Mirror Blocking Progression for Wide Receivers

By Dan Shula
Wide Receivers Coach
Florida Atlantic University
Twitter: @danshula14

Introduction:

The key to any elite offense is generating explosive plays. Generating big plays dramatically increases your team’s chances to score points. For example, here at Florida Atlantic during the 2015 season, 78% of our touchdown drives contained at least 1 explosive play. 

How can WRs help an offense generate more explosive plays? The obvious ways are by catching deep balls and generating yards after catch on shorter routes. However, the far less glamorous way to aid the offense is in the run game. Last season, on our runs of 20+ yards, a WR made a key block on 67% of those runs. It’s these important blocks that turn 7 yard runs into 40 yard TDs. It’s these important blocks that turn a drive that ends in a FG into a drive that ends in a touchdown.

Drill Objective:

This drill is designed for outside WRs that are attempting to block a defender downfield in space.  This type of block typically happens on an outside run or screen.  It is ideal for the WR to give the ball carrier a “2 way go,” meaning the ball carrier has the option to break either inside or outside of the WR. This makes the movements made by the defender much less predictable.  The WR must be able to adjust to the defender and which way he breaks.

The Mirror Progression is made up of 3 phases

• Phase 1: Mirror (hands behind back)
• Phase 2: Mirror (hands in front, punch)
• Phase 3: Diamond drill

Phase 1: Mirror (Hands Behind Back)