Welcome back to your weekly look at Matt LaFleur's playbook. In this space, we take a play or two from the Titans 2018 passing offense, break it down a bit then talk about how that could look in the 2019 Packers offense.

Last week, we looked at a LaFleur staple: the Play Action Levels Rollout. It's beautiful and fun and versatile and something we will absolutely be seeing on a regular basis.

This week we're going to keep it simple. It may not seem very involved at first, but we're going to dig in and see how setting up a tendency can open up some opportunities elsewhere. So let's get to it. Today, we are talking about a swing pass.

Nothing too eye-popping here. The Titans are in 2X2 formation. We've got the running back crossing behind the QB on a swing route. The two receivers to the swing side are blocking, while the two receivers to the backside are running post routes.

Marcus Mariota [8] checks the defense, doesn't see anyone crashing the flat and gets the ball out quick to Dion Lewis [33]. It's a simple little play but it does what it needs to do: quickly gets the ball to one of your playmakers in space. The Packers have a 33 of their own that could do some real damage with that much room.

What can the Packers do with this?

So much! I drew up a series of plays that work with this idea. Just like last week, I went with 12 personnel (1 RB, 2TE, 2 WR). One of these days I'll get more than 2 WRs on the field, I swear. I went with:

RB: Aaron Jones [33]
TE: Robert Tonyan [85], Jace Sternberger [87]
WR: Davante Adams [17], Marquez Valdes-Scantling [83]

I went with this TE grouping because they're two young, athletic guys who are willing blockers, but they're also legitimate receiving threats. Since this play calls for driving up the field before engaging in a block on a DB, I needed guys who would be capable of driving up the field and engaging with a DB. Or, at the very least, getting in their way.

I wanted to go with two TEs because I felt it would help sell the blocking aspect of this play. We need to sell the ability to block to that side in order to set up a couple variations. 

Let's get to some variations off that swing pass. Watch that play again. You run that a few times out of that look and teams start to recognize it. Instead of sitting back, they start attacking that flat route. What then?

You can see Mariota taking a look at the linebackers. If they crash - or if they align different to shade the swing side - that means the middle of the field is vacated, opening a throwing lane to the backside post routes.

This shows the play in progress. The linebackers are out of the middle and you've got a nice follow-post tandem running against the secondary. Even if the underneath DB to that side drops under a route, there's a good chance of at least one of those being open.

I love this because there are no differences from the play we watched above. It's the same play, but you're keying off the movement of the LBs. You've got a quick throw to the flat or a quick throw to the post, behind the crashing linebackers.

We're going to jump right to the crazy stuff. On this play, we actually throw the swing, but the running back is behind the QB. Our TEs fake the block before releasing downfield. If the defense crashes, we've got the possibility of a very big play, and a chance for Aaron Jones to show off his arm.

This works off the same idea as the previous play, but we're keeping the ball in the hands of Aaron Rodgers (which I hear is a pretty good move to make). Quick turn to Jones in the flat, with an added pump fake for good measure. Have the TE group fake a block before releasing. Get those defenders hesitating or taking a step up, then hit them over the top.

This is where it helps to have athletic receivers at the TE position. They don't need the defense to bite hard on this: they only need the defense to hesitate a beat and they can get over the top.

Why do I love this?

It's simple. The swing pass should be a part of every team's offensive playbook. It's an easy way to get your playmakers in space with a quick, high-percentage throw.

But there are other options, and it's those other options that make me love this. It's so simple, but it can be so effective. If defenses sit back, hit the quick throw to the flat and pick up some easy yards. When they start leaning on that, hit them on the backside post or over the top.

This isn't something you're going to build your entire offense off of or anything, but it's a simple little play that can lead to easy yards and big gains.

Albums listened to: Clinic - Wheeltappers and Shunters; Charly Bliss - Young Enough; Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven