Late in the fourth quarter, with a lead in your pocket, the real enemy isn’t the other team—it’s the game clock. At the Lauren’s First and Goal Clinic, Brian Sheehan, Offensive Quality Control Coach at the University of Minnesota, unpacked how to nail the four-minute offense. It’s all about sharp execution, clear communication, and ironclad discipline to lock in the W and avoid a late-game meltdown.
“The mission? Get to victory formation—the best setup in football,” Sheehan says.
To get there, you need precision. Four-minute offense means no penalties, simple formations, and constant clock awareness. Every choice counts when the stakes are this tight.
“Better to come up short of a touchdown than stop the clock,” Sheehan stresses.
He drills this into his players: forget chasing extra yards if it means going out of bounds. That mindset has to stick. Quarterbacks should milk the play clock, snapping with one second left. Teams that love motion need extra practice to sync those shifts with burning time—Sheehan suggests stripping down to basic formations late to dodge risks.
Two Must-Know Questions for Play Callers
In crunch time, offensive coordinators have to answer two big questions:
- Can we kneel it out, or do we need another play?
- If we run another play, will a first down clinch it?
Sheehan shares charts and tools to nail these calls with confidence. For high school teams (no two-minute warning), he’s got a handy guideline:
“If the other team has one timeout left and you’re snapping at 2:08 or later, you’re in ‘First Down, Go Down’ mode.”
That means: grab the first down, stay in bounds, hit the deck. Don’t score. Don’t stop the clock. Just end it.
“First Down, Go Down” – The Game-Closer Nobody Talks About
“The worst thing is being up by one, scoring, and giving the other team a shot to tie or push it to overtime,” Sheehan warns.
That line should be taped to every play caller’s wrist. “First Down, Go Down” is a mindset—pounded into players through headsets, huddles, and reps until it’s second nature. Sheehan points to games like Florida State vs. Boston College in 2021, where teams got clever to drain 14 extra seconds before hitting their victory plan.
Tricks to Burn the Final Ticks
When you’re not quite ready to kneel, Sheehan’s got options:
- Run off-tackle or hand off outside.
- “Slow Victory” – a drawn-out kneel to eat seconds.
- “Airball Play” – a safe, deliberate throwaway downfield to kill time.
Each move has a purpose, but you’ve got to practice them to pull them off.
The Big Picture
Sheehan’s four-minute offense isn’t just about picking plays—it’s about clear communication, knowing the situation cold, and executing without a hitch when the pressure’s on.
“You’re not just calling plays anymore,” he says. “You’re locking in a win.”
By mastering these moments, you can close out games before the defense gets another crack.
This article was inspired by “Brian Sheehan – Quarterback Final Drive”
