creating the illusion of pressure

8/7/2019 Creating the Illusion of Pressure

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Creating the Illusion of Pressure

Everyone loves the idea of getting something for nothing. Defensive football coaches are no

different. The something that coaches want is to pressure, confuse, and disrupt the quarterback.

However, not every coach is willing to gamble with a blitz and risk giving up an explosion play

every time they want pressure. The resulting challenge is how to get the pressure without the risk.

One solution is to rush 4 but not the 4 down lineman. Dick Lebeau and Dom Capers both utilize 4

man pass rushes with a blitzer as the 4th rusher while dropping a lineman or rush linebacker into

coverage. The following diagrams are examples from Lebeaus 2002 Bengals playbook(pages 270-273).


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Video of Capers Packers defense running this type of pressure is available here. These pressures

increase the degree of difficulty for the offense by forcing the pass protection first to identify the 4rushers and then get them blocked. Also these pressures can result in the best pass blockers (OL)

blocking no one and the worst (RB) picking up the blitzer. This is especially advantageous when the

blitzer is one of the defense's better pass rushers.

Most defenses have a bluff concept somewhere in their playbook where the defense fakes a blitz but

instead rushes the 4 defensive linemen and plays normal zone coverage. Typically this involves the

fake blitzers moving toward the LOS pre-snap and eventually bailing out to their actually

responsibilities.


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Problems occur when defenders dont make their bluff look like the real thing and often they dont.

Offenses study film too. They know what blitzes look like and can tell when they are being bluffed.If adequate practice time is allocated defenders can become great at selling the offense. The

drawback is the amount of practice time needed to perfect the bluff may not be commensurate withthe reward. A simple solution to this problem is to have multiple players showing blitz with some

rushing and some bluffing. The real blitzer(s) should be convincing which helps to camouflage thebluff. This concept can be applied to the 4 man pressures utilized by Lebeau.


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The goal is to convince the offense they are seeing a 5, 6, or 7 man rush and force them to react to

that perceived pressure.

Offenses have many strategies to deal with the blitz. One plan offenses use is to throw 1 step fade to

their best/tallest receiver. Because the offense is only taking a 1 step drop (catch & throw from the

gun), getting pressure on the QB is almost impossible. The defense is most likely going to win the

majority of these match-ups based solely on the low completion percentage of the play.Unfortunately, the offense will win some as well. A great leaper at WR, a bad height match-up (59

corner vs. 63 WR), pass interference, great throw & catch , or plain old luck can all lead to anexplosion play. Teams seem to be getting better and better at completing this pass which means that

the days of expecting the defense to win based on the offenses inability to execute may be at anend. Additionally, as an offense attacks the corners the response is to loosen their coverage and the

availability of slants, hitches, and fade-stops increases. By bluffing pressure the defense can get theoffense to check into a 1 step fade and throw the ball up vs. a deep 1/3 corner. The Corner can play

confidently against the fade because he knows he has help on shorter routes from the underneath

droppers.

Another strategy offenses like to use is hot (sight adjust) routes to attack the blitz. The hot routes

most commonly involve the interior or slot receivers adjusting their routes to replace where the

blitzer came from. The bluff should force a hot route that will run into the underneath droppers.


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The thought process is that the OT will follow the long stick inside and should then be able to passthe DE to the OG and be in position to pick up the inside blitzer. The running back has the blitzer

off the edge. Teams that slide away from the protection can be attacked with Nickel Sting 8.

By bluffing the NCAA blitz the defense gets the offense to slide the protection thereby guaranteeing

the blitzing Nickel is 1 on 1 with the back.

Other offenses check the protection to slide to the blitz.


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The thought process being the slide can handle the blitz and the RB will not have to block anyone

and will be free to check release. Teams that choose to slide to the blitz can be attacked with Nickel

Tag 8.

Once the offense checks the protection to slide to the blitz the OT has to work through the DE to get

out to the Nickel. The Nickel's speed should create problems for the tackle. The RB has to block a

DE 1 on 1. By bluffing, the defense can dictate to the offense and create favorable pass rush match-

ups.


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Because the Packers are utilizing 2 Rush Linebackers atthe defensive end positions they can drop

them both into coverage. With both Rush LB's dropping the Nickelis free to blitz creating

confusion forthe pass protection and interior pressure from the crossfire blitz.


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Fi Zone Coverage Adjustment

Here is an adjustmentto the techni ue ofthe 3RH player from Dom Capers' 1997 Carolina Panthers

Playbook(page 172).


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Green Bay Packers Nickel & Psycho Packages

More and more teams are now utilizing pass rush personnel groups with only 1 or 2 defensive

linemen on the field. Dom Capers' Packers defense has generated a great deal of pressure this

season with these types of hybrid personnel groups. The Nickel conceptallows the Packers to rush

4 and drop 7 with two edge rushers that have speed and athleticism. Teams like the Packers that

base out of a 3-4 concept often want both OLB's (typically the best pass rushers in a 3-4scheme) rushing the QB and a 4 man rush. This specialized personnel group allows for both

OLB's to stay in the game and for a Nickel secondary to be on the field by only utilizing 2 down

linemen. The Packers can be seen here rushing 4 in a traditional 4 man pass rush with 2 Rush LB's

as the defensive ends. The versatility ofthis personnelis that you can bring 4 rushers from a blitz

look.

In this pressure the Packers show a 5 man rush pre-snap with a LB walked up on the left. However,

the rightRush LB drops out. The coverage is a Cover 3 concept with a 4 man rush. Video can be

seen here.

This package isn'tlimited to only 4 man rush pressure. The 5 man rush package can give the

defense well designed blitzes coupled with skilled players dropping into coverage.


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The Packers use an overload blitz concept with Cover 3 Fire Zone behind itto create a 5 man pass

rush. The hybrid personnel allows the Nickelto rush the QB and not have any true defensive

linemen drop into coverage. Video can be seen here.

This type of personnel also makes overload blitzes like Dick Lebeau's Triple Inside Fire Zone and

Safety Gut Fire Zone (both utilize 2 dropping DE's) more realistic pressure options.


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The Packers also have a 1 down lineman (Psycho) package from their odd front.The pressure

possibilities from this package are basically endless.


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Here the Packers shuffle the RightRush LB down and have him long stickto the opposite side of

the center. The blitz is a variation ofthe NCAA blitz with all 3 linebackers rushing on the same

side. The Nose loops for contain opposite the blitz while the LeftRush LB drops to the 3RH. The

coverage is a traditionalCover 3 Fire Zone with a dime personnel secondary. Video can be seen

here.

With offenses continuing to put more speed atthe skill positions and spread the field I believe

defenses will continue to develop answers like the psycho package to match up. More information

on this trend is available on Brophy's Blog in a posthere. Also more information about Dom Capers

and his defense can be seen in his 1997 Carolina Panthers playbook.

creating the illusion of pressure

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