Explosive Plays: Week 12, 2024

This week, we have simple twists to core plays that keep defenses heads spinning and one way to use a very popular defensive rule to its detriment!

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TOP WIZZ GHOST

If Matt LaFleur hasn’t yet taken the crown for best run game designer in the NFL, he is certainly close. I liken his current run game as the creativity of McDaniel’s Dolphins and the consistency of Shanahan’s 49ers, and it is a wicked combination. This is very similar to a play we looked at last week, and I think one of the hallmarks of a great offense and offensive system is to be able to get to the same looks and plays in varying ways. At its core, this is Split Zone, but there is so much more to it.

Starting with the motion, this has the appearance of Spirit motion, generally going to kick out the defensive end. Just from a formation like this, this block could be a kickout block on Duo or Power, the WR could crack the DE with this motion leading around the edge for a Crack Toss, or it could be the back-side sift block on Split Zone RT, not even to mention the varying routes that could be run off of this motion or the fact that there are two real ballcarrying threats in the backfield in Josh Jacobs and Jayden Reed. I also love the Top fake from the Gun to hide the ball from the defense while also presenting the possibility that either of those weapons can have the ball.

So the defense is receiving all this information: the eye candy of the motion, the hidden ball from the Top fake to hide the ball and force the defense to play both ballcarriers. The Packers off of this exact presentation could have also handed the ball to Reed on the fake and bluffed the Tight End’s block to lead around the edge for an end around. So many things for a defense to think about defending that a simple Split Zone turns explosive.

Also highlight the RG’s block on the pinching DE throwing him out of the hole. Looks to me like the defense was playing for the end around with a pinch-scrape stunt with the LB. LB scraping away and the pincher getting tossed out of the hole leads to a fantastic running lane.

SUPER KNIFE

I love the effect this Super screen has on the back-side of Hi Cross (Knife). In order to correctly cover the Super screen, it takes two defenders - one to take on the block, one to make the tackle. Add in the play fake, and both the Safety and ILB fill to cover it. Fred Warner does a fantastic job cutting and carrying the Hi Cross as the 3 Up player in Cover 3, but when he vacates the hole, there’s nobody left with leverage on the Dover as the CB is outside and deep and the FS is playing center field. It would be very difficult to cover this concept in a zone coverage without leaving something else significantly exposed.

ICYMI: This week’s YouTube video - Palms Coverage: Explosive Pass Concepts I Like to Attack It