The traditional fullback was supposed to be a dying breed. Then Patrick Ricard reminded everyone what happens when 300 pounds of football intelligence meets a desperate defense. It was overtime in Cincinnati, October 2024, and the Baltimore Ravens needed one violent burst to break the game open. Derrick Henry lined up behind Ricard as Baltimore called an I-formation toss to the left.
Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson threatened the edge, slipping outside receiver Tylan Wallace’s attempted block. Ricard spotted the danger and changed assignments, picking up Hendrickson while Wallace climbed toward a defensive back. Henry found daylight and exploded for 51 yards, setting up the winning field goal. The collision barely registered in the box score, leaving Ricard without a rushing yard, touchdown, or statistical reward for saving the play.
Yet that split-second adjustment explained something important about modern NFL football. Coaches have spent years replacing dedicated lead blockers with receivers and versatile tight ends, chasing speed and flexibility at every position. But in gap-blocking run schemes, a traditional fullback still brings something difficult to replicate: the ability to turn a collapsing running lane into a clean path through defensive traffic.
How the NFL Nearly Abandoned Its Toughest Backfield Job
Football’s personnel revolution did not happen overnight. As offenses spread across the field, coordinators increasingly valued players who could threaten defenses through the air. A second running back meant one fewer receiver, and that arithmetic worked against the fullback. Front offices gradually began treating dedicated lead blockers as roster luxuries they could no longer afford.
The numbers tell a brutal story. According to TruMedia data reported by The Washington Post in January 2024, fullbacks accounted for 1.4% of NFL offensive snaps in 2014. That figure had fallen to just 0.7% during the 2023 season, reflecting how dramatically offensive personnel preferences had shifted. Traditional two-back formations gradually disappeared from weekly game plans as teams leaned into shotgun runs, three-receiver sets, and movable tight ends.
For a while, the traditional fullback looked like a leftover from another century. But football never stopped demanding ugly work, and somebody still needed to meet a charging linebacker in the hole. Play-callers started outsourcing those collisions to move tight ends, reserve linemen, and running backs willing to sacrifice their bodies. The results weren’t always pretty.
A 250-pound tight end might dominate a smaller defensive back but struggle to redirect a powerful defensive lineman. An extra offensive tackle could supply plenty of muscle without matching a fullback’s mobility through backfield traffic. Coaches discovered that replacing a specialist often meant sacrificing a particular skill rather than eliminating the assignment. That gap between size, movement, and recognition kept the position relevant.
Why Gap-Blocking Run Schemes Still Need a Human Battering Ram
To understand the traditional fullback’s value, start with the difference between zone and gap blocking. In zone concepts, offensive linemen generally work along coordinated tracks, reading defenders and creating lanes through movement. Gap schemes rely more heavily on down blocks, pulling linemen, and deliberate angles of attack. Every player must understand where the defense can penetrate and which teammate will close that opening.
These plays follow strict rules of engagement, even when defenders force adjustments after the snap. A missed assignment can destroy the entire design before the runner reaches the line of scrimmage. That’s where a fullback with practiced footwork and an appetite for contact becomes more valuable than his limited statistical profile suggests.
Power Runs Turn Leverage Into Punishment
Take a classic power concept. The play-side linemen block down, attempting to seal defensive tackles and linebackers away from the intended running lane. Meanwhile, a backside guard pulls across the formation, hunting for a defender he can displace. Depending on the variation, an edge blocker kicks out the defensive end while the pulling guard climbs toward a linebacker.
A traditional fullback can take either job or lead through the opening toward another defender. Imagine a 260-pound defensive end squeezing toward the runner, determined to collapse the gap before it develops. The fullback attacks his shoulder, drives through contact, and widens the edge. Behind that collision, the pulling guard turns upfield with the running back charging into the crease.
One clean block can spring a 20-yard gain, while one mistimed step sends the runner straight into a wall of helmets. The guard and lead blocker must navigate tight quarters without colliding, maintaining enough separation to reach their assigned defenders. Their footwork matters just as much as their strength. For a traditional fullback, that combination of timing, leverage, and violence forms the entire job description.
Counter Runs Reward Discipline Over Brute Strength
Counter attacks a defense’s instincts. The running back takes an initial step away from the intended point of attack, inviting linebackers to follow his movement. Pulling blockers then redirect the action toward the opposite side, hoping those defenders have already committed to the wrong gap. A common variation uses a pulling guard to kick out an edge defender while a second blocker leads through the opening.
