Jet protection
If you just want the key points, scroll to the bottom
Each link is for the corresponding play- you can download them if you want
The basics of jet protection
The most commonly used dropback pass (pass with no play-action) protection by West coast offenses, and the most common dropback protection at all levels of football, is six man half-slide protection.
Six man referring to the five offensive linemen (O-line) and the back (HB). Half-slide refers to the fact that it’s a mix between full slide protection and solid/man protection.
This protection is referred to as 2/3 jet by most west coast teams. Other teams usually call it something like 60/61.
200/300 jet is the same thing but with the quarterback taking a three step drop (one step from shotgun).
The following are some examples from other teams:
Full slide and solid protection
Full slide protection is when the entire O-line slides in either direction and each OL blocks the gap to the side of the call, so if it’s a full slide left, each OL is responsible for the gap to his left, essentially creating a wall to that side. However, this leaves anyone outside of the tackle away from the slide unblocked.
The following is a good illustration of how slide protection is more versatile than solid protection as each OL is responsible for his gap, regardless of which rusher it is.
As full slide leaves a back or a tight end isolated on what’s usually a defensive end, the protection is not likely to hold up for long. As a result, it’s almost always used on either quick game concepts, or more pre-dominantly, spider passes, with spider literally standing for slide protection. Spider passes are almost always used in short yardage or goal line situations, so the play develops very quickly.
Full slide protection is also referred to as turn protection as the whole OL turns in one direction.
Solid protection is when each OL (offensive lineman) is responsible for the defender that’s covering him, and the uncovered OL is responsible for the mike. It’s usually used with two additional blockers, who are usually responsible for anyone outside of the 4 DL and Mike, so usually the Sam and Will. Like with any pass protection, if it’s a 3 down front, and thus there are 2 uncovered OL, then the offensive line has to identify two additional defenders to pick up.
Solid protection is also referred to as BOB protection- bigs on bigs and backs on backs. This avoids having a back or a tight end isolated on a big like full slide protection does.
The image above is a rough illustration of a solid protection. As the center is uncovered, he reads the mike. As the mike doesn’t blitz, he helps out the guard. The other four OL are locked onto the defenders covering them. The two backs (usually one is a tight end) are responsible for the outside LB to their side.
Jet protection
As there are weaknesses in both slide and solid protections, most teams combine them together, creating half-slide protection.
When it comes to determining how many OL will be part of the slide side and how many will be part of the solid side, the following method is used:
When the solid side guard (SDG) is covered to the solid side, so for example a three technique, or the defender is aligned directly in front of him (2 technique), he is not part of the slide, and thus the slide is a 3-man slide.
When the SDG is uncovered to his solid side, or doesn’t have any defender aligned directly over him (2 technique), he becomes a part of the slide, and thus it becomes a 4-man slide, leaving the SST isolated on the solid side.
This is a tactic defenses commonly use when they have a dominant defensive end that they want isolated.
When the center is covered, the slide pretty much becomes a two man slide as the center will lock onto the defender covering him. If that defender slants towards the solid side, the center has to follow him as the solid guard will likely be contained if he’s not part of the slide (unless the defender covering him drops out). If the defender slants towards the slide side, the center doesn’t have to follow him as closely as there’ll likely be less space for the defender to work with. So, essentially, the center can play with solid side leverage as there will usually be more space to that side.
The following play is an example of a center over setting to the slide side and getting punished for it
As the guard is uncovered on a sink call, he becomes the read man. From what I know, it seems like the uncovered OL’s responsibility is to provide outside help to the center while simultaneously reading the identified LB. Most of the time the guard will then be free to help out the tackle if necessary.
By having help outside, the center can maintain his inside leverage, as the following play shows-
The call for when the center is covered is ‘sink’. A sink call is the same as a fan call but to the slide side.
The HB’s dual read
As there will either be 2-on-2 or 1-on-1 on the solid side, the offense is vulnerable to any additional rushers. This is why the HB is part of the solid side. As the diagrams above show, he has a dual read.
