4-3 vs. the Flexbone - CB Play

Introduction

The CBs or the Safeties can be the Force player in the 4-3 defense depending on your coverage philosophy and personnel.  Most teams ran Quarters coverage vs. the Georgia Tech Flexbone in 2009 and utilized their Safeties as the Force players.  The CB in Quarters coverage is is a pass-first defender who is man vs. his WR unless he runs a Shallow route or unless he cracks the Force player, the Safety.  When the WR crack-blocks the Safety, the CB will then become a run-first defender.  If he does not, the defense will have nobody on the pitch back, allowing the Flexbone offense to make big plays on the perimeter.

CB as Secondary Force

The CB is the Secondary Force defender vs. the run in Quarters coverage.   He will become the Force player for the defense when the Safety is crack-blocked by the WR or when the Safety loses his outside leverage.  The CB must see the WR angling inside and come off of the WR to become the new Force player for the defense.  He will now be responsible for the pitch back as the new Force player for the defense.  The CB must quickly read this crack block and give a "Crack!" call immediately to the Safety to keep him from getting ear-holed. 

It takes all 11 guys to defend the Flexbone running game and the CB cannot just be a finesse coverage specialist.  He must be able to support the run when needed and become the Force player for the defense when the Primary Force player is cracked.

The CB in Quarters or Cover 3 is a Secondary Force defender who must keep outside leverage vs. the run once the ball crosses the LOS (line of scrimmage) and Force it back inside to the rest of the defense or big runs will happen.

CB as Primary Force

Iowa and also Jacksonville State did some nice things vs. the Option and they were Cover 2 teams, utilizing their Corners as their Force players.  Iowa really opened a lot of eyes with the job they did vs. the Flexbone in the 2010 Orange Bowl. They didn't do it with anything new or complicated, they just played outstanding fundamental defense. They stayed in Cover 2 vs. the Double Slot Flexbone look and checked to Cover 3 vs. any Trips sets—that was all they did in terms of  "X's and O's" in defending the Option.  The scheme didn't matter near as much as the execution of each individual player on the Iowa defense.

Jacksonville State often cheated their CBs a few yards inside of the WRs which, although great vs. the outside run, left them susceptible to 4 Verticals as the outside WRs were able to release unimpededly and put the Safety in a 2 on 1 situation that resulted in some big plays for the Georgia Tech offense.  

It is imperative for defenses to collision and slow down every WR that can threaten the holes in the deep coverage.  For Cover 2, the holes are on the outside and in the middle.  For Cover 3, the holes are down the hashmarks.  If the WRs are not collisioned and slowed down, the defense will give up big plays as a result.

Iowa showed that you didn't have to cheat your CBs in to properly defend the perimeter and Force the ball inside. They had their CBs line up in normal Cover 2 alignment (roughly 5 yards deep with outside leverage) and they read the Offensive Tackles for their run-pass read. As soon as the OT blocked down on Inside Veer, the CB charged in to be the Force player and took away the Pitch.  One CB read it extremely well and he was on the pitch back before the QB could blink.  It looked like a very clean and easy read—one CB executed it extremely well, but the other CB was not quite as good.

 

The CB in Cover 2 must be disciplined as the Force player for the defense.  He cannot stay wide and leave a huge Alley for the defense to be able to run the ball. Rather, he must squeeze the Alley and constrict the offense's ability to be able to run on the perimeter.

CB Keys and Mistakes vs. Flexbone from Barry Hoover on Vimeo.

CB Keys

1.  Cover 2: Force, Run Read - OT
2.  Quarters: Secondary Force / Crack Replace
3.  Cover 3, 4: Secondary Force - Keep Outside Leverage

CB Mistakes

1.  Cover 2: Poor Run Read.  Must Read OT's Down Block Quickly.

2.  Cover 2: Force Player Not Squeezing the Alley

3.  Not Keeping Outside Leverage vs. the Run

4.  Quarters: CB Must Stay on Top of Post Route

Thanks again to my guest writers OJW, Deuce, Brophy, and Jerry Gordon who all did a fantastic job in contributing to this series on Defending the Flexbone.

