Le’Veon Bell finished an excellent 2014 season 2nd in the NFL in both rushing and yards from scrimmage. One of offensive coordinator Todd Haley’s go to run plays for Bell was the OF Counter (Also referred to as power counter). The O=Offensive lineman and F=Fullback, and the play has elements of both power and counter. Let’s analyze the concept further:
The Steelers run the OF Counter here from “22” personnel, with two tight ends, a fullback and running back Le’Veon Bell. As noted above, OF Counter involves two pullers, the guard and the fullback. Thus, the Steelers “leave 2” defenders on the front side of the play for the pullers. (the circled Bengals). The OF Counter is run from a few different formations, and is executed with the following rules:
- Backside Fullback/H-back: Pull through hole and up to second level
- Backside Tackle: Block on or back
- Backside Guard: Pull and look for kick out
- Center: Block on or back
The front side blocking responsibilities depend on the formation, as the Steelers run the OF Counter from multiple sets and personnel groupings. Overall, the goal of the front side is to block down on the edge defenders. The quarterback reverse pivots out to give a mixed flow read. The running back takes his first step laterally to coincide with the quarterbacks and then takes a gather step before cutting and attacking play side.
Bell exhibits excellent patience on his TD run and sets up his blockers beautifully. He presses the defense laterally and makes Adam Jones (#24) believe he is trying to run outside, which allows the second puller (#83 Heath Miller) the get to the second level. David DeCastro (#66) pulls and kicks out the linebacker who has replaced the down block. Bell then cuts inside what is now a huge hole and finishes the run strong:
Later in the game the Steelers run the same play from the same personnel grouping and motion. The Bengals over shift to the motion and are left outnumbered, with the weakside linebacker inside the Steelers left tackle despite the tight end and H-back. The Bengals are out leveraged even though cornerback Adam Jones (#24) inserts himself as the ninth box defender.
The next week, the Falcons defense gets sucked too far downhill and inside. The Steelers don’t use motion this time. The pulling guard continues up field and hooks his man while the pulling fullback doesn’t touch a defender until ten yards down field. Bell has great patience, vision, and quickness to wind this play all the way to the edge. His ability to do so makes it tough for edge defenders to make a play; if they play for an outside run, he can cut on a dime up the field. If they play for an inside run, he can quickly get outside.
Below, the Steelers run OF Counter from the same formation and personnel, except this time the linebackers diagnose the play quickly, scrape fast and flow over the top (#59 and #56). The pulling Steelers are noted in yellow:
The Steelers adjust on the fly; pulling guard David DeCastro treats #56 as the kick out blocker and delivers a pancake block while the pulling fullback works through the hole. The Panthers flowing over the top squeezes the play, but Le’Veon bell recognizes this, puts his left foot in the ground and cuts up field between the tackles for an 11 yard gain:
OF Counter can be run away from the tight end & fullback side as well from 22 personnel. Below, the Steelers line up a tight end and their fullback to the right with only a tight end to their left. The play is still being run to the Steelers left, but the formation makes the edge down blocks easier for the front side of the play, and makes it more clear for the pullers which defenders the “leave 2” will be.
The Steelers have also shown the ability to run the concept from “12” personnel or two tight ends and a running back. The advantage here is one less defender in the box, but now a wide receiver (#11 Markus Wheaton) must also contribute by at least getting his hands on a linebacker. Safety Reggie Nelson (#20) comes flying in at the bottom of the screen, but is easily kicked out by the pulling guard to open a huge lane for Bell:
There is one tendency the Steelers have revealed with the OF Counter: they clearly prefer to run the play going left, with David DeCastro as the pulling guard. However, the play can be run from several formations and personnel groupings. More importantly, Bell can “make the blockers right” with his athleticism, patience, and vision. These two factors make the play effective even when defenses know what’s coming. Overall, the OF Counter is a staple in the offense and an excellent concept to use with an athletic guard, a surplus of tight end/fullback/H-back type players, and a running back with patience and vision. For those interested in the OF Counter the 2014 Steelers at Bengals tape is essentially must watch clinic tape. Below is another example of the Steelers gashing the Bengals with the concept:
