In the New York Giants’ preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings, quarterback Jaxson Dart dropped back on a routine play and was looking left when pressure arrived from his right. Running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. drifted toward the right, tried to reverse course and slipped; Vikings safety Jay Ward then sprinted in and leveled Dart at the midfield logo. Dart went through the concussion sideline exam and later returned.
Giants coach John Harbaugh said, ‘There’s no way he should have been hit there. It just shouldn’t have happened. It was a basic protection.’ The play underscored an often-overlooked aspect of the position: a running back’s responsibility in pass protection.
Pass-blocking ability can determine roster spots, playing time and contract opportunities. Bengals running back Samaje Perine, noted in the league for his work in pass protection, described the matchup as ‘mano a mano,’ adding that when linemen have others covered ‘it’s just me and you, and may the best man win.’ Perine’s background includes setting the NCAA single-game rushing record with 427 yards in 2014 against Kansas. In a 10-year NFL career he has averaged 4.5 yards per carry or more in five of his past six seasons and has earned nearly $14 million.
Coaches often call on running backs in ‘jet’ protection, where the offensive line slides and the back is responsible for picking up an extra blitzer. That scenario frequently pits a stationary back against a defender weighing 200 pounds or more sprinting toward the pocket.
Veterans have passed along similar advice. After his rookie year in 2017, Aaron Jones recalled asking Brian Westbrook how to improve in pass protection; Jones quoted Westbrook as saying, ‘That’s your mom in the pocket. Are you going to let him touch your mom?’ DeMarco Murray, then a position coach at Oklahoma, told Rhamondre Stevenson that pass-blocking proficiency would generate more interest from teams. Stevenson was drafted in the fourth round and is set to enter his sixth season with the New England Patriots; he has noted how a successful pass block can give a quarterback time to deliver a deep ball.
