12 and 13 Personnel In The Air Raid Offense Part II B - Dropback and Play-Action

My previous posts covered the Air Raid Quick Game, Mesh, Four Verts, and Shallows. In today's post I will cover Y-Cross, Sail, and some Play-Action concepts.

Y-Cross is an extremely versatile Air Raid play. It can be run from a variety of formations and has what seems to be and endless amount of tags. It is an excellent Play-Action pass (I'll cover that later in the post).

Rules for Y-Cross are as follows:

X: Go vs Man or Z-Post Tag.. Skinny Post splitting the difference between the S & C vs Zone. Run true Postt vs off-man Cover 0. Look for ball 25-35 yards downfield. (This is different from some other Air Raid Coaches. It is especially effective ws Split Safety cover. The S to the X is put in a bind.)

J: Shoot-Hot.

Y: Y-Cross. Under Sam over Mike aiming for 24 yards on the opposite sideline. Be ready for the ball to be thrown into a hole in Zone Cover. Vs. Man - stair-step the defender and beak away at 90 degrees and run.

Z: 14-12 Curl. Possible Z-Post tag.

F: Check protection - Swing.

Q: Work Y-Z-F. Take J Hot vs Blitz.Vs. Cover 0 hit your third step and throw ball deep at the Post for X. Read the S for X on the Skinny Post - if he's flat footed or sitting on the Y-Cross hit the X-on your third step. Check Z-Post if you expect rotation weak.

Friday is an excellent tag on Y-Cross. It allows the QB to ge the ball out quick vs blitz. It also puts stress on the S to the Friday call in Cover 2. 

Another version of Y-Cross from a 2x2 Deuce formation is to tag J-Shallow. QB's read stay the same it just presents a different look to the defense.

3x1 Y-Cross from Early Heavy is diagramed below. QB's read stay the same.

Aligning the J in the backfield is another way to give the defense a different presentation and still run Y-Cross and keeping the QB's reads consistent.

Counter to Y-Cross is Y-Sail. Y-Cross is a weak side flood. Y-Sail is a strong side flood. If the MLB is doing a good job of carrying the Y on his cross call Y-Sail.

Assignments are as follows:

Z: Go vs Man. Skinny Post (split the distance between the C-S). Same rule as for X on Y-Cross. Go with X-Post tag.

Y: 8-10 yard Speed Out. Let the QB throw you open vs Cover 2 C.

J: Shoot - Hot

X; 14-12 Curl. Can run Post with X-Post tag or signal from Q.

F; Check protection - Swing.

Q: Z-Y-F-X. Check X-Post with rotation strong.

Y-Sail can be run with Friday tagged to backside as was diagramed with Y-Sail. Can also run Y-Sail from Early Heavy and with the J in the backfield.

Both Y-Cross and Y-Sail are excellent play-action passes.

I like to call Y-Cross of an ISO or Lead Draw action to the weak side as follows. QB makes his play fake then goes through the same reads. J-Back checks A/B gap and releases to the stong side of the formation. F checks the edge and release to the flat.

Y-Sail is run from an ISO strong or Lead Draw Strong Fake. As with the drop back concept iit is a counter to the MLB overplaying and carrying the Y on Y-Cross. I like to run Y-Sail coming out from the goal line. You have a 7-man protection with a chance to hit the home run and demoralize the defense. Our offense doesn't get down when the ball is kicked inside the 10. They know we are going to have a chance at a score. The Z runs a Go on play action. I will tag Z-Post. (Can tag X-Post as well.

Coming off the goal line I let the QB check to a quick game route to X if he doesn't like what he is seeing on the shot play to the X. Hitch, Slant, or Outlaw are good tags to X. QB aborts fake and throws with Quick game mechanics.

I hope these ideas can stimulate your thinking on how to use 12 and 13 Personnel in the Air Raid.  The last post will discuss the Air Raid Run Game from 12 and 13 Personnel including Goal Line Offense.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Coach Dale Carlson

dalercarlson1@gmail.com

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. 

Empty Houston goes bunch to the right and bring the motion behind the qb.

They run an excellent spacing concept

Colts run a drive concept to the 3 wr side and a smash concept to the 2 wr side. Some other backside routes also below that the Colts 

#2 runs a drive concept off #3 which is good vs man. With #1 running an in it could be considered levels. 

