Gridiron Cinema 10/26/2013: Frank Gore's Big 7 Runs

Last week, former NFL scout and current NFL Network analyst dropped this nugget on Twitter:

Frank Gore leads the NFL in explosive runs. He has 7 runs of 20+ yards.
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) October 21, 2013

An impressive feat for the 30-year old RB, but not completely unexpected given Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers dedication to the power run game. Reviewing all of Gore's 20+ yard runs, the 49ers blockers are able to get Gore past the second level (past the LBs) and then Gore works his own magic by making a defender or two miss and utilizing his down field blockers to tack on extra yards. The 49ers run scheme is pretty simple, but they keep the defense off balance by running the same plays with different personnel from various formations. Another big part of the 49ers run game is pulling their athletic guards and getting them out in front of the play where Gore is able to use his patience and vision to read the best lanes. When I went back to look at Gore's big runs, the staple of the 49ers power run game were very evident. Of Gore's seven 20+-yard runs, six of them used pulling guards, often pulling from the back side on a basic trap block. 

Before the Colts started to suffocate the 49ers in Week 3, the Niners run game looked sharp and Gore gashed Indianapolis twice on what look very similar runs to the right. The variation between the two plays is an example of what "football people" who swoon over the 49ers run game appreciate. The first play is run from the I-Form Twin Left and both RT Anthony Davis (#76) and RG Alex Boone (#75) will pull to the play side (right) while TE Vance McDonald (#89) will block down on the Colts DE. This frees up Davis and Boone to get their big bodies onto the smaller bodies of Colts LBs, Davis will clear out the OLB and Boone will take out the RILB as he flows to the ball. FB Bruce Miller (#49) is now free to run at the safety as Gore follows and jukes back inside to pick up an additional five or six yards.

 

Two plays later, the 49ers will run to the right off tackle again with Gore following a lead blocker out of the back field and Gore cuts back inside as he nears the sideline to gain an extra five yards. I'll put the GIF of the second run up before the diagram, so you can see how similar the runs look.

Although similar to the first right off tackle run, this play was run from a Full House back field (triangle of backs with Gore at tail back and Bruce Miller (#49) and Vance McDonald (#89) as twin fullbacks) and the 49ers will pull LG Mike Iupati (#77) from in a back side trap. RT Antony Davis (#76) and TE Garrett Celek (#88) will double the Colts DE while FB Bruce Miller blocks the OLB and Iupati pulls around to pick up the RILB. Gore is able to follow "FB" Vance McDonald down field and no Colts defender gets a hand on him until he's already well into the secondary. 

Both plays are off tackle runs to the right, but the variation of personnel and blocking assignments keep the defense guessing. Since Linebackers will read the guards movement to key which direction and gap they will be filling. On the first play, the 49ers pulled the RG while running right and on the second play they pulled the LG while still running right. There is one tiny example of why the 49ers run scheme is ballyhooed.

Pulling back side guards is the bread and butter of the 49ers run game. They will trap on any play, even 4th and 1. Typically, on a 4th and short play, blocks need to happen fast and pulling a guard could create a gap that a defensive lineman can exploit and shoot into the backfield. The 49ers are good at pulling their guards and they stick with what they're good at on 4th down, which is a good idea, whatever your scheme may be. Here, the 49ers bring in an extra OL on the right side, #69 Adam Snyder and have two TEs on the field and only one WR. At the snap, Snyder will head directly for MLB James Laurinaitis while everyone else on the OL takes the Rams defender across from him, except the pulling LF Mike Iupati (#77). Not only does the block develop as designed, but when Iupati comes around to the play side, he is able to take out two Rams defenders and helps spring Gore for the huge touchdown run on 4th and 1.

The one 20+ yard run by Gore that didn't feature a pulling guard, was a wham play that had TE Vance McDonald (#89) doing a faux pull. The wham play is when a defender is purposely left unblocked by the OL and he is then met by another blocker that as built up momentum to create a big "wham" meeting between the two.

The 49ers are in I-Form 2TE Right and LT Joe Staley (#74) will go off the line and hunt down the LB as LG Mike Iupati (#77) moves to his left to kick out the DE, creating space to run left of the center. As center Jonathan Goodwin (#59) moves to block a Rams LB after the snap, TE Vance McDonald (#89) will come from the left side of the formation and get the wham block on the Rams DT. FB Bruce Miller (#49) picks up the remaining Rams LB and Gore is off to run into the St. Louis secondary.

Here against Houston, the 49ers present a similar Offset-I 2TE formation, but they will run to the weak (non-TE) side. Again, LG Mike Iupati (#77) is the man pulling from the back side to trap a Houston defenders. You can see how the Houston defense has the 2TE side of the field more tightly packed, just the look the 49ers were hoping to see.

Iupati kicks out the OLB and FB Bruce Miller (#49) covers the MLB and Gore is already 19 yards down field before a Texans defenders gets a hand on him.

The 49ers aren't afraid to telegraph their runs, either. Here they are lined up in an I-Form with seven (!) offensive linemen and a TE and they are going to run right through the overloaded left side.

Even with the extra OL, the 49ers still can't help themselves and will trap with RG Alex Boone (#75). The huge morass of blockers and defenders come together and Gore is able to dance to his right a little as he waits for a hole to develop and then he speeds through into the wide open secondary. If you watch closely, you can see Daniel Kilgore (#67) get shoved off his block by the OLB, but the 49ers bring so many blockers to that side, all the defenders are still accounted for.

  And we end with this run against Arizona that features, yes, a back side guard pulling and it also happens to be a wham block on Calais Campbell.  Staley (#74) and Iupati (#77) immediately head to the second level to block the LBs and FB Bruce Miller (#49) will kick out the OLB.

Calais Campbell falls forward as he is expecting Iupati or Staley to contact him and his first sight when he glances up is Alex Boone (#75) crashing into him. Campbell is so good he is still able to get a hand on Gore's ankle, but it's not enough to slow Gore down as he takes the ball and bounces outside for another 20 yards.

There's a comprehensive review of Frank Gore's 20+ yard runs this year. On display are the 49ers power running game and the variations they present to the defense as well as Frank Gore's ability as a running back to run patient and with vision. Frank Gore deserves all the praise he receives and he's a great fit for the running scheme the 49ers employ. Jim Harbaugh, surprisingly enough, had one of the better quotes about Frank Gore earlier this week on KNBR radio here in the Bay Area. 

“The more I get to know Frank I just love him so much. He’s a mystical type of guy. He’s got a spiritual connection – he sees more than most of us do. He’s a very deep guy."

"Power" is usually the first thing that comes to mind with Gore, or maybe "yards after contact," but the more you watch Gore run, the more you can appreciate his vision of the field and how he uses his blockers and his ability to make good cuts to gain more yards. Maybe he does really see more than most of us do?  So, when you watch the 49ers in London tomorrow against Jacksonville, keep an eye for pulling guards, wham blocks and enjoy Frank Gore.

Gridiron Cinema 10/17/2013: Week 6 The Impact of Daryl Washington on Arizona's Pass Rush

I was going to post something on the Cardinals and how the return of Daryl Washington from suspension has changed their pass rush last week, before the 49ers game, but a baby shower and out-of-town family visits got in the way. It’s okay, now I have another Cardinals game with Washington on the field to compare to the first four without him. Needless to say, when you add an All-Pro player back into your defense, you can expect an improvement in play. However, Daryl Washington is beyond just an All-Pro MLB for Arizona, he is whom the entire Cardinal pass rush is built around. Featuring an MLB as a top pass rusher is unique in the NFL. Usually, the job of the MLB in the NFL is to close quickly on the ball carrier, fill gaps and make tackles at or near the line of scrimmage, and rushing the QB is not one of the priorities. The average All-Pro MLB over the last five seasons has averaged three sacks per season. Daryl Washington had nine (!) sacks last season. With Washington suspended for the first four games of 2013, Arizona’s pass rush struggled mightily, mustering only three sacks. In the two games since Washington’s return, Arizona has notched nine sacks.

A typical 3-4 defense generates pass rush with its defensive line and one OLB rushing on the edge. This is the type of pass rush Arizona Defensive Coordinator was forced to use while Washington was out of the lineup and the results were not pretty. The average sack % in the NFL over the last few seasons has been about 6.2% (sacks / opponents’ pass attempts + sacks). The Cardinals tallied only seven sacks through the first four weeks of the season, yielding a 4.1% sack percentage. The overall pass rush numbers were bad, but the Cardinals blitz sack percentage was even worse, a paltry 3.8% (3/79).  Adding injury to insult, Arizona lost three of its OLBs to for the season after its week 3 loss in New Orleans.

