In this Mushroom Society episode, long-time NFL offensive line coach Joe Philbin breaks down five-man empty protection and the pass protection principles that support it.
Coach Philbin explains why five-man protection can stress a defense, how empty formations affect defensive calls, and why offensive linemen must understand the quarterback’s launch point. He also covers the core fundamentals of pass protection, including the set, punch, mirror, inside-out leverage, clean A and B gaps, and one-on-one confidence.
In This Episode:
- Why five-man protection belongs in an offense
- How empty formations can simplify defensive answers
- Protecting the quarterback’s launch point
- Keeping the A and B gaps clean
- Building an inside-out pass protection mindset
- Teaching the set, punch, and mirror
- Why one-on-one pass protection still has to be trained
- How the offensive line, quarterback depth, and route concepts must work together
- Using simple count rules in five-man protection
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