I wanted to take a minute and discuss some things as I've been getting several emails wondering where I've been. I'm currently the DC at a small school with very few coaches, so I wear more than just one hat. I also manage all the paper work, I'm the video coordinator (thank you Hudl), run three special teams, handle the managers/trainers and help coach the wide receivers too! Anyhow, I've been busy, damn busy. We are only a staff of five guys, so it makes it tough, but well worth it.
On to the topic at hand about the blog. I am by no means shutting down the blog, but the direction and content may take a bit different direction. I'm going to start mixing in some more stories of experience and things we are going through mixed in with the classical technical article. I'm not sure if I'll lump all that stuff on here, or put some of it over on The 12th Man or not. I may just do that so that this remains pretty much a football tech. site and The 12th Man is where we go to drink beer after the games! Anyhow, I did not want to leave my audience hanging on anymore as it had been a while since I've posted and I do apologize. During the season, postings will be low, of course, but after the season I plan on sharing things I did, things that worked, things that didn't work etc. I hope ya'll understand, and I really appreciate all of the emails I've been getting.
To get technical a bit here, just to wet your whistle, we are about 90% TCU defense (4-2-5...shocker, I know), and we run Nevada's offense with a bit more option thrown in than they do, but very similar nonetheless. I had never been around that offense very much, and to be honest it is very neat to see it come together. As for defense, the kids have picked up on things well, we have probably 80% of the playbook installed right now for where we want to be. We play this Friday night against a juggernaut of a team and it will be a good measuring stick for us to see where we are at, and where we need to be. Anyhow, like I said, just wanted to keep my readers informed on things and where things are headed so I didn't get burned at the stake!
Take care, and good luck this season coaches!!!!
Yeah that's pretty much me at the beginning of football season!!!!
As shown on The 12th Man Blog, I got a little heated last week, and wasn't really thinking when I shut the site down. I have been literally shocked by all the PM's on the Huey board and the emails of folks that use this site, some on a daily basis. I never intended the site to be used like that, it was really just a form of release for me. I had no idea so many of you actually used this stuff. So, this post is a sincere apology for letting a few "bad eggs" spoil it for everybody else.
I'm a very passionate person when it comes to things I love, and I fight for them, and I also struggle with criticism of some of my ideas that I'm very passionate about. Criticism, to me, is failure. However, we all know, criticism is how we get better, and this is one of those times I let my flaw get to me. Like the title says, I do apologize.
The site is up, but I'm going to take a break from posting for a while. I need to finish this book, and I've got a couple of job interviews I may go to as well. I'm going to focus on that, and see where that gets me, so don't worry, I'm sure I'll be back on here blogging in no time (it's kind of addicting). Until then, use whatever you can on the site, and shoot me any questions you have at footballislifeblog@yahoo.com.
Just saw this today, but you've got to check out Smart Football's store! A little (ok, maybe a LOT) Air Raid biased, but some cool stuff nonetheless. Just in time for the holidays folks, so get your Smart Football gear and as always continue to read Smart Football's blog.
I was checking out Spread Football today and came across their new message board. Seems like it will be a good one! Check out the No Huddle Spread message board today!
If you're not into no huddle spread, and are maybe a more "3 back attacker" well, I've got another message board I recently joined that might be the right fit for you. Coach Calande has his message board dedicated to the "dreaded double wing" and the 46 Gambler defense that has some good discussion topics on it. Check out his site, and let me know what you think!
Ahh, the Gambler...
Coach Hoover continually churns out great posts. His latest on making highlight videos and how Georgia lost the SEC Championship are nothing short of stellar posts. He's also got some great links over there, and good "how to" videos in terms of technique of coaching various positions. I once ate ribs with this guy, and all I can say is, he writes much cleaner than he eats (wink-gotcha buddy)!!!!
As always, go check out my alter ego at The 12th Man Blog. Here I get away from X's and O's and Jimmies and Joe's, and pretty much lay it on the line how I feel. Don't really care whether it's right, wrong, or even politically correct. So grab a beer, or your favorite "toddy" and come on over to The 12th Man....it'll be fun!
These are just some tidbits I wanted to throw out there, since it is the season of giving. Hope everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!
Well, it's been a crazy ride this season, and with only two games left, things will be over soon and I can get back to posting. Do I ever have some stuff for you guys! I'm working on the following:
Key mistakes to avoid as a defensive coordinator
Believe me folks, if anybody has screwed up and NOT followed this protocol this season, it's me. I'm going to share some of those events and how we got the ship righted to finish strong.
The 8-2-1 kickoff return scheme.
Using nickel personnel to effectively defend the two back running game.
Tackling drills.
The unbalanced single wing and how this offense impacted myself, our coaches, and the players.
These are just a few of the things I've got in store, so don't forget about me. In the meantime you can always check out my other blog, The Twelfth Man, where I get away from X's and O's and go a little more "opinionated". Here are some other things you should be looking at as well.
Brophy has been back and has some great pieces, on Saban, Tony Franklin and La. Tech. As always Brophy writes with a witty purpose, and does a great job explaining things.
Smart Football has been putting up some good stuff on the West Coast offense and how it helped Drew Brees attain his record. Also some great articles on Geno Smith, Dana Holgorsen and some breakdown on the zone blitz coverage. As always, Chris is a very talented writer and has links to several great video clips over on his site.
Well, if you season is ending and you are not looking to the playoffs, once it's over, take a week or two and rest up as the whirlwind we know as the off-season will begin! If your headed to the playoffs, congratulations, now keep your eyes on the prize!!!
Haven't posted any links in a while, so I thought I'd give out some good info. Posting may drop off for a while as I might be an interim head coach. I will have to wait and see on what the future holds, but to be honest, I'm not looking forward to being the head man again. Anyhow, on to those links!
Man, Coach Hoover caught my ugly mug in an otherwise good video of OJW (from the Huey board) talking about the 4-2-5 and the flexibility the defense offers when defending today's offenses. You can check out the video here. This video was from our FREE clinic back in early July, if you missed it, I think we might have some more, as we may have started a tradition! Stay tuned for more information.
Brophy has a good post on Check With Me Defense, which is really becoming the wave of the future. I mean why not? Who says the offense has to dictate the tempo of the game, as well as what they are going to do by how you line up? This is a great concept, in its infant stage that I believe will catch on as the collegiate game evolves. I don't know how much this trickles down to high school ball, but I could see it being something high school coaches could take and adapt to the smaller scale for varsity football. As usual, Brophy also has some great links to good videos and free stuff here as well.
Over at Smart Football there's a good article on Spread Punt Protection. Many folks have moved or are moving to this concept of punt formation. I plan on writing an article on an interesting punt formation I have used in the past. There never is enough information on the most important 33.3% of the game out there...special teams! Well, Chris, over at Smart Football has got a good post, that is a must for any coach getting ready to start installing those ever important special teams! Remember, special teams are special! Oh, and by the way, if you haven't bought the book yet, The Essential Smart Football then please proceed to your nearest psychologist and have your head checked!
Teach to Win is a cool blog I found when searching the Internet. Not much on X's and O's, but a lot on philosophy and coaching here. Haven't had a ton of time to look around on the site, but definitely worth checking out.
Anyhow, season is here, so look for a post slowdown for a while. Like I said earlier I'm working on some special teams stuff, but it probably won't be ready until after the start of the season. Sorry, I've just been too busy. Also don't forget to check out my other blog, The 12th Man! A little off kilter, and more opinionated than here, but worth reading.
In the first post I touched on various ways that one-high (MOFC) coverages can be utilized in a sound manner to defend the spread offense. The second post touched on some adjustments you can make via the front and the coverage to attack certain things the offense is attempting to do. Now, I want to touch on a couple of the finer points of the eight man front such as:
The Free Safety (FS) and his role in MOFC coverage in the eight man front.
Simplifying alignment in the eight man front.
Blitzing in the eight man front.
The Free Safety's Role in MOFC Coverage The FS in most MOFC defenses has a tough job, especially if the coverage is cover one, or some sort of two-deep rotational coverage. Robber, and Cover One are not too strenuous on the FS, the reason being, in Robber the FS is pattern reading, and it's basically man, and in Cover One, the FS is free to roam based on the QB's eyes. However, introduce Rip/Liz Cover Three and you now have the best of both Cover Three and Cover One. Let's look at the pros cons of each and then display them with Rip/Liz and see what we get...shall we?
Cover One-Pros
Aligns to and covers virtually everything with guaranteed MOF help.
Simple, cover your man, run with your man if he goes in motion (you can bump, or motion blitz if you'd like, but again, this is simple man-to-man defense here).
Provides a stable defense for the MOF, having both a MOF deep player and a MOF shallow player (Rat-in-the-hole).
Affords sending up to six defenders on a blitz if using peel coverage rules.
Cover One-Cons
Run force-the force defender can be "run off" by a receiver he's supposed to cover man-to-man (although catch man alleviates some of this, it is still, nevertheless worrisome).
Not all 11 eyes on the football. Zone defense affords 11 eyes watching the football, whereas man defenders cannot always eye the football for the threat of being beaten in pass coverage.
Outside 1/3's vulnerable to match up issues. Corners are on an island in Cover One.
Suspect to picks and rubs, as is any man-to-man defense.
FS must have very good range.
Cover Three-Pros
Aligns to everything.
Very simple to install (should be able to do this in one practice).
Good run support (dedicated force players at or near the LOS with a solid MOF alley player).
Cover Three- Cons
Covers nothing.
Weak in the seams.
Weak in the curl.
Weak against flood routes.
Every offense in the country has several "Cover Three Beaters" installed in their offense day one (which means EVERYONE's seen it).
FS has to have excellent range.
By utilizing Saban's Cover Three, you end up with the following:
Rip/Liz-Pros
Aligns to everything.
Excellent MOF defense with a MOF safety deep and MOF underneath player (ROBOT).
Can keep same rules for zone blitzing (Number one and two droppers are identical in both Cover Three Rip/Liz and most three deep, three under zone blitz schemes), which alleviates teaching time(multiplicity through simplicity).
Force players not as apt to be run off by receivers.
All 11 eyes are on the football at the snap.
No need to worry about picks and rubs (you're not in man-can run banjo schemes).
With flat players funneling the number two receiver inside the hash, FS doesn't need to be as "rangy".
Has the same run support structure as "Country Cover Three".
Very strong in the seams and curl areas because of the pattern read.
Works against most "Cover Three Beaters" and is hard for offense to distinguish between Cover Three and Cover One.
Rip/Liz-Cons
Not as easy an install as "Country Cover Three" or Cover One, due to the pattern reading nature.
Force players can still be run off somewhat, providing for a "soft edge".
Corners are still on an island (match up).
Whew! I know there are some more, but these are just the basics. What you can see here is you get a lot of bang for your buck with Rip/Liz. You can still run some Cover One if you need to and it's a great disguise for when you do. You also can zone blitz from the one-high look and don't have to afford any pre-snap rotation to give away what you are doing (which many QB's are being taught for what to look for pre-snap nowadays).
The biggest benefit I think is the protection of the seams, and the fact that the FS doesn't have to be a guy that can cover a TON of ground. Sure he has to be able to move, and read on the run, but he doesn't need to be a Major Wright! The funneling of the number two receivers also helps the FS in the run game. The FS can get a clearer read because the number two receiver is being pressed and thereby has to make his intentions pretty quickly (am I blocking or running a route) so the FS can get into his run/pass read quicker and is thereby a little better factor against the run than a traditional Cover Three FS.
So, we can see, the addition of a pattern reading Cover Three is the top priority if you are an eight man front and you want to consistently defend what spread teams will do to attack you. It does not hurt to mix in some Cover One however, which will keep the opposing coach guessing and off track when trying to call certain plays.
Simplifying Alignment in the Eight Man Front The eight man front is one of the easiest of all defenses to align. The reason is, it's balanced with five defenders on each side of the ball and a MOF safety. The thing I recommend, is to take a page out of our split field concept brethern's playbook and play field and boundary. Let's look at the alignment shown below and I'll explain.
I chose the 3-3 defense for it's simplicity, but you can use the 4-4, 4-2, 5-3 or whatever eight man front you run out there. However, the simplicity is that the Strong Safety (SS), who is usually the better of the two overhang safeties always goes to the field. The WS (B in the illustration), would be the weaker of the two, and would be set to the boundary. In most 3-3's I've seen, most coaches utilize right and left defenders which is super simple. However, if you wanted to, you can easily set your strength to the field and still be quite sound. Putting your best players to the field is not a bad idea either. Here is how the 4-2-5 would align to the same look using field/boundary alignments.
Again, the defenders on the right side of the image are the strong side defenders, and are probably your better football players whereas your lesser player play into the boundary and are on the left side of the illustration above.
The simplicity of aligning the eight man front, affords your players one less thought that must tumble through their testosterone laden minds during the course of a game. This lack of thinking keeps these players comfortable and playing exactly how we want them to...FAST.
Blitzing in the Eight Man Front For years most folks new me as a Miami 4-3 guy, and to this day I still love that defense. The one trouble I always had though, was blitzing out of it. It may have just been me, but having been introduced to the TCU blitz scheme and after studying tons of 3-3 playbooks over the past few months, I can see there is no simpler front to blitz from than the eight man front. Again, the balance affords simplicity in alignment, so teams have trouble getting you out of your base alignment. What this does is affords for less of a chance that a blitzer will have to widen with an adjustment and thereby be caught out of position on the snap of the football. The "six-in-the-box" concept keeps blitzing simple as well (both the 3-3 and 4-2, as well as some 4-3's keep this principle as well). What I will show you, is some blitzes I used out of TCU's playbook, that despite us being a MOFC defense, we were still able to execute.
Bullets Away, my favorite!
Smokes
Strong/Wide Dog
Weak/Short Dog
Mob (cop)
As you can see, quite simple really. All the blitzes listed in TCU's playbook can be run with the same adjustments and calls that TCU uses. You don't have to limit yourself there either, the 3-3 defense has a myriad of blitzes that can be run from a MOFC defense. Whatever front you choose to run, will find blitzing is quite easy and not too terribly taxing either. Another "cheap" blitz from the 4 man front is the zone blitz sending one LB. The rules for coverage are very simple, with the number three dropper being the only one who really changes from the standard Rip/Liz coverage rules.
Sam "B"
Corners- Deep 1/3, all of 1 vertical
OSS- #2 dropper, all of 2 vertical and out. 2 shallow and inside squeeze to the 3 dropper.
ILB- #3 dropper, cut all crossers.
FS- Deep 1/3, all of 3 vertical.
There you go! Very similar to standard Rip/Liz reads and assignments. Again, this is multiplicity through simplicity, which is a time tested manner for being able to attack your opponent in multiple ways with very little teaching time.
In conclusion, I think it is VERY possible to be a one-high, MOFC defense and succeed against today's spread attacks. I think there are multiple reasons for doing so, from anything to poor match ups or solving tricky alignment problems to being able to bring pressure without having to roll coverage are just some of the numerous benefits you get from staying one-high. Hopefully you've been able to use this and can couple this with some other things I've posted on the site to have a very successful defense in the near future.
Don't forget to check my other blog, The 12th Man, and as usual you can follow me on Twitter @theduece02.
Eh, well I guess that caught your attention. Take a look at my newest blog and see what you think. I didn't want to distract from Football is Life's wealth of information (or BS, whichever you think it is) with opinion posts, so I've created a new blog, The 12th Man! Check me out, let me know what you think about the layout etc. (like I care) and the opinionated posts will begin here shortly.
