Establish the Fun: Texans found a run game, Patriots’ unstoppable play, and JK Dobbins’ grand return

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Plus, JK Dobbins makes his grand return

Welcome back to Establish The Fun, where football is fun and we’re establishing that harder than the NFL did in Week 1 of the regular season. We’re back again ready to talk some football from a week that just warmed my heart.

RUNNING THAT DAMN BALL MIGHT BE BACK AND I AM HYPED.

Two-high shell defenses have begun fighting back, and they’re forcing teams to either matriculate down the field via quick game and RPOs or running that football. With every linebacker being 220 pounds, the run game could be on its way back. There’s been far too much throwing the ball for my liking, so bringing back the beefy boys in the run game is just my type of ball. It’s so powerful that this week of ETF is going to be entirely run game focused, because that’s what the people need.

So, let’s get into the film and watch some fun run games, starting in Houston!

The Texans found their curveball

Last season, one of the pitfalls of the Houston Texans’ offense was their inability to run the ball. They finished 26th in Expected Points Added per run in the entire NFL, and could never get the ground game off the, well, ground. Where this was even more interesting was that the Texans majored in 21 personnel (2 RBs, 1 TE), but when they ran out of 21, they were the 2nd worst team in football when judged by EPA/rush. After adding WR Stefon Diggs via trade and RB Joe Mixon in free agency, the question was how would it affect their run game that they really wanted to get to last year (26th in Early Down Pass Rate).

Well, if their win against the Colts showed anything, it was that they might’ve found their counter. Houston ran for 213 yards in a win over a very physical Indianapolis team. Joe Mixon turned back the clock, running for 159 yards and a touchdown and impressed the hell out of me. Let’s break down how they did it, and what made it so fun.

Houston didn’t have a single dropback or run out of 21 personnel in the entire game, but still were able to get some really nice looks and results from their offense. The answer? More 12 personnel! Houston finished 2023 29th in 12 personnel rate, but practically based their entire run game out of it against Indy. Last year, the most carries the Houston Texans had out of 12 personnel was 15, for 73 yards. Against the Colts on Sunday, the Texans ran for 131 yards on 21 carries out of 12 personnel. The use of TEs Dalton Schultz and Brevin Jordan really helped crank up that run game, and I’m very intrigued to see it continue.

They went to this concept a lot out of 12, an outside zone run from out of shotgun. The Colts are in nickel, which is huge for Houston to be successful here. The Texans couldn’t run people out of their nickel coverage, making it harder for them to pass. They motion Jordan over to the left, with Mixon and Schultz in the backfield. It ends up looking kind of like a pin pull, with Jordan and Schultz being pullers and WR Nico Collins pinning the nickel so Mixon ends up with a convoy of blockers in front of him.

Here it is again, but this time the Colts are walked down into a five man front. Jordan blocks the edge defender, and left tackle Laremy Tunsil climbs to the second level and introduces himself to LB Zaire Franklin. Mixon makes a good cut and just watch him finish this run through contact. That matters a lot, being able to fight for those extra yards. It’ll make this Texans’ offense even more lethal than before.

Now, let’s talk about Mixon. While the final years in Cincinnati weren’t the best, I think Mixon looks his best in an under center run game where he can use his vision and power to cause problems for defenses. Now, he’s able to get back to that in Houston.

This run concept should look familiar to most fans; it’s a zone toss that the 49ers run often with George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk. The Texans run it with Cade Stover and Jordan, and again, just watch Mixon run with some force. Jordan chips this edge defender and gets up to the nickel, and Stover, from his position in the backfield, takes on the EDGE. Mixon gets the ball and he has a whole lot of grass to work with. Look at Mixon slash and cut through the defense, he might be back, folks. This alignment is also important, because instead of having a fullback on the field, the Texans opted for a tight end. This kept Indy in nickel, and this result happens.

I wanted to also highlight this same zone concept, because of how well it’s blocked. Stover and Jordan again are the TE pair, but Jordan is locked on the EDGE because of how wide the player is. The Colts are in their base, and Stover goes to block the corner. That’s because WR Robert Woods lays the smackdown on the LB and springs this Mixon run. Run blocking is a team sport, y’all.

The Texans play the Chicago Bears on Sunday, another feisty run defense. I’m curious how they build off these staple concepts in their run game and incorporate Jordan, Schultz and Stover in the passing game as well.

Rhamondre Stevenson: Duo Demigod

The biggest upset of the week was the New England Patriots taking down the Cincinnati Bengals on the road. Where they stood out the most was Pats RB Rhamondre Stevenson and the run game, with Stevenson running for 120 yards on 25 carries and a touchdown. New England specifically kicked Cincy’s butt on a run concept called duo, a vertically-based run scheme.

Stevenson is such a cool runner, and I think these concepts really highlight his lightning quick feet and deceptive shiftiness as a runner, as well as some impressive blocking by the Patriots offensive line.

The duo run concept is built on double teams. The center and backside guard double team on the nose tackle, working up towards the backside LB. Then the frontside guard and frontside tackle work a double team on the other DT, moving up to the frontside LB. Normally there’s another player, a tight end most of the time, that ends up with a solo block on the EDGE as well. To put it simply, you’re trying to mash everything and everyone to the inside on duo via double teams.

What this does is forces the corners, who get paid to cover and not tackle, to do what they don’t like to do: actually hit people. In a one-on-one situation between a running back and a corner, I like the back’s chances of making that DB miss and getting a lot of good yards. Would the Pats take that deal?

