Empty Chips Nasty

Empty Chips Nasty is one of the most unique looks in the Shotgun formation because it empties the backfield without sacrificing protection help. Instead of splitting the RB out wide like a traditional Empty set, the 11 personnel package (1 RB, 1 TE) tucks the running back and tight end into reduced, nasty alignments just outside the tackles. From there they chip the edge rushers before releasing into their routes, while the three wide receivers handle the vertical and intermediate stems. The result is an Empty look that still buys the QB an extra half second against speed rushers off the edge.

This alignment is what separates Empty Chips Nasty from standard Empty Trey or Empty Bunch looks. The compressed chip players force defenses to decide who is responsible for them after the release, and because they start so close to the box, linebackers often get caught in no man's land between rushing and dropping. Meanwhile, the X receiver is frequently isolated on the backside, giving you a clean one-on-one read on concepts like Out X Dig, X Cross, and X Whip In. The tags for 3DRB, Gadget, Power HB, and SLWR tell you exactly who belongs here: a pass-catching back who can win late off the chip, a gadget player or slot receiver who creates separation underneath, and a power back who can absorb contact on the chip before leaking out.

The play list leans heavily into the passing game, with Dagger, Dagger Deep Curl, Dig Stick, Post Cross, and Double Swirl giving you answers to both single-high and two-high shells. QB Zone is the lone run, which keeps the defense honest against light boxes and lets a mobile QB punish defenses that drop seven or eight into coverage. This is a dropback set built for quick reads, full-field progressions, and late-releasing checkdowns that attack the voids left by blitzing linebackers.