buffalo Bills’ third-ranked defense takes on the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday. Former Bills quarterback Frank Reich, in his first year as the Colts head coach, has brought a lot of the passing concepts he learned from Doug Pederson in Philadelphia with him.
One of the Colts’ most regularly used concepts on film is what is commonly referred to as the “Chip Kelly Mesh Concept.” It’s a play that just about every team now has in their playbook, but those teams don’t necessarily run it as efficiently as quarterback Andrew Luck and the Colts do. According to my count, the Colts have run this play at least ten times over the course of six games and, in those instances, Luck is 8-for-10 for 77 yards.
Advertisement
It is a part of their base offense, so they can run it from 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE), 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TEs) and even 13 personnel (1 RB, 3 TEs). Of the ten total attempts, the Colts have run the play five times on third down and it has failed them only once.
The concept is fully adaptable to beat man or zone coverage, which is why teams love it.
When the QB takes the snap, his primary target is the running back on a wheel route. This route is one that can produce explosive plays because if the defense is in man coverage, the running back will be matched up against a linebacker.
The route combination can make it difficult for any defender assigned to the running back, as they often have to work through traffic. Luck has completed the wheel route only once this season for an 11-yard gain.
But if the wheel is taken away, the quarterback is now looking to target the shallow cross.
If the offense is facing man coverage, the mesh concept over the middle by the two crossing routes should produce a natural rub-route to free up the shallow cross. QBs make this throw most regularly when running the concept regardless of coverage. Indy has targeted the shallow cross on 7-of-10 passes, and has completed 5-of-7 for 48 yards.
The third target for the quarterback is the middle hook or hunt route. If the defense is in zone coverage or has locked down the receivers in man coverage, the QB will attempt to find this receiver behind the linebacker level. That receiver is taught to find a soft spot in the zone or make himself available for the QB. Through six games, Luck has fallen back on this route just one time — a play in which they gained 18 yards.
The deeper crossing route (fourth option) and deep dig (fifth option) are rarely targeted. The Colts haven’t needed to resort to either of these targets yet.
This version of the mesh concept isn’t designed to produce big yardage; it is more of a go-to play when the offense needs to extend drives. Still, Luck and the Colts have found much success with it so far this season, so the Bills defense should be fully prepared to see this play on Sunday.
Here’s a full breakdown of how the Colts have utilized this concept:
(Top photo of Andrew Luck: Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports)