My last post was about the Patriots’ empty pass concept called “Hoss Y Juke.” It has been a staple concept for them for over a decade, and is still used today. Similar to the last post, another staple concept for the Patriots is the trap pass. It is a concept, like Hoss y Juke, that they’ve run for a long time. It turns out that the trap pass was Tom Brady’s suggestion, after learning it from another all time great. Peyton Manning. Here is the video that discusses it on the NFL Top 100 of All-Time List that aired on NFL Network.
The concept is a play action pass, where the tight end will run across the field. The play action fake is quick, because the goal is to get the linebackers to step up for a split second, and get the ball to the tight end quickly, before the linebackers can get back into their zones. The Patriots will pull the backside guard on most occasions, but that can change based on the front the defense is playing. Here is a diagram of the play, from an old Patriots playbook.
The Tight End (Y) has a 3 way go. His first read is if the coverage is middle of the field open (2 high) or middle of the field closed (1 high). If it is 1 high, he will run straight across the field, and depending on how effective the play fake is on the linebackers, that will tell the tight end when he should break inside. The tight end will almost always run a crosser because most teams will play 1 high vs this play. That is because the Patriots will usually run this out of heavy personnel, 21 or 12. This way it is even more of a tell to a defense that they are going to run the ball.
To back this up, let’s take a look at a few film examples. The first one is from the 2018 AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs. The Chiefs play 1 high, which means the tight end Gronkowski will be breaking his route off at about 6 yards and running across the field. The linebackers bite on the quick play fake, allowing Gronkowski to find an open window behind them.
The other element to this play is the jet motion across from Corderrelle Patterson. The motion holds the linebackers to the frontside and creates traffic. Since the Chiefs are in man coverage, the slot corner has to run with the motion across the field.
From the tight angle, the Chiefs play an over front. The RT(#61) and RG (#69) will double team the 3 technique. Since the tight end is free releasing into his route. The backside guard (#72), will pull for the standup outside linebacker, playing a 9 technique outside of #87 Gronkowski. Not an easy block, but the motion forces him to hesitate, which is all Brady needs to get the ball off. Brady opens to his left and then sticks the ball out to his right. He quickly pulls the ball back and gets rid of it. There is no drop, just a quick fake handoff, then a pull and throw.
The Patriots have run this concept because it is works against almost any type of defense. It was especially effective to use off your run game when you run power. This play looks the same as power because the backside guard is pulling. The heavy formation is also another indication to the defense that its going to be a run, which adds to the deception of the play. There isn’t much risk of pressure because of how quick the play fake is by Brady. Overall, the Patriots have used some of the same concepts for years because they work and their players can execute them at a high level.
Talkin Ball 