As some of you know, from a previous post, I had some success (I do use that term relatively) with the 46 Nickel this past season. Since using this defense, I have been enamored with finding out more information on its father, the Bear 46. I have dug high and low and have come up with some very good resources, that have led me to some very insightful research. The one thing that sticks out in my mind is the placement of the strong safety in this defense. I will not go in to history here much, but as a lot of you know one of the key elements to Buddy Ryan's historic 85' Chicago Bears' Defense was the play of strong safety, Doug Plank. With this position being so critical to the defense, it had me wondering why there were so many variations on the placement of this player. It is hard to find any information on the 46, that has the strong safety in the same position. So I thought a post about the pros and con's of the alignments of the strong safety were necessary. I will also shed light, as I usually do, on what I did, and why I did it, so hopefully you can make an informative choice when placing such a critical player.
Early Years...The Beginning Buddy Ryan's original position for the strong safety (SS) was at the weak side 40 technique. There's much argument as to why Ryan put the SS here, however there is no doubt that this early alignment has since been challenged. I can only speculate, but because the SS was in the box to the weak side, it allowed him to adjust to communicate with the linebackers (LB's) easier when and where he was adjusting to. I'm sure there are other more concrete reasons why Doug Plank was placed in the weak side 40 technique, but for the purpose of this article, I will simply look at the pros and the cons of the alignment.
Pros The Pros of the alignment are, in my opinion, very slim, as I did not utilize this alignment (well I sorta did since it WAS a safety for me, however it was NOT my SS, it was my WS). The pros are as follows:
SS is in good position to communicate his adjustment/assignment to middle linebacker (MLB) who can then adjust the front accordingly (Jayhawk adjustment).
SS is in good position to walk out and cover a displaced #2 to the weak side.
SS is in good position to defend the run, and is well protected by the Nose, weak 3 technique and the wide nine technique defensive end.
Cons
SS is in poor position to see adjustment threat to the weak side, or handle motion away from the backfield to the strong side of the formation.
SS is not typically a run first defender, yet is aligned in the box, and such schemes as Power O, or Power G can exploit a weak run defender on the weak side of the defense.
SS has more to learn from this position. His skill set is as follows:
Read and react to keys like a LB.
Cover receivers man to man.
Drop off in zone coverage.
Blitz from depth.
Strong Safety as the Seven Technique The latter point will be argued in other sections of the article. Basically, Buddy Ryan's traditional alignment is fine, but I think there have been other methods proven to be slightly more economically in their placement of the strong safety. The first I will discuss, is one method I found in an old video about Boston College's version of the 46. At one time, apparently BC ran their version of the 46 with 3-4 personnel. BC placed the SS in the seven technique position, normally occupied by the Charlie LB (weakside linebacker) in Buddy Ryan's original scheme. I will now take a look at some of the pros and cons of the SS being in the seven technique alignment.
Pros
Only one defender has to learn a new skill set, all 10 others play skill sets related to their original scheme.
SS is used to covering a defender man to man, whereas not all LB's are. SS does not have to learn new skill set, and neither does LB.
SS can use quickness on LOS to beat slower, bulkier offensive linemen when blitzing.
Cons
SS still not in good position to get to adjustment assignments or adjust to motion.
SS must learn new assignment when facing the option (normally has pitch or alley assignment, now must take quarterback fitting inside the load block).
SS is usually undersized when compared to the LB being at the seven technique position. This weakness can take its toll on strong side C gap runs as the SS is usually at a physical disadvantage to a tight end (TE) or offensive tackle (OT).
In zone coverage SS will drop to an inside zone, he does not normally drop to. This puts more teaching time into teaching the SS additional zone drops from his normal assignment.
Boston College's 3-4 Version of the 46
The idea behind what Boston College is simple, only change one player and the rest of the defense can align and get after the offense. I like it, but the idea of having a defensive back (DB) standing in the C gap, did not particularly sit well with me. So I looked at some schemes that had the SS set outside the TE to the strong side. This fit very well with my 4-2-5 scheme as our SS was asked to play up and around the LOS on numerous occasions. Now, let's look at the pros and cons of aligning our SS outside the TE to the strong side.
Base 4-2-5 Alignment
4-2-5 Version of the 46
Pros
SS only has to learn one new skill set, that of the outside rush. Since we were 4-2-5 and ran TCU's Smoke Blitz, this was an easy install for me.
SS can easily get to his assignment of being the adjuster to the strong side, and can easily chase motion away from the backfield.
SS can drop off and cover an outside zone, which was his normal coverage responsibility in the 4-2-5.
Because of the SS being involved in blitzes in the original 4-2 scheme, he could also easily be taught blitz games coupled with the strong side LB to confuse the offense.
SS in good position to defend the pitch on option, another carry over from his normal option assignments in the base defense.
No new reads or reactions need to be taught.
Cons
Further displacement from the box makes communication of adjustments more difficult.
I know, I'm biased, but I'm showing exactly what I did when looking at adding the 46 as a package to my defense last season. I felt what I did "fit" what we were doing as a base defense, and allowed us to get into the 46 with little to no new teaching.
The SS is a very important part of the 46 defense, and his placement is still up to your preference. To be honest, no single way is correct or better, it's all in how you coach it up. Just remember there are pros and cons to your decision, and that's why I posted this article. For more information, check out my first post on the 46 Nickel, and go to by Scribd site and download some very good information! Hope this helped, and I'm going to keep researching one of football's ultimate pressure defenses, the 46!!!
This was shared to me before Parent's Weekend in college. We were playing in a big conference game and our head coach shared this with us on Friday night prior to our Saturday afternoon game. I don't know if it helped us win that next day or not, but I know it sure touched me, and it help motivate me. I thought I'd share it with you as it's a good story nonetheless. So here goes:
This was a story told by Bennett Cerf, a long-time sports announcer and was shared with me, so I thought I would share it with you.
Lou Little was head football coach at Columbia University. Prior to that, he held a similar post at Georgetown. One year there was a youngster on the squad who was no great shakes as a football player, but whose personality served as a morale booster for the whole team. Little was deeply fond of the boy. He liked the proud way he walked arm in arm with his father on the campus from time to time. If the team was far enough ahead, he even let him get into a game occasionally for the last few minutes of play.
One day, about a week before the big finale with Fordham, the boy’s mother called Lou on the phone. “My husband died this morning of a heart attack,” she said. “Will you please break the news to my boy? He’ll take it better if it comes from you.”
Little did what was necessary, and the boy went home sorrowfully.
He was back three days later, and came straight to Lou Little. “Coach,” he begged, “I want to say something to you that means an awful lot to me. I want to start in that game against Fordham. I think it’s what my father would have liked most.”
Little hesitated and then agreed. “O.K. son, you’ll start; but you’ll only be in there for a play or two. You aren’t quite good enough, and you know it.”
True to this word, Little started the boy — but never took him out. For sixty full, jarring minutes, he played inspired football, running, blocking and passing like an All-American, and sparking the team to victory.
Back in the clubhouse, Little threw his arm around the boy’s shoulder and said, “Son, you were terrific today. You stayed in because you belonged there. What got into you?”
The boy answered, “Remember how my father and I used to go about, arm in arm? There was something about him very few people knew. My father was totally blind. This afternoon was the first time he ever saw me play.”
Gentlemen, let’s let tonight be the first time they see us play.Let’s let tonight be the first time our families see us play, and let’s let tonight be our night…together!
You never know when something like this will come in handy, so that's why I'm sharing. I felt it was an awesome story. Hopefully you can use it too and share it with your team as my coach did with me.
Football season is looming in the distance, hopefully you're ready! If not, get up to speed with some new defensive posts over at Cripes! Get Back to Fundamentals. As usual, Brophy has put together some great posts (here and here) that will help you defensive guys dot your i's and cross your t's before the season.
Smart Football has an AWESOME article on the science of whether or not to go for two. I find it hard to believe that an NCAA Division I coach, at the time of the game mentioned in the article, would make such a bonehead mistake, but he did! I had a head coach that thought the exact same way. Very good reading to start your season off with a game management topic.
Also, remember it's very hot out there, keep those athletes hydrated and cool. Football is Life, but it's not WORTH a LIFE, so don't push it too far as you start fall camp.
A very touching story was printed today on ESPN.com and I thought I'd share with you. Most remember from last season Nick Bell of Mississippi State losing his battle with cancer in the middle of the season. What people don't know is what happened at the funeral. To read the article, go here. As you can see, the Cowbell tradition runs deep at Mississippi State, as does many other college traditions. It's what makes the game so special. Whether it be rubbing Howard's Rock, or running down the hill, patting the gator head or touching the Play Like A Champion Today sign, you can find traditions running deep in just about every college football program in the nation.
What's deeper here, is the love of the game. This game is more than just something to do, something to watch, it's deeper than that. This game bonds people from different socio-economic backgrounds, different races and creeds. This game brings together people from all walks of life, and teaches them how to work together. Isn't that what we were taught in kindergarten? To get along, to work together in harmony? Funny, how some of this all comes out on the gridrion on a Friday night or Saturday afernoon. Funny, how sometimes football really is...life!
Well, I've had my nose to the grindstone working on the book, so no posts here lately. I have an opinion post I'm yet to unleash, as it was emotionally written, and I want to be careful not to have too many of those on here. Anyway, some latest stuff I've been looking at are:
Work it baby!