On a dual read the HB identifies the two most dangerous second level rushers that the O-line isn’t responsible for picking up. This is usually the Mike and Sam. After doing this pre-snap, he then reads them from inside-out post-snap, as offense’s always prioritize protecting the interior gaps first.
If both defenders he identified rush/blitz, he blocks the inside one, as the following play shows.
When both defenders blitz, the quarterback will be hot as the back can only block one of them. Thus, if the quarterback’s first read is away from the solid side, it must be something that he can get out before a hot rusher sacks him as he won’t be able to see it coming. When he does recognise that he will be hot, he should alert his hot throw.
Shanahan’s buffalo concept is a good example of this as the quarterback’s first read is usually something quick away from the buffalo concept itself.
If the quarterback can see that he will likely be hot pre-snap, his hot becomes the now slant. If the defense isn’t showing pressure pre-snap, he should be able to get the ball out to his first read in time.
On the following play Garoppolo sees that Juszczyk will he overloaded, and thus he will be hot. This is why he throws it to Taylor on his shallow cross route right at the top of his drop.
Rather than always blocking the inside blitzer when two come, I think it makes more sense for the back to block the most dangerous rusher (which is usually what happens). So, on the following play he would block #22 instead of #55, even though #55 is further inside.
If only one blitzes, the back blocks him.
On the following play Kendricks (#54) is the only dangerous rusher that isn’t going to be picked up by the O-line, so Gurley just has to read him. This is a good example of how the QB doesn’t have to worry about being hot when the defense is in single high man. If they were to bring an exotic zone blitz with #21 blitzing and Kendricks dropping out, Gurley would be responsible for wrapping back to pick #21 up.
If no second level defender blitzes, and thus there are only two rushers (or one if it’s a four man slide) to the solid side, he is free to go out on his route. This is why the back’s route is referred to as a “check ‘X’” as he must first complete his protection check before going out on his route. As a result, his route is usually some type of checkdown as he wouldn’t usually have the time to run any downfield route.
On the following play, Cam Akers checks #21, and when he sees him drop out, he releases on his burst route (essentially a shallow cross from the backfield).
Importance of versatility
When in a passing situation without a split backfield (a back on either side of the quarterback), offenses almost always use half-slide protection. When it’s not an empty formation (scat protection would be used in empty), it’s almost always jet protection. This predictability allows the defense to get more exotic and diverse with its blitzes. Thus, it’s critical that half-slide protections (scat and jet) are versatile enough to adapt to whatever defensive coordinators send at them.
If you take into account the limited escapability of QB’s such as Goff, Garoppolo, and Cousins, it allows them to get even more exotic as they don’t need much of a containment strategy.
Yet another factor that allows defensive coordinators to get more exotic with their blitzes when facing offenses like the 49ers or Rams, is that they will usually be able to get more defenders closer to the QB pre-snap due to them using more condensed formations than the average offense. This gives the O-line and QB more viable rushers to be concerned about.
In the following example, the defense only has six viable rushers, thus the quarterback doesn’t have to be too concerned about being hot if it’s a six man protection.
On the following play, the Rams are able to get seven defenders in a viable position to blitz.
On the following play the Bucs are able to get nine defenders in a viable position to blitz.
As the solid side of the protection is more vulnerable to pressure, having a way to flip the direction of the slide, and thus turning 2 jet into 3 jet and vice versa, is critical. This is why every team has a call that involves something like Rip/Liz, which tells the O-line, the QB, and the HB that the slide is being flipped.
This is why defenses generally go to great lengths to not only try to identify the direction of the slide, but more importantly, dictate the direction of the slide.
On the following play, the Packers align three defenders away from the back, making it very likely that the 49ers will slide to that side. After the snap two of those defenders drop out, while four defenders rush to the solid side, overloading the back.
This is another good illustration of why it’s important for the quarterback’s first read to be short or intermediate if it’s away from the solid side as otherwise he would get sacked.
On the following play Belichick knows that the Chiefs will be using a half slide protection, and thus knows that the Chiefs’ guard will be part of the slide as he is uncovered. He also knows that they’ll very likely take the bait and slide towards #23. These two factors result in the Patriots being able to get a 1-on-1 for Hightower on a back, while only rushing four.
Something offenses do to avoid the defense knowing which side they’re sliding to based on the positioning of the back, is to have the back align to the side of the slide, while still checking the solid side. This is a good example of the hidden battle that goes on between the offense and defense every snap of every NFL game.
Protecting against four rushers to either side
Without any adjustments, the quarterback would be hot if the defense rushed four defenders either to the slide side or the solid side. In order to be able to pick up four to one side, the offense needs some adjustments/calls to do so.
The following is an illustration of why picking up three, even to the solid side, should be easy for the offense. Thus, four is the magic number when it comes to six man half-slide protection.
HB wrap
The first adjustment is for the back to block any fourth rusher to the slide side after checking the solid side. If the defense is bringing four to the slide side, the back will almost definitely not be needed on the solid side. This adjustment is usually built into the back’s dual read. There are two main names for this: Tom and wrap. The 49ers use the term wrap, which I think is more descriptive.
On the play below, Gurley sees both the will (2) and mike (1) drop into coverage, so he then scans the slide side and sees the strong safety (3) blitz, and as the O-line is sliding towards the Sam (#54), the SS will be free on Goff if Gurley doesn’t pick him up.
This is a good example of how defenses try to dictate the slide, as the Vikings were trying to bait the Rams into sliding to the left as they were showing four rushers to that side, while actually bringing four to the other side.
The play below illustrates that even if the defense only brings three to the slide side, but the third defender wasn’t the one the line was sliding to, the back is still responsible for wrapping back to pick him up.
Joker call
To make it easier for the running back when it seems likely that the defense will send a rusher outside of the declared LB, the offense can use a joker call to bump the declared LB one player over. So, if it’s 2 jet protection, the line will now slide to the first defender outside of the Will, usually the free safety.
The following shows what the Rams would do if they kept their 3 jet call on. As #34 (2) isn’t going to picked up by the slide, Gurley will have to pick him up if he blitzes. However, Gurley also has to worry about #54 (1) as he won’t be getting picked up by the solid side.
To make Gurley’s job easier as he won’t have to run as far to pick up #26 as he would #34, and also #34 seems more likely to blitz, the Rams could use a joker call (the center or QB could also just call out the number of the wider defender), resulting in the following:
Base call
When the defense is showing pressure to the solid side but the offense doesn’t want to flip the slide, they can use a base call to bump the declared LB one inside, so instead of the will it would be now be the mike.
A base call is going to be needed a lot less than a joker call. From what I can tell, it’s best used in situations where the outside rusher is likely to drop out, so mostly for a three down front.
The following shows what the Rams would do if they kept their 2 jet call on. This would leave Gurley 1-on-1 with Wagner if he blitzes as the line is sliding towards #51 as the LT and LG have a sink call as the center is covered.
Whether it’s because the Rams expect #51 to drop out, or because they would rather have Gurley block #51 instead of #54, they can use a base call to change the protection to the following:
The play itself shows why having your back block 1-on-1 against a linebacker in the A-gap is something you’re going to want to avoid if possible.
Gap call
An adjustment teams have built in when they’re using jet protection with the quarterback under center, is a gap call. On a gap call, the back and SDG flip responsibilities. It’s only used when the back’s responsibility is aligned in the A-gap, and thus very close to the quarterback.
I’m not sure whether the Rams had made a gap call on the following play or not, but either way, the RG’s initial set towards the 3tech instead of the blitzing LB resulted in an easy sack as the back had no chance of picking him up.
Easy sack
It’s not necessary when the quarterback is in shotgun as the back will be able to block the blitzer before he gets to the quarterback.
5-0 call
A call that is used in most pass protection is a 5-0 call, which simply means that the five OL will block the five DL.
