Week 6’s Jets vs. Broncos match-up featured another two Julius Thomas Touchdowns, his 8th and 9th of the season. The second TD came from a formation and play the Broncos have fallen in love with in the Red Zone, a simple backside slant from the “Dakota” formation (also known as X-Iso). The Broncos have clearly revealed a tendency from this formation; the question is whether anybody can stop it. The Dakota formation features 3 Wide Receivers split wide to one side, with a Tight End split out alone as the backside Receiver. Given the Broncos personnel, the defenses must make tough decisions. Multiple defenses have decided to cover backside Tight End Julius Thomas with a Safety with no other defensive back to the lone Receiver side. The Broncos have repeatedly attacked this defense with a basic slant route. Here is a freeze frame of last year’s Chiefs v. Broncos game using a Dakota formation:
Via Bleacher Report
This play resulted in a Touchdown via a Julius Thomas backside slant route. Fast forward to week 1 of the 2014 season. The Colts see the Dakota formation and decide to play Safety LaRon Landry in Man-to-Man coverage. Julius Thomas runs a slant again:
Julius Thomas toasts LaRon Landry for a Touchdown. In Week 6, the Broncos came out in Dakota formation in the Red Zone once again versus the Jets:
Once again, Julius Thomas is going to run the slant. While there is an inside Linebacker, there is no inside help from a secondary member, as seen by the completely empty JETS logo in the end zone. This matches up rookie safety Calvin Pryor with Julius Thomas in true man-to-man coverage. Although tape gives a slant route tendency, Pryor allows Thomas inside for an easy score:
Keep note of this formation going forward late in the season and the playoffs. Given how many times Julius Thomas has scored from this formation and route, NFL defenses certainly will adjust and take away the inside slant in some way. This can be done with a Robber, an extra safety, a dropping defensive lineman or linebacker. The Cornerback could also play hard to the inside, but this could leave a smaller Cornerback vulnerable to a fade route from the 6’5 Thomas. If too much attention is focused on Julius Thomas, the Trips side will become the go to side, via run or pass.
Looking for the “Dakota” formation elsewhere in the NFL? The Saints with Jimmy Graham, Patriots with Rob Gronkowski, and Chargers with Antonio Gates use the Dakota formation most in the NFL. Several other NFL Analysts have also noticed the Broncos prevelant use of the Dakota formation.
Post-Season Note: Julius Thomas has signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. While he won’t be as productive as he was in Denver, the favorable match ups Julius Thomas creates (via Dakota formation and others) should certainly help out young QB Blake Bortles in 2015.