The Patriots goal was to take advantage of a weaker defensive interior for Cincinnati and let RB Rhamondre Stevenson go to work on the defensive backs for Cincinnati. Stevenson did just that, and showcased some of his greatest qualities.

This is one of the first plays of the game. The Pats have an extra lineman and tight end on the field together, lined up to the offense’s right (your left). Cincinnati is in a four-man front, before LB Germaine Pratt walks down to make it five. Based on the alignment pre-snap, here’s what the blocking would look like:

For Stevenson, his job is to read the playside LB (in this case number 55, Logan Wilson) and make his read off of his alignment. If he falls back to the outside, take it up the middle. If he gets mashed in, bounce it. Stevenson presses the line of scrimmage, running to it with urgency. He sees Wilson get mashed in, so he bounces it. Cornerback Daxton Hill is there to try and make a tackle, but Stevenson calmly excuses himself past Hill and gets downhill.

Stevenson is such a fun runner because of the growth that he’s shown in the NFL. In college at Oklahoma, he was more of the downhill, plodding runner. Now, he’s got some of the lightest feet in the game, but can still shed tackles like most backs his size (227 pounds). This works so well on duo because he can press the line and use his quick feet to make corners miss or his size to bowl them over. Again, Pats run duo and get everything mashed down, a great job by left tackle Vederian Lowe and left guard Michael Jordan (not related to THE Michael Jordan—this one went to Ohio State). Stevenson slips the tackle of the corner and makes his way into the open field, and he just absolutely dusts this poor safety. Again, the man is 227 pounds. He shouldn’t move like that.

When the Patriots needed the tough yards the most, they went back to Stevenson and back to duo. Just watch how the Patriots are able to just clutter everything up on the inside and basically turn the front into a big trash compactor. Stevenson makes a sick cut to the outside, making one guy miss, then makes another guy miss to salt this game away. One of the most underrated fun watches in the NFL is Stevenson, and Sunday was his moment in the sun.

If the Pats can keep doing this on the ground, this changes their outlook on the season. QB Jacoby Brissett missed some throws, but made timely scrambles when necessary. The defense played lights out, holding the Bengals to 10 points. Stevenson was masterful on the ground. That’s their formula for success in 2024. They’ll get the chance to test it on Sunday against a Seahawks front that is rejuvinated under new head coach Mike Macdonald. We’ll see if Stevenson can be the duo demigod like he was in Cincinnati.

Dobbins is a free back!

Chargers’ RB JK Dobbins has been through a snakebitten NFL career. A torn ACL, LCL, and meniscus in 2021 forced him to miss his entire second NFL season after running for over 800 yards with the Baltimore Ravens. A torn achilles robbed him of his 2023 campaign, and Dobbins ended up signing with LA in hopes of jumpstarting his career once again.

Through one game with the Chargers, it’s clear how much the pairing need each other. Dobbins ran for 135 yards on 10 carries to go along with a touchdown in the Chargers’ win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Dobbins ripped off runs of 46 and 61 yards almost a year after tearing his achilles. It was a super cool moment for him, but it also shows glimpses of what he and the Harbaugh offense can do to NFL defenses.

On the first big run, the Chargers are running inside zone. As safety Marcus Epps runs into the box, the Chargers switch the strength by motioning both TE Hayden Hurst and Dobbins. While the front didn’t change, Epps’ assignment in the run scheme does. He’s the backside defender, having to stay out of the muck in case Dobbins cuts back away from the inside zone track.

Guess what Dobbins does? That’s right, he cuts back. The A gaps are left wide open because both DTs are in the B gap, meaning the linebackers have to fill hard. Epps gets lost in his run support and ends up taking out his backside EDGE in friendly fire. Dobbins sees this, cuts back off a great Zion Johnson block, and he’s off to the races from there.

The second big run was another way Dobbins and the Chargers made the Raiders’ defense pay for their over aggression. LA is trying to mash everything to the inside on this run play out of I-formation (be still, my beating heart). The Raiders are absolutely jacked up to stop this run—just look at LB No. 5 Divine Deablo. The motion eye candy doesn’t do much, but then the ball is snapped. There’s instant penetration off the right side of the ball, where the play is supposed to go. It’s panic time, sound the alarms, negative play incoming. However, remember Deablo? He gets too aggressive playing this gap, and the backside is wide open. Dobbins cuts it back and we have another big explosive run.

On Dobbins’ touchdown, the Raiders again found themselves on the wrong end of a blitz, but I think it shows how far Dobbins’ has come in his recovery. Chargers start out in pistol but motion Dobbins to QB Justin Herbert’s left. The Raiders are bringing Epps off the edge from outside the video, but the problem is he and EDGE Maxx Crosby end up occupying the same gap. Another rockstar double team from the Chargers’ right guard and tackle, and Dobbins is free. He makes a guy miss and gets into the end zone for his first touchdown of the season.

Dobbins is going to mean a lot to this version of the Chargers. This team is built through the trenches and up front, and in order to generate explosive plays, it’ll have to be on the ground. Even coming off injury, Dobbins looked much more explosive than Gus Edwards, and with more time to truly get his legs under him he’ll turn those big runs into touchdown runs. That’s exactly what LA needs, though. A back who is going to be able to be explosive and loosen up the defense a little bit.

The Chargers passing game is currently a little suspect, so their ability to run the ball for big plays is going to be pivotal to their offensive success, because the passing game might not do it. If Dobbins can remain healthy, he becomes a crucial part of this offense, and the reason why Harbaugh ball works in the NFL once again.