Coach Hoover has once again done a great job, with Manny Diaz's Fire Zones. You've got to read this article if you are FZ guy. I wish when I was doing all those FZ's some years back I could have read this, a very helpful and useful guide.
Hit em' Hard has a great little post on Two-a-Days and some things you should look into when you start fall camp. Fall camp is right around the corner so this is some good reading for those fixing to hit the gridiron.
2-a-days, right around the corner!
Coaches by the Numbers has some good analysis for all you Colorado fans out there on Dan Hawkins...ouch! I will say this, there's more to a good head football coach than just the man himself. Look what Urban Meyer was without both Dan Mullin and Charlie Strong! Maybe Urban's not as good as we thought either! Or maybe it takes more than just one man to be run a successful football program. I think the latter is the one I'm going with. Anyhow, CBTN is a great analytical tool you need to check out!
Damn! Why did you leave me????
Ride and Decide has a good article on midline and all the tags you can add to the play. You can also go here and read my midline article to gain some insight as well. Great articles on one of the greatest plays in all of football!
Also, from Ride and Decide I found Gridnotes! Gridnotes is a good place to keep up with what's going on in all of the football blogs. A great idea, and a must see site. Keep up the good work of keeping us informed.
I also recently found Becoming a Man For All Seasons. This is an informative and well-written blog that has good information both schematically and philosophically. Check it out, it's worth the read!
So, basically that's it, just wanted to check in and let you know what's going on out there. Like I said, I'm working on the book, so postings will be few and far between, but hey, football season is upon us, and you should have done all your reading by now! Soon the click clack of cleats will be heard in the hallways, and the smell of sweat mixed with fresh cut grass and August's heat will fill the air! IT'S FOOTBALL SEASON BABY!!! Time to get after it!
Good luck coaches!
Also on a side note the contact email has changed to footballislifeblog@yahoo.com. Give me a shout anytime, I check it daily.
A few years ago, after the University of Florida won the 2006 National Championship by stunning Ohio State 41-14, Doc Holliday came to a Nike Coach of the Year (COY) Clinic to discuss UF's pressure package they used that season. I happened in on the lecture and learned a very valuable lesson in nickel pressure philosophy. I will say this, I did not run this blitz to anything but 10, 11, and 00 personnel. I did not feel that it was a good matchup vs. anything else. This package does have a "cumbersome" feel about especially since learning TCU's blitz package. With that being said, you can gain a lot of knowledge, not necessarily from the scheme of things, but from the techniques that are utilized in this pressure package. As with some of this stuff, resources on this pressure package have been like Osama Bin Laden...hard to find! Anyhow, Chris Vasseur (vassdiddy) bent my ear a little while back about writing a piece on this particular pressure package, so since I'm doing nothing else, I took him up on it. Let's see if I can't dissect this pressure package and coverage scheme so that we can understand, and even potentially install this scheme. Let's roll!
OUCH!
The General Scheme The general scheme of things is simple, bring everyone who's not covering a receiving threat. The first item you have to deal with though, is the definition of a receiving threat. Any eligible player aligned anywhere but the backfield is a receiving threat. These players will have a dedicated defender, who's sole job is to cover this person. So, against your standard 2x2 set with doubles on both side, you will have 4 defenders dedicated to covering those 4 receiving threats. Simple enough right?
Any eligible player in the backfield is handled by the rush. This is done in 2 ways. First there are interior rushers who rush the A through C gaps on either side of the offensive formation. These players, as they rush, if they encounter a running back (RB) on their way to the quarterback (QB), they wrap him up, and take him with them (straight outta Doc's mouth on that one). This keeps the draw and middle screens from hurting this blitz. Next is the edge rushers. The widest rushers are "peel" rushers, meaning they do not allow a back to cross their face. If a back attempts to check release, or run a swing pattern, they will cover this receiver man to man. This keeps any quick outlet pass or hot read by the QB from hurting the blitz. If this sounds familiar this is the exact technique I used to alter TCU's blitz package, so that it was not so intense on the safeties and allowed me to run more man free than pure man the past 2 seasons (go here to read the article). So, once you've figured the receiving threats, the inside and outside rushers, now it's on to the coverage.
