Unimaginative is probably the best way to summarize the offensive game plan and play calling during the post-Arians Pagano era. It was the same story over and over every week with slightly different names and faces. Uninformed, outdated, and lazy. It makes for pretty boring reading, right?

When we were finally set free from that tedium and Frank Reich was brought in as the new head coach, it couldn’t have been more of a contrast. While both guys are seen as “player’s coaches,” Reich also has a stellar reputation as a career backup quarterback. He has played the toughest position in the game and done so effectively in high pressure situations. He provides a knowledgeable pairing with Andrew Luck who will use Luck’s prodigious brain and talents to take the offense to new heights.

It has been really refreshing watching film of the Eagles executing their offense last season for precisely that reason. The Eagles offense was all the things the Colts offense hasn’t been. Exciting, unpredictable, daring, and deadly. One of the concepts the Eagles used regularly last season is called the Dagger Concept.

The Dagger Concept is a simple one. The aim is to get the middle of the field open for a 15 yard dig by sending the slot receiver on a deep vertical route occupying the safety, and running a shallow drag route from the weak side that pulls the linebackers forward.

Obviously, if your primary read in this concept is a 15 yard dig, it takes some time to develop. That makes pass protection critical. Until the offensive line has proven itself capable of holding up, this concept might not get a ton of use. Once that happens though, this is the kind of play that is right in Andrew Luck’s wheelhouse and will fit the Colts’ offensive personnel well. Take a look at the breakdown below and let me know what you think.

(You can check out more on the Dagger Concept here)