X Y Z

[Mr. Scot]

No, I'm not suggesting you "examine your zipper".

In the wake of the Panthers drafting Devin Funchess, there's been a lot of talk about who plays the number one, the number two, the X, the Y , the Z, etc. etc.

So this is probably a good time to do a quick review of the base receiver positions in a Coryell offense.

Now keep in mind as you read that there are some differences between the way offenses used to be run and what happens in modern football today.  I'm going to make my best effort to give you an understanding first of what the traditional role was while also covering the different ways how those spots can be used now.

Let's give it a whirl, shall we?

The X Receiver or "Split End"

This is the receiver that sets up on the line of scrimmage away from the offensive line and on the opposite side from the tight end.  A lot of you may not be old enough to know, but there was a time when what you now think of as "wide receivers" were more commonly just known as 'ends', and it wasn't unusual for them to line up right together with the offensive line (when I played pee wee football, that's how it was).  But then sometimes you had one who lined up away from the line (the "split" end) and one who stayed close (the "tight" end).  At some point (don't know when) the term "wide receiver" became more common for the guys that played the split end spot. 

Quick FYI: The split end being on the actual line of scrimmage means he can't go in motion. 

Most of the time when you think of a 'number one' receiver, you're probably talking about the split end.  And while it's not unusual for the team's best receiver to most often play this spot, it's not an absolute given.  Whether or not he's your best receiver, traditionally this is going to be one of the faster guys in the corps because it helps him with the kind of coverage he's usually going to face.  More and more these days though, it's just as often not the fastest guy, but the biggest guy.

The Y Receiver

Now here's where this might get a little tricky...

In traditional terms there really wasn't any such thing as a 'Y' wide receiver.  The 'Y' most commonly denoted the tight end, and to many it still does.

Of course, now a days when you've frequently got two guys out wide and one in the slot, what in function is actually another 'X' receiver often gets called a 'Y' receiver. It's not really accurate in traditional terms, but you'll hear it a lot.  To tell the truth, I think some offensive systems have now changed their terminology around to use 'X and Y' as the wideouts and 'Z' as the slot guy.  Since the letters aren't necessarily position specific, I don't suppose it matters.  Whether you count the second wideout as 'Y' or 'X2' doesn't really matter as long as you get what he does.

Regardless, your second wideout is traditionally going to be a complimentary type guy.  If your number one is a speedster, your number two might be a big, physical guy or a 'good hands' guy, maybe even a possession type, and vice versa.  That said, some teams do use top end speedsters at both starting spots (The 'Greatest Show on Turf' popularized this) or perhaps two big, physical guys at both spots (like us) so anymore, there's no real set mold. 

Basically, the number two guy is gonna be whatever your team feels offers them the best kind of secondary threat.

The Z Receiver or "Flanker"

In traditional terms, the flanker or 'Z' receiver lines up on the strong side (i.e. same side as the TE) a few yards from the tight end, a yard or two off the line of scrimmage.  In other words, he's what you would in today's language typically call a "slot receiver", though he's better known in football terms as a "flanker" because he flanks the tight end.  

Although the flanker will commonly line up on the strong side at first, he may not always stay there.  Because he's not on the LOS, the flanker is the receiver that you'll usually see go in motion (a second tight end does this a lot in a Coryell also) and in doing so help try to show whether the defense is in man or zone.  Generally speaking, if someone follows him, man; no one follows him, zone. 

The slot guy is commonly a very sure handed guy, and often serves as the "possession" receiver (like Ricky Proehl once did for us). Although on offenses where the top two guys are big, physical types rather than speed demons (like ours) the slot guy may actually be your fastest receiver and your best deep threat (i.e. Ted Ginn). 

If there are only two receivers in the formation, then you're probably going to have an X and a Z, though the Z in this case is commonly kind of a hybrid X because he might line up wide, but off the LOS so he's still free to go in motion.

Multiple Variations

The most common setup you've likely used to seeing for the top three receiver spots is 1) Best Overall Receiver 2) Deep Threat 3) Possession Receiver; but anymore it's nowhere near that simple.

Offenses today are using so many different combinations of skill sets and lining up in so many different formations that just because a guy lines up in one spot on one play, it doesn't mean he'll be in the same spot on the next one.  Anymore you can see offenses go out with three, four or even five receivers, most of which wind up just being variants of the X and Z spots.  And then when you start getting into blocking responsibilities, differences between tight ends and h-backs, reading coverages and all and that it can make the uninitiated go crosseyed.

But that unpredictability that makes it sometimes hard to follow is also what makes it effective.

