Negative Run Plays in the NFL

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Negative Run Plays in the NFL

From offensive snaps in weeks 1–4 of the 2020 NFL season: New England, Tampa Bay, Miami. Cutups at the bottom.

Disclaimer: this is an experimental breakdown. The goal here is to attempt to divorce some very general causes of negative runs from the specific defensive fronts, blocking, and run schemes. At least divorce as far as possible without losing all meaning and context. Leave a comment here or on reddit with some feedback.

Here we will look at some of the most common causes of run plays in the NFL resulting in +1 yards or less. Causes being addressed are listed below.

1. Unblocked Backside Edge Defender

2. Defensive End/Edge + Linebacker Gap Exchange on a Down Block

3. Zone Runs Against Bear Fronts

4. Tight End Blocking a Defensive End at Point of Attack

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UNBLOCKED BACKSIDE DEFENDER

When the defense has more numbers in the box, an offense might look to leave a backside player unblocked to equate numbers to the frontside of the play.

In the NFL, this backside player (DE/LB) often has enough speed to impact the play by pursuing down the backside of the line if left unchecked.

When the offensive linemen blocks down the line, away from this backside player, this backside player steps down behind this offensive player. This reaction is commonly called block-down step-down rules.

There are a handful of ways an offense can deal with this backside player to reduce his impact:

• Freeze him. (ex. play-action boots, or BST hesitating on down block)

• Lock the backside of the offensive line on any down linemen aligned over or outside.

• Read him (ex. zone read)

• Kick him out (ex. split zone)

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DE-LB GAP EXCHANGE ON TACKLE DOWN BLOCK

Block-Down Step-Down on the right side, behind RT #77. LB #44 scrapes outside while DE pinches inside.

Here the same block-down step-down rule is in action. This gap exchange matters when there is a blocker coming back towards this DE, with the ball potentially following behind. Run calls such as split zone or power/counter, with a kickout from a TE, an FB leading, or a pulling guard.

The DE stays skinny to the down-blocking tackle, creating a smaller target for any puller and preventing any additional gap from being created to the inside, and potentially creating additional traffic. This forces the ball to bounce outside, where the linebacker has scraped.

The DE may sometimes be bypassed entirely by the leading/pulling blocker, if the blocker fails to see the DE behind his own teammate or fails to adjust his path.

The LB scraping to the outside naturally angles away from any second level blocks coming from inside the line.

TE/puller should make a point to run tight to the backside of the line in order to meet the DE, when running a play tight to the core.

Depending on the defensive structure, a blocker can wrap around the pinching DE and ignore him, skipping to the second level, so long as the ball carrier’s aiming point is wide enough (toss/sweep).

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ZONE RUNS AGAINST BEAR FRONTS

#33 in the box counting as a backer. Center tries to get up to him but is stuck in the playside A gap. #33 runs free to the ball.

When the center and both guards are covered up, these teams struggle getting to the second level. This tends to happen more when the Nose and 3tech stays heavy into the playside gap, rather than trying to slip to the backside of the zone-steps.

With the interior of the line covered up, there is nobody to get up to the second level and an interior backer becomes a free hitter.

Inserting an extra lead blocker from the backfield can help with getting to the second level, or forcing backers to meet the lead back and create larger cutbacks.

Without a lead blocker, the halfback must make the backer move himself and then make a cut based on backer fit.

TE BLOCKING A DE AT THE POINT OF ATTACK

This is just to say, for a defensive end, being in this position seems like there are better odds and higher expectations of making a play in the backfield.

Tight ends playing movement blocks or double-teaming have both looked alright for the most part.

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CUTUPS

First cutup: Gap Runs

1. TE isolated on DE at point of attack, shed

2. TE isolated on DE at point of attack, pushed into backfield

3. Backside DE unblocked, screaming down the line

4. Playside Apex unblocked

5. No edge kickout (puller and FB both lead)

6. Missed edge kickout on power

7. No edge kickout (puller and FB both lead)

8. No edge kickout (puller and FB both lead)

9. No lead block (puller and sniffer both kickout)

10. DE-LB exchange. DE (#41) skinny on the down block, gets inside the kickout. Creates traffic and allows LB to scrape outside.

Second Cutup: Zone Runs

1. DE-LB exchange. DE squeezes backside of RT on down block. Forces kickout gap to shrink, and HB to bounce outside to free hitter LB. Due to exchange, LB is able to take a good angle to avoid 2nd level block from RT.

2. Solid flow from both ILB to meet FB and HB at line of scrimmage.

3. DE-LB exchange. DE(#41) hugs backside of down blocking RT. TE kick block is avoided to the inside, while creating space to the outside for scraping ILB who avoids the 2nd level block from RT.

4. Unblocked backside DE. Play stretched out horizontally.

5. Unblocked backside DE. Play stretched out horizontally.

6. Unblocked backside DE. TE runs into own player on kickout path.

7. Zone vs Bear front. Unable to get to inside backer when G and C are covered and DL stays in playside gaps.

8. Zone vs Bear front. Unable to get to inside backer when G and C are covered and DL stays in playside gaps.

 Article taken from my medium.com. Moving to blogger