Run game
I’m pretty sure that my pitch to script the plays with Kevin Stefanski will fall short if I fail to include some run game love – especially given what we have seen from Stefanski’s offenses over the years – so we need to include some foundational plays.
Outside Zone
We can start with the outside zone running play. So much of Stefanski’s offense is built off these designs, that we need to include it in the script. Here is a basic look at the outside zone from a Patriots playbook:
As you’ll notice, there is a notation for a possible “CWM,” or check with me. If that playside strong safety walks down into the box presnap, creating a situation where the offense is going to run into a loaded box, the Z receiver can run to grass against this look, creating a bit of an RPO element. Instead of handing the ball off, the QB can look to throw to Z and flip the numbers.
Inside Zone
If you’re gonna work outside, you need to work inside. Here is a look at a basic inside zone running play from an old Syracuse University playbook:
Now let’s be honest.
These are really eye candy for setting up play-action plays down the field.
Wham
If we are going to include a power running play, we’re including a Wham play. Good friend and noted historian Michael Kist loves him some wham blocks, and his Philadelphia Eagles did too in their run to Super Bowl 52. Mr. Kist outlines that in this meaty piece that even contains quotes from legendary military strategist Sun Tzu.
One way I’ve seen teams incorporate wham blocks is in their inside zone package, which can be one of the variants of the inside zone running play that we alluded to earlier. Here’s a play that dates back to the Joe Gibbs/Dan Henning days of the early 1990s Washington Redskins: 40/50 Lead Nose:
Basically you get zone blocking rules up front but either a tight end, a fullback, or the H-back can execute that wham block on either a nose or a defensive tackle, based on the defensive front shown by the opposition.
Now let’s put the football back where it belongs: In the air.
Play-action/RPO
First we will cheat a bit, and incorporate a run/pass option element. This is a pretty standard RPO, USC called it the “hitch” tag or the “slant” tag:
Hitch Tag
Now here is the slant variety:
Basically, this is a standard inside zone running play with a passing element. The quarterback is reading the keyed linebacker, and if that defender crashes down in response to the run action, the quarterback is going to pull the football and throw either the hitch or the slant. On the hitch tag it might be more of a pre-snap read. If that linebacker walks out to cover the hitch receiver before the play, the QB knows prior to the snap he is handing the football off.
Next we can get into some of the elements working off the outside zone running play.
Double Right Hug Fake 18 Sift Keep Left Z Throwback
This is the first of the boot action plays we can install, and this can obviously be run to either side of the formation. Working off an outside zone look, the quarterback boots back to the left and has a three-level flood to work from. his first option is the tight end working across the field at a dept of 12-14 yards. Then he can look to the X receiver on that deep out, working from 15 to 25 yards downfield. Then finally his third option is the slam, or the down/flat route from the slot receiver. That player is going to show a block to the inside before breaking late to the flat. Of course, there is the throwback element to the Z receiver, should that somehow break open deep downfield.
Then there is everyone’s favorite, Leak or Y-Throwback.
Z Fly to Flank Right Fake 19 Wanda Keep Right Y Leak
Watch any San Francisco 49ers game and odds are you are going to see this play. On this example the quarterback fakes an outside zone running play to the left and boots back to the right. It shows the defense the same basic elements of the previous play, with a deep crossing route and the slam/down-flat route breaking late to the flat. But the main element here – the leak – from the tight end works against the flow of the play, with the tight end dragging across the formation and then breaking up the opposite seam.
Play-action Mills
Pairing a multi-level high-low with run-action? Now you’re cooking with gas. There are a few ways to do this, but I love the Mills concept, with its post/dig combination to stretch the second-level and high-low a middle of the field safety
This is a design that you can pair with either an inside zone or a gap/power look. Either way, these designs use play-action and multi-level routes to truly test a defense from the line of scrimmage down the field, and they stress the eye discipline of defenders on the second- and third-levels. To truly spice things up, use this with some duo-inspired protection up front. As the wise Bobby Peters argues in this piece, “teams that use [Duo] recognize the need to have play-action off it because defenses that crowd the line with their linebackers could disrupt the timing of the double-teams. The run action lends well to the use of play action.”
Okay, we can close things out by looking at three more situations: Screens, third and long, and the gotta have it play.