Coverage The coverage of this blitz scheme is what really caught my eye. It's man coverage with a twist, and an aggressive twist at that. On film, it looks simply like off man, which basically it is. The defensive backs (DB's) align 8 yards off their man, NOT the LOS. On the snap of the ball, the DB does not gain any depth, yet buzzes his feet and keys the near shoulder of his receiver. This technique is known as the "Banzai" technique, and is the crux of the coverage. If this shoulder is going vertical, the DB maintains his inside leverage and as the receiver approaches...he tackles him! Now I know what you are saying, but that's exactly as ol' Doc explained it at the clinic. He said tackle them, knock them on their ass, whatever you have to do to keep them from catching the football. He also stated a 15 yard penalty didn't hurt as much as either a touchdown, or receiver's not being afraid to run down the field. Now, if the DB reads an inside or outside cut by the receiver he attacks immediately, and again, tackles the receiver, irregardless of whether or not the ball has been thrown. This coverage scheme is NOT for the squeamish, it is aggressive, get after your ass (GATA) football. This was proven in the 2006 BCS National Championship Game when Ohio State had no answer to Florida's defensive pressure scheme known as Nickel Tracer. Of course it helped to have the speed and athleticism the Gator's had, but it's not a bad pressure package.
Alignment and Assignment As with any defensive package alignment and assignment are vital. Here are the rules for the Heat/Tracer blitz package.
Nose: Align in a 2I weak, cross face of guard into B gap. Listen for a "Gaps" call. If given a Gaps call, slide alignment to a weak 3 technique and rush the weak B gap.
Rush (weak end): Align in a loose 5 and peel rush at near shoulder of near back, or near shoulder of QB (if back offset opposite), unless given a "bull" call. Vs. bull call, bull rush OT, do not allow him to double release on outside defender.
Tackle: Strong 3 technique, rush the B gap. Listen for "Gaps" call, if given a Gaps call, align in the weak A gap and rush the weak A gap.
Anchor (Strong End): Align in a wide 9 vs. a TE, or a ghost 6 vs. no TE. Peel rush unless given a "bull" call. If given a bull call bull rush TE, or free rush (no contain responsibility) QB.
Sam (LB to strong side): Vs. a TE, align in a 7 technique (stand up, 2 point) and cover TE man to man. Do not allow TE off the LOS, and control the TE vs. the run. Vs. no TE, align in a 5 technique. C gap rush vs. no TE.
Mike: Align in the A gap on the side of the offset RB. If no offset RB, align in the A gap to passing strength. Blitz the A gap.
Strong Safety ($): Align in A gap opposite the offset RB. If no offset RB, then align in the A gap away from passing strength. Rush the A gap. Be alert for "Gaps" call. Vs. Gaps call, must go to passing strength and cover #3.
Weak Safety/Nickel/Will LB (W): Align to passing strength and cover #2 man to man (banzai technique).
Free Safety (F): Blitz the side of the offset back. If no offset back, peel rush (give bull call) to the side opposite the Nickel back. If #2 weak is a WR, then cover #2 man to man. Vs. trips, cover #3 man to man to trips side. FS handles all motion.
Corners- Cover #1 man to man. Can check corners over vs. closed sets. Use banzai technique.
Shown below are some of the alignments and adjustments to some popular 2x2 formations:
As you can see, the FS will blitz the side of the offset RB, unless the #2 receiver is split away from the formation. If the RB were to motion from the backfield in the first 2 diagrams, the FS would take this motion. If the RB motions in the 2x2 open set example, the SS would have to move out and cover him, and make the "Gap" check mentioned above (and will be discussed later).
Here are the adjustments to some standard 3x1 formations:
In the first example the secondary plays corners over and the FS is able to blitz the side of the RB. In the second example of 3x1, the FS is called on to cover #3 strong, and thereby cannot rush. In the first example it is important that the FS let the DE (A) know to bull so the DE does not peel off if the RB crosses his face.
Next is a look at the adjustment to empty sets.
To be honest, I did not get this adjustment from Auburn or UF, as it is not discussed. Empty was discussed at the clinic I attended, however it was discussed with a TE and not without. When I ran this blitz, we made this a "Gaps" call. Gaps, slide the Tackle over to A gap away from passing strength and put the MLB in the A gap to passing strength. The Sam, and Anchor would keep their normal alignments, but the Sam would blitz the B gap, instead of the C, and the Anchor was the peel rusher to the strong side. The Nose would kick over to a weak 3 technique and rush his gap, and the Rush didn't have to change a thing.
Techniques I used this pressure package in it's entirety for 2 seasons out of the 4-3 package and a nickel package. You can do it from any front you care to, as it's all about filling gaps, and covering detached receivers...aggressively. The key to installation, is to divide your defense based on their job. There are 3 jobs in the Tracer blitz, inside rush, outside rush, cover eligibles. I'm going to break these 3 facets down, so you can see how to apply the proper coaching of the techniques of each.
Inside rushers- These are rushers responsible for the A through C gaps on either side of the football.
Keys- Near foot of nearest offensive lineman to near pad of offensive lineman.