Going back to the afforementioned Devin Funchess, having the ability to vary things up a lot is one of the reasons why the Panthers like him so much.  He's smart and versatile enough that they believe they can line him up anywhere and he can do the job effectively.  Nothing against Kelvin Benjamin, but in the future I expect him to be used mostly as a split end, which is fine as long as he plays that position well.  Funchess though?  He could be all over the place.  And that's fine for both of them.

The More You Know

These are the basic kinds of receivers you'll see in a Coryell type offense, and hopefully this helps you when it comes to understanding the terminology.

If you don't get all the nuts and bolts though, don't feel bad.  While it's good for discussion, it doesn't prevent you from enjoying the game.

For those who do want to know more, there's plenty of info about these positions online if you want to know more.  I'd personally recommend including the terms "flanker and split end" in your Google searches.  "Coryell offense" is another good search if you want to understand the base system that the Panthers run.

Hope that's useful.

[uncfan888]

Really informative post. Thanks for this

[t96]

Posted this in another thread, but here's how I see it:

 

X: Benjamin (only player that can power through jams on the line, Funch is unknown but could be his backup here), Hill

Z: Funchess, Brown (he's capable of playing this Z spot, off the line. He lined up there more than in the slot at the end of last year)

Slot: Brown, Funchess (Funchess will line up in different spots and can play every wideout position, I see most of his time at Z, but he will mix in in the slot, and if KB were to go down could take over the X), Ginn (situational deep threat from the slot), Cotchery (vet presence if he isn't cut, don't anticipate him getting much playing time, and if he does it would come in the slot)

 

The way I'm using it is Z and slot are not the same. Z lines up on the outside, just off of the LoS in 3 wideout sets. Slot is typically also off the LoS, but in closer to the line. X is opposite side of the Z, right on the LoS. In 2 wideout sets it'd be X and Z, and either could line up out wide or closer to the line. We ran some 2 wideout packages last year with KB and Brown both "in the slot" but they were manning the X and Z positions. Slot to me is strictly for 3 wideout packages.

[L-TownCat]

Good post Scot.

[Mr. Scot]

The way I'm using it is Z and slot are not the same. Z lines up on the outside, just off of the LoS in 3 wideout sets. Slot is typically also off the LoS, but in closer to the line. X is opposite side of the Z, right on the LoS. In 2 wideout sets it'd be X and Z, and either could line up out wide or closer to the line. We ran some 2 wideout packages last year with KB and Brown both "in the slot" but they were manning the X and Z positions. Slot to me is strictly for 3 wideout packages.

​That's pretty common per how you see the system run these days.

[rayzor]

YYZ is where it's at.

 

 

 

[Moorgan]

For me, the light bulb went off during the podcast with Bene. Bene said that the only two receivers he ever saw that liked, literally liked, being on the line of scrimmage and getting contact right away was KB and Mike Evans down in Tampa. It's this preference for me that argues that KB is a more natural X receiver...meaning that he lines up on the Line of Scrimmage and doesn't not start off with the yard or 2 of separation that comes with being the Z receiver.

I obviously don't know but I see this meaning Funchess would be the Z receiver (assuming he is natural at that position). I agree with Thomas above that I view the Y receiver as a slot receiver in 3 WR (or more) packages. While it obviously wouldn't always be the case, I see this position (or the Y receiver) as our speedster. Could be Philly, could be Ginn, could maybe even be Hill...we shall see.

As was said earlier, these can all be mixed and matched for more confusing looks and to create favorable match ups on the field. My point is just that when I say our WR1 is Funchess and our WR2 is KB...I'm not saying that Funch is better than KB. What I'm really saying is that KB is a beast who wants to power through you (and apparently catches better with you draped all over him) right off the Line of Scrimmage. The WR2 position or the X receiver is the most natural position for KB...in my never to be humble opinion.

[t96]

For me, the light bulb went off during the podcast with Bene. Bene said that the only two receivers he ever saw that liked, literally liked, being on the line of scrimmage and getting contact right away was KB and Mike Evans down in Tampa. It's this preference for me that argues that KB is a more natural Z receiver...meaning that he lines up on the Line of Scrimmage and doesn't not start off with the yard or 2 of separation that comes with being the X receiver.

I obviously don't know but I see this meaning Funchess would be the X receiver (assuming he is natural at that position). I agree with Thomas above that I view the Y receiver as a slot receiver in 3 WR (or more) packages. While it obviously wouldn't always be the case, I see this position (or the Y receiver) as our speedster. Could be Philly, could be Ginn, could maybe even be Hill...we shall see.

