11 J ul 2007

Play of the Day: Epic End Around

by Mike Tanier
The full-house backfield is the coelacanth of NFL formations. It seemed to be extinct by the middle of
the 1980s. Then, a few years ago, it suddenly reappeared. The Panthers used three-back formations
more than any other team last season, but the Cowboys, Browns, Redskins, and other teams tinkered
with the strategy in the last few years.
The typical full-house package includes several running plays, some six- or seven-
man protection passes, and a few wrinkles on basic pass plays. Today, we are going
to install something a little more exotic: an end around from a full-house formation. This play was
used by the Redskins against the Titans in Week 6. The play only yielded a minimal gain, so we will
examine ways to improve it after we look at what actually happened on the field.
The situation: First-and-10, first quarter, Redskins trailing by three points. The Redskins deploy a
three-receiver, single-back, single-tight end personnel package, but they align in a full house
formation with Chris Cooley and Antwaan Randle El at "fullback." (Figure 1) The Redskins use lots of
pre-set and pre-snap motion, and they will often motion out of this look into a very different formation.
But the Redskins stay in their full house set. Right end Santana Moss only splits about five yards from
the right tackle; Brandon Lloyd's split on the left side is wider. Most of the Titans defense is not shown
for clarity's sake; the Titans are in a nickel personnel package.
At the snap, Cooley leads Randle El on an
apparent off-tackle run right. The blocking
on the right side suggests an off-tackle run.
Moss steps off the line and braces to log a
linebacker. The right tackle and guard
execute a trap block, with the tackle
blocking down while the guard pulls into the
gap. Mark Brunell pivots on his left foot,
takes a drop step with his right foot, and
reaches with his left hand to give the ball to
Randle El. There are only a few hints that
this is anything other than a simple running
play: the formation, the fact that a wide
receiver is in the backfield, and the motion
of Clinton Portis, who sweeps left while the
other backs move to the right.
The apparent handoff to Randle El is a play fake. Moss' block is also a fake; he turns to the backfield
and begins to execute an end around. Brunell takes another drop step and gives to Moss seven yards
deep. Theoretically, the Titans defense should be fooled by the fake to Randle El, while some of the
"stay at home" defenders on the left side should cover Lloyd and Portis on play-action pass routes. In
principle, Moss will only have one defender to contend with: the right defensive end, unblocked on the
play. Surely, that player will either a) get caught inside by the right-run action, b) tackle or pursue
Portis, or c) be no match for Moss in the open field.
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Figure 1
Figure 2
Unfortunately, this play fails because the
Titans defensive line is able to penetrate
and disrupt the play (Figure 2). The trap
block on the right side isn't well executed;
not only does a defensive tackle reach the
backfield in time to disrupt the handoff to
Moss, but the left end gets enough
penetration to slow Moss at the start of the
play. The right end, meanwhile, isn't
suckered by the play fake and nearly
crashes into Brunell and Moss at the
handoff. Only Moss' athleticism prevents a
disaster. The two defenders force a fumbled
exchange, but Moss dribbles the ball, picks it up, and jukes his way to a short gain.
Let's improve this play before installing it. We'll start by replacing the trap blocks on the right side with
a simpler scheme. There's enough subterfuge on that side of the ball to sell the right-run fake. Next,
we'll instruct Portis to chip the right end if he penetrates early. We'll also add a counter step to Portis'
initial motion (Figure 3). With all three backs going in the same direction at the snap, most of the
defense should flow to the offensive right. The result is a simpler play that should be more effective.
The Redskins had a tendency to
overcomplicate their offense last season
anyway.
This particular end around is a once-per-
season play, but it is too cool to leave out
of the playbook. It's a novel way to get a
great player the ball in open space, and like
any good counter-action play it punishes
the defense for over-pursuit and over-
aggressiveness. Mix a quirky formation, an
unusual personnel grouping, and a little
trickery, and you've got an instant
defensive migraine.
Posted by: Mike Tanier on 11 J ul 2007
28 comments, Last at 28 Jul 2007, 3:02pm
by Rocky the Philly Eagle
Comments
1
by Nathan (not verified) :: Wed, 07/11/2007 - 8:16pm
I like the trap blocks, they just need to be executed.
2
by Fergasun (not verified) :: Wed, 07/11/2007 - 8:18pm
Page 452 of Saunders' 700 page playbook...
Personally I think the best way to improve the play would be to replace some of the OL.
Once again, nicely done... Bryant Gumble says this play is a reverse.
3
by Karl Cuba (not verified) :: Wed, 07/11/2007 - 9:44pm
I think Fig 2 is comedy, how many plays are succesful when three out of four defensive linemen crash
straight into the backfield. That's just the way J im Schwartz would have drawn it up.
