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:
Seattle is in Cover 1, with a linebacker providing inside help with a jam on Lazar. This coverage is ideal for the Packers play call. NFL defenses have a plan to address pick/rub route combinations. Here, a man scheme like Seattle is in here has a call to automatically switch any pick/rub. They also can decide to fight over or under any pick, particularly when defensive backs have help inside or over the top:
But here, Seattle’s defensive backs aren’t on the same page on what to do in response. Nobody actually ends up running with Allison, who breaks free inside. Adams route ends up functioning as a sluggo route. Both defensive backs hesitate when they are fooled by the play design. The result is confusion, and multiple wide open WRs. The deep safety is unable to get to Adams, leading to a touchdown:
Although it may be the first time the Packers have used this play this season, it isn’t the first time Rodgers or LaFleur have had success with slant/flat variations over the past few years.
Texans v. Chiefs
A series of plays on Houston’s first drive against Kansas City also caught my attention. On the very first play of the game, Houston is in a bunch formation, with a tight end opposite the bunch. The Texans run a bubble or stay pass for a gain of a yard.
On a 3rd and 1 on the same drive, the Texans come out once again in the same formation, with a few subtle differences. First, the order of the receivers is different, as DeAndre Hopkins is the point of the bunch instead of Will Fuller. Next, the depth of the inside receiver isn’t as deep as the original bubble. The Chiefs are in Cover 0, with every other defender rushing the quarterback. The Texans fake the bubble, the Chiefs defensive backs bite up, leaving Kenny Stills wide open for a touchdown:
Although its a decent example of running an offense to look the same to a defense, bubble combined with bubble & go is a relatively common series in college and pro football. The interesting note will be what Tennessee can take from this tape to try and exploit the Chiefs’ defense, including double moves and play designs to challenge their assignment discipline.