Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
HB Gut is a downhill run play out of Weak I with 21 personnel, sending the HB through the guard-center gap behind the fullback's lead block. The diagram shows the FB kicking out to seal the point of attack while the offensive line uses gap-scheme blocking to create a crease inside, with the HB reading the alignment of the defensive tackles and Mike linebacker before picking his lane. This is a pure run play, not a play-action or RPO, and the primary read progression starts with the FB's block: if the FB seals the play-side defender inside, the HB presses the A or B gap, and if the linebacker flows too fast, the HB can cut back against the grain.
Defensive Reads
Read the defensive tackle alignment pre-snap, if both DTs are shaded away from the play call this beats 4-3 fronts with a wide 3 technique better than tight nose alignments. Key the Mike linebacker's first step, if he flows hard to the play side the cutback lane opens behind the FB's block. Watch for a stacked run blitz or nano blitz off the edge, since this play has no lead blocker outside the tackle box and can get blown up by an unblocked edge rusher. Identify single high versus two high safety shells pre-snap, single high alignments often bring an extra run defender into the box and can shut this play down if the box is loaded. Check for user-controlled linebackers sitting in the A or B gap post-snap, a user Mike shooting the gap early is the biggest threat to this concept and forces an immediate cutback read.
Usage Tips
Run HB Gut on early downs like first and second and short to medium yardage when you want to establish tempo and force the defense to respect the run.
Check the box count pre-snap and only call this against light boxes with six or fewer defenders in the box, since heavy fronts will clog both gaps.
Watch the Mike linebacker's depth at the snap, if he is sitting flat or blitzing off the edge you have a clean cutback lane once the FB seals his gap.
Pair HB Gut with PA Power O or Power O from the same H Close Off set so the defense has to respect both the FB dive action and the play-action rollout, keeping linebackers honest.
Use manual control on the FB to adjust the kick out block against edge defenders who are crashing hard, since a bad FB block kills this play at the mesh point.