4
by justanothersteve (not verified) :: Wed, 07/11/2007 - 11:33pm
Another great article. I'm loving these play breakdowns. Bonus points for the coelacanth reference.
5
Figure 3
by James, London (not verified) :: Thu, 07/12/2007 - 10:43am
"but it is too cool to leave out of the playbook"
You got that right. I hope all of this minicamps, going back 2 years are "too cool" to leave out of a
book someday.
6
by Theo, Holland (not verified) :: Thu, 07/12/2007 - 10:45am
Maybe in this case, because Randle El is the FB, the fake handoff is ok.
But in a normal full house package, the off side FB and the HB would do the fake; the play side FB
would do the counter step and block for the end around man.
The playside tackle blocks his end for a second and releases upfield while the non-playside guard
would trap that end.
Mike,
later in the game, Moss also took a handoff and ran it for 35 yards. Do you know that play went??
7
by Rich Conley (not verified) :: Thu, 07/12/2007 - 11:24am
Part of me thinks that an off-tackle run by ARE screams FAKE FAKE FAKE, and maybe they would
have been better off using Betts in that slot.
8
by Joe T. (not verified) :: Thu, 07/12/2007 - 11:48am
I agree with Rich, the personnel on the field gives away the chicanery, although the defense is not
aware of the specifics.
Additionally, since any sort of backfield reverse where the WR has to cross behind to receive the
hand off takes a longer amount of time to develop. I would argue that even a well-executed trap block
would take more time to develop than a straight-up run block, and agree with Tanier that the trap is a
bit much and possibly counterproductive. It strikes me that if you have a lot of complex maneuvering
in the backfield, you want your front five assignments to be fairly simple.
Great article Mike!
9
by Joe T. (not verified) :: Thu, 07/12/2007 - 11:48am
BTW, anybody else have to google coelacanth?
10
by dgc (not verified) :: Thu, 07/12/2007 - 12:02pm
Maybe Saunders was hoping the defense would see ARE and think "option pass". Thus the
safeties/DBs would peddle back with anyone going out, opening up more space for Moss.
11
by James C (not verified) :: Thu, 07/12/2007 - 12:25pm
#3
J ust about any screen plays ever drawn up.
12
by Rich Conley (not verified) :: Thu, 07/12/2007 - 12:41pm
10.
The DBs back is the last thing you want with a reverse. You want them forward and out of position...
commited to the run.
When the reciever takes the hand off, he has to run 20 yards +across the field before he can turn
upfield. If the DBs are 15-20 yards back, he'll meet them at the LOS. You want them over the other
side of the field, playing the run.
13
by dryheat (not verified) :: Thu, 07/12/2007 - 12:46pm
#9 Yep.
Although I was familiar with the fish, I'd never seen it written before.
I remember they used it in a commercial before, but I'll be darned if I remember the product/service.
14
by dryheat (not verified) :: Thu, 07/12/2007 - 12:59pm
Ahh...the Volkswagen. Thanks Wikipidia:
The coelacanth has even been used to sell cars - a Volkswagen commercial once featured a
customer staring dumbfounded at the full-size spare tire discovered in his trunk. Upon commenting
that he thought the full-size spare had gone extinct, a nearby auto mechanic replies "That's what they
said about the coelacanth", who then later in the commercial in voiceover continued to describe its
capture in 1938.
15
by dgc (not verified) :: Thu, 07/12/2007 - 1:07pm
12:
Okay. I see that, I'm just thinking that the Redskins seemed to get into the bad habit of thinking "get
Santana into open space and he'll make defenders miss".
16
by MJK (not verified) :: Thu, 07/12/2007 - 1:12pm
This particular end around is a once-per-season play,
Actually, I think it's a twice-per-season play, as long as it's in the same game. You run it once and it
works or doesn't. Then you trot it out again. The defense naturally thinks "hmmm, this is a once-per-
season play--there's no way they'll try it again in the same game, they probably did it before to set up
an actual off tackly run, it must really be a run this time." And it works again. Then, if it worked the first
two times, you trot it out again, and the defense is thinking "hmmm, I guess they'll keep doing it till we
stop it", and then it will REALLY be an off tackle run, or a playaction, or maybe you let the three
defenders crash into the backfield and throw a screen.
17
by Podge (not verified) :: Thu, 07/12/2007 - 2:02pm
#9
Nope, already did it while watching Dave Gorman's Googlewhack Adventure. Coelacanth Sharpener
is a funny combination of words anyway, but once you know the meaning its even better! Very highly
recommended DVD.
