Boston Colleges Nickel Package: Dominant and Opportunistic

Bob Shoop Defensive Secondary Coach Boston College Chestnut Hill, Mass.

n behalf of Boston College football, our head coach, Tom OBrien, our defensive coaches, Frank Spaziani (defensive coordinator), Bill McGovern (linebackers), Keith Willis (defensive line), and our players, it is a great pleasure to contribute to the 2001 AFCA Summer Manual. When game-planning we spend a great deal of time analyzing offensive personnel groupings and down and distance situations. We create a grid such that we study what types of plays our opponent will run out of particular personnel groupings on specific down and distances, and attempt to put ourselves in the best defense to combat what the numbers tell us our opponent will do. Like many of you, we number offensive personnel groupings based on the number of backs and tight ends on the field. Two backs and one tight end is 21 personnel. One back and one tight end is 11 personnel, and so on. With regard to down and distance, we set goals for particular down and distances. It is imperative that we win first down and 10. Nobody runs the ball against us on first and 10. Our goal is to allow two yards or less, and we aim to create negative yardage plays to get a team off schedule. The bottom line for us on third down is a win. We want to get off the field on third down by whatever means possible. We spend a lot of time in meetings and at practice studying our third down package. Our goals are to win third and long 75 percent of the time, to win all third down situations 70 percent of the time, and to be three and out 40 percent of the time. Boston College Nickel Package We base our nickel package out of what we call our tight front. Tight tells the three and seven techniques to align to the tight end side, with our one and five techniques aligning opposite the tight declaration. Our secondary aligns itself in a two-deep shell with the field corner to the field and the boundary corner to the boundary. Our strong safety aligns to the tight end while the free safety aligns opposite the strong safetys declaration. Our nickel back aligns to the passing strength. The linebackers (Mike and Will) base out of three techniques at five yards deep with the Mike going to the declaration of the nickel. Pre-snap, it is our intent that the quarterback sees this look all of the time.

Tight Two Our primary zone coverage is a twodeep five-under concept (Tight 2). Our safeties are deep half players, working 4-5 yards off the hash, playing everything downhill. We stress that they get a hard read off the quarterback such that when his feet get set we hope to get our safeties shoulders turned in the direction that his shoulders are turned, getting a great break on the ball. Our corners will jam or reroute the No. 1 receiver denying the outside release and reacting to the inside release. They will cushion under all corner routes and streaks while reacting to the flat or no cover zone based on a threat of the No. 2 receiver and the look or shoulder turn of the quarterback. Our Nickel and Will are #2 curl defenders working to 12-14 yards deep and two yards outside the hash. Our Mike is a No. 3 middle hook defender working to 12-14 yards deep stacked on No. 3. In some scenarios, Mike will carry No. 3 all the way down the middle of the field. It is imperative that our under coverage disrupt routes and throw off timing. By re-routing, we enable our four-man rush to get quality pressure on the quarterback, force trajectory on throws, and allow our safeties the opportunity to play the ball or punish the receiver. (Diagrams 1A and 1B).

Diagram 1A: Tight 2 vs. 2x2

Diagram 1B: Tight 2 vs. 3x1

Tight One With our nickel personnel we will also play tight cover 1. Pre-snap, we will align in the same two-deep shell creating the illusion that we are in two-deep coverage with six defenders in the box. As the quarterback begins his cadence our strong safety will yo-yo to the outside shoulder of the

AFCA Summer Manual 2001

tight end at linebacker depth. We have now placed a seventh defender in the box vs. six potential blockers. As the strong safety stems down, our Mike and Will slide weak such that the Mike aligns in the strong A gap, and the Will in the weak B gap. We now have seven defenders for seven gaps. Our free safety yo-yos to the center of the formation and becomes an alley player vs. the run and a numbers-to-numbers player vs. the pass. Our strong safety keys the tight end such that should the tight end block, he would force any run to him back inside. On run away, the strong safety holds the D gap for cutback and bootleg. If the tight end releases, the strong safety has him man-to-man maintaining outside leverage and funneling him in to a maze defender and post player. Our Mike and Will are responsible for the runningback man-to-man in a two-way technique such that whichever way the back steps, that linebacker has him manto-man while the other linebacker works as the maze player cutting the most dangerous intermediate crossing threat by game plan. Our corners have the No. 1 receiver man-to-man from inside leverage and our nickel player is responsible for the No. 2 receiver man-to-man with leverage based on the receivers split in relation with the No. 1 receiver and the end man on the line of scrimmage, with the knowledge that he, too, has help to the hole and the post (Diagrams 2A and 2B). Tight Charley 0 Our base pressure from our nickel pack-

Diagram 2A: Tight 1 vs. 2x2

Diagram 2B: Tight 1 vs. 3x1

to the ball on any run, taking the back manto-man versus pass, and should the back block, act as a maze player lending help on the hot throw keying the quarterbacks shoulder turn. Our nickel back has No. 2 strong man-to-man from inside leverage and our corners have the No. 1 receivers to their side man-to-man from inside leverage. Play downhill, do not press, expect the ball to be thrown quickly, and drive the cut. (Diagrams 3A and 3B).

Diagram 3A: Tight Charley 0 vs. 2x2

age is Tight Charley 0. In this pressure, we will align pre-snap in our Tight 2 shell. As the quarterback begins his cadence our linebackers will prowl to a rocket alignment and contain blitz from the outside. To the tight side, our three and seven techniques will execute a Tex stunt with the three technique getting upfield and the seven technique coming under to the A Gap. As the linebackers prowl, our safeties will work down to their man-to-man responsibilities. Our strong safety has the tight end man-toman from inside leverage and will get his key from that tight end filling the C gap funnel from inside-out on the run, and playing the tight end man-to-man vs. pass. Our free safety will stem down over the running back at linebacker depth, filling inside out

Diagram 3B: Tight Charley 0 vs. 3x1

At Boston College, we will be dominant and opportunistic on third down by stopping you and creating a turnover. It has been an honor to represent our staff in writing this article for the Summer Manual. If we can be of any assistance to you, please contact us. Good luck to you in 2001!

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AFCA Summer Manual 2001