44 / 46 Defense

There are so many views on Defense. I am a firm believer Defense sets the tone of the game.It says a lot about your team. To get right to the point of it, if your Defense is soft so is your team.

Thanks too, Carl Dennis and

Todd Bross ( slide # 3 )
Lavar Arrington Washington Redskins # 56

Teaching progression for all Defensive positions

Stance
Alignment Assignment Keys Pursuit Tackling

Plan your drills with this progression in mind.Your teaching will be more organized and time effective.If a drill is not associated with one of the key areas, then it does not apply to your defensive practice plan.

One of the Great Things About Football Is That, Although It Is a Simple Game, It Is Full of a Multitude of Minute Complexities That, Through Correct Education, Repetition, Correction & Execution, Become Habit. The less you need to talk/yell/coach/correct/encourage as a coach, the more fundamentally sound the player/team is.

Base Defense
Vs. Tight formation

46 Tight

Gap Responsibility / Man Numbers

D C B A A B C D

2 6 7

4
8 11

9 10

Left Defense end # 1 Left Tackle # 2 Right tackle # 3 Right defense end # 4

Left outside backer # 5 Left Inside backer # 6 Right inside backer # 7 Right outside backer # 8

Left cornerback # 9 Safety # 10 Right cornerback # 11

Alignment / Ends
Alignment outside shade of Tight end strong side.If no tightend reduce to tackle weakside

Stance 3 point stance Key Tightend to near back

Assignment d gap to sideline, take on block with inside arm, if

back crosses your face go with him

Pursuit deep as ball, watching for bootleg, counter, and reverse.

Must execute first assignment.Do not bow inside or outside.If tight end sets outside normal set, reduce to tackle play 5 tech.Be aware of crack-back block.

Alignment / Tackles
Alignment outside eye of guard

Stance low 4 point stance,

Key - guard, if guard pulls go with him,Look for ball,If double by tackle fight through inside hip of double team.Do Not let guard hook you!! Assignment b gap, maintain outside leverage, attack through the guards neck to near foot of quaterback. Weakside tackle reduce down to shaded 2 tech protect a- gap # 7 backer now protect b-gap, ~gap switch~ base for weakside

Inside linebackers / 6-7 Man

Alignment approximately 3 yards off the ball, your inside foot splitting the guards legs. Stance 2 point stance, outside foot slightly back Key through guard to near back, declare and attack Assignment a gap, first movement is forward yard, run first, pass second, on ~gap switch~ must protect bgap, base for weakside Coaching points read your back and attack.Dont be afraid to make a mistake and things will happen

Outside Linebackers / 5-8 Man

Alignment vs. tightend, head up shading inside eye.If no tightend 1 x 3 on defensive end
Stance 2 point stance, outside foot slightly back Key tightend to back, declare and attack Assignment vs tightend, c gap, first movement step into tightend inside foot and defeat him, 3rd man No Tightend, Force and outside contain, stay home must be discipline, attack inside out, near back Coaching points read your tightend or near back.Attack tightend or be discipline, 3rd man from sideline

Cornerbacks / 9-11 Man

Alignment align on 1st man from sideline.If no receiver, align 4 x 4 off the tightend
Stance 2 point stance Key - through tightend to wing or near back Assignment first movement is back 1 yard, pass first run second, outside contain

Coaching points always think pass first run second

Safety / 10 Man
Alignment align 8 to 9 yards favoring the strong side of the formation,
Stance 2 point stance Key quaterback to play flow Assignment first movement is back 1 yard, pass first run second, rotate to play side filling the area left vacant by cornerback.2nd receiver from sideline Coaching points safety must be a team player, should be the fastest and never get beat deep. Always think pass first run second

Gap Switch / Weakside

Weakside defense tackle reduce to 2 tech attack a- gap to quaterbacks throat. Weakside defense end, reduce to 5 tech play base assignment Weakside linebacker # 7 align a-gap, protect b-gap, also can align in stack

Pass Coverage
Coverage will be cover-1 man to man.
Cover 3 , 4 under 3 deep. Calls- double out, double in

Responsibility Cover 1
B5 near back , spy tightend to your side
B6 fullback to your side, spy screen and drawl B7 - fullback to your side, spy screen and drawl B8 near back, spy tightend to your side C9 - 1st receiver your side

S10 check high hat, spy screen, drawl check deep man into your zone
C11 1st receiver your side