That second blocker might be a tackle, tight end, or fullback, depending on the personnel and formation. The traditional fullback becomes especially valuable when defensive movement changes the original assignment. If an edge defender crashes inside, the blocker may need to log him rather than kick him outside. That adjustment redirects the runner toward the perimeter instead of forcing him into penetration.
Nothing about that decision happens slowly. One wrong shoulder can send the defender directly into the backfield, leaving the running back nowhere to escape. The best fullbacks recognize those changes before the collision arrives. Their strength finishes the block, but their eyes make the play possible.
Patrick Ricard Showed Baltimore That Brute Force Still Has a Place
Baltimore’s 2024 offense offered a compelling argument for keeping a dedicated lead blocker. With Henry running behind Ricard and Lamar Jackson threatening defenses with his legs, the Ravens created problems that spread formations alone could not solve. Henry finished the regular season with 1,921 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns, according to official NFL statistics. Those numbers reflected Henry’s extraordinary ability and Baltimore’s collective blocking, with Ricard regularly supplying a collision that let the running back accelerate into space.
The Ravens’ October 2024 film review documented three consecutive games in which Baltimore used I-formation tosses to spring Henry for major gains. Against Buffalo, the play produced 38 yards, while Cincinnati surrendered the 51-yard overtime burst. Washington later conceded another 27-yard run, giving Baltimore three examples of how the same basic look could punish different defenses. Each featured Ricard leading the way, but the surrounding blocking assignments changed.
That variety mattered enormously. A defense that recognizes the formation still has to determine whether the fullback will attack the edge, climb toward a linebacker, or adjust to an unexpected defender. Baltimore gave Ricard the freedom to solve those problems without disrupting Henry’s timing. The offense could look old-fashioned before the snap and become remarkably flexible once the ball moved.
The 87-Yard Run That Exposed Buffalo’s Aggressive Front
Perhaps the clearest example came against the Bills in September 2024. Baltimore faced a defense eager to attack interior gaps, so offensive coordinator Todd Monken used that aggression against Buffalo. Defensive tackle Ed Oliver lined up between right guard Daniel Faalele and right tackle Roger Rosengarten. The Ravens allowed Oliver to penetrate, inviting him into what appeared to be an advantageous position.
Then Ricard struck. As Baltimore’s official film breakdown explained, the fullback delivered a wham block that trapped Oliver inside. That freed Faalele to block down while center Tyler Linderbaum climbed toward the second level, giving Henry the space to accelerate. The result was an 87-yard touchdown that turned one precisely timed collision into a spectacular scoring play.
The design wasn’t a standard power or counter run, but it demonstrated the same principle that makes fullbacks useful in gap-oriented offenses. Precise blocking angles can punish defenders who attack too aggressively, especially when offensive linemen and backfield blockers coordinate their assignments. Ricard didn’t need to overpower Buffalo’s entire defensive line. He needed to hit one man at exactly the right instant, and Henry handled everything that followed.
John Harbaugh Took That Philosophy to New York
The coaching upheaval following the 2025 season gave the fullback another interesting opportunity. After 18 seasons leading Baltimore, John Harbaugh became the New York Giants’ head coach on January 20, 2026. The move sent one of the NFL’s longest-tenured coaches into a franchise seeking a fresh identity, bringing familiar expectations about physical football. In March, New York signed Ricard, reuniting Harbaugh with a player who had spent nine seasons under him in Baltimore.
The acquisition carried a message about the Giants’ offensive priorities. New York wasn’t simply adding a 300-pound blocker for ceremonial goal-line appearances; it wanted someone who understood how to organize traffic in the backfield. Through the Giants’ first six games of 2026, Pro Football Reference credited Ricard with 148 offensive snaps, representing approximately 35% of the team’s offensive plays. That’s meaningful involvement for a specialist whose workload depends heavily on personnel packages and game situations.
Under offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, Ricard gives New York another way to support its downhill running game. Picture a power call behind the right guard, where the offensive line must wash the three-technique defensive tackle away from the intended lane. The pulling blocker then has to locate the linebacker before penetration reaches the runner, with Ricard available to secure another matchup. When everyone executes, the running back can hit the designed opening without slowing to search for daylight.
