It depends greatly on the mentality of the coach involved. If an ‘old-school’ coach is of the mindset that football is about running the football and running it often, the veer is the way to go. If run repetitively and with precision, coupled with a few passes that connect for big yards, the veer can be a very effective offense ran in high school and sometimes college programs.

However, by far, the spread offense is becoming an effective and quickly growing offense used by many teams and programs across the country. The spread offers a better variety of packages and plays that keep a defense on their heels. The option to easily run or pass out of the shotgun, while giving the qb plenty of vision to see what is in front of him, makes this offense extremely viable. Short passes and quick runs lure the defense in for the deep vertical routes to open up.

Quarterbacks in the spread are changing the type and requirements needed for playing the game of football in the qb position. Gone may be the days of the ‘running’ qb or the ‘pocket’ qb. Instead, quarterbacks are asked to have the ability to throw the ball down field AND make good running decisions with the football.

As defenses adjust and react to the spread and its growing popularity, it will be fascinating to watch the game of football evolve again, just another reason why this sport is one of the greatest in the world.