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Film Room: What Are Triangle Reads in Frank Reich's Offense?

Triangle reads are a vital aspect of how Frank Reich designs his passing attack. What are they and how could they be used with Matt Ryan in 2022?

Zach Hicks

The Indianapolis Colts are officially in the dead part of the offseason. The news cycle is completely dried up, and it is a struggle to produce football content at this point of the offseason. When the local media/fanbase is buzzing about a star player missing voluntary minicamp, it is time to take a break from Colts' news.

For me, I like to use the downtime in the offseason to look for trends in the Colts' scheme that could carry over to the next season. My friend on Twitter, @TheHonestNFL, used to work in the NFL and has extensive knowledge on Frank Reich during his time with the Eagles. Yesterday, he responded to my mesh article by talking about triangle reads in the Colts' offense:

While talking with Honest is always a blast, it got me thinking-- triangle reads are a fairly simplistic element of a passing game that most fans likely don't know about. So today, I decided to dive into triangle reads, how they changed in this offense over the past two seasons, and what they could look like in 2022 with Matt Ryan.

What is a Triangle Read?

Triangle reads are a west coast offense staple. They are typically used in the short-intermediate game, but have gradually expanded down the field as NFL offenses have become more explosive. The primary goal of these reads is to isolate two defenders in a difficult three vs two situation.

Let's look at an example using one of the mesh clips from yesterday's film article. Notice how on this play that there are two inside linebackers standing roughly 5-7 yards off of the ball. The three reads on this mesh concept are either of the two drag routes underneath or the crosser running behind the linebackers.

These three routes, all around the linebackers, put the two players in a bind. They could get depth and take away the crosser, but that would leave the underneath routes open. They could both step up and attack underneath, but that would leave the crosser behind them open.

As long as the quarterback has good eyes and trusts their reads, this play design should cause just enough hesitation on defense to lead to a completion:

Triangle Reads Under Philip Rivers

Reich, like all great offensive playcallers, tailors his offense to the preferences and style of his quarterback. As a result, this can often have an impact on what type of triangle reads he runs in a given year. It was actually quite fascinating to see the dichotomy between 2020 under Philip Rivers and 2021 under Carson Wentz.

Starting with Rivers, he preferred the same type of triangle route that Reich likes to run-- attacking the middle of the field. This is where the west coast offensive influence in Reich's playbook takes effect, as he loves to isolate those two inside linebackers with triangle reads.

Rivers, being one of the smartest quarterbacks that I've ever studied, was able to find a ton of success attacking the middle of the field on these plays. This clip below is one of many examples, as Rivers attacks the vacated window over the middle for a solid gain.

This next clip against the Green Bay Packers was a perfectly drawn up play against the blitz. The triangle read puts the middle linebacker in a tough spot, as rookie standout Michael Pittman Jr came across the formation unguarded on the drag route.

The slight hesitation by the linebacker gave Pittman Jr all of the space he needed to catch this pass and turn up field for the huge score. Rivers was able to thrive on mesh, levels, and Hi-Lo concepts using triangle reads in 2020.

Triangle Reads Under Carson Wentz

Carson Wentz, however, was the complete inverse of Rivers in 2021. While the middle of the field plays were still a part of the offense, their usage drastically dropped this past season. Wentz certainly preferred out-breaking routes where he could attack downfield with much more freedom than over the middle.

While there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to preference, it was certainly interesting to see a completely different style of play in 2021. Where Rivers preferred mesh and levels concepts, Wentz liked to attack the boundary with sprint outs and sail routes.

Below are some examples of how triangle reads were used last year. Wentz fakes the hand-off and has a high-low read to the outside. This play is designed to put the two outermost defensive backs in a bind, and it works to perfection. The outside corner bites on the run and is caught far too inside to make a play on the out-breaking throw to Michael Pittman Jr.

This next play features a triangle read that isolates the safety and the outside linebacker on the outside. The safety bits on the intermediate crosser, which opens up the deep pass for Wentz to throw over the top for the score.

What This Means for Matt Ryan

By acquiring Matt Ryan, the Colts are essentially getting the best of both worlds. Ryan is a savvy veteran that likes to attack defenders at different levels over the middle of the field (i.e. Rivers). He also has a history with a Shanahan offense and can thrive on designed sprint-outs and outside passing concepts (i.e. Wentz).

This isn't to say that he will be perfect on these calls in 2022, but there is certainly reason for optimism that Ryan can merge these two styles. His anticipation, along with his live arm, could produce great results in Reich's scheme this upcoming season.

The Bottom Line

The goal of designing an effective passing offense in the NFL is to isolate match-ups and create favorable opportunities for your playmakers to shine. Triangle reads are one way that Frank Reich is able to do this for his scheme. He draws up route combinations that put two defenders in a bind trying to cover three players.

With the addition of Matt Ryan, Reich may be able to open up his full arsenal for the first time since 2018. He finally has a quarterback that is able, and willing, to attack all areas of the field on these play designs. This upcoming season could be a fun one if Ryan gets rolling early on these play calls.

Follow Zach on Twitter @ZachHicks2.

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Zach Hicks
ZACH HICKS

Zach Hicks is the Lead Analyst for HorseshoeHuddle.com. Zach has been on the NFL beat since 2017. His works have appeared on SBNation.com, the Locked On Podcast Network, BleacherReport.com, MSN.com, & Yardbarker.com. 

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