Jumbo Formation
Jumbo is the heavy package: extra linemen or three tight ends, no wide receivers and the quarterback under center, built to win the push at the goal line.
Tip: Count the dots packed along the line: six or more linemen and tight ends shoulder to shoulder, with nobody split wide, means Jumbo.
How to Spot It
Jumbo looks crowded. Every offensive dot is squeezed toward the middle of the field, and nobody is split out near the sideline. The quarterback is under center, which means he takes the snap with his hands right behind the center, and one or two backs stand behind him.
Now count the dots on the line. A normal offensive line has five players. Jumbo adds a sixth or seventh lineman, or brings in three tight ends, so you see six, seven or even eight blockers side by side. A tight end may stand a step back and outside as a wing, still close enough to block. If any player is out wide by the numbers, it is probably not Jumbo.
The defense usually answers with its own heavy group. Look for eight or more defenders in the box, the area near the ball between and just outside the offensive tackles, and very few defensive backs. In cover0 that front is often the Goal Line front. Heavy offense facing heavy defense is the clearest sign you are looking at Jumbo.
When Teams Use It
Jumbo comes out when the offense needs a yard or two: third and one, fourth and short, and snaps right at the goal line. The goal is simple. Put more blockers at the point of attack than the defense has tacklers. Most Jumbo plays are runs straight ahead or a quarterback sneak.
Because everyone expects a run, Jumbo is also a good place for a surprise. A tight end, or a lineman who has reported to the referee as an eligible receiver, can slip out for a short pass after a play-action fake, where the quarterback pretends to hand off first. It is rare overall. In the plays cover0 draws from, Jumbo fell from 0.8 percent of snaps in 2016 to 0.3 percent in 2022.
History
One rookie made the heavy goal line package famous. In 1985, Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka put William "Refrigerator" Perry, a first-round defensive tackle, into his short-yardage offense. On Monday night, October 21, 1985, Perry blocked for two Walter Payton touchdowns and scored on a 1-yard run himself in a 23-7 win over Green Bay. He scored again on a 1-yard run in Super Bowl XX, which the Bears won 46-10.
Other teams borrowed from their defense too. Under Bill Belichick, New England linebacker Mike Vrabel lined up at tight end in goal line sets and caught touchdown passes from Tom Brady in Super Bowl XXXVIII against Carolina and Super Bowl XXXIX against Philadelphia. In 2012, Jim Harbaugh's San Francisco 49ers sometimes lined up Leonard Davis, a 6-foot-6 offensive lineman, at tight end as an extra blocker.
Jumbo has become rarer as offenses spread out, but every team still keeps a heavy package for the goal line.
Coaches Known for It
Mike Ditka. As Chicago's head coach in 1985, he used rookie defensive tackle William Perry as a goal line blocker and ball carrier. Perry scored in Super Bowl XX, a 46-10 Bears win over New England.
Bill Belichick. His Patriots used linebacker Mike Vrabel as a goal line tight end. Vrabel caught a 1-yard touchdown in Super Bowl XXXVIII and a 2-yard touchdown in Super Bowl XXXIX, both New England wins.
Jim Harbaugh. In 2012 his San Francisco 49ers sometimes lined up offensive lineman Leonard Davis at tight end as an extra blocker.
How Often It's Used
Share of the plays cover0 could label each season.
| Season | Share |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.8% |
| 2017 | 0.7% |
| 2018 | 0.6% |
| 2019 | 0.5% |
| 2020 | 0.5% |
| 2021 | 0.4% |
| 2022 | 0.3% |
| 2023 | 0.4% |
| 2024 | 0.3% |
| 2025 | 0.4% |
Charted by NFL Next Gen Stats through 2022 and by FTN Data from 2023, so part of any jump between 2022 and 2023 comes from the change of source.
More offensive formations
Sources
- ESPN: MNF moments, the Fridge scores (opens in a new tab)
- Chicago Bears: Hicks TD reminds Thayer of Fridge mania (opens in a new tab)
- ESPN: Vrabel catches second Super Bowl touchdown (2005) (opens in a new tab)
- Tennessee Titans: Mike Vrabel was a Super Bowl star during his playing days (opens in a new tab)
- San Francisco 49ers: 49ers pack extra punch on O-line (2012) (opens in a new tab)
- Associated Press via Fox Sports: Leonard Davis literally a big addition to 49ers (2012) (opens in a new tab)
Written for cover0. Usage numbers come from the play data credited on the About page.