Connect 4: The NFL’s 4×1 Quads Renaissance

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Four strong passing concepts are nothing new in the NFL–the Chiefs have been using them for several years. But 4×1 (Quads) sets have taken the NFL by storm in 2021, with over half the league using these sets to create defensive displacement and matchup problems. There are several advantages for lining up or motioning to Quads. Four strong concepts force defenses to commit enough players to the overloaded side. Meanwhile, motion to 4×1 sets can create confusion and force defenses to communicate quickly. They also create one on one matchups on the backside. Finally, because most defenses use a lighter box, the offense often has a numbers advantage in the QB run game. Let’s take an X’s & O’s look at how offenses have used Quads:

Below, the Panthers line up in a trips set with their best Wide Receiver, D.J. Moore, on the backside before they motion the back out to 4×1 against a 2-high safety look. QB Sam Darnold reads Linebacker Micah Parsons (#11); if Parsons stays in the box, he’ll throw the swing screen. If Parsons vacates the box, Darnold has a numbers advantage for the QB draw:

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Breaking Down the 2019 Patriots’ 4 Blocked Punts

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The 2019 New England Patriots blocked a team record 4 punts, the first time an NFL team had done so since the 2014 Eagles. Analyzing each blocked punt provides insight into how Special Teams units can be aggressive going after punts—teams who block punts win the vast majority of games. Further analysis also shows how to prevent unforced errors on your own punt team. Two of the blocked punts are primarily scheme related while the other two are primarily attributable to execution. Let’s start with the scheme blocks.

Week 14: 3rd Quarter, 4th & 19 from KC 35

On 4th & 19 from their own 35 the Chiefs line up in a standard spread pro punt formation, with three blockers to each side of the center, a personal protector, and a gunner split out wide to each side. The ball is on the left hash. The Patriots have eight men up, a jammer on each gunner, and one returner. Although they start with four men on each side, the Patriots shift to six right and two left from the punter’s perspective just before the snap with almost no space between them:

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5 ways to immediately improve your Special Teams

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You probably know Special Teams constitutes one third of the game. You also probably know too many teams, coaches, front offices (and fans) don’t give Special Teams the attention it deserves. I readily admit I used to be one of those coaches. As a 22 year old, I was hired as the offensive coordinator at a high school that had gone 1-19 in their last 20 games. Because of the program’s limited resources, I also volunteered to run the Special Teams. Little did I know what I was in for.

In our first three games, we gave up four kickoff returns of over 75 yards. Our opponents average starting field position was inside our territory, while we had a starting field position inside our own 25 yard line. We started 0-3. Luckily we were headed into a bye week to lick our wounds. In that two week stretch, I took more time to learn and think about Special Teams than I had ever before.

This article gives coaches 5 concrete ways to immediately improve their Special Teams. It also gives fans insight into how seriously their favorite team takes Special Teams. Although I use NFL and Division I NCAA examples, the principles apply to all levels of football.

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2019 Divisional Round X’s & O’s Review

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The divisional round of the 2019 NFL playoffs featured some creative play design worth taking a look at. In particular, I was impressed by Matt LaFleur and Green Bay. On 3rd and 7 on Green Bay’s first drive of the game, Green Bay lines up with Trips to the field, and Jimmy Graham isolated in a tight (nasty) split to the boundary. Graham is running a go route up the numbers. The inside WR in the trips, Allen Lazard, is running across the field at a shallow depth. At the bottom of the screen, Davante Adams and Geronimo Allison begin running a slant-flat combo. One purpose of slant-flat is to create a rub or pick that is difficult to navigate for man coverage. Here, the Packers run a variation where the WRs fake their slant and flat, Adams breaks deep, and Allison breaks back across the field:

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Falcons Tunnel Screen Audible

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With just over two minutes left down 20-17 in the 4th quarter of a pivotal early season matchup, the Falcons faced 4th and 3 from their own 46 yard line. Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is known for his aggressive defense, and the Eagles had blitzed Ryan consistently throughout the game. The Falcons had already lined up in empty formations multiple times on the last drive, hoping to get a zero blitz look. On fourth down, the Falcons got their wish and called the perfect audible: tunnel screen.

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Chiefs Film Review: 2 back formation with Tyreek Hill

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The Chiefs have been the most dynamic offense in the NFL, in part because of Andy Reid’s creativity and play calling. The Chiefs have scored huge touchdowns in the past two weeks from a formation that is both interesting to study and particularly difficult to defend: From 12 personnel, Kareem Hunt (#27) and Tyreek Hill (#10) in the backfield, tight end Travis Kelce (#87) in a condensed split with wide receiver Sammy Watkins (#14) inside of him, and tight end Demetrius Harris (#84) wide left. In the following examples, Hill is on the right and Hunt to the left.

In week 8, the Chiefs faked an outside toss to Tyreek Hilll with a shovel pass to Hunt underneath. Kelce and Watkins arc blocked to sell the outside pitch, and the line blocked like power with a pulling guard:

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2018 Week 8: X’s & O’s Review

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Week 8 of the 2018 NFL season is in the books, and teams continue to score at a historic rate. I broke down two plays that caught my eye: MVP candidate Todd Gurley’s 30 yard reception TD along with the Texans’ Will Fuller’s 73 yard touchdown.
With 7:39 in the 3rd quarter down 10-8, the Rams line up in 11 personnel on 1st & 10 from the Green Bay 30. From Empty, the Rams have three receivers bunched right and Brandin Cooks and Todd Gurley split left. After Jared Goff appears to make a check at the line, the Rams essentially run a one man route; Todd Gurley is running a drag underneath, with all three bunch receivers breaking in to block off Packers defenders. The Packers are in Cover 1:

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Key Plays from Week 6: New England v. Kansas City

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Week 6’s Sunday Night Football matchup between the Chiefs and Patriots featured one of the highest scoring games of the season. It also gave defensive coordinators some film of Patrick Mahomes not being Superman, with the Patriots taking a 24-9 lead into half after 2 Mahomes’ interceptions. Let’s take a deeper dive into some of the key plays from the game.

  1. Game situation: 1st Quarter, 5:23, 1st & 10 at KC23, 3-3

After tight end Demetrius Harris (#84) motions to the left side of the formation, the Chiefs are running the following route combination with play action:

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Super Bowl 52 X’s & O’s Review

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Super Bowl 52 was the most prolific offensive game in NFL history with 1,151 total yards and countless records broken. Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels were spectacular; both designed creative schemes and were able to repeatedly create favorable matchups for their respective offenses. Let’s take a look at how the offenses were able to score at will:

Eagles

The Eagles used running back motion, the wheel route, and the mesh concept repeatedly to take advantage of the Patriots decision to predominantly play man to man coverage. The Patriots were weak against pass catching running backs all year, particularly wheel routes. In the AFC Championship, Jacksonville missed their opportunity multiple times to hit an open running back against a linebacker or peeling defensive end; but the Eagles cashed in.

2nd Quarter, 1:46, 3rd & 3 on Phi 37 (Phi 15 NE 12)

Late in the first half, the Eagles make a huge play using both the mesh concept and the wheel route. Defensively, the Patriots are in Cover 1:

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2017 Divisional Round Review

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The 2017 NFL Divisional Round ended with one of the craziest finishes in recent memory, and had plenty of X’s & O’s to breakdown. Let’s review a bit from each of the four games this weekend:

Eagles v. Falcons

The play call on Atlanta’s do or die 4th and Goal from Philly’s 2-yard line is understandably what everyone is talking about. After motioning Tight End (#80) Levine Toilolo across the formation, the Falcons ran sprint right with two short outs:

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