NEW NFL Run Schemes: A Complete Guide to Wide Zone

Dec 03, 2023

In the NFL you see the wide zone as a major component in most teams run games.They use it along with different plays off it that makes it tough to defend.

Some of the best teams that run wide zone are the 49ers and the Browns. It is a popular scheme at the college level as well. The great thing about the play is you will often see average running backs run for 1,000 yards with the play. It started with Mike Shanahan and Alex Gibbs and is run by so many today. Kyle Shanahan, McVay, and Bill Callahan are just a few having great success.

Some of the best line coaches believe in the wide zone and often would never run a pulling play with it. They dedicated their offense to it and only ran zone schemes.

The best part of the play is that wide zone is a team scheme. It relies on a horizontal stretch which in turn creates cut back lanes. It forces safeties into the run fits which will in turn open up the play action, boot and rpo game. Everyone needs to do their job properly because the ball could actually hit behind any of their blocks. This is certainly true with the backside. This is evident with the 49ers below as they play hits backside.

The 49ers are one of the best at running wide zone. Below they run I with slice blocking action. The play’s

Look at the great cutback lane and angles created by the offensive line.

film!

The next clip again incorporate slice action.

The WR makes a great block on #21 and Mc Caffrey cuts off it on the backside. The Tackle gets to Wagner and they get a nice run on it.

film clip #2

Coach Jackson who coached the offensive line at Umass and TE at Rice does a great job on our wide zone. Please check his article to discuss the features of that play. But we wanted to look at some of the plays off it.

Watch the shoulder levels of the RB and the line as they are on the same angle. This is important for the effectiveness of the play.

Washington goes trips 3x1 to the left side with the tight end with a tight end backside. They are in pistol formation. They get nice leverage based on alignment. Nice job blocking it as they get nice leverage on the defensive end. 12 personel puts them in a bind as they stay cover 2 shell vs Herbert and Oregon.