The NFL is a game of positions and specialties, and one position that’s become particularly valuable in recent years is the slot receiver. Physically, these players tend to be smaller and faster than the traditional wide receivers, and they’re becoming increasingly important to teams that want to keep pace with the league’s top passing offenses. However, not all teams use slot receivers to the same extent, and some do so far more than others — making them extremely difficult to defend.
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A slot is a narrow aperture or groove, usually on an airplane wing or tail, used for a high-lift system or to control the aircraft’s flight. Slots are also a common feature on helicopters and other small aircraft, where they’re used to reduce drag and improve maneuverability.
The term “slot” is also used in computer science to refer to a specific position within a sequence of data or instructions. This is because computer programs often have to deal with sequences of numbers that aren’t evenly spaced, and a “slot” represents an ideal place in the data where the next piece of information can be stored.
In addition to their duties as receivers, slot players are often asked to play a role in the running game, blocking for both running backs and wide receivers. They’ll often be called into pre-snap motion by the quarterback and run across the field to provide protection on outside run plays, picking up blitzes from linebackers and secondary players and helping to shield RBs from defenders.
As more and more airlines increase their capacity, they must balance their schedules to ensure that every flight gets to its destination on time. Air traffic managers use a process known as slots to limit the number of flights allowed to take off and land at a given airport on any given day. This allows them to avoid the repeated delays that can occur when too many flights try to depart or land at a busy airport. Moreover, it helps to minimize fuel burn by ensuring that each aircraft is on the ground when it should be instead of in the air and burning excess fuel. In the long run, it can lead to significant savings in terms of both cost and time.