Smash/corner concept to the boundary with an out by #1 and corner by #2. 

UCLA runs deep over(y cross) with an out fade concept to the 2 wr side.

USC is in cover 4. Vs cover 4, the #3 gets open on the dover.

The weak safety gets occupied with the out cut in cover 4.

The safety starts driving on the out cut in cover 4 which opens up the dover route. 

The pass is completed as the strong safety has no help.

More routes to come!

Other resources:

Texans hoss juke

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxWtI57uaIc

LSU Empty Routes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiWS5dQIbTc

NFL and College Blocking Schemes- Duo Run Play

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DUO is a very effective run play. It creates double teams up front and is very popular as part of your gap run schemes. It will often be combined with other gap runs such as power, wrap, counter, trap, pin and pull and toss as part of a gap based run scheme. You can also throw H lead in there.  It also is similar in a way to tight zone and inside zone run plays. 

It's also a great play because you are often getting two double teams. It also allows the RB to press the LOS with patience and allow those double teams to develop. 

Lastly, you can run it out of 11 or 12 and get 3 double teams. You can use various motions as well that help you create angles in the run game. 

The best part of duo is you will often get 3 double teams at the point of attack. It is a usually solid play on early downs for that reason. You get to double the 2 DT vs an even front or even the DE if you get into some 12 personnel.

Vs Odd fronts you will also get double team combos. We will get into these below.

Here's how you separate Duo vs Inside Zone. 

Why gap schemes?

You often see gap schemes when teams struggle with offensive lineman who don't move particularly well laterally. Teams that need lack athleticism on the perimeter that is needed for those wide zone type schemes. Look at the Eagles last year. They adjusted their scheme when they lost many of their offensive lineman and went from a Wide zone team to primarily runs in the gap family as a result.

Well lets look at some teams that run duo. Again duo is fueled by 2-3 double teams with the interior lineman and at most  times the tight end as well.  It is a down hill run with a vertical push by the offensive line. It is  a vertical push run play where it starts as a true double team.

RB CUT

The best part of duo is it allows the RB to hit the line of scrimmage down hill and read the 2nd level LB. He has the flexibility to get vertical or make a lateral cut depending on how the LB plays it. If the 2nd LB ducks inside you will see the RB make an outside cut. If he widens, you will see the LB get vertical now. It;s an excellent 

3-4 combination rules

4-2 combination rules

vs 4-3 fronts

Usually this will be with 21,  22 or 12 personnel 

Raiders run Duo against the Steelers in 2015 out of 11 personnel. TE on. Nice double teams and  the running back finds a crease.

The center works back to the shade. They find block with #10 on #20 and the TE is solo. The LT takes the DE.

The RB hits it inside and will make his cut off the MLB # 50 who has difficulty seeing the RB

The ball gets bounced outside for a nice gain.

The Packers run it against the Titans.

They get 2 nice double teams, a find block by the wr and a wash by the tight end.

LG and LT double the filled b gap. The center and right guard block the filled A gap.

The TE is taught to wash vs 6i

Here is one example as the Chiefs run it vs the Chargers and get 2 initial double teams with their right guard and right tackle and center and left guard.

Vs the Texans they get an under front so the double teams will be with the TE and RT, center and right guard. The LG and LT will make solo calls and block 1 on 1 as both are covered. 

In this example you will have 2 initial double teams.

Here are 3 clips of the Chiefs running Duo

WFT

The Washington Football Team late season push has been fueled by many factors. The first being the great defense the they have played in since Thanksgiving. On offense, controlled, quick passes has been another major factor. But this article will focus on the run game and specifically Duo. The WFT run it from a variety different formations, RB alignments, and motions. It is a downhill run that that allows the OL to come off the ball with double teams to create vertical movement. This is a statement play!

Duo is a gap scheme play that can be run from under center, pistol, or gun. It also can be run out of 11, 12, and 22 personnel. WFT runs this every week to compliment their wide zone game. Simply put, the OL is blocking on gap scheme angles in one direction and the RB is running the opposite direction. We will dissect the RB read in the diagrams.

The first play was vs DAL on Thanksgiving. 4th Quarter to ice the game. 23 yard statement play and run! Duo is a physical play! Vertical double teams right at the DL and LBs! 

