Backside 2i vs 1-tech Against Outside Zone
For teams that can get away with it, playing a 2i as opposed to a 1-tech on the backside of outside zone runs is the way to go. Here's why.
In studying two seasons of the Los Angeles Rams’ possession-and-10 calls, as one does, I stumbled upon something. Towards the back end of the 2018 season and into the 2019 season, defenses began deploying more 2i defensive tackles as opposed to the traditional 1-tech or 0-tech nose guards. More specifically, defenses tried to set up that 2i opposite of where the Rams’ outside zone runs would go. Some teams, such as the Bears and Lions, attempted to run mirrored fronts with this alignment, setting both tackles at 2i positions.
Before moving any further, I also want to quickly state that this is not a new strategy to handle outside zone, nor is it one specifically designed for the Rams. Teams have been doing this for years and against plenty of other teams. Just a cursory look over a few games of offenses such as the 2016/2017 Falcons, 2017 Bears, 2018 Vikings, etc. proves this is neither Rams-specific or new — just a trend I happened to pick up on while watching the Rams. So, as you’ll see, the examples I draw for this piece aren’t all against the Rams.
The Groundwork
Anyway, as more and more of these 2i plays showed up on film, it appeared as though 2i defensive tackles deployed specifically to the back side of outside zone run plays were an issue for Sean McVay’s Rams. A core function of outside zone is the center being able to combination block the tackles while working to the second level, but with the back side defensive tackle no longer sitting in a 1-tech position, those combination blocks with the center and weak guard became unworkable.
This led me to asking The Guys about whether what I “found” in the Rams film catalog had merit. After deliberation, resident Canadian and Pro Football Focus analyst Seth Galina went as far as to look into PFF’s data. Galina found that, at least last season, back side 2i defensive tackles did indeed churn out better results for the defenses in which they were deployed.
The idea is that the extra foot or so of space afforded to the defensive tackle by aligning at a 2i is such that the center can not work back to help combo block him or else he puts his ability to climb to the second level in danger. Even just a half-step away from the play side by the center would almost certainly be enough to derail his path to the linebacker, so attempting that back side combination block simply is not worth it. Sometimes all the center gets to provide is a quick jab toward the back side tackle anyway, and you won’t see every center helping back side on every outside zone call, but that jab alone can be what it takes to slow down the defensive tackle just enough. Without any of that, the back side guard is then left on an island.
For clarity’s sake, the chart above (provided by Coach Up) is roughly what I will be referencing when talking about different techniques. The 2i alignment, which can be found on the second row, is over the guard’s inside shoulder. Conversely, the traditional 1-tech spot is on the center’s outside shoulder (or at the midpoint of the gap between the center and guard). At a glance, the difference in alignment between a 2i versus a 1-tech does not seem major — both are still playing somewhere between the guard and center’s midpoints after all — but this particular shift in alignment fundamentally changes how outside zone is allowed to be blocked.
Backside 1-tech (Standard)
Now let’s see that difference in action. Below is a basic clip of what outside zone vs a backside 1-tech looks like.
I tried to find a play that was neither a stop by the defense, nor a monster gain by the offense. Just a nice, solid gain from the offense generated in part because of how the center interacted with the 1-tech. This will act as our baseline for comparing what outside zone looks like vs a backside 2i.
Backside 2i
First, let us also set the table for what a 2i player needs to be or do that a traditional 1-tech may not. A 1-tech is typically a true nose tackle along the lines of Damon Harrison or Danny Shelton. Rather than penetration, their job (or expectation) is to hold or crack the double team without losing ground across the line of scrimmage. On the other hand, the 2i should be facing no such double teams. Their job, instead, is to fight through the backside A gap. Quicker, more nimble defensive tackles are better suited to get the job done.
Here is an example of what it can look like when the 2i works into the gap without necessarily winning with sheer quickness. A quick jab from the center could have been enough for the weak guard to work to a more favorable position and seal the defensive tackle out of the gap. However, the 2i player went unimpeded, which meant he could seamlessly convert from being parallel with the guard to working past the inside shoulder.
In many ways, this does not look functionally different from plenty of other outside zone plays wherein the defensive features a weak 1-tech. As mentioned before, there are plenty of instances where the center does not touch the 1-tech either, be that because of the angles needed to get to certain second-level players or the faith placed in the weak guard or what have you. The point, rather, is that having a 2i as opposed to a 1-tech more often guarantees that the weak defensive tackle is getting this 1-on-1, instead of leaving it up to the discretion of the center or what have you.
That guarantee is a godsend for quick defensive tackles. Be it sharp reactions to the snap, raw explosion, or a deadly blend of both, defensive tackles who can win at the snap are why this 2i alignment can be menacing. The alignment “unlocks” their ability to shoot through the backside A gap and force the runner away from the formation.
Here is a clip from Denver’s matchup against the Vikings that show the payoff of this alignment.
The Vikings run outside zone to the strength of the formation, but the Broncos’ 2i defensive tackle bursts through the line to shut it down. Mike Purcell (98), the 2i in this instance, has a clear inside track through the backside A gap at the point the guard makes contact with him. The guard was never able to recover, as it would be damn near impossible to do so from that position, which meant Purcell was able to corral Cook between himself and the rest of the Broncos defense clogging up the strength of the formation.
Minnesota’s center was not able to provide any help to the back side guard. Denver’s 2i was able to fire right off the ball and into the A-gap, putting them right in front of the running back each time. That is exactly what teams are aiming for in deploying a 2i opposite outside zone.
In Closing
To be clear: this 2i alignment is not a catch-all cheat code. Not every team is going to be able to get away with it, nor does it work to its full potential every single time, even for teams who can make use of it.
As mentioned a few times now, it appears to require a defensive tackle with some nimbleness. Not every 1-tech type player has that balance on the move and/or quickness to scoot over to the 2i and be more of a gap shooter. Traditional 1-techs are generally bigger, stouter players meant for plugging the gap they reside in, not shooting through the line for a tackle for loss. Even in the handful of clips above, you see players such as Cam Heyward and Derek Wolfe — players not traditionally thought of or deployed as 1-tech types — playing the 2i role rather than, say, a Damon Harrison or Danny Shelton.
So while the numbers provided by PFF at the top of the article indicate a 2i is more effective and my subjective view echoes that, I would not go as far as to say every team should be aiming for this all the time. For one, not every team has defensive tackles flexible enough for that. Perhaps this study/article/whatever could help make the case that teams should be searching for players who can fill that role, but even so, there will never be a world where all 32 teams can meet that end all at once.
There is also no guarantee that a team will be running away from the 2i deployed on the field, so it is not as though defenses can recreate this exact situation whenever they please. Offenses have answers. Trapping the 2i player, for instance, is a viable answer to coax the defense into moving that nose tackle back to a 1-tech position. The Rams themselves, who inspired this article to begin with, even did so against the Bears.
Additionally, the stats favoring 2i usage may not necessarily be an indication that 2i is the superior alignment, but rather that teams who can do it are having success with it, whereas teams who can not do it are actively trying to keep themselves out of that situation, thus skewing the numbers in a positive light for 2i alignments.
I really just thought this was a cool answer to heavy outside zone teams and wanted to look into it. Sorting out the exact use cases, requisite personnel, and “true” effectiveness would take much more film study and data, but I wanted to put something into words to solidify, at least to myself, this general idea of what a backside 2i is supposed to do.
Thanks for reading my ramblings on a part of football I admittedly do not know as much about. Until next time ✌🏻