How the BC Lions use the tex stunt

When O-linemen widen out their splits and play individual D-lineman too aggressively you may want to use a pass rush game. Pass rush games take advantage of blocking patterns the O-line uses by exploiting weaknesses in their protection.

One of my favorite pass rush games of all time is the TEX stunt (tackle first end second). The Tex stunt is great to use not only in man to man blocking schemes, but also in zone protections when the lineman have large enough splits in between them.

Today I will be breaking down the ins and outs on how to run a perfect TEX stunt. Here is the full clip I will be breaking down...

The Defensive Tackle Breakdown

1) Rush the guard

The DT must knock down the hands of the guard to prevent the guard from pushing him out of the B gap and into the DE's rush lane. If the DT gets too wide this will ruin the entire stunt.

2) Pin the tackle's hip

Pinning the tackle's hip prevents him from recovering and getting his hands on the DT.

3) Snap off the tackle

No point in pinning the tackle if the DT can't get off of him. Snapping violently off the tackle will prevent the O-lineman from holding him and get the DT's weight moving toward the QB.

4) Locate the QB

The most important part of all of this is making sure to locate the QB after snapping. The DT should key the back shoulder to ensure that he can react to a spin out or step up from the QB.

The Defensive End Breakdown

1) Get off the ball

The DE is responsible for getting the tackle off of the DT. If the DE doesn't get off the ball before or simultaneously with the DT the tackle will sit on the DT and prevent him from getting up the field.

2) Entertain the tackle

The DE needs to shimmy, shake and do whatever is necessary to keep the tackles eyes on him. This give the DT time to pin his hip.

3) Check for the center

The worst thing that can happen to a DE is getting blind sided by a center when wrapping around the DT. To prevent this the DE needs to check down the line to ensure the center is not coming to block him.

4) Loop to the A gap

Once the DE has identified that the center isn't coming, he needs to hit the A gap hard and make sure his hips are turned to the guard so that he can pass rush him if he blocks back.

5) Locate the QB

Once the DE is past the guard he needs to find the QB and make the play.

Support

If you liked this breakdown, I have more just like it in my book The Pass Rush Bible.

It features 31+ chapters with 100+ GIF examples on how to become a top tier pass rusher. You can get it now by clicking here.

-Craig over and out