Cover 1 Mirror

Responsibility Cover 2
2 deep / 5 under

B5 drop to hook~curl zone, spy tightend slot man

B6 drop to middle, spy for draw, screen, cross B7 - drop to hook~curl, spy tightend slot man

B8 - cheat out to receiver, play inside slant route, tight bump jack man on line play flat zone.
C9 - roll up protect flat, spy near back to your side

S10 deep half strong side, NO ONE gets behind you

C11 deep half weak side, NO ONE gets behind you

Cover 2 Rotation
2 Deep 5 under / medium to short

Responsibility Cover 3
3 deep / 4 under B5 drop to flat spy near back slot man B6 drop to hook~ curl, spy tightend, slot man B7 - drop to hook~curl, spy tightend slot man B8 - drop to flat, play inside slant route, near back C9 - deep 1/3 , watch qb for roll side NO ONE gets behind you

S10 deep half strong side, NO ONE gets behind you

C11 deep 1/3, watch for qb roll NO ONE gets behind you

Cover 3 Rotation

Responsibility Double Outs

B5 man on man w/ tightend, jack at line make him pay. Cover B6 man on man w/ near back, shadow and cover B7 - man on man w/ near back, shadow and cover B8 walk out prior to snap, take away inside route C9 jack at line, cover under to 8 inside help S10 walk in prior to snap, take away inside, double out on first man.NO ONE gets behind you C11 cover deep, inside help NO ONE gets behind you

Double Out / Rotation

Responsibility Double In / Stack Blitz

B5 man to man on deep near back B6 stalk, jack, shoot a gap, drop Qb B7 - stalk, jack, shoot a gap, drop Qb B8 - man to man on deep near back C9 man to man w/ 1st receiver. NO ONE behind you S10 man to man on strong side tightend. NO ONE behind you C11 - man to man w/ 1st receiver. NO ONE behind you

Double In / Stack Blitz Rotation

If 2 receivers to one side, s-10 covers 2nd man from sideline. B 5 8 blitz to near back, if tightend to your side rip through his inside shoulder to c-gap, if no tightend 1x3 blitz to near back

Defense Stunts Loop

Loop left & right

Defense Plug

Plug left or right

Defense Gaps In

Tackles in a 2 tech 6&7 backer b-gap 5&8 backer c-gap Des, d-gap, first back to cross face

Corner- 9 1st man from sideline pass first, run support

S-10 tight end if 2nd man to that side , key fb for play action , cheat to strong side corner-11, 1st man from sideline pass first, run support

Scrape to Strong Left

Scrape to Strong Right

Bear 58 Switch
Goal line 7 diamond~mirror spy coverage

Defense ends will exchange alignments with the outside backers # 5 & 8 Defense ends attack c-gap 5 & 8 man attack d-gap, spy near back for pass and contain outside Call ~ 58 switch

Review of the 46 by John Carbon

The bear 46 has three linemen from tackle to tackle so it is odd front (the original bear was a change up from based out of a 4-3 platform package. These days it is based out of a 3-4 platform in the pro's). It is should be hard to run inside on the 46. It has two shaded linemen so they do not need to be dominant. It does have a heads up player in the NG so he must be a talented player. Now if he is a shaded NG then he does not have to be dominant but then you need a linebacker that makes up for the other "a" gap.

2
The outside run is defended by two defensive ends and the "c" gaps are defended by the outside backers. The outside backers must be dual responsibility of covering the TE and closing down "c" gap if threatened. It should be hard to run off-tackle and sweep the 46. The 46 talent wise needs at least two very good outside backers. The sweep would be defended by two disciplined defensive ends.

3
The pass is defended by the secondary made up of the free safety and the corner backs. They are assisted by the three linebackers. It should be hard to pass on the 46 but it still is dependant on good play by it's CB's in man to man coverage. The CB's must be talented because they are on an island in coverage. In the case of an option team I would like my FS to be fast, a good reader and a sure open field tackler.

4
Now, for me to run the 46 I would have to see if I had the minimum talent to run it. In this case a pair of decent CB's and a FS, two talented OLB's and a dominant NG. Remember I said that if my NG is shaded he does not need to be dominant but then my MLB would have to make up the difference in the other "a" gap. Add to that the two disciplined DE's. The only place I could hide less talent would have to be the DT positions.

Pursuit

Tackling

Defense

Defense

Defense

Defense