On offense: power run blocking scheme out of the pistol with an H-back filling the role of a fullback. You can pull play designs from the offset I formation playbook and plug them in with little difficulty. You can go 3-wide for a spread look, or 2-wide and an extra TE (or two) for short yardage situations. With the RB directly behind the QB and not offset to one side or the other, you can run the ball to either side of the formation and, with the H-back and a pulling guard, get a numbers advantage at the point of attack. You can run traps, off tackles, and counters to either side without any complicated changes to the scheme. You can run an aggressive vertical or air raid passing scheme out of the same formation, with the H-back filling the role of the 4th wide out and the RB running checkdown routes in the flats. Best of all, you can still run read options and, with a WR on an orbit motion (something Frost was already doing) you can run a surprise triple option. In short, you can attack both vertically and horizontally in the pass game, and run in the center or attack the edges in the run game. Wherever a defense isn't defending well, this offensive scheme will be able to attack it.
On defense: run a 4-3 with a cover 2 or quarters coverage as the base defense, and a 4-2-5 nickel package and 3-2-6 dime package. D-line responsibilities should preach spill concepts on run fits (stuff the middle, force the RB to cut outside where LB and DB can either tackle them in space, or force them out of bounds before they can turn the corner and get up field). Make them waste time and energy running side to side, not getting up field. D-line should focus on penetration and getting off blocks, even when (or especially when) DE has backside contain; can't stop the cutback, counter or reverse if you can't get off a block. LBs should be taught to fill the gaps that the DL can't. They're lineBACKERS; let the line penetrate as best as they can, and let the LBs clean up if the DL can't stuff it or TFL. LBs should focus on avoiding and shedding blocks, and run tons of drills to that effect. Teach LBs to flow toward the playside; playside OLB cuts off playside bounce outs, MLB cuts off the upfield cut, and backside OLB covers the cutback, each with an eye towards covering any gap the RB tries to choose. Since backside DE will have backside contain on cutback, counter, and reverse, this should result in few open run gaps. If our guys can win hat-on-hat matchups, we'll see a lot of TFLs or short gains. If the opposing OL elects to double team our D-linemen, LBs will be mostly unblocked and able to stuff plays. On run plays, safeties will be coming down to help close gaps; if power concepts and pulling blockers can get to the LBs, either other LBs will clean it up or the safeties will. Run primarily matchup-zone concepts in the secondary; cover zone in short yardage concepts (which typically kill man coverage) that hopefully can smoothly shift to man coverage on longer routes. This takes a lot of concepts from quarters matchup zone philosophy. Be able to rotate into cover 3 when necessary (would require having an OLB capable of being the flat-to-curl defender) or a cover 6 when the opponents are running a lot of quick routes or mesh concepts. Let the D-line be aggressive, teach the LBs how to back then up, and preach a ballhawk mindset in the secondary. Teach them to jump routes wherever they can. Either INT or knock it down. No catch should ever be unopposed. Make the QB afraid to pass it to anyone who isn't wide open, make him hesitate; it'll allow the aggressive D-line to get to him more often. Double moves will be a weakness, though, as will pump fakes; gonna have to have excellent eye discipline and not jump routes until the ball is in the air.
If defense is struggling, slow down the offense, extend drives, and let them rest. If offense is struggling, be more aggressive on D, generate turnovers, and give them more opportunities. Not every play has to be a home run, but every play should be designed to get a first down. Be able to chew clock when necessary, or drive down the field quickly when you must; flexibility is key. But most importantly, play fundamentally sound, disciplined football.
