Winning With Bunch

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 best examples from the 2023 season. 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. 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: