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Kamis, 29 Maret 2012

Wide Cross Inside Fire Zone

I added the coverage adjustment to this post on 3/29/12. Thanks again to the Anonymous comment that pointed this out on the video.

The Wide Cross Inside Fire Zone is a great way to get pressure right in a QB's face. The picture below is a page from Dick LeBeau's 2002 Bengal playbook:

2002 Cincinnati Bengals 3-4 Defense - Dick LeBeau.pdf

Backer and Core refers to the Force players on each side (the Sam LB and Elephant DE). The play is drawn with the Nose in a 2i, but he is often in a Shade/1 tech in the cut-ups (just as long as he can get out of the way quick enough). The Buck LB will go first and the Mike will go second. Someone on Coach Huey asked about the difference between Cover 3 and Cover 3 Fire for the Corners. The difference is that the Corners don't midpoint the number one and two receivers going vertical in 3 Fire coverage as they do in regular Cover 3.

If the Corners aren't helping out vs. the #2 WRs, wouldn't this leave the FS out to dry vs. 4 Verts? Well, the key is with the Seam/Force players. Dick LeBeau teaches these players to funnel the #2 WR inside towards the FS. Blitzology explains this in more depth here and here.

The first three cut-ups show adjustments that the Steelers make to their Fire Zone coverage to improve the coverage as well as the leverage of their Force player.

Cut-up #1 - The Steelers pre-snap will plan to run their Fire Zone coverage the same way that it is drawn in the playbook diagram since #2 is a TE to Field.

Cut-up #1 - The RB motions and becomes the new #2 so the Sam and SS switch coverage assignments to help improve their Fire Zone coverage. Also, it helps the run defense to where the SS Force player has outside leverage on #2. The Steelers will make this adjustment anytime #2 is lined up wider than a TE.

Cut-up #2 - A WR is split wide as the #2, so the SS and Sam switch.

Cut-up #3 - #2 is lined up wider than the TE, so the SS and Sam make a call to switch.

Cut-up #3 - #2 motions away and the TE becomes the new #2, so the SS and Sam switch back the coverage.

Keep an eye on the coverage adjustments as you watch the cut-ups which are from the 2004 Steelers vs. both the Pass and Run. It is a great Fire Zone vs. both.

Sabtu, 14 Januari 2012

Strong Scrape Fire Zone and Fire Zone Adjustments

How many times have you been to a clinic and heard a speaker talk about America's Fire Zone? Too many times, probably. It's not like there are only a limited number of pressures that you can run (Blitzology with proof of that on his site here). I will talk about America's Fire Zone, but I will use it as an example of how to make Fire Zone adjustments. Dick LeBeau refers to this as Strong Scrape Fire Zone in his 2002 Bengal playbook here.

The Strong call tells the defense to run this Fire Zone to the side of the passing strength or the 2 WR side, either a TE and a WR, or two WRs. Many teams also will call it to the wide side of the field with a Wide or Field call or to the boundary or short side of the field with a Short or Bench call (see Manny Diaz Fire Zone article here for diagrams). The Fire Zone is called Scrape because of the assignment of the Buck LB, who must scrape tightly off the butt of the DE so as to not allow a crease in the defense.

I won't get into the techniques of each position so the clinic guys have something to talk about this clinic season, but I want to talk about the adjustments that are important to run this Fire Zone effectively.

I have borrowed a lot from Manny Diaz when it comes to Fire Zone adjustments. There are many adjustments that can be run, which include having the DT being a dropper at times, but there are two adjustments that I think are the most important. Diaz talks about how the coverage needs to be the easiest thing as far as Fire Zones go, so it is important that we not over-complicate things. If a defender blitzes the wrong gap, you may have a bad play but it won't be a disaster. Now, if there is a mistake in coverage, that's a disaster.

The great thing about the teaching of these adjustments is that only the Will LB has to think about the checks (this would be the backside Mike LB in LeBeau's defense).

Fire Zone Adjustments

Switch - vs. 2 WRs to Boundary, Will makes a "Switch" call with DE. Now, DE is Hot 3 and Will is Hot 2 to the Boundary. Can't Switch unless #3 is in backfield.

Swap - vs. 3 X 1 Trips teams that try to throw a lot of Screens, Will makes a "Swap" call with Mike. Now, Mike is Hot 3 and Will becomes blitzer.

Here is the base call, Field Scrape, from a 4-3 look:

The Offense has a mismatch with a fast WR in the boundary slot vs. a DE, so we make a "Switch" call. You may not need this call with the ball on the hash, but it becomes more important as the ball moves toward the middle of the field.

The "Swap" adjustment is great vs. teams that like to throw quick screens or Y Stick vs. Field pressure (for more on how offenses like to use Y Stick vs. Fire Zones, go here, here, here, and here). Mike can easily get to number 3 and it will difficult for the OL to see Will coming from the other side of the Center.