Reactions- The object is to get into a gap and go, that being said, run plays have to be carefully defended especially zone plays. Defenders do not want to get washed and need to maintain gap integrity at all times by not getting reached. This is the key for reading near foot to near pad, so that the rusher can deduce whether or not it's a run play, or pass play. All inside rushers will spill, so if they trap, or kick out on power type plays, the normal spill reads apply (should be no new teaching here if you are a spill philosophy guy). Pullers are chased, flat down the LOS and any downblocks are fought underneath and worked laterally. Vs. a high hat read, or pass set, defenders maintain strict rush lanes and if blocked occupy the blocker and drive backwards in the direction of the QB. If any defender, upon either rushing, or defeating a blocker, encounters a back, wrap him up (high tackle) and run him to the QB. Do not release him, and do not worry if he has the ball or not. If the ball is thrown, retrace your steps, and get to the football.
Outside rushers- These are rushers responsible for the D gap on either side of the football and are declared by their width, or basically put, they are the widest rushers. Outside rushers notify players inside of them, that they are the peel blitzer by an "I'm here" call, letting the next defender inside of him know that they are now a spill player. If the FS is involved in the rush, he will give the next man inside of him a "bull" call if it is a DE, letting him know to bull rush the OT the DE is aligned over.
Keys- Near offensive lineman and Lane of Ball (LOB).
Reactions- On run plays toward this defender, he is to work upfield and force, and will take pitch on option. On run plays away, this player will pursue as deep as the football and look for boot, and reverse before chasing. On a pass set by the near lineman, this defender will now attack the near back, working upfield executing a contain rush. If the near back, attempts to cross the face of this defender, the rush is off and he will cover this defender man to man. If the near back attempts to block this defender, the defender will throttle down, engage the blocker with a high tackle and carry him to the QB. A good rule of thumb for this defender is do not allow an offensive player or threat to get to their outside shoulder. The peel rusher should box all trap or kickout blocks by attacking the blocker with the inside shoulder.
Covering the eligibles- These are the defenders responsible for the coverage of detached receivers. These defenders will align 8 yards off their respective receiver NOT the LOS. Corners will always cover the #1 receiver (numbering from outside in) pre-snap. Against closed sets, corners can flip sides and play corners over. The nickel back or OLB responsible for covering #2, will cover #2 to the passing strength. The FS will cover #2 away from the nickel back, or will cover #3 to the trips side. The FS handles all motion. If a TE is present, the strong side LB aligns in a 7 technique and covers the TE man to man. Vs. empty sets, the SS must be called into action and will cover the #3 receiver to the nickel back's side.
Keys- Inside shoulder of receiver.
Reactions- If the inside shoulder works down the field and stops or stutters to stalk, engage the blocker and get eyes inside to the football. Shuck blocker and support the run only after it has broken the LOS. Important note here is the eyes don't go inside until the receiver has been engaged, so as to make sure the receiver is blocking. If the shoulder works vertical up field, and stays vertical up to a point 1 yard from the defender, the defender will maintain inside leverage, and execute an open field tackle on the receiver. The key is to not take the receiver to the ground, but tie him up in a manner that does not allow for any more depth on the route, and impedes the receiver's ability to catch the football. If the near shoulder, breaks inside or outside the defender is to drive to a point 1 yard in front of the receiver's direction, and again, execute an open field tackle. The eyes should never leave the receiver and all DB's should use the sideline for leverage when making this tackle.
Additional notes- The FS handles all motion, either change of strength (COS) motion, or backfield motion. All DB's will "buzz" their feet and must NOT lose ground, they buzz their feet and react to the near hip (shoulder came from UF, Auburn taught the banzai technique by reading the near hip).
This is the basics of the blitz. One other item to note, you can stack the SS and MLB over the center and play games with where they go, thereby confusing the center. I did not do this much, as we stemmed quickly from our base alignment and basically hit the thing on the run. Yes, Heat/Tracer is a bit complicated, but the major emphasis I liked was the coverage of RB's out of the backfield and how it handled the screen and draw game. The other key component to this blitz is the "bluff" package. I called it "Trick Heat", since the blitz to us was "Heat". Bluff or Trick, whichever you prefer is a must. When I ran this in a game, I tried to achieve a 1:3 ratio of Heat to Trick Heat. That means, for every 1 time you run Heat, you then follow that up with 3 times of running Trick Heat. I'm going to now discuss the nuances of the bluff scheme that goes with this blitz. Please keep this in mind, Trick and Heat go hand in hand, and are not to be separated when installing this system.
The General Scheme
The general idea behind bluffing is just that, get the offense to think you are coming, and bail out. With that in mind, you have to have a plan for dealing with what the offense is going to check to if you show the Heat/Tracer blitz. Most offenses we saw checked to 1 of the following:
Slant/Hitch hot route
Screen/Swing pass to RB
Draw
So, with than in mind, the most dangerous of the above items is the slant/hitch, especially the slant. Screens and Draws are some issues to, but since you now only rushing 4, you will have more eyes on the RB and more players will be in a better position to react to the screen or draw. I still told my DL, that if they encountered a RB on their way to the QB, they were to grab him and take him with them. This little added technique in the bluff scheme really helped against the screen and draw game.
