Acme Packing Company
Today we break down the duo run concept, the Packers' most efficient run game design in 2024.
The Green Bay Packers, under head coach Matt LaFleu,r have a diverse run game that they lean heavily into in a variety of ways. When most fans think of LaFleur, they think of the outside zone blocking scheme he adopted from his time in the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree. But for the last several seasons, LaFleur has been leaning heavily into between-the-tackles runs (inside zone, power, counter, duo, etc.), and in 2024, their most efficient run game concept was “duo.”
Duo is a great concept to lean into the way the Packers have because it provides the zone scheme running teams in the Shanahan tree a nice change of pace to the outside zone blocking scheme. It provides several answers to the offense in response to what a defense might do and we’ll show how below.
On “duo,” commonly referred to as “power without the puller,” the offensive line blocks the defensive front with a series of double team blocks, making the running back’s read the middle linebacker in the second level. It is a downhill vertical running game concept that looks like inside zone but is considered a gap scheme run because it creates new gaps along the front by displacing defenders with the double team blocks.
In the Shanahan tree installs, the play design tells the running back to “react to the flow,” “set track for the B-gap,” “aim for the inside hip of the playside tackle,” and “read the first playside linebacker’s response.”
In Matt LaFleur’s offense, the running back presses the A-gap rather than the B-gap
Just like outside zone, in the running back’s first three steps toward the A or B-gap, he reads the run fit of the MIKE linebacker to determine if he is going to stay on an inside track in the B-gap or bounce to the edge away from the defender. Wherever the MIKE fits, there should be a crease away from him.
The play requires the patience to let the blocks develop and the ability to set up the MIKE linebacker for failure. As Josh Jacobs presses the B-gap, the middle linebacker tries to fit the run in the interior play side B-gap. As he does, Jacobs shows his quick 1-cut ability and sneaks through a small crease that opens away from the interior point of attack. The result is a 14 yard gain.
In 2024, it was the Packers most efficient running game concept. They called it 56 times throughout the course of the season. They ranked 7th in yards per game and 8th in yards after contact per carry. They were 5th in total rushing yards on duo and scored once on the concept.
They had the 9th lowest run stuff percentage and the 7th highest broken+missed tackle rate, forcing a broken or missed tackle on 21.4% of duo rushing attempts. They also had the 6th highest EPA per rushing attempt and...
