Dresden wrote:Can someone explain what an "outside zone run" is? Apparently that's where Swift gained most of his yards last game. Is that the same as what they used to call a "sweep"? Harrison Graham was making the point that some of our linemen are better at that kind of run play whereas others are better at whatever else there is.
To grossly simplify outside zone is asking the OL to move either left or right "to the outside" instead of blocking straight downhill at the defense (on a successful outside zone your OL will get downfield eventually but they often have to "race to a spot" before they can turn downfield). RB follows in the direction of/parallel to the Oline, reads where the hole ends up being, makes 1 cut and hits it has hard as he can.
A sweep is a run play where the intent is to get the RB so far outside that they can "turn the corner" on the defense. Some outside zone plays will end up as sweeps, but the intent of the outside zone run is really to give the OL a chance to make a hole anywhere along their moving line and its the RBs job to read the blocking and "find a hole". A traditional sweep the RB is basically footracing to the outside no matter what because its specifically targeting the outside. Hope that makes sense.
Something that makes guys uncomfortable to even talk about.
