How the Commanders could try to slow down Falcons run game
Breaking down the Falcons run game and the different ways the Commanders could look to stop it
The Commanders travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons this weekend as they look to end a three game losing streak. The Commanders defense in particular has had a slow start to the season and the Falcons will provide a different test this week. The Falcons are one of the few teams in the NFL that are truly committed to being a run-first offense. They’re currently sixth in the NFL in rushing attempts, averaging 29.8 rushes per game. They rank 12th in rushing yards with 608, an average of 121.6 per game, however they’re only 19th in yards per carry at just 4.1.
This means that while the Falcons have some elite talents in tight end in Kyle Pitts, who they took fourth overall back in 2021, and wide receiver Drake London, the eighth overall pick in 2022, the biggest threat to the Commanders on Sunday will likely be rookie running back Bijan Robinson, who the Falcons selected eighth overall this year. Robinson is tied eighth in the NFL in rushing yards with 364 and is averaging 72.8 yards per game at 5.4 yards per carry.
The Commanders are the ninth worst team in the NFL for rush defense, surrendering an average of 133.6 yards per game on the ground. So on paper, this could be a tough matchup for Washington’s defense. So what can the defense expect from the Falcons’ rushing attack and how might they try to counter it? Let’s take a closer look.
Here is a typical look from the Falcons in the run game. They lean heavily on the zone run scheme, running a lot of wide zone with some inside zone as a change up. They also like to mix in some crack toss and trap schemes to mix things up, but they primarily rely on the zone scheme. They line up in 21 personnel on this play, which consists of two backs, one tight end and two wide receivers. The tight end aligns to the left of the formation and the Falcons decide to run to the weak side of the line away from that tight end. You’ll often see teams run zone schemes weak (away from the tight end) because it typically helps generate favorable double teams for the offensive line.
The Falcons have a receiver run a jet sweep fake which causes the second level defenders to shuffle to the left just before the snap, taking them out of position by a step. The ball is then snapped and those second level defenders have to try and redirect and get back to the right side of the offensive line. This gives the offensive line an extra beat to get into position. The center throws a jab to help the left guard secure the back side defensive tackle before climbing up to the second level. The right tackle does the same thing with the right guard to secure the front side defensive tackle before climbing to the linebacker. The fullback then inserts to pick up the other linebacker.
The blocking scheme manages to create a nice lane for Robinson on the carry. The offensive line seals off most of the defense inside while the fullback and right tackle kick out their blocks to open a clear lane. Robinson hits it nicely and bursts into the secondary untouched. He then squares up the free safety coming down from deep and jukes him, nearly avoiding contact altogether. However, the free safety just about gets his hand on Robinson’s foot to trip him up and save what could have been a touchdown.
The key to these zone schemes is being able to either generate movement or seal defenders off inside. On that play we saw the Falcons seal off most of the defense inside, but they’re also capable of generating plenty of movement.
This is another wide zone run scheme, but this time without a fullback. This time the Falcons line up in the pistol and run to the strong side. While on the last play we saw the Falcons seal off defenders inside, this time they are able to generate a ton of movement. The center and right guard work a combination block on the front side defensive tackle and end up driving him all the way outside the numbers before the center peels off. With that much movement generated on the front side defensive tackle, all that’s needed for this play to be successful is for the left guard to reach and cut off the back side defensive tackle. He does exactly that which creates a huge gap in the heart of the defense. Robinson is able to take his run to the edge and cut back into the gap created between the two defensive tackles for a nice gain.
When these zone schemes are allowed to be run the way they want to with offensive lineman combining on double teams to generate movement or reaching and cutting off defenders, they will typically be successful. So how can the Commanders manage to keep the Falcons from running all over them with their base zone scheme? Well, the key is to prevent those offensive lineman from getting those combination blocks. There’s a few ways to do this. The first way I suspect the Commanders will try is to use their five defensive lineman package, known as the cinco package.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Bullock's Film Room to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.