Explosive Plays: Week 15, 2024
UNLOCKED for Christmas! Dive into the top explosive plays from the Shanahan/McVay tree in Week 15!
WANDA BEAR
This is a fantastic way to dress up a core run, but it’s not just the Jet fake that makes this successful. Defenses see that all the time. What I really like about this variation is the arc (Bear) by the back-side Y. That’s a technique that is normally only activated for a Jet Sweep or Zone Read. The Y would normally climb to the back-side ILB, but the Jet motion paired with his arc is enough to hold every back-side defender - the ILB, the DE, and the Safety.
This also helps set up Jet Sweep potential. LaFleur gets an idea here in the first quarter of how aggressive the defense wants to be to start the game against Jet motion by using a safe run scheme instead of taking the risk of a wasted play by handing off the Jet Sweep against an aggressive fit.
X AROUND
I love this way to get to an end around by the Packers. Defenses aren’t used to seeing an on-ball WR do anything in the backfield, whether it’s an end around like this, running the Slide on a Keeper pass, or even an on-ball Y pulling on Counter. It looks like the Seahawks play Cover 2 here, so the Safety has to stay deep then the run support CB gets blocked by the “kick.”
I also like the fake BACK block by the C just to allow the RT to pin the 3T in and the Y pin the 5T in. That gives two lead blockers, the C and the F, for the end around, and the Z does a great job being patient and waiting for the first LB/Nickel to escape the box. With the two lead blockers able to account for the CB and Safety, this is a great misdirection run with everyone accounted for on the play-side.
DAGGER THRU TRASH
This has become one of my favorite ways to run Dagger, using a Hi Cross-Thru-Special route to pull out any weak safety deep coverage then still getting to traditional Dagger Shallow where the idea is to run off the strong safety and Hi-Low the OLB/Nickel between the Dagger and the Shallow.
I like the addition of the Trash concept (HB trailing behind the Shallow). One thing that can ruin the Dagger Shallow concept is if the ILB is able to recognize and carry the Shallow, allowing the Nickel/OLB to undercut the Dagger. Getting the HB trailing the Shallow is great insurance in that event.
If you’re looking for a last-minute or late gift idea, be sure to check out my list of top gear for football coaches (fixed to not require requesting access)! Otherwise, here are this week’s explosive reels!