The Detroit Lions (4-6) have won their last three football games and are now sitting in second place in the NFC North. On top of their defense leading the league in takeaways since Week 8, their offense has also been turning heads. Over these last few weeks, the Lions have put up 55 points and not only do they lead the league in rushing touchdowns, but they also have eight games where they exceeded 100 rushing yards.
The way that the Lions are running the ball is what has been exciting to see. They have been attacking defensive lines with power and force, utilizing gap-style run schemes. Per Sports Info Solutions, they lead the league in backside puller rushing attempts with 50, and also four touchdowns when using it.
With the size of defenders decreasing to match the speed of the game, the rushing attack from offenses have increased. Per ESPN, the league wide average for yards per rush is 4.5, which is the highest in NFL history!
Teams have been able to move defenders easier than ever before.
Let’s dive into the film to see how the gap-style run scheme is taking over the league, and helping teams like the Lions, that maybe don’t have elite quarterbacks, come away with wins!
Zone vs. Gap run schemes
The main difference between zone and gap style run schemes is attacking an area versus a gap. In a zone style run scheme, the philosophy is that the offensive lineman is responsible for an area and the ball carrier has the freedom to use their vision to make their way up field.
In gap style, the offensive linemen are responsible for clearing a specific gap where the ball carrier will run through.
The Lions utilize their gap style run scheme really. Last week against the New York Giants they came out on their first play and gained 12 yards running it up the gut.
The Lions have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL when they are able to work in unison. There were several times this season where the ball carrier ran eight to ten yards before hitting the line of scrimmage.
As mentioned above, the Lions currently have four touchdowns when using this scheme, more specifically using a backside puller. Jamaal WIlliams is currently tied with Barry Sanders with five games where they have 2+ rushing touchdowns.
With the rise of the spread offense, 3-4 defenses have become more popular around the NFL. This is because defenses need outside linebackers who can drop in coverage but also have the athleticism to chase down ball carriers’ sideline-to-sideline. Speed has become more of a priority.
So even when defenses bring in a nose tackle to stop the run, it still isn’t enough, unless he is very dominant. This is why the Philadelphia Eagles were having such a tough time without Jordan Davis.
Without an elite nose tackle, in gap-style run schemes, it’s easy to double team and take them out of the play. If the offense has a decent center, the guard can work their way up the middle to the second level or pick up A-gap blitzers.
In the fourth quarter of last week’s game, the Lions were able to seal the win by running the ball to maintain the clock. They kept the ball for 10:39 in the fourth quarter to ultimately win 31-18.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Lions offensive line doesn’t even have the best gap scheme run blockers in the game, yet Williams has the third most attempts in a gap style runs.
Around the NFL
Teams all across the NFL are finding success with gap style run schemes. This is because of the rise five defensive backs, and a lack of blitzing. Last season defenses blitzed just 25.3% of the time, the lowest rate over a full season since at least 2013, per TruMedia. With defenses sitting back and waiting to defend the pass, no wonder the yards per rush is the highest it’s ever been.
That being said, the success of gap-style runs aren’t only against light boxes either.
The Baltimore Ravens had success against the Giants, even when their defense had six men on the line of scrimmage and three defenders in the second level to stop the run.
According to PFF, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Jamaal Williams have the most gap style run plays in the NFL. Barkley has the second most rushing yards in the NFL, and the Jacobs are the third.
But the Ravens have the most yards against 7+ defenders in the box.
This is because of how dynamic their fullback/tight ends are. In the clip above, Patrick Racard (no. 42) runs across the line of scrimmage pre-snap to move the linebackers to opposite of play side. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are forced to slide because of their personnel usage. Tight ends are the most athletic blockers on the field, and the Ravens use three of them on this play.
As the ‘nickel defense’ continues to rise, with no sign of slowing down, we should expect gap-style run plays to become more of a staple within offenses. Defensive backs aren’t made to shed blocks.
(chart from NFL.com)
For decades, players like Vince Wilfork, at 325+ pounds, were the staples of defenses. Now defensive tackles can get away with weighing 280-pounds. So, with the defenders getting smaller and the athleticm of offensive tackles continue to rise, watch out for those pullers!
There is no point of wasting time and letting the running back decide his hole, might as well force it with a gap-scheme when the mismatch is going to be there anyway.
