Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Power out of the Unbalanced Wildcat is a designed QB run with jet motion action shown crossing the backfield before the ball is snapped to the direct snap runner. The blocking scheme pulls the unbalanced line strength to create a double team and a lead blocker on the point of attack, with the runner working downhill off the read arrow toward the edge. This is a run play built to overload the frontside gap with numbers, not a pass concept, so there is no route progression to read, only the blocking surface and the cutback lane.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify the strength of the unbalanced line and shade your linebackers and defensive line toward the extra tackle side to match gap for gap. Watch the jet motion closely, if your defense is not built to run with motion or check to a scrape exception, this play will gash you on the perimeter. Post-snap, key the fullback or lead blocker's path, he tells you exactly which gap the runner is attacking. This run struggles against a hard edge set with a user-controlled defensive end squeezing the pull, so crash the edge and force the runner to cut inside into traffic. Stacked fronts and run blitzes that fill gaps immediately shut this down, but be wary of biting too hard since the same motion sets up jet sweep and PA Jet Sweep as counters.
Usage Tips
Check the box count before the snap and only run this into light boxes with six or fewer defenders in the tackle box.
Use the jet motion to force the defense to declare their assignment, if a defender flows hard with the motion man you have a numbers advantage on the play side.
Pair this with PA Jet Sweep and Jet Sweep from the same set so the defense has to respect three different ball carrier threats out of identical motion, keeping linebackers honest and slowing their run fits.
Call this on early downs in short yardage or goal line situations where the unbalanced line strength and extra gap leverage overwhelm base fronts.
Avoid this against heavy blitz looks that stack the play side edge, since the unbalanced formation tips your run direction if the defense has seen it on tape.