Ok, so on to the basics. Basically Trick Heat was a 3 deep zone scheme that had 4 underneath droppers. They were divided as follows:
SS/MLB- Hook droppers, dropping to 2 if balanced of rotating their drop to passing strength vs. trips formations.
SLB/FS- Curl Flat droppers, dropping at #1 to either side.
Corners- Deep outside 1/3 players.
Nickel- Deep middle 1/3 dropper.
So, now that we see the basics, let's move on to alignment and assignment.
Alignment/Assignment
This is important, and to me this part of the scheme is what complicates things. The alignment is not exactly the same as that of the regular blitz. Here are the alignment rules for the bluff package:
DL- Align the same as you would for the normal Heat/Tracer blitz.
SS/MLB- align the same as you would for the normal blitz.
SLB- algin the same as you would for the normal blitz.
Nickel/WLB- Align over #2 to passing strength. Vs. trips, align inside of the #3 receiver.
FS- Always align on the open side of the formation, on the LOS, or opposite the SLB.
Corners- Must align on either side of the formation (cannot align in corners over) due to having deep 1/3 responsibilities. They can stem though (which I had ours do, as did UF and Auburn).
The assignments are as follows:
DL- rush your assigned gap, use draw/screen protect rules if you encounter a RB. DE's must contain rush (peel assignment is off however).
SS/MLB- At the snap drop to #2 to your side. Do not look at QB, drop to your man and buzz your zone, reacting to your receiver's break. Vs. trips, MLB drops to #2 and SS will drop to #3 to the trips side. Treat empty the same as trips and drop to 2 and 3 to passing strength.
SLB/FS- At the snap drop to #1 to your side. Same rules/techniques as the SS/MLB. Only difference is vs. empty the FS drops to #2 away from the passing strength (ignores #1).
Nickel- Rotate to the deep middle 1/3, must wait until the snap and bust tail to get there.
Corners- Drop to the deep 1/3 to your side.
Here is Trick Heat (as I called it) to various sets:
The underneath droppers (FS,MLB,SLB,SS) all leave at the snap, they do not leave early (this is important in disguising the blitz, however if they do cheat the snap and get caught, they are not to move up, they should continue to drop out). They are to drop at their receiver, and expect slant, if the receiver breaks off early, on a hitch the work to the upfield shoulder looking to make a quick open field tackle. The deep droppers play their normal cover 3 rules, with the WS having the toughest job of the bunch, because of his alignment and having to get to the MOF quickly. Don't have him cheat though as you will lose the element of surprise.
Don't leave early!
Here are some clips of the blitz in various forms against different sets.
So to recap, the basics of the package is a "plus one" blitz (bring 1 more than they can block) and a bluff package that allows you to keep the offense off balance. I liked this scheme, and quite frankly didn't use it enough. What I really used was the inside and outside rush techniques on the blitz to adapt them to TCU's blitz package to make the alignments and keys of the secondary simpler out of the 4-2-5. I mainly did this blitz out of standard 4-3 personnel, but I switched the Will linebacker (W in the diagrams, WS in nickel package) with the FS, because I did not have a fully developed nickel package in my defense at the time. The Will in my defense was a converted DB though, so it still worked out. As with so many of these things we get from the college game, there is usually some adapting you can do to make it fit what you are trying to accomplish. This simple switch between the Will and the FS was not a major issue, and fit us better because our FS was used to rotating to the MOF, and playing the deep 1/3 as well as covering receivers man to man. Later, I did run it exclusively out of a nickel package, but to start I just kept my 4-3 and aligned everything as shown above, with the Will and FS switching roles. Some other tidbits of information, are that when running this, you need to rep the bluff package 3 times as much as you do the blitz. The blitz is fairly self explanatory, once you get the alignments down, but the bluff package can take a little work. The part I had difficulty on was the underneath droppers getting caught with their eyes in the backfield instead of to their receiver. Anyhow, a very fun and exciting blitz package for those that are in spread heavy leagues. Hope this helped, and thank Vassdiddy over at the Huey forum for getting me off my duff to write this thing!
A lot has been made over the past few years about Paul Johnson's triple option offense. However not much has been made about "the process" in which the man calls plays and attacks defenses. For years Coach Johnson has made fools of even the best defensive minds, including, but not limited to, Mickey Andrews, Bud Foster, and Randy Shannon. Exactly how does Johnson go about attacking opponent's defenses? There is a method to this man's madness, and it is simply known as his "if-then" sheet. This post will elaborate on the thinking behind the triple option gurus like Johnson, Niumataolo, and Stowers to say the least. Let's look at the actual sheet, and from there I'll break down the different scenarios bit by bit.