Speaking of New Orleans, let’s look at one of Arizona’s successful blitzes out of the 3-4 without Washington. Technically a 3-4, it’s more of a hybrid 3-4/4-3 with #91 Shaughnessy playing ROLB, but he's in a 4-point stance which would say DE to me. Anyways, the Cardinals are going to zone blitz both left side backers, Jasper Brinkley (#52) and Sam Acho (#94) with Shaughnessy dropping into coverage. Calais Campbell (#93) takes his rush to the LT's inside shoulder, creating a gap between his rush and Acho's outside rush for Brinkley to run up.

The Cardinals are able to create a 4-on-4 matchup on the left side of the Saints line singling up the two linebackers on a TE and RB. On the other side the RG and RT double team Dockett (#90) and Saints Center De La Puente (#60) doesn't block anyone. The end result is Acho speeds around Ben Watson (#82) to get the sack. This is how a 3-4 blitz is supposed to operate, but Arizona was unable to recreate these types of plays consistently through the first four weeks of the season.

With Daryl Washington out of the lineup the Cardinals deployed the blitz rather conservatively, rushing more than four about 47% of the time. With Washington back the last two games, Arizona has blitzed a whopping 72% of the time with all nine of its sacks coming on blitzes. The pairing of Dansby and Washington in the middle allows Bowles to mix and disguise his blitzers, causing problems for pass protectors.

Against Carolina in week 5, the Cardinals present a standard 3-4 front. Washington (#58) and John Abraham (#55) will drop into coverage at the snap, while the pressure will come from the right side. Matt Shaughnessy (#91) will start his rush outside and then bend it back in when he gets close to the RT while Dansby (#56) comes straight up the field at the snap, only to bend around outside of Shaughnessy at the last moment.

This little twist works to perfection as Tolbert (#35) sets up to block the blitzing Dansby, only to get caught up with Shaughnessy and the RT leaving Dansby free to get to Newton without being touched.

Another blitz scheme the Cardinals can employ with Washington back is to send both MLBs at once up the gut, a Double A-gap blitz. It’s 3rd& 9 and Arizona has its Nickel personnel on the field to match up with Carolina’s 3WR set. The key to this blitz is Darnell Dockett (#90) creating space for the blitz behind him. Dockett is lined up in a 3-technique (lined up on OG’s outside shoulder), but he’s going to cross the guard’s face to our right at the snap and get him to follow. Washington (#58) will rush into the gap vacated by Dockett and draw both RT (#77) and Tolbert (#35) to him.

As the Panthers’ OL works to account for Washington, Dansby rushes into the gap in the pass protection and gets to Newton untouched again.

The Cardinals sacked Cam Newton seven times in Washington's first game back in week 5. Although Arizona didn't accrue the same type of sack totals in San Francisco last week, they did blitz on 28 of 32 pass attempts by Kaepernick and bagged him twice.

The 49ers pass protection is set up to have each of the Cardinal rushers blocked, 6-on-6. However, with both Washington (#58) and Dansby (#56) rushing the same gap, the 49ers protection scheme breaks down.

Gore comes over from the left and has to decide which of the two MLBs he's going to pick up. In addition to both MLBs shooting the same gap, they also run a twist with Washington crossing behind Dansby. You can see Gore come across to block Dansby before peeling off in the last second to get Washington. It really didn't matter who Gore picked up, one of them was going to come free while Jonathan Goodwin (#59) ends up blocking air on the play.

Daryl Washington has two sacks in his first two games back from suspension.  But his impact on Arizona's pass rush is greater than his personal statistics because of the opportunities his presence creates for his teammates. When the blitz is on, opposing offenses are forced to make quick pass protection decisions that often result in a Cardinal defender running free.

Washington can do more than blitz as he has shown he is a threat when the ball is in the air as well the last two weeks. Because of Washington's threat as a rusher, opposing QBs can often forget about how athletic he is in pass defense. Cam Newton and the Panthers were in the red zone trying to run a quick slant from the shotgun and Washington simply jumped up and knocked the pass out of the air for an INT that would have been to the house if not for Newton's own speed.

Last week in San Francisco, Washington nearly repeated the same great play. The 49ers are trying to run a quick slant to the right behind Washington, just like the Panthers did and Washington is right there to knock the pass down. Washington wasn't able to secure the INT, but Kaepernick and the 49ers definitely got away with one there.

For tonight's Seahawks-Cardinals matchup, I'm going to pay particular attention to the type of pass rush scheme the Cardinals employ. I fully expect them to stick with the Double A-gap blitzes they've used the last two weeks, but I'm also curious if they'll deploy their MLBs to spy Russell Wilson. Wilson is such a good scrambler that he can beat you around the edges and up the middle. Even if Arizona is able to drop OLBs and maintain edge containment, if the MLBs get tangled up in the middle, Wilson can easily do damage running up the gut.