Standard jam/bear fronts (center and both guards covered) are rarely used in passing situations, so most of the time a 5-0 call is used it’s when the defense has placed a linebacker, usually the mike, over the center, while having two three techniques (covering the outside shoulder of the guard).
When the offense makes a 5-0 call in jet protection, the back is responsible for the most dangerous rusher that isn’t going to be picked up by the O-line. If the defense brings two rushers that the OL won’t pick up, and thus the HB will be overloaded, the QB has to throw hot, like on the following play:
On the following play, the Cardinals use the same front mentioned above. This prompts the Bengals to use a five O-call. This leaves them vulnerable in the B-gap (in-between the tackle and guard) as the tackles have to work out to the defender they’re responsible for. If the Bengals were sliding right, which was likely the protection that was called in the huddle, the right tackle would have prioritised the B-gap over the C-gap, which would have gave Dalton a bit more time.
On the following play, the Seahawks align a linebacker over each guard, and as the center is covered by a nose guard, the Bengals make a 5-0 call. This leaves Joe Mixon isolated on the sixth defender.
The Seahawks use the exact same front but don’t bring a sixth defender, allowing Mixon to release on his route. When defenses are in a front like this it’s a pretty good indication that they’ll use some sort of stunt as the O-line will be more vulnerable to movement than if it were standard scat or jet protection.
Squeeze call
A squeeze call in jet protection is usually only used against double A-gap fronts, and thus the OL is vulnerable in the A gaps. To counteract this, the guard and tackle both block down in their inside gaps, opposite to what they do on a fan call.
This essentially turns it into a full slide protection as the squeeze side C-gap will be vacated. This forces the HB to wrap to block any rusher outside the tackle. This is similar to how the guard in a gap call blocks the A-gap, while the HB blocks the B-gap.
‘Ali’ call
This is Sean McVay’s preferred way to protect against double A-gap fronts.
I have never seen this in a playbook so I don’t know the official name, but I heard the Bengals use the call ‘Ali’. This is likely because the call tells the HB to walk up into the A-gap when his responsibility is mugged in the A-gap, and ‘punch him in the face’.
By shortening the distance, the HB’s job is made much easier as he can block the LB before he gets any momentum.
Coach Vass (https://www.coachvass.com/) made a great point that it gives away run/pass, but that is not a concern for offenses like the Rams as they pass almost every time they’re in shotgun- also it’s unlikely a defense will go double A-gap in a non-passing situation.
When McVay was with Washington they were much more diverse when in shotgun, so when the defense went double A-gap in a non-obvious passing situation they didn’t make the Ali adjustment. So, it’s something to keep in mind if you don’t want to give away run/pass.
An important thing to note is that when the Rams use their ‘Ali’ call, the back is responsible for any defender that twists into his A-gap as the main way defenses look to attack the ‘Ali’ call is with twists as it’s harder to pick up than when he’s in a standard alignment.
Also, something the Rams do to change up tendencies is for the back to block the opposite A-gap.
So overall, the ‘Ali’ adjustment has its downsides but makes it much easier on the HB, and that is more important than the downsides in most dropback situations.
You can check out some reps of it here- ‘Ali’ folder
Key points
1. Jet protection is the most commonly used pass protection in football, particularly in passing situations, making it a critical part of any offense.
2. Jet protection consists of a slide side, which is better against pressure and constricts space for dominant dominant defensive ends, and will usually result in a double team on a dominant defensive tackle, and a solid/man side, which leaves the OL responsible for the DL and the back responsible for any second level rusher (usually a linebacker), thus avoiding the back being responsible for a DL.
3. Jet protection has many different names, but the important thing to remember is that it’s six man half-slide.
4. As defenses get much more exotic with their pressures in passing situations, each offense needs to have built-in adjustments and calls to handle whatever a defensive coordinator will throw at them.
5. The most important number when it comes to jet protection is 4 as that is usually what it takes to put stress on the protection and threaten to have a free rusher. This principle is something that NFL DC’s often follow as most pressures are either designed to show four rushers to one side to induce the slide in that direction, or actually bring four to one side, preferably the man/solid side.
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Till next time.