On the Line of Scrimmage
At times, Shanahan sent 21 personnel onto the field, and then positioned his fullback on the line of scrimmage as if he were a tight end. Since his FBs were often sub-par receivers, defenders paid them limited attention, and sometimes lost the FBs in coverage.
This was certainly the case in the second example, where DiMarco lines up on the line of scrimmage, with one of the most dangerous receivers in the NFL — Julio Jones — next to him in a reduced split.
Also adding to the defense’s confusion, RB Tevin Coleman, a skilled receiver out of the backfield, lines up behind DiMarco.
After the snap, Ryan drops back, and Jones runs a drive route underneath DiMarco. The Indianapolis Colts linebacker is flat-footed as he waits to see whether Coleman will go out on a route.
As DiMarco makes contact with the cornerback, the free safety sees Jones streaking across the field.
The linebacker is still waiting for Coleman to make a move, but he appears to be staying in to block.
Both the safety and the corner are focused on Jones, which leaves DiMarco uncovered on the corner route.
At this point, there are no defenders between DiMarco and the end zone.
Ryan first steps up to avoid the rush.
Ryan then floats the ball towards the end zone, and DiMarco catches the easy touchdown pass.