The Genius of Mike McDaniels; he leverages any adjustment to his attack to keep defenses off balance. Let’s Diagnose.

 

In the above illustration, The Pats are playing a safety high on the boundary side (the short side of the field) and a safety with a 10 yard cushion on the field side. At this point of the game the Pats have been bludgeoned by wide zone runs, and precision passing towards the flats (routes that stretch the defense horizontally within 10 yards from the line of scrimmage). Notice how their best front four defender Judon is aligned far left from the left tackle, in an obvious attempt to seal the edge and not allow a wide zone run to the field side.

Furthermore, the two inside Linebackers seem to be aligned to protect against the wide zone run towards the boundary side, because Magic Mike has been countering the weighted alignment all game by challenging the boundary side. The first TD run was a wide zone run towards the boundary. 

As the ball is snapped, #30 for Miami, who was lined up as the wideout on the field side is in full sprint in motion towards the boundary, and #81 immediately stunts aggressively towards the boundary as well, while 4 interior lineman sprint left. The Pats have seen this before and they think they are prepared. The Pats play this concept under the assumption that it is either a wide zone to the Field side or the boundary side, all the motion and pulling is just subterfuge to set up a wide zone to either side.


Look at where the LB’s are as the play unfolds. 2 LB’s protecting the field side and one really wide LB protecting the boundary side. In their estimation all the motion by the blocking skilled position players, and the lateral attack of the oline can only mean a wide zone run to either side. 

However, the play was an inside zone, all the motioning and the lateral movement of the line was to spring the RB inside. The defense was so fooled that the boundary side safety was caught attacking the boundary and as he realized what happened he loss all his balance to defend between the hatches. You can see in the illustration above how he was flailing his arm to pivot into position. 

The result was Mostert going untouched into the end-zone. Magic Mike is the Greg Maddux of offensive play calling. 

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