Oakland Raiders Film Room: Week 2 (HOU)

Defense

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Texans use 11 personnel (1 RB, 2 TE, 3 WR) in this zone run (all OL takes a step to the left to block) against Oakland’s nickel package in man-free coverage (man coverage, with 1 safety playing deep over the top). Fitzpatrick carries out a read-option like fake after the handoff, but since he simply makes a clear handoff and doesn’t ride the RB through the mesh point while making a read it’s just a designed handoff. Here we see no special or fancy blocking tactics on Houston’s part. They simply steamroll the Oakland defenders, working from first level double-teams to second level blocking expertly. Houston manages to push the entire defense backward and basically throw around Raiders LB Miles Burris like a rag doll, giving a patient Arian Foster enough time to trot behind the line and wait for a hole to open up.