In the jet sweep offense, the offensive team wants the opposing defensive coordinator to expect "jet" out of every formation. The defense will look for the running back to determine the most likely side that the jet will be run, but shifting the back, running the play out of empty formations as well as just running jet away from the halfback can certainly damage that tendency.
Not only can the jet be run out of multiple formations, but all of the complimentary runs and passes off of the jet can be run from those same multiple sets. Yet the basic jet can be run with the same schemes (tackle reach "C"/guard pull) out of all of these formations.
Running jet out of "tempo" can also limit the ability of the defense to recognize alignment tendencies to run the jet.
Here are some different sets, shifts, and motions that can be utilized by the offense to run the jet sweep attack.
Jet can be run to a tight end as well as a tight end/wing set. The play might get around the edge of the defense, but more than likely there will be cutback seams as defenders are reached, hooked, and overrun the play. The tight end reach/hooks just like the tackle.
Here the flanker motions to a wing position like he is just motioning to the other side of the formation. Once he gets in wing position he accelerates and receives the jet handoff. Normal blocking rules apply. When in a compressed set, it would be easy to double the OLB who is the force player and arc the running back as the lead block. Essentially against a balanced defense like the 40, you have 5 blockers against 4 defenders which is every offensive coordinator's dream since the jet play doesn't block any "A" or "B" gap lineman or LB stunt.
In this jet sweep the receiver to the jet side aligns as a compressed flanker rather than a wing back. He is able to crack the force defender and allow the tight end to work up and seal the stack linebacker. Against 3-3 stack defenses, the tight end and receiver would need to communicate how they would handle blocking those two defenders. The offense has the running back to arc on the cornerback. The quarterback fake inside is important to help hold the middle linebacker. The center needs to keep the nose from slanting to the play and working quickly down the LOS as well as escaping a nose that plays straight or slants away. Escaping him will allow the center a chance to cut off the middle linebacker. His rule is block "A" gap to MLB.
Jet away from trips needs to be a staple of the offense. Often teams will over compensate to the trips and become vulnerable back to the weak side. The wide receiver cracks the alley and the guard pulls to block the stack linebacker. The center should take a wide angle to seal the MLB. This play can also be run to a solo TE.
Here is a tight end trips set with a wing who quickly goes in motion and attacks the weak side.
Shifting can cause the defense to set their defense and then have to make adjustments. This means that they have less time to consider where the jet sweep might come from. Here the offense goes from trips left to thrips right and then motions to run jet. The blocking schemes remain the same.
This two tight end, two wing formation still allows the offense to run jet either way.
One way to keep the defense from guessing the side of the jet play is to run jet with the running back. He will need to widen slightly so he can get three or four motion steps before the snap. Here it appears that the offense will run jet sweep left because the halfback is aligned to that side. But the jet is actually being run by that back towards the trips. This would be a good formation to call the jet at the line of scrimmage based on the adjustment to the trips by the defense. "Blue" means jet left, while "red" means jet right.
It is important to misdirect the defense to keep too many defenders from guessing jet one way or the other. and quickly pursuing the sweep. On this jet sweep the halfback is set to the left in a 2x2 formation but the jet motion come away from that alignment. There are other complimentary plays and passes to use as misdirection in the jet offense as well, with some of them away from the RB also.
In the next jet sweep session, we will look at other methods to keep the defense guessing such as unusual formations, shifts and motions.