How to Make a Defender Miss (Brian Westbrook)

GET DOWNFIELD:
After you've secured the ball, you want to make sure to get your momentum going down field. This forces defenders to react to you and your progress, versus them coming up and making a play on you. You basically want to put them in a defensive posture. Once you've turned downfield you should also get your speed up and gain as much positive yardage as possible.

SQUARE DEFENDER'S FEET:
When a potential tackler enters your path, you want to approach him at an angle that puts his feet square to you. If his feet are square to you, it gives you the freedom to make your move to either side right or left. If his feet are angled one way and he's forcing you in one direction, you won't have as much of that freedom. Best to keep him squared up in your approach.

SWITCH HIS HIPS:
The key to getting a tackler out of position is making him adjust his hips. If you fake inside or outside and get him to turn his hips that way, you can quickly cut back and force him to turn his hips again. Now you've forced him to turn his hips twice, which is very difficult to recover from. Once his hips are switched, you can either cut back with a quick step or spin off him.

BLOW PAST HIM:
Once your defender's off-balance and you've got that step, it's time to turn on the jets. A quick burst of speed will prevent the tackler from recovering, and your speed will make it more difficult for the next defender to get his hands on you. Remember, after you've blown past a tackler, keep your eyes up field and see where the best path for maximum yardage is.