One of my favorite ways to run our 2 back power is using unbalanced/overload formations.
We are stilling running our same 2 back power scheme, but we overload the defense by lining up unbalanced and getting an extra hat play side. Most teams who use unbalanced bring a tackle over to where the TE usually plays. This past season my TE was my best down blocker so we just covered him up. I liked this because we still had 2 wide forcing the defense to walk someone out over the slot, but we were still running 2 back power to the TE side.
We had a few overload sets but the diagram below was the main one.
We had a lot of success using this formation running power. In the clips below, both were done near the end of the game where we had to run the clock out to finish off the game, the type of situation where everyone knows you are running the ball. The first clip is from a series where we ran overload 2 back power 5 consecutive plays, to march down the field, while running the clock out, and eventually scoring to end the game and beat our cross town rival. They never adjusted to our overload and we kept pounding the ball.
Yes it sets us up in a very heavy formation to the strong side but i feel it makes play calling easy, it all comes back to numbers and seeing how they adjust. We used this formation for some play action shots and if I felt they were loading up to the overload side, we could run power to the weak side. The clip below is an example of weak side power away from the overload, it isn’t blocked great, we miss a down block, but we are able to punch it in.
The last example I am going to share of an overload set we used on the first play of the game in our 1st round playoff match up. We still covered up the TE, but we removed our slot WR, and replaced him with our usual starting TE (best blocker) and lined him up in a wing position. We are still running power but you will see him work inside and we get both him and our BSG through the hole. 70+ yards untouched is a great way to open the game.
Small adjustments like this are great wrinkles to mix in through out the season. It just expands a base play by using another formation. This can be difficult for a defense to line up to, especially if they haven’t seen it on film to prepare for it. My only caution is to have something ready in the play action game, and back to the weak side, so you can take advantage when they over adjust to stop that strong side run.