Gridiron Cinema 10/5/2013: Week 4 Houston 3TE sets and Play Action Bootlegs

The running game has been the bread and butter of the Houston offense. The Texans powerful rushing attack is complimented by the use of play action to draw defenders towards the line and create space for receivers in the passing game. Last week against Seattle, Houston was able to create some success with their rushing attack, but the Texans were not able to leverage the running game and create big gains off play action. The Seahawk defensive ends did a great job of reading the fakes, especially on bootlegs, and closing down on Schaub. On Sunday Night, the 49ers defense will need to show the same discipline to similarly bottle up the Texan passing game. 

Houston's second offensive play run from a 1RB, 3TE set with all the TEs lined up in a bunch on the left side of the OL (our right).  The two outside TEs will block down on the DE and MLB while the inside TE will take out the safety (#31) as the LT pulls to lead block for Foster.

Before Foster has even received the toss from Schaub, the other members of the offense are already setting up a well blocked run. (1) SEA DE Michael Bennett has a clear lane, but will be screened off from pursuit by TE Griffen once Foster receives the ball and moves outside. (2) TE Graham has released and is in position to seal off the MLB and (3) C Myers has made it to the second level after the snap and is moving to seal off the other MLB.

"X" marks the spot as the Texans have cleared a massive running lane for Foster with the LT out in front to take care of CB Browner (#39).  Foster will weave his run behind the LT and bounce outside, forced out by S Thomas after a 16-yard gain.

On the next play, the Texans keep the 3TE personnel on the field and go to play action. Houston uses run action to the left like the play before, but Schaub will keep the ball as he rolls out to his right. 

At the snap, the whole OL blocks down to the left and the fake succeeds in getting the weak side defenders to commit to the run.

 

Red Bryant, however, will not be drawn into the play action. He easily pushes TE Griffen out of his field of vision so he has a direct view of the non-handoff.

 Bryant sets his angle to contain Schaub and limit his passing options. Schaub wants to get rid of the ball, but all his receivers are covered. Schaub will try to dump it off to #84, but Bryant is a Big Man, and bats the pass down. Bryant's ability to shed his blocker and read/react to the play fake doomed the play. With Aldon Smith still out for the 49ers, the Texans will likely try and test the two fill-ins at OLB, Dan Skuta and Corey Lemonier, and see if the can beat the fake.

The Texans also run the PA bootleg out of the 2-back set, seeking to get the defense to flow right, while creating a two level passing option on the left with Andre Johnson short and Owen Daniels mid, while Keshawn Martin runs a streak to clear out the safety.

Again, the Texans run action draws the defense to the right, but as Michael Bennett flows with the rest of the Seahawks, he has a view of the handoff and has time to read the fake.

 When Schaub pivots around after the fake, he has Owen Daniels open, but Bennett is setting his feet to close the gap between them and Schaub knows he won't have time to set his feet and make the throw, so he waits and tries to get outside of Bennett. Schaub completes a short 2-yard pass to Andre Johnson, who then works his magic and evades several tackles to gain 10 additional yards.

Houston brings back the 3TE look when they have first and goal on the Seattle 5-yard line. However, this time, the run action is faked to the opposite side of where the TEs line up. The Texans are giving Schaub a three level read with Johnson crossing the back of the end zone, Graham faking inside before turning back to the mid-level read and Foster as the short read.

Unfortunately, the Seattle defense doesn't buy the run action, at all. Both Sehawk LBs as well as Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman are well aware of fake before Texan receivers have released into their patterns. Chris Clemons (yellow oval) is set free and has a clear field of view of Schaub rolling out as Owen Daniels cross in front of him. 

Clemons closes in as Schaub finds he has no one to throw the ball. Foster is double covered short. Johnson and Graham's routes have come too close together in the end zone and Richard Sherman is heading to the empty space in the back of the end zone to provide extra support. Schaub doesn't have the luxury of time to wait and see if someone can get open, as Clemons forces a throw at Foster's feet.

Running the ball and setting up play action are the strengths of the Houston Texans offensive game plan. On Sunday night in San Francisco, the 49ers' OLBs will need to remain as disciplined as the Seattle DEs were last week to disrupt the Houston game plan. Even if they recognize the play fakes, the 49ers' OLBs will also need to shed the blockers sent their way. Seattle's ends are bigger men than the 49ers 3-4 OLBs, so being physical enough to break free from Texans blockers will be key.