Follow the link here to my version of the "if-then" sheet and follow along and I'll explain the reasoning behind each decision. Please note, Johnson's version is much shorter, and obviously uses his terminology, so I will elaborate on my terminology as we go, so bear with me. So, let's move on with this and dig deeper into the mind of a triple option offensive coordinator (OC)!
Fear the Veer, or midline, or Rocket, or...
IF-Defense in 8 man front
Then- Run over (ends unbalanced).
Reason- To gain a 1/2 man advantage.
Explanation- 8 man fronts, have to get a little creative when adjusting to end over formations. This can leave them vulnerable to triple option to either side. To go even further into damaging an 8 man front, run twins over, with a slot on the LOS (shown below) to keep both receivers eligible. When running ends over, look for the free safety's declaration, and run opposite.
Ends Over
Ends over formation, both ends eligible
IF- Force players on the line of scrimmage (LOS).
Then- Run Tight (Nasty split double slot).
Reason- You gain blocking leverage by bringing in the wideouts.
Explanation- The wideouts can now effectively crack block your force players, thereby out leveraging the defense and getting to the perimeter.
"Nasty" Split
IF- Facing odd stack (5-3 look).
Then- Run tackles over unbalanced (Heavy).
Reason- Unbalanced looks give odd stack teams trouble.
Explanation- Odd stack fronts have some trouble adjusting to unbalanced sets that are unbalanced with a 3 man surface. Similar to the ends over example (8 man front), look for FS declaration and run opposite. Also, if you can outflank the DE/invert, run outside with crack blocking to that side until a DB becomes "nosey" attempting to stop the run. Run veer pass when this DB has become a problem.
Heavy
IF- 2 or 3 technique playside.
Then- Run midline.
Reason- A gap bubble.
Explanation- A gap is open, with B gap defender to read. No need to run triple at a 3 technique when you can run midline. Force the defense to get into 2I's, so you can run triple again (B gap bubble).
IF- No 2 or 3 technique playside.
Then- Run triple.
Reason- B gap bubble (same reason as above).
Explanation- Triple is what we are here to do, if the defense gives us a soft B gap, we are going to attack it with the triple.
Explanation- When a read key is giving your QB fits, block him. Remember "Easy to read = hard to block, hard to read = easy to block. Since a squat technique is hard to read, he's easy to block. You can also run load or toad (tackle load) option at him (basically triple but fullback or tackle blocks handoff key).
Zone Dive
IF- Pitch Key turns shoulders (squat or sitter technique).
Then- Run Rocket.
Reason- Force player has lost leverage by turning.
Explanation- If the pitch key is turning and squatting, he will not be aggressive enough to force the Rocket toss, thereby allowing us to outflank him.
IF- Secondary rotates with motion.
Then- Run counter iso/option.
Reason- No backside force player.
Explanation. Teams that jump motion, often put themselves in a poor position in that they lose their backside force player. This is a gamble by the DC, make him pay for it, by catching him a man short at the point of attack (POA).
Counter Iso
IF- Secondary rotates with motion (2).
Then- Run triple pass or waggle (off Rocket action).
Reason- No seam player (triple pass); Curl/flat player out leveraged (Waggle).
Explanation- Triple pass catches them with the seam player coming at the LOS and waggle catches them with the curl/flat player caught inside off run action.
Veer pass (Vertical or Whip Route)
Waggle off Rocket Action
IF- 4I's.
Then- Run midline.
Reason- Handoff key too far removed from POA.
Explanation- Midline at a 4I is dangerous. Even better is midline triple. The 4I is simply too far removed from the action to be effective against the fullback (FB).
IF- Double Eagle (TNT) look.
Then- Run Rocket.
Reason- Numbers advantage on the perimeter.
Explanation- Double eagle puts too many people in the box to run between the tackles, so test the flank. If they over load to force they are weak on playaction.
Rocket vs. Double Eagle
IF- Triangle (3 in box outside the B gap).
Then- Run zone dive.
Reason- Numbers advantage inside.
Explanation- Teams that attempt to put players on the edge of the box are weak in the middle, run zone dive to exploit this weakness.
Triangle
IF- Force players on the LOS.
Then- Run Rocket with switch blocking.
Reason- Blocking leverage.
Explanation- By cracking the force player you now have leverage on the perimeter.
IF- Defense is blitzing.
Then- Run Rocket.
Reason- Soft flank.
Explanation- Defenses that blitz the triple, find themselves with weakened flanks and poor pursuit angles on quick hitting plays such as the rocket (and we don't have to block anything from a 5 technique back, which includes your blitzers).
