There was once a time when a team copied the power-sweep Packers running game or the 1970's high-flying Steeler and Cowboy offense or the 1980's West Coast 49er offense installed by Bill Walsh.  Or the current spread offenses in the NFL that we see today.  Now, this coming season, we will see a different copycat mode back in the NFL, this time for the pistol or the read option made somewhat famous last year by the NFC Champion 49ers and rising Seahawks.

Giants, Saints, Colts, Steelers, Packers, Patriots.  Those teams don't need to copy because they will be back to the top in due time because of the quarterback, head coach and front office.  The Bills and Jets, on the other hand, are a different story.  Buffalo hasn't made the playoffs since 1999.  The Jets are a flat-out joke.  Enter E.J. Manuel (Bills) and Geno Smith (Jets), recently drafted by these clubs in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Manuel is athletic, big and can scramble.  Smith is a pocket-passer first as well, but is very mobile while in that pocket and has athletic tools most in college don't possess.  Do you see where this is going?  The Bills and Jets figure they have nothing to lose to try something new, something another franchise already installed.

Buffalo, with a retooled coaching staff (head coach Doug Marrone, seen above) and the Jets with a new general manager moving and shaking Tim Tebow and Darrelle Revis out of town.  Both will try something new on offense called the pistol or read option because they have athletic quarterbacks and the front office, along with the coaches, think this can work for them because it has worked for someone else 20 minutes ago.  It's most likely because these teams have nothing to lose.  Or everything to lose, because they aren't the Giants, Saints, Colts, Steelers, Packers or Patriots.

By:  Mike Lindsley, "Mid-Day with Mike, 1-4, Yankees pre/post game host on 104.5 The Team ESPN Radio.  Follow him on Twitter @MikeLSports.

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