You have to be careful vs. Empty. A "Switch" call would have the Fox DE trying to cover number 3 to the other side of the field. It is important for your Will to know that there is no "Switch" call unless 3 is in the backfield. There is no "Switch" vs. any Trips sets. The only adjustment that can be made is a "Swap" call.

Also, as my good friend, T.J. Williams reminded me, you need to practice these adjustments vs. motion from a 2x2 ("Switch" call) to a 3x1 set ("Swap" call) and vice versa so your guys aren't unprepared.

This is the "Swap" call vs. Trips:

If I can find some examples of the "Switch" call on film, I will put them up on here later.

Why so many coaches are yellers instead of teachers--they can't teach. See here.

Jumat, 25 Februari 2011

Triple Inside Fire Zone - Dick LeBeau

This Dick LeBeau Zone Blitz has already been talked about on Blitzology's Blog here and on Smartfootball.com here. I liked it so much that I started digging through my video library of blitzes to find a cut-up of it. It has 5 blitzers to attack vs. the middle 3 of the OL. I especially like that the blitz makes it possible to avoid the offense's two best pass protectors, the OTs.

The picture below is a page from Dick LeBeau's playbook when he was the Head Coach for the Bengals:
2002 Cincinnati Bengals 3-4 Defense - Dick LeBeau.pdf

The Nickel will align to the passing strength and he will be the #2 Seam dropper. Most people utilize their #2 dropper as the SCIF (Seam-Curl-Flat) dropper. LeBeau uses a different technique for his #2 dropper, which he refers to as the Seam dropper. The Seam dropper will have outside leverage (instead of inside leverage for SCIF technique) and he will collision and carry #2 vertical until #3 goes to the flat. For more info on the Seam Drop, check out Blitzology's posts: Seam Drop and SCIF vs. Seam.

Both DEs know they will be dropping on this play. The Nickel will alert the DE to his side with a "Hook" call to let him know that he will be the #3 Hook dropper. The DE away from the Nickel will be the #2 Seam dropper to his side. The DE's rule is that he is the Seam dropper unless he hears a "Hook" call from the Nickel. The DEs can take a step upfield to fake a pass rush to hold the OTs and keep them from blocking the DTs. Teams also like to have personnel packages with OLB-types at DE to utilize more speed rushing the passer and for better pass coverage in Zone Blitzes like this one.

I am disappointed that I can't (yet) find any Steeler cut-ups of this concept, because none of the cut-ups below show the DTs executing the Jet B Gap technique as described in LeBeau's playbook. The advantage to the technique taught by LeBeau is that the DTs can ideally avoid the OTs altogether in getting to their Contain rush.

The cut-ups I have found so far show the DTs working outside of the OTs. The problem with this is that the OT can pick up the DT, which allows the Guard to work inside and pick up one of the blitzers.

For this to be a true 5 on 3 overload inside, the DTs must avoid the OTs. They have to jet outside past the Guards and get behind the OTs to get to their Contain rush position. Dallas Cowboys DL Coach Brian Baker talks about this in the 2010 Atlanta Glazier Clinic notes, starting on p. 19. He says to rush lanes, not gaps. The two Contain rushers' responsibility is to stay outside the QB, not the OT. His rush track is to an aiming point of 4 yards behind the outside leg of the OT. He wants to work to the upfield shoulder of the QB (the shoulder farthest from the LOS, but not getting all the way behind the QB like Bill Belichick warns about in these notes here).

The blitzing Safety must be aligned to the same side as the Backer. The Dime will line up as a LB to the opposite side of the Backer and blitzing Safety. The Backer will cross first, the Dime comes right behind him and crosses second, and the Safety comes third, right off the Dime's butt. The Safety has to hit it fast to get there from distance.

I would communicate this blitz with the call, "Wide Bench Triple Inside 3 Blaze." Our "Wide" front has two 3 techs. The "Bench" call has the DT, Fox DE, Will LB, and FS to the Boundary and the NT, DE, Dime, and SS to the Field. This call will always get the FS lined up to the same side as the Will LB and allow him to blitz quickly from the near hash. The Nickel's alignment will be independent of the Bench/Field call and he will instead line up to passing strength.

"Triple Inside" is the Zone Blitz call and "3 Blaze" coverage is a term to differentiate Fire Zone coverage with Safety rotation to the Boundary. A Fire Zone coverage with Safety rotation to the Field would be "3 Fire" coverage.

Here's how it would look when run from the hash and here are the videos:

Field Triple Inside 3 Blaze from Barry Hoover on Vimeo.

Pretty good play call here:

Wide Triple Inside 3 Blaze (Florida) from Barry Hoover on Vimeo.

Field Triple Inside 3 Blaze (Va Tech) from Barry Hoover on Vimeo.

Thanks to Brad who found this cut-up. Notice the aggressiveness of the Safety, Laron Landry, in contrast to the Virginia Tech Safety in the previous cut-up. The Safety has to hit it full speed and know that the opening will be there between the crossing LB and Dime Back.