Blending the Midline with the Jet Sweep

Coach, we combined Jet sweep with Midline last year with pretty good success. The timing wasn't as big of a deal as you might think. On our base Jet Sweep the QB opened up to the Sweeper, working his butt in "A" gap. The ball was handed to the Sweep man on the play side. The Fullback hit right up the midline on the trap fake as close behind the sweep as he could. Of course on all Jet sweeps this fake is important to keep the Middle Linebacker at home. If they started to run out with the fake we would give it to the fullback on the trap. We actually had more success trapping to the Split side than back to the TE side due to the fact that the defenders ran out so easily with the Jet fake.
On the Midline we could run the play to either side. If we wanted to take advantage of a running defense we would run the Midline to the same side as the sweep motion. Usually we ran the sweep to the SE side so we started running the Midline to the SE side too. (YOu can also run veer like this too)This play pretty much guaranteed a give to the fullback because the read man usually tried to tackle the sweep fake. Our guard would escape step inside to the Middle backer. The QB would would time it like a sweep but as the sweep man got close to the QB he would call HUT and step off the midline and run the play. Again the timing was key. We actually had the fake sweep go first, followed by the midline play. Usually this was a give to the FB. We scored several times on this play. A more conventional Midlilne series would have the play run to the TE side. On this play the motion would come across and the QB would time it up so he was stepping off the midline path at approximately the same time the sweep man came through. Again, trying to make it look like sweep. Once the ball was snapped the sweeper would fake the sweep and the QB and FB would run the Midline play, reading the three technique. Any of the midline blocking variations could be used to the TE side. We usually used FAN blocking, but could also use Coach Campbell's Jill blocking scheme with the tackle blocking out and the TE looping under to seal the inside LB.
The timing is not that big of a deal. Once you start running the Jet Sweep the QB figures out pretty quickly how to time it up. IMO if your QB can run the Fullback Trap off of the Jet Sweep he will have no trouble with timing the Midline.

History10 -

You got some film on the Jet-Midline Series? Did you also throw off the series? If so, what did you do?

Thanks in advance!

Coach, I've authored two pamphlets on the Jet Offense. Running midline out of this is relatively easy. Run the jet motion with the Backside Halfback and use regular option rules to block the midline. It is a great football play from the Jet. Would look forward to discussing this further.

For a midline off of jet, would you ever send the jet guy up through c gap to kick out the force over the top there for the qb hitting it up in there after the keep read? or would he have to slow down too much to do that? Does the jet fake itself take care of the 8 or the force player?

Coach Cella,

Do you usually run the midline to the TE side or try to find the 3 tech. We have never tried to run it vs. any thing but a 3 or 2 tech. I even stayed away from running vs. 0 tech. this past season and never to a 1 tech. I do want to run more midline with jet motion, we ran it the traditonal way this past season and it was one of our best plays. We had the wing go in motion and lead the QB through B gap on QB keep, QB read 3 tech. gave to FB or replaced 3 if they tried to tackle FB, following the lead from the wing through B gap.

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David Tinglof[/

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Originally posted by: Lou Cella
We run the jet toward the midline. You won't have enough blockers to run midline away from the jet. To answer TOG's post, it is hard to do that, especially when you're trying to sell the jet sweep. Usually the motion takes care of the C and outside defenders.

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I agree with you here. I just know some guys on staff like to have a hat for a hat on all plays. They don't want to rely on jet to sell it. I was thinking how you could accomplish that by sending the jet to actually block the guy. Which you are doing by faking it essentially.

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Originally posted by: hang_50
is it possible to pair belly with the Jet?

Just a thought....

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try this site hang 50, you might like it

Coach Cella,

I do hear a lot of coaches say midline can still be effective vs. an odd front 0 tech. NG, do you think you have to have a real good center or help from the PSG and chip to BSLB? Do you let the Center take the NG whereever he wants to go or do you block him a certain way?

