RULES, REGULATIONS AND COACHING POINTS - WEEK 2

When its short yardage, for example in the Dolphins/49ers game this week, in the first quarter it was 3rd and 1, a fairly obvious run situation. Unlike the 2nd and 8 in the first quarter where a run or pass are both options, 3rd and 1 lean towards a run call. The toughest yards are straight up the middle into the heart of the defense and that’s what Miami called on 3rd and 1.  Next time it’s an obvious run call (on the snap immediately the OL helmets are lower than on pass protection), look closely at the offensive line body position just after the snap as the game with the game starts to unfold.

 

 Miami lined up with Devon Achane in the backfield and it’s interesting to understand what he is looking for. If you’ve ever watched defensive lineman warming up in pre-game, one of their drills is having a teammate in front of them and they explode out of their stance and engage the teammate (who is playing the part of an offensive lineman).  As he engages, the defensive lineman will look over one shoulder and then whip his head across to look over the other shoulder really fast, why do they do this?  On the 2nd and 8 you will see defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa engages Jonah Savaiinaea and you can see him whipping his head back and forth across the block.

 

In the split second that the QB hands the ball off to the running back, who is looking ahead and trusting the QB to place the ball right in his stomach between his arms (nearest arm to the QB above the ball to prevent knocking the ball out on contact with the QB’s hand) the running back is looking at the defensive lineman’s helmet. If the helmet is looking over the offensive lineman’s right shoulder, in that split second the running back will head for the lineman’s left side assuming the offensive lineman is pushing the defensive lineman to the right.

 

That’s why defensive linemen practice the head whip, to then be in position to attack the other side of their blocker where they expect the running back to now be, all in a split second. Of course, all offensive linemen know that game, as do all defensive linemen so the game within the game begins. On that 3rd and 1 it took great strength and athletic ability for the Dolphins linemen to engage the defensive tackle on his right side and keep him there by turning his huge body across the block and keep the defensive lineman from the head fake and subsequent move to their right, across to Savaiinaea left, where Achane was heading, if they were even doing a whip, and allow Achane to follow his instinct and run at the side of the lineman where there is no defensive lineman’s helmet and less chance of a big arm blocking his way. On this occasion, Achane ran for 4 yards and a first down.