Check out the article on the Auburn Fire series (Buck sweep, Reverse, and Play-Action Pass) here: http://coachmaj.blogspot.com/2011/01/sikeston-fire-series.html

4-3 vs. the Flexbone - FS/SS Play

Introduction

The CB or the Safeties can be a Force player in the 4-3 defense depending on your coverage philosophy and personnel.  Most teams ran Quarters coverage vs. the Georgia Tech Flexbone in 2009 and used their Safeties as their primary run players.  My next guest writer is already an accomplished author and an expert on the 4-3/Under front Defense, having written the book Coaching the Under Front Defense, which you can get here Coaching the Under Front Defense if you haven't already.  Ladies and gentlemen, Jerry Gordon...

4-3 vs. the Flexbone - "Safety Play" by Jerry Gordon

One of the most critical aspects in defending the Flexbone is the play of the Safeties in combination with the Corners.  Most good Flexbone offensive coordinators are going to try to put some doubt in your Safeties mind to confuse them.  The point you must try to remember is that they only have to confuse a H.S. kid, not a 40 year old man.  We need to keep reads simple, concise, and clear.  Our Safeties must have an understanding of their assignments.  On every play the defense must have a Dive player, one or more QB players, a Pitch player and a Pass player. 

There are basically 4 types of motion a Safety will see when facing a Flexbone team:

1.  Deep motion - Backside A Back running through the heels of the FB to become the Pitch player.

2.  Twirl motion - A Back going into motion as if he is becoming the Pitch back but now reverses course and becomes the blocker for the primary Force.

3.  Insert motion - A Back goes in motion and inserts himself into the A or B gap. There is no longer a Pitch back.  This play is generally an Isolation or Midline.

4.  No motion

There are also basically two types of releases a Safety will see:

a.  Arc release - A Back blocks the Safety and the WR blocks the Corner.

b.  Crack release - A Back blocks the Corner and the WR blocks (cracks) the Safety.

Let’s go through a couple of scenarios:

1a.  Deep motion w/ an Arc release:

Frontside Safety:

The Frontside Safety is now the Pitch player.  The Pitch player needs to play the pitch through the outside shoulder of the A Back trying to block him.  He should use a dip and rip technique exploding through his assigned blocker.  Since this Safety is now the primary Force player, he must play from outside in, never allowing the ball carrier to get outside of him.  All his help will come from the inside.  If a pass were to emerge, the Safety would become a late Flat defender.

Backside Safety: 

Motion is away, and the Backside Safety is responsible for #2 going vertical.  If there is not a #2 going vertical, he will play the middle third much as he would if he were a 3 deep defender.  The reason we say #2 vertical is because the offense could run #1 and #2 vertical or they could run the Switch concept.  Playing the Backside Safety on #2 vertical allows the Frontside Safety to be a run only player.  This allows the Frontside Safety to play with reckless abandon.  The Backside Safety must “stay behind” the motion until after the ball is snapped because of the threat of Twirl motion, thus placing the Safety too far out of position to play the pitch.  Once run is declared, the Backside Safety now pursues the ball from the inside out.

1b.  Deep motion with a crack release:

Frontside Safety:

Once the Safety’s A Back crack releases, the Corner must yell “Crack, Crack”.  The Corner now becomes the Primary Force.  The Safety must aim through the upfield shoulder of the WR trying to crack him.  He needs to keep outside leverage in case the A Back runs a Wheel.  If the WR does block him the Safety now becomes Secondary Contain.  If the WR does not block him and continues on for a pass, the Safety now has the A Back man to man. The A Back is now probably running a Wheel route on the Switch concept (Post by outside WR, Wheel by the A Back).  

Backside Safety: 

The Backside Safety is still responsible for #2 going vertical, but he needs to be aware that there will be a new #2.

2.  Twirl motion:

The Safety must stay behind the motion so as not to be out of position once the A Back reverses course.  Once the A Back reverses course, the Safety must be able to get himself back into position to become the Primary Force player.  We tell the Safety to be “physically patient and mentally alert.”  If the Twirl motion man has a tendency to be a pass receiver in this situation (3rd and 10), some teams will lock the Frontside Safety on him man to man and play the Pitch with the Backside Safety, thinking that they will be able to catch up to the Pitch back as he is not in motion before the play starts.

3.  Insert motion: (there will not be a Pitch back)

Frontside Safety: play QB inside of your OLB.

Backside Safety: if the Frontside A Back releases, play pass. If the front side A back blocks, play the run inside out.

4a.  No motion, Arc release:

Safeties have their A back man to man.

4b.  No motion, Crack release:

Safeties will play their quarter.

As you can see, there is much to prepare for a Flexbone team.  A team that can have a few weeks to prepare as Iowa did in the film clips surely helps the defense prepare for the onslaught of problems that a Flexbone team can present.

Here's the video:

FS/SS Keys vs. Flexbone from Barry Hoover on Vimeo.

FS/SS Keys

1.  Quarters: Safety Force

2.  Cover 3: SS Force

3.  Cover 2: Secondary Force

4.  Quarters: Stay Outside of Slot and Be on Top of Him if He Runs Wheel Route

5.  Quarters: If Slot Motions Inside the Box to Lead Block, Be Ready to Fill Fast

FS/SS Mistakes vs. Flexbone from Barry Hoover on Vimeo.

FS/SS Mistakes

1.  Force Player Must Stay Outside of Lead Blocker
2.  Quarters: Slow Read / Poor Read

3.  Cover 3: SS Force Player Not Squeezing the Alley

4.  Cover 3: Not Getting Jam on #2

5.  Force Player Must Stay Outside of Slot and Run with Him on Wheel Route

4-3 vs. the Flexbone - Schedule of Posts
Wed. January 12 - DT Play

Sat. January 15 - DE Play

Wed. January 19 - Mike Play

Sat. January 22 - OLB Play

Wed. January 26 - FS/SS Play

Sat. January 29 - CB Play


New blog I found: http://sportsleaderusa.blogspot.com/ 

4-3 vs. the Oregon Spread - DB Play / Coverage Fundamentals

Introduction

Chris Vasseur will write this piece at a later date, but I wanted to add a couple of diagrams to go with the video.  The FS destroying the QB on the Gun Triple Option is a beautiful thing, as you will see when you watch the cut-ups.  However, it is a bit susceptible to Play-Action as you will also see.

Quarters vs. Gun Triple Option

Quarters vs. Play-Action

Pre-snap:

 

Post-snap #1: FS must honor the threat of the run and he bites hard on the Play-Action fake.

 

Post-snap #2:  The spacing in the diagram is good, but in the cut-up, the #3 WR for Oregon did not work to the opposite hash to stress the SS who is trying to midpoint and cover both  the #2 and #3 WRs.  Oregon completed this pass despite the fact that both WRs were in the same area.  The Oregon passing game is much improved this year and Chip Kelly will be looking for similar big play opportunities in the Play-Action game to exploit the Auburn safeties when they get too nosy against the run.

Here are the cut-ups:

DB Play vs Oregon Spread from Barry Hoover on Vimeo.

DB Play

1.  Quarters Safety - Primary Force and Handle Gap Exchange
2.  Quarters Safety - Primary Force, CB - Secondary Force - Keep Outside Leverage
3.  Crack Replace
4.  vs. Cut Block
5.  Safety Mistakes - Slow Read / Poor Read
6.  CB Mistake - Keep Outside Leverage vs. Run

Coverage Fundamentals and Mistakes vs Oregon Spread from Barry Hoover on Vimeo.

Coverage Fundamentals and Mistakes

1.  Quarters Coverage - Safety Conflict vs. Play-Action
2.  Qtrs Mistake - CB Cannot Expect Safety Help vs. Play-Action.  He Must Stay on Top of
     Post Route.
3.  Qtrs Mistake vs. Play-Action - Safety Must Get Over Top of #2 on Wheel.
4.  Quarters Mistake - Flat Player Lost Outside Leverage
5.  Qtrs - Mike Mistake - Not Getting Enough Depth
6.  Qtrs - Mike Mistake - Slow Pass Read
7.  6 Read - Boundary CB Takes #2 to Flat