One other thing we did which was effective was to audible to Veer vs an odd front. If there was an A Gap player or nose guard we would change the play to veer, this was easy. The QB would call this before he put the sweeper in motion. Now the linemen, instead of blocking the Midline, would come down on everyone and the back would run up the guard's tail, not the center's tail. This was really effective for us, primarily because it was simple. We had a lot more success running veer to the same side as the motion due to the defense running out after the sweep fake. On this play our QB would actually seat the ball in the Sweepers belly and then pull it out and give it to the Fullback on the veer dive. Most of the time the 4/5 technique was sold on the sweep fake, he widened, and it was a give to the Fullback. The act of placing and pulling the ball from the sweeper and giving it to the FB took some practice and timing. It was mostly getting the QB to understand when to snap the ball so that the paths of the sweeper and fullback would not collide. We felt like it was more effective if the snap for the Midline play was approximately the same time as the snap for the Veer play. The defense could not detect a pattern. I know some coaches still like to run midline vs an odd front, but we felt it was easier and more effective for us to check to veer. Our QB was a Sophomore and had no problem recognizing A Gap defenders.
We really didn't throw much off of the Midline play, but we threw off of the sweep motion. We generally ran Waggle pass to the opposite side of the motion. Just like a Wing-T team will run Waggle to the back side of the sweep fake. We would generally set up in a double wing formation, say TE/Wingback on the Left and SE/ Wingback on the right. Run the sweeper to the TE side, once he fakes, he blocks the DE to the outside. We pulled the back side (Left) guard, sent the Fullback in the flat, sent the SE deep and crossed the TE about 10-15 yards. The QB would fake the sweep and boot back to his right, which is a natural action coming off the sweep fake. We usually had the Fullback or the TE wide open.
One other great passing scheme we developed from Army and coach Bobby Ross. We adapted it to our scheme. One this play we ran the pass play to the side of the motion. The Waggle was a misdirecton pass play, this play was designed to put pressure on the same side as the motion. We would line up in TE/Wingback on the left and SE/Wing on the right. Motion to the SE. The Motion man would fake the sweep and then as he got close to the DE he would "pitter patter" and break down like he was going to block the DE. He really was setting the DE up for the Fullback's block. The sweeper would slip by into the flat and the DE would then be blocked by the Fullback. Our blocking on the front was Slide protection. Lineman would slide to the TE side. TE would block the backside DE. On the front side the motion man would pitter patter, faking the block on the DE then slip into the flat. The Wingback on the motion side would run a combination route with the SE. Usually SE runs deep, Wingback runs 10-12 and out, Fullback runs 2-3 yards deep into the flat. QB would fake the sweep and roll behind the block of the Fullback. If it was all covered the QB could run. Otherwise he had a deep, medium and short throw possibility. This is a great concept for a pass play, just rep it to death.
IMO if you can run the sweep, which is the basis for the Jet Sweep offense, you can also run the Fullback Trap, Midline, Veer, and a pass play to the side of motion and away from motion (Waggle). Hope this helps.

Coach Cella,

Thank you. I've been a wing-t guy for a long time and have added the triple/isv and midline option to our package in the last few season and really like the both options. I am now leaning more to the options and less wing-t traditional plays. Thanks again.

Coach, when running the jet opposite the midline, and QB faking to jet motion first, is there enough time to still get a read on a 2 or 3 technique before he collapse on the play? How do you coach this up? Thanks

Coach Cella, I appreciate you help with this! I'm new to the forum and the info all you guys are putting on this site is great stuff!

When I said away from the jet motion, I actually meant away from where the jet sweep would actually hit. For example, if we motion left / sweep left, we would try to hit / fake the midline right. Is this how you mean or are we still backwards?

How would you block this out of a spread or double wing formation? Would it be better to use a formation with a TE to one side in order to run a OT/TE fold (what Coach Campbell calls a "Jill" scheme)?

This will be the first year we are going mostly option. Last year we dabbled with it, but never really got it rolling. Since we didn't fully commit to the option, we didn't spend the kind of time we should have in practice. We reap what we sow I guess!

Thanks again

Do you have some cut ups of running the jet/midline? I will trade lotiefs@bellsouth.net