Bunch formations create all kinds of issues for a defense.
Want to play man-to-man against them? Fine, the offense can run a route combination that creates traffic, rubs, or picks.
Want to play the receivers’ releases? Okay, they’ll just break multiple receivers in the same direction, creating chaos and confusion.
Even if defenders are communicating effectively and are prepared for an opponent’s specific route combinations out of bunch, the formation is still going to create free releases for any receiver aligned off the ball. Sometimes, that’s all an offense needs to create a little separation in short-yardage or red-zone situations (where bunches are often used).
Below, I’ll illustrate some of the great examples I’ve seen. Of course, we have to start with the Chiefs and Andy Reid, the master of tormenting defenses in just about every way, including out of bunch.
This particular example was a 3rd-and-2 against the Jets in Week 4 of the 2023 season. New York would match up in straight man-to-man coverage, meaning they would follow their receivers wherever they went:
Both the outside receiver (Travis Kelce) and the inside receiver (Noah Gray) would take their routes inside initially. Cornerback Sauce Gardner would try to follow Kelce and beat him to the middle of the field. But that would end up getting him pinned inside:
The inside defender at the snap (safety Jordan Whitehead) would latch onto Gray and stay inside before attempting to follow him to the perimeter. However, Rashee Rice’s vertical stem created traffic that forced Whitehead to go underneath as he chased Gray, putting him in a trail position:
Whitehead would then see Gardner’s receiver (Kelce) also bring his route back to the outside and no other defender in sight since Sauce was stuck inside. At that point, Whitehead was caught in between Gray and Kelce:
Whitehead came off of Gray, anticipating a throw to Kelce at the sticks. Gray would be left wide open for the touchdown as a result:
Having two receivers break inside or outside from bunch wreaks all kinds of havoc for the defense, as you could see above. It either creates traffic and chaos or it can confuse responsibilities if the defenders are playing the receivers’ releases.
The below play by the Texans against the Jaguars was a great example.
This was a 3rd-and-3. The Jaguars responded to the bunch by having safety Rayshawn Jenkins take the #2 receiver on the line of scrimmage. They would then play the releases of #1 and #3 with cornerback Tre Herndon taking the first receiver to release inside and cornerback Darious Williams taking the first receiver to release outside: