Las Vegas Raiders - FB Lead plays in Run Game

by Jim Jackson

 So you thought the Fullback was dead in the NFL? The Las Vegas Raiders are currently 9th in the NFL in rushing with 131 ypg. Much of their success has to do with multiple personnel groupings including using a traditional Fullback. They mostly run three main schemes with the fullback: Inside Zone with variations, Wide Zone, and Power. The Fullback is exclusively the lead blocker in all of these schemes.

1. Inside Zone

The first run we will examine is Lead Inside Zone Weak. This is a great play to help gain blocking angles to the LBs. It works great vs a 3 down and 4 down front. They try to have a variation of this run every week.

LV 14 yard gain vs. CLE. Great job by LT and LG creating vertical and horizontal stretch on the hole.

LV 8 yard gain vs CLE. Excellent communication by OL. "Open" call to edge pressure. FB adjusts his blocking assignment. Great execution that is difficult to do.

2. Wide Zone

The next concept we will look at is wide zone. This is a main concept for LV, using the FB on Support most of the time. The first play is a 7 yard gain to the TE side.

The next Wide Zone is a 14 yard TD run. It's the same concept with FB on Support with a slight variation that help opens the hole. Great adjustments by LV.

3. Power

God's Play! You can't have a Fullback in the game, and NOT run power. LV uses this run scheme vs 4 down fronts that are moving laterally. They like gap scheme so they can change the line of scrimmage and move people vertically. Also surprising is how many LBs in the NFL struggle to fit Power. They do not see it much anymore live in games. It makes for difficult run fits every play.

The LVR are using the Fullback in ways that are old school, but different in the NFL currently because of the lack of Fullbacks. 21 and 22 personnel runs have given the team some solid success rushing the football. This will give them an advantage later in the season during playoff time.