What the Heck is an H-Back?

by **Skinsfan55** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 7:41 pm

I hear a lot of people talking about Joe Gibbs liking to use an "H-Back"

What exactly is that?

I get the impression that it's a type of hybrid TE/FB how would this player be used in a game?

(Seems to me if it IS a half TE, half FB then Mike Sellers is the perfect canidate...)

by **BossHog** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 10:25 pm

An H-back is a halfback which is really just another name for a running back that is not used as often anymore.

The name came from the fact that it was the back that lined up in the middle of the line of scrimmage.

by **Skinsfan55** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 11:07 pm

I thought halfback was just the word for the feature running back :-\

I'm still kind of confused

by **skinsfaninroanoke** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 7:14 am

What some people refer to as an H-back in my mind is a tight end type player that lines up as a fullback giving you that beef in the backfield - seems to me if I remember rightly - we saw it a lot in the heavy jumbo package...

by **Warmother** » Wed Mar 03, 2004 8:30 am

Skinsfan55 wrote:I hear a lot of people talking about Joe Gibbs liking to use an "H-Back"

What exactly is that?

I get the impression that it's a type of hybrid TE/FB how would this player be used in a game?

(Seems to me if it IS a half TE, half FB then Mike Sellers is the perfect canidate...)

Your right in that the H-Back is a hybrid TE/FB he can lead running plays like a FB, line up in the slot, line up as a TE, or often is the motion man for the offense to get a running start to go out for passes or get to a linebacker on running plays.

by **skinsfaninroanoke** » Wed Mar 03, 2004 11:03 am

although it DID use to refer to the halfback... I think the meaning has changed over the years...

Frank Wycheck was the prototypical H Back for Tennessee - came out of the fullback spot and the tight end spot depending on the formation

by **DEHog** » Wed Mar 03, 2004 11:07 am

<-------H-BACK

by **BossHog** » Wed Mar 03, 2004 12:05 pm

Man, I just don't think that's what an h-back is anymore.

Totally agree that it used to be, but now it's just become another synonym for a running back, and more often than not, the backs they are referring to are definitely not your late 80's prototypical hybrid back.

I think that's where the confusion comes in. Like all vernacular, overuse has broadened it's meaning and lessened it's descriptiveness. :hmm:

Donnie Warren :rock:

by **Sam Ward** » Sun Mar 07, 2004 10:50 am

by **Sam Ward** » Sun Mar 07, 2004 10:52 am

An H-Back in a Gibbs style office is a blocking/pass catching fullback/tightend that can recognize the defensive formation and make necessary adjustments at the point of attack.

by **verm04** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 8:52 pm

Hello.. new here

Anyway, according to what all of these men say the "h-back" would apperently be bryan johnson, if he stays on the team. Gibbs actually mentioned him as a player he saw playing out of the tight end posision for catching purposes.

by **skinsfaninroanoke** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 9:31 pm

oh lordie - I hope the man does a lot of work with the football throwing machine in the offseason...

he dropped quite a few last year

by **welch** » Fri Mar 12, 2004 7:24 am

An H-back is a pass-catching TE. The position is named after Dan Henning, who was offensive co-ordinator (or "assistant head coach / offense") in the early Gibbs days, left for a year or two at Atlanta, and returned before SB 22. Now with Carolina, I think.

Henning and Gibbs had a two-back standard NFL set, with Joe Washington and John Riggins. Little Joe was small, fast, shifty, a good receiver, and a pathetic blocker. Riggins was big, strong, fast (no, I'm not kidding), good blocker, and among the worst receivers ever. Hands of stone.

Gibbs and Hennings considered it, and decided that they were losing production when they had Washington block for Riggins. They decided to play a second TE, on the grounds that a TE catches passes better than a FB, and blocks better than a halfback.

Riggins became the main running back, and Washington replaced him whenever Gibbs wanted to an extra fast receiver (ah..."rocket screen" I think it was called) or wanted just to shift gears.

I think Rick Walker was the first H-back. Think of Walker lining up on the left, going in motion to the right, turning, going left, and leading John Riggins off-tackle. Now imagine Washington leading that play (even if he had not been limited in SB 17 by a knee injury).

Afterward, the position stuck. George Rogers replaced Riggins, and Kelvin Bryant replaced Washington, but Clint Didier became the model/template for the H-back.

When Gibbs ran the three-wide-receiver set (was it called "Posse"?) he used Art Monk as H-back. Monk was big for a wide-receiver, and he could block, so running The Posse was not an admission that the Redskins would be throwing.

McCants looks like the Monk-filler in the three-wides.

I doubt that any of the fullbacks will become H-backs...

by **JansenFan** » Fri Mar 12, 2004 10:38 am

I read somewhere that Gibbs has stated Bryan Johnson to be the probable H-Back

by **skinsfaninroanoke** » Fri Mar 12, 2004 11:42 am

Hmmm - Gardner - if he could keep from holding would do well in the HBack/Monk mold

Cloman and McCants as well - all three are strong big body receiver types

What the Heck is an H-Back?

What the Heck is an H-Back?

Re: What the Heck is an H-Back?