IF- Stunting.
Then- Run zone dive.
Reason- Cutback run.
Explanation- Same reason teams run inside zone, to eliminate the effectiveness of stunts, zone dive does the same thing.
IF- Middle of the field closed (MOFC).
Then- Run 4 verticals.
Reason- Attacks the seams and FS with 2 defenders in his zone.
Explanation- Now I know all the haters out there will say 4 verticals are not a problem, but you got to try it vs. 1 high teams at least once a game to show the opponent you DO have the balls to attempt it. Very important for slots to run down the hashes and the receivers to run down the field outside the numbers. Also very good from a trips look to, as most teams will overplay their FS to trips.
4 Verticals from trips look
IF- Linebackers overpursue.
Then- Run zone dive, counter iso/option.
Reason- Numbers advantage away from action.
Explanation- Counter iso was our bread and butter, as it makes teams pay for overpursuit, and it doesn't tip off overpursuing defenders by pulling linemen. Make the defense pay for trying to cheat and get guys across the midline!
IF- Taking away FB.
Then- Run zone dive or speed option.
Reason- Keeps the ball in FB's hands.
Explanation- The FB is 1 of your best runners, you need to find a way to keep the ball in his hands even if the defense is doing a good job taking him away from you on triple and midline.
Speed Option
IF- Stunting A gap.
Then- Run triple.
Reason- B gap bubble.
Explanation- We want to run triple to a soft B gap, so let them stunt to the A.
IF- Stunting A and B gaps.
Then- Run zone dive.
Reason- Zone blocking/cutback run.
Explanation- Again, let them stunt, zone blocking was made for this, and it keeps your best runner with the football in his hands.
IF- Stunting A, B, and C gaps.
Then- Run Rocket.
Reason- Soft flank.
Explanation- Anytime the middle is mass confusion, run outside. Stunting and blitzing can be controlled by the old adage "Run where they ain't". Rocket does this, and does it by not blocking any "box" player playside, thereby getting more offensive bodies to the perimeter to block and already weakened flank.
IF- Odd front with 4I's.
Then- Run Loop scheme.
Reason- Read 4I, put him on island.
Explanation- A lot of odd front teams are going to this look, running loop scheme can still keep the triple option a viable part of your offense, just watch the beating your FB will take due to the proximity of the handoff key. Keep the 4I even more confused by running loop trap and midline at him.
Loop Scheme
IF- All inside gaps occupied (Bear look).
Then- Run Rocket.
Reason- Outnumbered on the perimeter.
Explanation- Teams that load the middle, leave the perimeter soft, make them pay by running the quickest hitting outside run in all of football.
There's a lot here I've added through the years, but the original "if-then" sheet is there. A lot of it is repetitious, but I did this b/c in the heat of battle you don't want to be searching for your answer, so I felt like repetition was a good thing.
Now that's repetitious!
The basis is simple, Paul Johnson wants to run the triple, whatever you do to take that away, he's going to make you get back to being honest with every other play in his playbook. That's the beauty of his spread option offense. It's not a myriad of plays with no rhyme or reason, there is clear focus and goal in mind...run the triple option. If the defense takes that away, then they are vulnerable elsewhere, attack their weakness. The "if-then" sheet will help the triple option OC, find his answer quickly when his team is having problems. It allows the OC to have an immediate answer that is built into the offense. This is why you see early in games, defenses seem to have an advantage against Johnson, but after a series or 2, or at the very least after halftime, he's found his answer, and begins to make defenses pay.
Say Uncle...
The simplicity of the system is the beauty. You can run this offense with little to no game planning. After running it for 2 years, I quit watching game film of our opponents because we were seeing the "defense of the week" and what I was seeing on film really didn't matter. The "if-then" sheet gave me immediate answers to this "defense of the week" mentality and allowed us to adjust on the run.
Did someone say "simply beauty"?
I hope this was helpful, and if you have your own "if-then" sheet please share it with us, always looking for more ideas! Ok, Vassdiddy from the Huey board has gotten my interest peaked on writing a peice about the University of Florida's Nickle Tracer (Auburn fans will know this as their Heat blitz). So I'm digging through boxes of clinic notes trying to find some stuff. If you have any suggestions hit me up, will discuss and see what I can come up with.
Sit down sucka!!!!
On the job note, I may be going to a local junior high to be the defensive coordinator. Nothing is set in stone, but it does look promising. Haven't coached that age group in a coon's age, but hey it's coaching right? Looking to run the 46 Nickle as they are in spread to run league, and I had hella fun with that defense last season. Plus if my gut keeps getting any bigger, I will look like a shorter version of Rex Ryan! Hope everybody had a happy 4th, season is right around the corner!!!!