As was said earlier, these can all be mixed and matched for more confusing looks and to create favorable match ups on the field. My point is just that when I say our WR1 is Funchess and our WR2 is KB...I'm not saying that Funch is better than KB. What I'm really saying is that KB is a beast who wants to power through you (and apparently catches better with you draped all over him) right off the Line of Scrimmage. The WR2 position or the Z receiver is the most natural position for KB...in my never to be humble opinion.

​You got X and Z mixed up -- X is on the LoS, Z is off of it. KB is a bonafide X. Funch and Philly are Z's but will both line up all over the place. Ginn and Cotch are slot guys, and I haven't seen enough of Hill to say, but I would go with X for him.

[Moorgan]

​You got X and Z mixed up -- X is on the LoS, Z is off of it. KB is a bonafide X. Funch and Philly are Z's but will both line up all over the place. Ginn and Cotch are slot guys, and I haven't seen enough of Hill to say, but I would go with X for him.

​Grrrrrrr. Yup figured as much. I'll edit the original. But yeah, we agree. KB should be on the LoS.

[t96]

​Grrrrrrr. Yup figured as much. I'll edit the original. But yeah, we agree. KB should be on the LoS.

​Sh*t gets confusing, huh? I couldn't imagine what guys like Peyton and Luke have to know about every single aspect of the game to be as damn good as they are at their positions (of course all players, but those two seem way above many of the rest). Gotta know all the coverages, formations, each positions' role, etc. I love how DG values football smarts in his players over athleticism. KB and Funch both reportedly did very well in their interviews with us before the drafts, and Proehl said Philly took in more than most guys he had worked with.

[Mr. Scot]

​Grrrrrrr. Yup figured as much. I'll edit the original. But yeah, we agree. KB should be on the LoS.

​Because of the tendency for teams to jam them, I think a lot of teams are using bigger guys at the X spot now.

Used to always be the fastest guy because they figured they were best suited to get of the jam, but lots of corners are bigger than they used to be too.

[Mr. Scot]

​Sh*t gets confusing, huh? I couldn't imagine what guys like Peyton and Luke have to know about every single aspect of the game to be as damn good as they are at their positions (of course all players, but those two seem way above many of the rest). Gotta know all the coverages, formations, each positions' role, etc. I love how DG values football smarts in his players over athleticism. KB and Funch both reportedly did very well in their interviews with us before the drafts, and Proehl said Philly took in more than most guys he had worked with.

​The Patriots have made a living off of drafting smart players for a long time.

And honestly, I can't blame Gettleman for going that route.  Have you ever sat trying to explain something to someone that clearly just didn't get it?  Then at some point they tell you they've got it, and when you watch them it's clear they don't.

Frustrating as hell.

[Moorgan]

​Sh*t gets confusing, huh? I couldn't imagine what guys like Peyton and Luke have to know about every single aspect of the game to be as damn good as they are at their positions (of course all players, but those two seem way above many of the rest). Gotta know all the coverages, formations, each positions' role, etc. I love how DG values football smarts in his players over athleticism. KB and Funch both reportedly did very well in their interviews with us before the drafts, and Proehl said Philly took in more than most guys he had worked with.

​From what I've heard, if you're serious about being a pro, that it's like getting a PhD. The amount of study time, cramming and learning new languages should coordinators change...except you have a test every Sunday and you have to rest your body. I've seen Ray Lewis at his house (on tv...I wasn't at his house) watching film on his tv. And bringing teammates over to his house...not for a cook out...but to watch tape and talk about it.

That's like studying with your friends after you get done studying. The great ones take competition and dedication to a whole new level. And I think that is kinda what DG was talking about when he was saying how impressed they were with football IQ (and how they tested it during visits) and how important it was to find a guy that not just wanted to win...but HATED to lose. That hatred is what will drive a high football IQ guy to go home after studying film all day to study some more film with his teammates.

 

I'm really liking how this team is shaping up.

[t96]

​Because of the tendency for teams to jam them, I think a lot of teams are using bigger guys at the X spot now.

Used to always be the fastest guy because they figured they were best suited to get of the jam, but lots of corners are bigger than they used to be too.

​I think that's true, but the main thing is understanding use of the hands on the line. Strength obviously factors in, but those little nuances with the hands are the main thing. Smitty could play the X spot as well as any big guy, and so can OBJ. Honestly, from what I saw with Philly last year, he wasn't bad at getting off of jams in the few times he lined up on the LoS. Wasn't lining up on a Revis ever who will dominate you at the line, but I think he could develop that ability, adding to his high ceiling and ability to play any wideout position, like Funchess.