Just like Pat Kirwan to address the blatantly obvoius with a miniture novel.
Every coach in the NFL knows this, its just a matter of acquring the TEs and OL to make it work.
Perhaps, but I can think of many more teams who run a 3 WR set or a 2 RB/2 WR set than a 2 TE set, although it might be as you say simply a matter of aquiring the proper personnel. I guess I'm missing the blatantly obvious, or maybe it's just time for me to call it a night.
I was going to post this anyway, but it's a really big formation in the AFC West. Denver, San Diego, and Kansas City all just abuse opposing defenses with this set- in fact, it's usually one of the keys to the running game.This is why, after Putzier left, Denver spent a 2nd-rounder on a TE. It's also why KC spent a second rounder on Kris Wilson while Gonzo was still playing out of his mind.
Of the three, KC is the best at the 2-TE sets, using it to power one of the best offenses in the league with sub-standard WRs. San Diego is pretty new to it, but it does a lot to keep defenses from keying too much on Tomlinson (he has extra blockers on run plays, but also two extra threats in the passing game to keep teams from stacking the box as much as they might against an I formation). Denver's the most interesting case study. They change their offensive gameplan more from week to week than any other team in the league... but the 2-TE is a staple that they always come back to, and they do more interesting things with it than any team I've ever seen. I remember a game two or three years ago (I think it was against Detroit early in Plummer's first season in town) where Denver was short on runningbacks (Portis was banged up), and so they lined Anderson (their FB) at Tailback in 2-TE 1-RB sets and then motioned one of the TEs back into the backfield and have them play fullback. They'd change from play to play which TE was motioned back, too. The defense was just going nuts trying to figure out what was going on, if the TE was motioned back to act as a lead blocker or if he was going to catch passes in the flat like a fullback or if he was going to be sent down the middle of the field like a TE.
I think that the AFC West is easily the most interesting division in the league to follow. Lots of quality teams, and easily the best RBs and TEs in the league. The things they do with their RBs and TEs (and, likewise, with their LBs and Safeties to negate the other team's RBs and TEs) are always pretty cutting edge, and make for some very impressive results. I mean, Denver, KC, and SD ranked #2, #4, and #9 in rushing offense... and despite playing against each other twice, ranked #2, #7, and #1 against the run, respectively. To achieve those rankings despite playing 4 games against each other, they had to be DOMINANT against the rest of the league. There's a lot of stuff out there that other teams could learn about both establishing and stopping the run, and the TE-friendly offenses also don't need any explanation.
One big change that I think you'll see a lot more of if teams really do trend more and more to 2-TE sets... Denver last year started running a "Big Nickle" defense, which was a nickle defense, but instead of a 3rd CB, they brought in a 3rd Safety with strong coverage skills. This helped negate the extra blocking a second TE offered over a 3rd WR, as well as strengthening coverage in the middle of the field. Normally they just put Bailey 1-on-1 with the stud TE (Gates or Gonzo), which worked phenominally, but when Bailey was injured they went "Big Nickle" instead. It worked well enough that I expect more teams will start picking up on it, since there aren't many Champ Baileys floating around out there.