Of course, the fullback cannot solve everything. A defender who beats the initial down block can wreck the play before the lead blocker arrives, regardless of how well Ricard handles his own assignment. The Giants still need coordinated offensive line play, decisive rushing reads, and enough passing threats to discourage defenders from crowding the box. But Ricard’s presence gives them another tool for dealing with stacked fronts, especially when the defense expects a physical run.
Kyle Juszczyk Proves the Old Position Can Still Fool Modern Defenses
Ricard represents the position’s bruising, old-school identity. Kyle Juszczyk offers the complementary blueprint, showing how a lead blocker can thrive by becoming more than a downhill battering ram. San Francisco’s longtime fullback built his career around movement, receiving ability, and blocking versatility. While the 49ers frequently emphasize outside-zone concepts, Juszczyk has also worked inside more physical running packages.
That distinction matters because a fullback who can threaten multiple blocking schemes becomes harder to diagnose. Defenses cannot simply see two backs and assume a downhill run, particularly when one of them can shift into the slot or release as a receiver. Juszczyk’s receiving ability makes that uncertainty particularly dangerous. A linebacker preparing to crash the line must also consider whether the fullback could slip behind him.
During San Francisco’s January 5, 2025, game against Arizona, Juszczyk caught a 36-yard touchdown pass. The 49ers’ official highlights documented the play, while their season statistics credited him with two receiving touchdowns in 2024. Another NFL highlight captured his physical receiving style as he dragged Cardinals safety Budda Baker through contact on a touchdown catch. Those moments showed a player capable of punishing defenders both before and after the ball reached his hands.
One snap, Juszczyk meets a linebacker in the running lane. The next, he becomes a receiving target who forces a defensive back to finish a difficult tackle. The traditional fullback doesn’t need to become a high-volume receiver to create that uncertainty. He simply needs to give linebackers a reason to hesitate before attacking their assigned gaps.
That hesitation can become the difference between a clean tackle and an explosive run. A defender worried about a route into the flat cannot always charge the line of scrimmage without considering the passing threat. San Francisco’s approach doesn’t mirror Baltimore’s gap-heavy identity, but it reveals how the same position can serve different offensive systems. Ricard emphasizes force and precision, while Juszczyk adds another layer of deception without abandoning the physical demands of the job.
Mike McDaniel Brings Another Fullback Experiment to Los Angeles
The 2026 coaching carousel also reunited another familiar partnership. After four seasons as Miami’s head coach, Mike McDaniel joined the Los Angeles Chargers as offensive coordinator under Jim Harbaugh. McDaniel brought a reputation for creative formations, coordinated blocking, and using player movement to manipulate defensive spacing. His arrival gave Los Angeles another way to blend downhill physicality with misdirection.
In March, the Chargers agreed to a multiyear deal with Alec Ingold, McDaniel’s former fullback in Miami. The reunion made football sense because Ingold had become a trusted part of McDaniel’s Dolphins offense, contributing as a blocker, receiver, and movable piece across several formations. Rather than limiting him to traditional I-formation runs, McDaniel could use his movement to reshape the defense before the snap. That familiarity helps explain why the Chargers invested in a player whose value extends across multiple assignments.
Los Angeles already valued physical football under Jim Harbaugh, and McDaniel’s arrival introduced another layer of personnel flexibility. A two-back formation can threaten an inside run, a counter, a perimeter toss, or play-action without requiring an obvious substitution. The defense must respect all four possibilities while determining which assignment the fullback will execute. Ingold’s job is to make those possibilities look identical until the defense has committed to the wrong response.
New NFL Tracking Technology May Finally Recognize the Fullback’s Dirty Work
For decades, football statistics have treated lead blocking like invisible labor. A running back breaks a tackle and earns the highlight, while an offensive lineman receives praise when the television replay catches his block. The traditional fullback often disappears somewhere between those two moments, even when his collision creates the opening. Coaches recognize the contribution on film, but fans rarely encounter a number that explains it.
In September 2026, NFL Next Gen Stats introduced a new approach to analyzing rushing plays. Its run-scheme classification model identifies 16 different play designs, including concepts associated with gap, zone, and man blocking. A separate blocking-matchup model identifies each offensive player’s blocking assignment, the type of block attempted, and when the engagement begins and ends. Those details offer a more useful starting point for understanding what happens before the runner reaches open field.