18
by Bobman (not verified) :: Thu, 07/12/2007 - 4:57pm
#2 Fergasun, No no no, a thousand times no. This play is a DOUBLE-REVERSE! ;-)
#7 Rich, I agree that it screams Fake, but with this personnel set in, they can also break out of this
formation and be more functional in more commonly used formations. Maybe they run ARE up the gut
just once a season to sell future ruses....
And hey, my 4 and 6 year-olds can tell you all about coelacanths and even pronounce it right. The
full-house backfield on the other hand.... I have some work to do. The 6 year-old starts a flag football
league in the fall--maybe then he can start teaching me some stuff.
Oh, great article BTW.
19
by Parker W. (not verified) :: Fri, 07/13/2007 - 12:10am
The point of the three receiver set it so get a LB out of there and replace him with a Nickleback; it's
really that simple. In a formation like this, when flow goes to one direction (the blocking of the line
included) the defense is more than likely to go along with it regardless of who the back taking the fake
is. Plus, the Steelers and now the Redskins have always tried to get Randle El the ball, regardless of
the position, and so a defense has to expect this sort of thing. And if nothing else, the 3 WR formation
brings in the Nickle and he's more likely to take himself out of a play due to a fake handoff than a
starting OLB. In this case, who would the Redskins rather have on the field, David Thornton or
Corland Finnegan?
20
by bengt (not verified) :: Fri, 07/13/2007 - 12:38pm
#9: I expected it to be the usual indie-band reference and had no idea what it would mean in this
context, so I had to ask a translation service.
21
by ArizonaCardinalsFan (not verified) :: Fri, 07/13/2007 - 2:58pm
Didn't Boise State run this play at least 10 times against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl?
22
by Craig (not verified) :: Fri, 07/13/2007 - 4:00pm
#2, #18 This is an END AROUND. A reverse is goes to a running back and then to an end. A double
reverse is a reverse plus another handoff/pitchout.
23
by Theo, Netherlands (not verified) :: Fri, 07/13/2007 - 5:04pm
22.
I think they were joking. It happens more on this site.
24
by dmb (not verified) :: Fri, 07/13/2007 - 5:07pm
7, 8: The problem probably wasn't predictability -- as Mike pointed out in the article, it wasn't unusual
for the Redskins to show this pre-snap package, so the Titans were probably expecting motion into
something else; they probably weren't expecting a gimmick play just because Randle El started out in
the backfield. When they didn't see motion before the snap but did see Randle El get the handoff, if
they were suspecting any additional trickery, they would probably be watching for a pass from Randle
El. The problem was execution, not that the personnel gave the play away.
22: Ummmmmm . . . they're joking. Seemingly every broadcaster erroneously adds an extra "reverse"
to any end-around . . . so end-arounds are called "reverses," reverses get the "double reverse" label,
and if any team actually ran a double reverse, it would probably be called a really bad decision.
25
by Pat (not verified) :: Sun, 07/15/2007 - 12:10am
#24: Well, it probably wasn't entirely execution. As the article noted, if you look at the first diagram of
the play, there's two motions happening right after the snap: Portis heading left, and everyone else
heading right.
That's going to cause a moment's hesitation for the defense - they won't know who to follow. Which is
exactly what you don't want on this kind of play.
Great article, Mike. First one where you can say "yeah, here's the play, and it's pretty easy to improve
on, and here's how you do it." Is it any surprise that the first overly-complicated trick play came from
Saunders (sorry, Redskins fans, cheap shot)?
26
by Vern (not verified) :: Tue, 07/17/2007 - 12:34pm
Here's the Steelers version... after the play simplifications suggested already, you then:
- switch Moss with Randel El
- have Randel El stop after taking the ball on the end around and throw it back all the way across the
field to Cooley who streaks in for the easy TD!
27
by Joe Pisarcik Magnate (not verified) :: Sat, 07/21/2007 - 10:38am
Interesting article, but I have a question about formation nomenclature. Isn't the full house a George
Halas style T-formation or is there some subtle difference?
28
by Rocky the Philly Eagle (not verified) :: Sat, 07/28/2007 - 3:02pm
RE: 26 Here is the 2006 Oakland version.
Aaron Brooks botches the Handoff to Randy Moss. Moss stares and the football bouncing around, not
caring to pick it up since there is no chance of a touchdown at this point. Robert Gallery accidentally
kicks the football as he chases after the Defensive lineman he was supposed to block. Lamont
J ordan's creaky knees keep him from getting to the football. J oey Porter -in street clothes- Warren
Sapp, Derrick Burgess etc all stomp their feet and clench their faces in unison as some defensive
player from the other team returns it for a TD. TOUCHDOWN!!!

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/strategy-minicamps/2007/play-day-epic-end-around