Tweaking Inside Zone with Ben Johnson
Ben Johnson and the Bears carry a full menu of Inside Zone variations. They called 80 snaps of it in 2025. I break this down into 5 sections in the Bears Manual.
The table below shows the overall usage of Inside Zone, combining the data from all 5 sections.
Today I want to highlight a version of Split Zone called from an 11 personnel I formation. Three receivers and the tight end lined up as the fullback. The Bears tag the slot receiver on the front side to “Slide” across before the slicer.
The Slide route is designed to widen the EMOL for the slicer, working on his tail. The Bears are able to pick up a decent gain against a Bear front in this clip. With 11 personnel on the field, the Cowboys match with their nickel. With the Slide route, the BSWR has to block the first off-ball player in the box. The ball hits right down the hash, in the back side B-gap.
With the stunt, the tight end helps on the defensive end instead of blocking the Will.
I put together a concept-based breakdown of Ben Johnson’s offense. Over 500 pages, I provide more detail on one of the most well-designed offenses in the NFL than you will find anywhere else. Click below to check it out.
