Air Coryell forces a defense to cover every square inch of the football field and to expect a pass and prepare for it. Coach To be a good play caller in this offense you must have no tendencies. You need to have the courage to call reverses and halfback passes when backed up to your own end zone. No longer can the opposing defenses expect a run on 3rd and short or that half of the first down plays are runs.
You should be offensive on offense and attack the defense at all times. Test them vertically and make them cover every square inch of the field. Spread the defense out and make them work as individuals and not a unit. Find the weakest link in the chain and attack it. Passing routes are based off timing and that is the key factor. One WR should be open and at a certain spot of the field at x seconds where another WR will have the greatest chance of being open at y seconds. Quarterbacks have to anticipate throws based off timing, not yardage. If the defense adjusts and is able to cover down the field, get the ball to an open RB or TE. These positions are also used as Wide Receivers, so all offensive skill players must have good hands.
The quarterback must be very smart to digest the whole playbook and have the ability to sense the pass rush and get rid of the ball in time. He must have good anticipation of the Wide Receivers and has to be able to get the ball down field. On just about every passing play a WR will go deep. The Wide Receivers must be quick and good route runners. The running backs and tight ends must have good hands as well. They have to catch the ball often and be able to do something with it once they get possession. Since many roll out passes and play action fakes are used, the offensive line is usually built to be a power running offense. Size and aggressiveness are the main characteristics of the offensive line.
