Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Jet Sweep from Singleback Wing Slot is a pure run play built around outside speed and edge leverage. Pre-snap, the wing motions across the formation and takes the handoff in stride, with the offensive line and TEs blocking down and reaching outside to seal the edge as the ball carrier presses the perimeter. This is not a man or zone beater in the passing sense since it is a run play designed to attack the edge before the defense can fill the alley, and the primary read is the frontside edge defender: if he crashes down the runner bounces outside, if he stays wide the runner cuts up inside the reach block.
Defensive Reads
Watch the play side defensive end or outside linebacker: if he sets the edge hard and does not get sealed, user him immediately to blow up the sweep before it turns the corner. Key the flow of the linebackers post snap since jet sweep relies on out leveraging pursuit, so fast flowing linebackers or a scrape exchange defender can erase the edge before the blocks develop. Man coverage defenses that carry the jet motion across the formation with a linebacker or nickel corner often leave a numbers mismatch in the box, so a quick fill from that defender kills the play. Cover 3 and Cover 4 shells with disciplined force players (usually the corner or safety in run support) are the toughest matchups since the extra body forces the runner to cut back into pursuit. Look for teams that overload the box with an extra safety or blitz off the edge, since jet sweep struggles when there is no numbers advantage on the perimeter and can get dropped for a loss if the reach block whiffs.
Usage Tips
Use the jet motion pre-snap to identify if the defense shifts a linebacker or safety to follow the motion man, which tells you if you are facing man coverage or a defense keying the run.
Snap the ball right as the motion man crosses the formation to maximize the head start and prevent defenders from squaring up before the handoff.
Pair this with PA Jet Sweep and Jet HB Power later in a drive so defenses that key hard on the jet motion get burned by the fakes off the same look.
Best used on early downs or short yardage runs near the edge where a numbers advantage exists, especially against defenses in base personnel with light boxes.
If the defense shows a fast flowing linebacker crew or edge blitz, check to an inside run like Inside Zone Split or 26 Duo instead of forcing the sweep into a crowded edge.
