misopogon
10-22-2003, 02:34 PM
This doesn't work so well once you get into warmer climates, faster receivers, and 4-5 WR sets, but if you're facing a lot of strong, high-awr teams like you get in the Big Ten, this strategy is useful.
First, you need to let them run the ball a bit. In reality, stuffing the run early can guarantee success but in 2004 you just end up making them pass to the point in which the top receiver's grabbing 70 yard bombs out of triple coverage. Come out in the nickel or 3-4 set, jam up the receivers, and blitz enough to take away the pass early. Yeah, they'll run the ball, but you're bound to have a linebacker and a safety who can stop them after 4-5 yards. Heavy zone coverage will keep your guys spread out enough to be bend-but-don't-break, and actually seems to work better when they overload 3 receivers on one side.
If you can weather the storm here, you'll be in better shape for the second half. Switch to your natural 4-3 and either have the middle linebacker spy or switch off between Mack,Will, and Sam in blitzing schemes. The fun part here is to keep the opponent off balance. Bring the Sam guy up to the line as if you're making a 5-2 set, then have the Will blitz through the other side. Often you can get a blocking TE, RB, or FB to shift over to your shadow blitzer, and when they do it, it's a good bet that the other guy's going be a receiver. Constantly switch up your defensive line formation, bring a DT to the outside, and when there isn't a TE on the end, line up an unblocked DE and scoot towards the QB as quick as you can. I like to sub in stronger OLBs for the DE spot in the second half. You're probably not going to get to the quarterback when you do this but it makes you a killer against sweeps, options, and QB draw plays and forces the quarterback into the pocket where your blitzers can get at him. Be ready to disengage and chase down the play if it starts coming your way, and don't get dragged too far behind the QB.
If by now your offense is clicking, relaxing into the zone with only 4 pass rushers can cause some 3-and-outs. However, if the game's still close, you'll need a pressure defense like this to pull it off.
First, you need to let them run the ball a bit. In reality, stuffing the run early can guarantee success but in 2004 you just end up making them pass to the point in which the top receiver's grabbing 70 yard bombs out of triple coverage. Come out in the nickel or 3-4 set, jam up the receivers, and blitz enough to take away the pass early. Yeah, they'll run the ball, but you're bound to have a linebacker and a safety who can stop them after 4-5 yards. Heavy zone coverage will keep your guys spread out enough to be bend-but-don't-break, and actually seems to work better when they overload 3 receivers on one side.
If you can weather the storm here, you'll be in better shape for the second half. Switch to your natural 4-3 and either have the middle linebacker spy or switch off between Mack,Will, and Sam in blitzing schemes. The fun part here is to keep the opponent off balance. Bring the Sam guy up to the line as if you're making a 5-2 set, then have the Will blitz through the other side. Often you can get a blocking TE, RB, or FB to shift over to your shadow blitzer, and when they do it, it's a good bet that the other guy's going be a receiver. Constantly switch up your defensive line formation, bring a DT to the outside, and when there isn't a TE on the end, line up an unblocked DE and scoot towards the QB as quick as you can. I like to sub in stronger OLBs for the DE spot in the second half. You're probably not going to get to the quarterback when you do this but it makes you a killer against sweeps, options, and QB draw plays and forces the quarterback into the pocket where your blitzers can get at him. Be ready to disengage and chase down the play if it starts coming your way, and don't get dragged too far behind the QB.
If by now your offense is clicking, relaxing into the zone with only 4 pass rushers can cause some 3-and-outs. However, if the game's still close, you'll need a pressure defense like this to pull it off.