The second play is vs a 4 Down front in CIN. There is late pre-snap movement which takes OL off their double teams quicker than they wanted. Great play for the OC to call on 1st and 10 to get ball to 2nd and 4. In the third pic the TE blocking technique is detailed. L. Thomas is a willing combatant and is solid in blocking.

The final play is a 4 minute situations vs PIT. Although the gain is only 2 yards, it accomplishes some critical points in a 4 minute system. The ball does NOT bounce so it keeps the clock moving. There are positive plays because it is a 1 cut play for the RB. The RB is this play does a great job of situational and game awareness.

The WFT is playing solid complimentary football at the best time. They are first place right now, and if they make the playoffs it will be because of defense, short passing, and running the ball downhill with Duo!

Eagles

 One of the staple plays in the Eagles offense is Duo. They love to run it vs a 4-2 box and often run it at the 2i technique away from the 3 technique.It's an excellent play vs a 4-2 front because you get 2 double teams at the point of attack. The Eagles were injured most of the year up front and this is a good play to get double teams without a great line because its a more downhill attack.

In example #1 1st and 10

they run it with jet motion. The Eagles are in 1w personnel with a tight end wing. The Browns in a 43 look with a 3 tech 5 tech and 9 to the te  side with 2 safeties high. The RB does an excellent job reading the mike. The Mike shoots the a gap so as is the read, he bounces it outside. If he gets square after the cut it would be even more than the 5 yard gain he gets on the play.

Also, notice how the jet motion gets the linebackers moving on the play. Helps set up the blocks. The wr splits allow them to get to the run support safety.  RB does a nice job reading the mike on the play.

They get 2 double teams and with a decent push the play is usually good for a solid 4-5 yard gain. The rb should read the weakside lb for flow. He actually could have turned this into a bigger gain if he cut backside behind the tackles block.RB should Read the mike to backside flow

The rb could read the backside flow below and turn it into a larger gain. still a nice 5 yard gain.

A few plays later they run it again and get a nice 9 yard gain. Same scenario but this time the rb sees it and bounces it back outside the tackles block. 

This time the rb reads the flow on the backside and makes the read. See the difference as they get another 4 yards out of it. 

Here are 3 clips of duo vs the Browns

Vs the giants they come out in 3x1 with the back weak. The Giants set the front weak so the Eagles run it to the trips side. They get a good double at the point of attack and again the rb is able to bend it back behind the tackles block. Wentz holds the defensive end with the zone read action.

Heres 2 clips of them running it vs the Giants. 

Here they run it under center in 12 personnel. The Bengals go 4-2 nickel. They get nice combos across the board. 

Below is a nice clip of it vs the Rams. They get a great push on 3rd and 2, the rb makes a nice read and sits up inside for  a 15 yard gain. 

As you can see Duo is a very good play as part of your inside run game. The Eagles have different variations and seem to like to run it at the 2i. Its a good part of their run game.

Steelers

They run duo vs a traditional 4-2 front. They get 2 good double teams vs the 2i and 3 technique. The back makes a nice cut for a 7 yard gain.

UCLA runs it off their jet motion vs LSU

The first example they are condensed formation and run Jet motion.

They do a nice job with the formation and play call.

LSU vs auburn

LSU runs it out of a bunch set vs Auburn

How to handle movements"
Here is a great example of when the DT and De spark.

The 3 and the 6i slant hard inside, The guard takes the DT, the OT handles the spark and the TE who was washing ends up taking the LB. Nice job of recognizing the movement up front.

Create a big run lane by handling the movement up front.

Nice crease and run lane off the run action.

Other Resources of Duo:

https://insider.afca.com/xs-os-running-the-duo-at-san-diego/

Casey Scully

 https://weeklyspiral.com/2021/05/10/duo-concept/

Duo Vs Zone 

 https://www.schwartznfl.com/how-to-identify-if-a-run-play-is-inside-zone-or-duo/

Inside Zone Variations

https://footballcoachescorner.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Tags-for-Inside-Zone.pdf

duo explained

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE9gO5NUOpk

Oregon duo play 

https://fishduck.com/2020/05/the-joe-moorhead-offense-the-duo-run-play/

LSU DUO

https://www.andthevalleyshook.com/platform/amp/2019/10/31/20939208/2019-lsu-football-saturday-afternoon-film-review-auburn-football

Arkansas Duo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdbWqjnSrvY

Brian Anchelichio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvs5-_L_ddQ&t=4110s