In this set, minus the one exchange below GLE, the Chaos work above GLE as a six-man unit setting multiple screens in the mesh look in front of the cage. The set generated an off-balance runner that skipped wide of the cage and didn’t force the Archers to over-exhaust themselves on defense. 

As a defender, it makes life easier when you don’t have to turn your head to check below GLE in coverage for your man. It also allows the communicator on defense to call out slides and easily direct traffic. 

The offense had wrinkles that allowed players to attack from GLE if they had a mismatch at X. It also allowed players to act as feeders when they had their defenders hung out in front. But the goal of the offense was to work the screen game above GLE and open up the hands of a shooter off-ball. 

After seeing the same schemes for five years, though, opponents adapted to the Chaos offense and shut it down for longer stretches in games. The team had to rely on All-Star and All-Pro players to take over and score one-man goals at times because it became harder to operate fluidly.

In the two-man offense, the screener is the most important player because the player's job often is to set a screen that can free a teammate for a mismatch. A short-stick defensive midfielder is usually targeted in the two-man game on the switch, but with the adaptation of SSDMs across the PLL to cover in the two-man game, the Chaos offense reached a breaking point.

The overall athleticism and physicality in team defense have also advanced, making the old Carolina attack schemes outdated in an ever-evolving league. 

After last season ended with a 15-9 playoff loss to the Redwoods, a change was necessary.  The shift to an offense backed by two-handed dodgers rather than the two-man game will open up more scoring opportunities and allow the Chaos to play the kind of aggressive, swarming defense that Towers wants. 

Carolina’s defense is dynamite, and an improved offense could earn the team its second PLL Cash App Championship Trophy in six years.

The beginning of the evolution

The Chaos’ offensive evolution has been in the works since Brian Minicus’ breakout rookie season last year. 

Minicus took over as an X attackman in 2023 and opened up new looks from behind the cage that the Chaos didn’t necessarily utilize in years past. Throughout the season, Minicus used his speed to torch opposing defenses and free up his hands for a shot or passing opportunity. Minicus only recorded nine assists, but he dished 45 assist opportunities. Teammates need to finish better than 20% of Minicus’ passes in 2024. 

Towers furthered the strategic shift when he brought in three-time All-Star free agent Jules Heningburg during the offseason. Heningburg started his professional career as an attackman with the Florida Launch of the MLL before joining the Redwoods as a midfielder. Heningburg also showcases great speed and agility when he dodges and is a better feeder than Minicus is down low. 

A key factor in Heningburg signing with the Chaos in the offseason was the opportunity to play attack. With the Woods, Heningburg was switched into the midfield position. 

Both players operate smoothly below GLE and can stretch the defense down toward the endline, opening up space for the midfielders to attack from the box down. Extending lower toward the endline will also give Josh Byrne more space to operate from the left wing and may drag the closest slide further away, giving Byrne more chances to attack his defender one-on-one. 

Minicus and Heningburg will stretch the defense down low to open up Byrne and the newly reloaded midfield. Two of the newest beneficiaries of this change will be Knobloch and Dobson. 

The two rookies are gifted offensive midfield threats that Towers is enthralled to have on his roster, and they will be integral in the evolution of offensive philosophy in Carolina.

How Knobloch will evolve the offense

What stood out most about Towers taking Knobloch with the fourth pick was how excited the coach was to have the Rutgers product on the team.