Bingo, His Number Called at Quarterback

Studying tactical affairs in pro football this year, you doubtless have noted increasing use of the no-huddle offense.

The no-huddle offense approximates the so-called two-minute drill, except that those engaged in the two-minute face a time crisis, demanding they hurry.

With the no-huddle concept, one needn’t rush. The purpose of the no-huddle is to prevent the defense from reacting with personnel dispatched from the bench.

If the defense attempts such reaction, it is apt to get caught with its rompers out of adjustment. The ball will be snapped and a head count will reveal more defensive players on the field than the rules allow.

In their recent game against Seattle, the Raiders proceeded for a spell with the no-huddle, known in the club’s lexicon as the “bingo series.”

Jay Schroeder, quarterback of the Raiders, loves the bingo series.

“It’s the most exciting thing in football,” says Jay. “You’ve got the same 11 guys lined up on each side. It’s our 11 against your 11, no subs drifting in and out.”

Running the no-huddle offense, it is possible for signals to be flashed from the sideline, but play-calling in the no-huddle is usually left to the judgment of the quarterback.

And, of course, a quarterback is yet to be located who doesn’t feel he can call plays better than the bench. He will tell you, too, he enjoys cerebral superiority--better equipped to sense mismatches involving attackers and defenders.

That’s what your normal quarterback will tell you and, a normal quarterback, Jay Schroeder no doubt will tell you that, explaining why he loves the no-huddle.

To cope with the no-huddle and get proper players onto the field, the defense often is forced to call time, an expensive antidote.

“When you have the thing running smoothly,” Schroeder says, “it’s a great weapon. It is the one way to beat the subbing science in today’s football.”

“And what are its drawbacks?” he is asked.

“The fatigue factor would be one,” he answers. “The bingo series is especially tough on wide receivers. The communications factor would be another drawback. It is harder to run the bingo series on the road, where you encounter crowd noise when you are trying to be heard. From tackle to tackle, a quarterback can walk along the line and talk to the players. He can talk to the backs. But those wide receivers, 12 to 15 yards out, are hard to reach, and your voice must be heard.”

Connoisseurs of quarterbacking are leveling a watchful eye on Schroeder these days, asking quizzically how much longer he can go without falling on his coiffure. Jay is running very hot, a trickle-down of which is, the Raiders are 5-1.

Schroeder was given the chance to improve by a generous colleague, Steve Beuerlein, who had the starting quarterback job with the Raiders at the end of last year, but tossed it away through a business argument with management.

Before he would report for service this year, Beuerlein demanded considerably more money than the club was willing to pay, or thought he was worth.

His artistry insulted, Beuerlein sat out, giving Schroeder the opportunity to take over the post and get successful.

Now Beuerlein is back but in such bad standing that he doesn’t even wear a uniform on Sunday. He is seen on the sideline in jeans, one of two players who belong to the team but aren’t allowed to dress for the game.

Steve should have learned at Notre Dame, where the curriculum is good, that one never gives a sucker an even shot. He handed Schroeder the job by default, and now you look out there, watching Jay run the bingo series as if he invented it.

You also hear people cheering Jay, who reported grimly last year that he would be booed emerging from the tunnel.

One today is hard-pressed to decide whether football fans get crazy from quarterbacks, or vice versa, but either bet is pick-it.