Cutup Friday: 2022 Detroit Lions Counter Weak

The Lions were committed to Counter being a staple run in 2022. The following breakdown is taken directly from The 2022 Detroit Lions Complete Offensive Manual.

The cutup at the end of the breakdown shows 12 minutes of the Lions running Counter Weak.

Counter is the backbone of the Lions run game. They feature plenty of outside zone schemes, but they run Counter more often than any team I have studied.

The Lions are very multiple in how they run their base version of Counter, Counter Weak. They use plenty of misdirection, specifically out of 21 personnel. The misdirection allows the front side double team to stick longer.

The Lions like to use a slot receiver to bluff the PSDE. This bluff action widens the defensive end, making the kickout block easier. It also creates a larger hole for the second puller to get through. This bluff action can be seen in the 1^st diagram.  

The 21 personnel versions are great against under fronts. Double team the 3 technique. Use the tight end or fullback as the extra sealer on the back side.

Why it Worked: The variation shown in the 4^th diagram went for a nice gain in week 7. The use of misdirection fast motion holds the BSLB and allows for a longer double team at the point of attack.  

In week 14, the Lions use some misdirection to get some leverage on the Vikings defense. The Vikings rotate strong with the shuffle motion of the fullback. The linebackers also play the fullback’s path, which leaves them in poor position to the weak side counter. The next image shows the play.

Why it Didn’t Work: In week 3, the Vikings do a good job of spilling the run to the Nickel defender out of two high, in a 2x2 formation. The next image shows how the ball bounces out to the unblocked defender fitting from space.

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The video below is a 12 Minute Cutup of Counter Weak