Breaking down the game- Football Film Study 101: empty

Saturday, April 1, 2023

NFL and College, Top Pass Routes and concepts out of empty

When you run empty there are several ways to teach the qb.

#1The most common I find is to run man/zone concepts out of it and teach the qb how to read it.

What I mean by that is you have man concepts to one side and zone concepts to the other. If the qb reads man he throws to that side, if he reads zone he throws to the other side.

#2 You can run your horizontal & vertical type passing game system. In that scenario you will run more universal concepts: Universal concepts means you have route concepts that work vs any coverage. But the read is vertical to horizontal. Or top down. Work the vertical side first back to the horizontal side.

#3 You need to have the ability to throw hot in empty protection. You can only block 5 so the qb needs to be taught who to read for his hot throw and have that built into the system.

Here are 5 routes out of empty that teams have had success with.

Empty

LSU vs Georgia

2 wr side: man beater 2 slants

3 wr side: zone beater-spot route

pre snap read-zone, post snap zone so he works the zone side.

Falcons Empty

Have the RB to the trips side as teh #2 wr with the te on that side as well. The Rb runs a quikc 5 yard in using the te on the clear route as a pick. Nice man beater on 3rd and 10 for a first down.

Rutgers vs Michigan

Vs Man Coverage

Read: progression read

Rutgers runs mesh for their wr with 2 wr setting essentially a screen. Man so the qb knows where he is going with the football

Texans run the hoss concept out of empty. (hitch , seem) with #3 working the middle of the field.

They match the #3 wr up and he can either run a sit or keep running vs the coverage Often times teams will put their best wr in the #3 position and have him work the middle of the field vs empty.

More on the concept:

http://insidethepylon.com/pylon-u/teams-ncaa/division-ia-fbs/pac-12/usc-trojans/2017/09/06/usc-hoss-concept/

The wr sees the opening and takes it vertically.

#3 runs vertically as #2 runs a sit to the bottom of the screen. They throw the ball over the hook defender for a touchdown. Nice design

Cover 0. You have to have adjustments vs cover 0 pressure.

Hawaii offense

Presnap cover 0

so they check to their cover 0 beater. Coverage changes to single high presnap but the qb makes there read and checks the route because he sees cover 0 pressure.

#3 on the quick out.

Packers vs Eagles

Packers run a progression read

read the vertical to the top of the screen to the in breaking route at the bottom of the screen.

#1 runs the 2 beater deep slant bender route with 2 running the in route. on the backside you have a horizontal route with the in behind the seem route.

Cover 0

Ravens run double slants vs cover 0

The panthers are running a read it type concept with the ilb. If the guard steps your way drop.
They try to get the LB underneath but Lamar waits for the window on the nice 30 yard completion. Always have to have a hot side type throw vs cover 0.

Top of the screen:

Double slants good vs cover 0 or man

Bottom of the screen smash concept: Good vs zone

GA vs cover 0 presnap zero becomes cover o rat with the LB underneath and a 5 man pressure. QB makes a quick decision and excellent read vs the pressure. stack slant, Nice completion and route combo to the man side.