8.  6 Read Mistake - Boundary CB Cannot Let WR Release Outside, FS is Too Slow to
    Jump #1 When #2 Goes to Flat

9.  Cover 6 - Boundary Safety Play

10.  Cover 2 Safety Mistake

11.  Cover 2 LB Coverage

12.  Cover 2 - Mike Mistake - Not Getting to Middle of Field vs. #3

13.  Quarters Mistake - Flat Player Lost Outside Leverage

14.  Cover 2 CB Play

15.  Cover 2 LB Play - Rally to the Ball

16.  Cover 3 - FS Mistake

17.  Cover 3 Mistake - No Flat Player to Field Side

18.  Man Coverage - Vulnerable to QB Scramble

19.  Tampa 2

20.  Field 8 Sky - Quarters - to Field, Man - to Boundary

21.  Quarters Change-Up

22.  Don't Leave WRs Uncovered

This is the last article on Defending the Oregon Spread with the 4-3 Defense.  Wednesday morning, January 12th  will start the six-part series on Defending the Flexbone with the 4-3 Defense.  The Saturday posts will go up after lunch time, so each post will get three and a half days on the blog.  I 've been hyping this thing for a while because it is really going to be good!  There will be some tremendous guest writers who will contribute to this series.  I will reveal my dream team staff of defensive coaches one at a time with each post.

4-3 vs. the Flexbone - Schedule of Posts
Wed. January 12 - DT Play

Sat. January 15 - DE Play

Wed. January 19 - Mike Play

Sat. January 22 - OLB Play

Wed. January 26 - FS/SS Play

Sat. January 29 - CB Play


Hey, Deuce has a blog now!  Check it out: http://footballislifeblog.blogspot.com/

More new football blogs!
http://hit-emhard.blogspot.com/

http://runaction.blogspot.com/
http://strongfootball.blogspot.com/ 

The Force

When the Force is used correctly, it can be quite constricting.

The way I really learned the concept of "The Force" was from the book, Coaching Team Defense by Fritz Shurmur.  Matthew Brophy refers to this classic as "the bible of defense," and I would have to agree with him; it really is that good.  The principles in this book are universal to all defensive coaches, no matter what scheme they run.  Coach Shurmur was and still continues to be, thanks to his books and videos, a phenomenal teacher with the ability to explain the most crucial and fundamental concepts of defensive football in the most efficient and easy-to-understand way possible.

This is how Coach Shurmur introduces the concept of Force:

"The defense has to be designed to pressure the offense in order to squeeze or compress it.  This is best accomplished by having the defense reduce the angles by attacking the offense on their side of the line of scrimmage.  For example, in forcing the run at the perimeter it is essential that the player responsible for forcing or keeping the ball inside do his job by defeating blockers on the offensive side of the line of scrimmage as close to a 45-degree angle as possible.  This forces the ball carrier to make a decision to turn up inside quicker than he wants to and also squeezes or compresses the lane available to him to run the ball."

 
Shurmur defines the Force man as, "the defender who is responsible for tackling or making sure the ballcarrier does not get outside of him.  It is his responsibility either to tackle the ballcarrier or to force him to cut back into the pursuit pattern."

Coach Shurmur states that, "assigning specific assignments on outside runs eliminates any chance of ambiguity or doubt on the part of the player," and lists the four parts of outside run defense:

1.   Force - squeezes or compresses the lane for the ballcarrier as he forces the ball back inside to the rest of the defense.

2.  Fill or Cutback - the player responsible for tackling the ballcarrier after the Force man causes him to cut back inside.

3.  Support - the defensive back to the side of the play who is assigned to serve as a backup to the Force man and cover the deep receiver on the halfback run-pass option.  He is a pass-first player with deep coverage responsibility, but he can become the Force player for the defense if the Force player loses outside leverage or if the Force player is cracked.

4.  Contain - the backside defender who is responsible for any reverses or wide cutbacks.  This will be the the player, who either by alignment or stunt, ends up as the widest defender on the line of scrimmage away from the play.

Here is the video:

I will have some new videos and articles from some great guest authors on here very soon.  Stay tuned.