On a power run, tracking data can help identify which defender a pulling blocker targeted and how long the engagement lasted. Analysts can examine whether a fullback reached the intended defender, where contact occurred, and how that interaction influenced the play’s development. The system doesn’t simply measure collision force or hand every blocker a definitive victory percentage. NFL Next Gen Stats described the models as a foundation for developing more precise evaluations, rather than a finished answer to every blocking question.
Consider Ricard’s adjustment against Hendrickson in Cincinnati, where a conventional box score captured Henry’s 51 yards but offered almost nothing about the block that preserved the play. More detailed blocking data could eventually help separate the contributions of the runner, offensive line, and lead blocker. That distinction becomes especially useful when evaluating whether a gap scheme failed because of poor execution or simply because a defender beat the design. The goal isn’t to replace film study; it’s to give those overlooked collisions the attention they deserve.
Why the Final Yard Could Decide the Fullback’s Future
Third-and-1 doesn’t care how many receivers an offense dressed that afternoon. The defense crowds the line, linebackers creep toward the gaps, and a coordinator must find a way to move the ball without much room to operate. Fourth-and-inches presents the same challenge, only with greater consequences. At the goal line, one defender slipping through an unprotected gap can turn a promising possession into a crushing missed opportunity.
Those situations expose the value of disciplined gap-blocking run schemes. A traditional fullback gives the offense another way to control a defender at the point of attack, protect the pulling guard’s path, or clear the linebacker waiting beyond the line. His block doesn’t have to send somebody flying backward to matter. Sometimes moving a defender six inches in the wrong direction creates all the space the runner needs.
That kind of precision will determine how coaches use the position going forward. Fullbacks must recognize defensive fronts, handle changing assignments, and contribute outside conventional rushing formations. Special-teams value and reliable pass protection strengthen their case for a roster spot, especially when teams weigh carrying another receiver or defensive contributor. The difference between a useful specialist and an expensive luxury often comes down to how many problems he can solve on a single Sunday.
Ricard’s move to New York, Juszczyk’s versatility in San Francisco, and Ingold’s reunion with McDaniel in Los Angeles reveal three different answers to that challenge. Baltimore’s former battering ram represents physical commitment, while San Francisco’s veteran offers formation flexibility. Los Angeles sees value in pairing a trusted blocker with a creative offensive coach. Each approach demands something slightly different, but all three depend on a fullback who understands the play before the collision arrives.
Of course, the supporting cast still matters. Even the strongest lead blocker cannot rescue a play when three defenders penetrate untouched, and no scheme survives poor communication across the offensive line. Running backs must trust their landmarks, guards must time their pulls, and the quarterback must recognize when the defense has overloaded the intended gap. When those pieces align, one well-placed shoulder can turn crowded turf into open grass.
Think back to that overtime run in Cincinnati. Henry covered 51 yards, and Baltimore celebrated a victory while millions of viewers remembered the running back tearing through open space. Ricard’s contribution lasted only a fraction of that play, but his recognition and adjustment kept Hendrickson from destroying the design. No touchdown, no glamorous statistic, just one perfectly timed intervention that changed the outcome.
That play captures the appeal of the traditional fullback better than any argument about football’s past. He doesn’t need to dominate a highlight reel or touch the ball to shape a game. His job is to find the defender standing between the offense and the yard it desperately needs, then make sure somebody else reaches the other side.
When the defense knows a run is coming, and the offense needs one more yard, who would you rather have cleared the road?
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FAQs
Q1. Why do NFL teams still use traditional fullbacks?
Fullbacks create running lanes, block linebackers, and protect pulling guards. Teams value their ability to win tough yards when defenses crowd the line.
Q2. What does a fullback do in gap-blocking run schemes?
A fullback blocks defenders at specific angles to open running lanes. He can kick out an edge defender or lead through a gap.
Q3. Why was Patrick Ricard important to Derrick Henry’s success?
Ricard helped clear running lanes and adjusted blocks when defenders changed position. His work supported several of Henry’s biggest runs in Baltimore.
Q4. How is Kyle Juszczyk different from a traditional fullback?
Juszczyk combines physical blocking with receiving skills. San Francisco moves him around the formation to keep defenses guessing.
Q5. Can NFL tracking technology measure fullback blocking?
New Next Gen Stats models identify blocking assignments and engagement timing. They help analysts study how individual blocks influence rushing plays.
