Long Trap Deep Dive: 2023 SF, LAR, MIA

I always got frustrated watching teams run Long Trap ("POPCORN") in 2023 as it just never passed the eye test as a run, but what does the data say?

Long Trap (known as POPCORN in the Shanahan/McVay system) has become a staple changeup run over the last ~5 years in this system and others, growing in popularity on an annual basis. Even so, I feel like every time I see it run on tape for this system, it almost always feels clunky and ineffective. I’ve never been one to go off of anecdotal evidence, and in this article, we’re going to take a deep dive into the Long Trap, what it is, the data behind its efficacy, compare the data to that of a similar and much more common play, discuss some applications of the run play, and share a cutup of every Long Trap in 2023 from LAR, SF, and MIA.

WHAT IS LONG TRAP & WHY RUN IT?

Trap plays have been used in football for as far back as I have researched. The original Trap play featured a back-side Guard pulling to block a play-side 3 technique, opening an interior running lane for the ballcarrier. Long Trap “lengthens” the Trap/Kick block out to a DE/OLB opposed to a 3 technique DL. Another way of thinking about it would be similar to a traditional Counter play without a Tackle or Fullback wrapping for the play-side Inside Linebacker.

I haven’t been in any of these system’s offensive meetings so I can’t say for sure what each of them likes about the run specifically, but I can make a few assumptions. For starters, this run scheme is different from most of the rest of the system because they primarily run it from the shotgun, as opposed to most of the system being primarily run from under center, which begs the question…why?

Although McVay has begun to shift away from an Outside Zone base, the rest of the system still runs it at a consistently high rate, but one of the issues with Outside Zone has always been its difficulty to run from the shotgun. Side note, it’s not impossible, but it does close some doors and open others. For more info on shotgun Outside Zone, read this article from a few months ago. Outside Zone has traditionally been so difficult to run from the shotgun that until the last 5-7 years ago, it really wasn’t run from the gun at all at the professional level. While shotgun Outside Zone has increased in usage over the last half decade-plus, it is not without its difficulties, and that, in my opinion, is probably the chief reason for the addition of Popcorn to this system. Ultimately, it affords the play caller the opportunity for a one-back, strong side run from the shotgun that is absent of the issues that Outside Zone presents and doesn’t necessitate a back-side read like a GT Counter play would.

It also fits up very well against most teams’ base front against 11 personnel, which is a 4-2 Over front.

At its core, it’s 6-on-6 in the box. Y will block the play-side LB, play-side Tackle and Guard will double team the 3T to the back-side LB, Center has the back-side 1T, and the back-side Tackle hinges out the back-side DE while the back-side Guard pulls for the play-side DE. It is adaptable to other fronts, but this is the premier look for the play, and it’s a look shown often in the NFL.

So if it’s such a good play on paper, offers fixes to many of the issues that shotgun Outside Zone presents, and doesn’t force the QB to potentially be an athlete (i.e. no read options off of it), why does it never appear effective on tape, and are my eyes lying to me? Find out in the rest of the article as we analyze the data and make some conclusions for application, plus watch every POPCORN run on all-22 from the 2023 Rams, 49ers, and Dolphins!