BLITZ PACKAGE
BLITZING IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR OVERALL DEFENSIVE PACKAGE. WE BELIEVE IN KEEPING PRESSURE ON THE OFFENSE AND BLITZING ATTACKS THE LOS BY PUTTING MORE DEFENDERS THAN BLOCKERS IN A PARTICULAR SPOT ON THE LOS.
WE USE SIMPLE CALLS FOR OUR BLITZES. BLITZES BY THE LB'ERS ARE DESIGNATED BY THE LETTERS: A, B, C, D, AND E. WE LABEL THE MIKE LB'ER A, THE STRONG LB'ER B, THE WEAK LB'ER C. IF WE ARE GOING TO BLITZ JUST ONE BACKER, WE WOULD CALL BY HAND SIGNAL FROM THE SIDELINE: A, B, OR C. THIS WOULD PUT THE CALLED LB'ER INTO A BLITZ INTO HIS AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY AT THE SNAP OF THE BALL. IF C IS CALLED, BOTH THE STRONG AND WEAK LB'ERS BLITZ THROUGH THEIR AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY ON THE SNAP. IF D IS CALLED, ALL THREE LB'ERS WILL BLITZ THEIR AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY FROM THEIR LB'ER POSITION.
WE WILL ALSO BLITZ FROM THE SECONDARY. WE USE THE LETTERS X, Y, Z AND THE WORD STORM TO DENOTE A SECONDARY BLITZ. X DENOTES THE SS, Y THE CB, Z THE FS AND STORM DENOTES BOTH THE SS AND CB.
ANOTHER PART OF THE BASIC BLITZ PACKAGE IS THE WORD BLOOD. WHEN BLOOD IS CALLED THE DT INVOLVED WITH THE BLITZER WILL CHARGE ACROSS THE FACE OF A LINEMAN OPENING A HOLE FOR THE BLITZER TO MOVE THROUGH. FOR EXAMPLE:
IN THIS EXAMPLE THE MIKE LB'ER AND THE DT TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE OFFENSE CONDUCT A TWIST. THERE ARE TIMES THAT WE CALL THE DIRECTION FROM THE SIDELINE; OTHER TIMES WE LET THE MIKE LB'ER DETERMINE ON THE FIELD WHICH DIRECTION HE WILL BLITZ. USUALLY WE WILL HAVE THE LB'ER INVOLVED IN THE BLITZ TAP THE DT. THE TAP INDICATES THE DIRECTION THAT THE DT WILL GO.
IF WE WERE TO SEND ALL THREE LB'ERS IN THE ABOVE EXAMPLE, THE STRONG AND WEAK LB'ER WOULD BLITZ THE B GAP ON THE LOST AT THE SNAP OF THE BALL.
THERE IS AN INFINITE VARIETY TO THE NUMBER OF BLITZES THAT ONE CAN CALL. YOU ARE ONLY LIMITED BY YOUR IMAGINATION AND THE CAPABILITIES OF THE PLAYERS ON THE FIELD. DURING OUR MEETINGS EACH WEEK WHERE THE SCOUTING REPORT AND GAME PLAN ARE DEVELOPED, THE COACHES DETERMINE WHICH BLITZES TO CONCENTRATE ON FOR THAT PARTICULAR OPPONENT. DURING THE SEASON WE HAVE SOME FAVORITE BLITZES THAT ARE DEVELOPED AND PRACTICES REGULARLY. EACH WEEK, HOWEVER, THERE CAN BE SOME BLITZES OR COMBINATIONS THAT WE DO NOT USE SO FREQUENTLY THAT WE WILL NEED TO PRACTICE. SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT CAN BE CALLED ARE:
THIS WOULD BE A DEFENSIVE ALIGNMENT THAT WE WOULD USE AS A BASE AGAINST A PRO STYLE OFFENSE. IN THIS PARTICULAR DEFENSIVE STUNT, THERE WILL BE NO UNDERNEATH COVERAGE. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE SO-CALLED "ZONE BLITZ" YOU HEAR ABOUT THESE DAYS. THERE ARE THOSE WHO WOULD SAY THAT THIS IS A NEW CONCEPT, BUT WE RAN THIS TYPE OF DEFENSE IN HIGH SCHOOL BACK IN THE 50S.
WHENEVER YOU BLITZ, YOU ARE ROLLING THE DICE. WE CALL THIS PARTICULAR TO PUT GREAT PRESSURE ON THE OFFENSE. THE DT'S HAVE THE A GAP, THE STRONG AND MIKE LB'ERS HAVE THE B GAP, THE DE'S HAVE THE C GAP, AND THE SS AND WEAK LB'ER HAVE OUTSIDE CONTAIN. THE IDEA IS TO THROW THE OFFENSE FOR A LOSS. IF THEY DECIDE TO PASS THE BALL, WE SHOULD GET TO THE QB BEFORE HE HAS A CHANCE TO THROW THE BALL. THE HB, FS, AND CB ARE PLAYING DEEP THIRDS ZONE BEHIND THE GAP 8 RUSH IN FRONT OF THEM. IT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO PREVENT THE HOME RUN.
ANOTHER STUNT FROM THIS BASIC ALIGNMENT WHICH IS MOST EFFECTIVE IS:
IN THIS DEFENSE THE HB PLAYS THE FLANKER, THE SS PLAYS THE TE, THE CB PLAYS THE SE AND THE WEAK AND STRONG LB'ERS HAVE THE BACK TO THEIR SIDE MAN TO MAN IN PASS COVERAGE. REMEMBER THAT IN COVER 1 THE FS HAS NO PASS RESPONSIBILITIES AND PLAYS LIKE A LB'ER.
THE BEAUTY OF THE HANDLES EVERYTHING DEFENSE IS THAT WITH ITS MULTIPLE SETS, THE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR CAN POSITION THE TEAM IN AN ALIGNMENT THAT WILL TAKE AWAY WHAT THE OFFENSE DOES BEST. THAT IS OUR BASIC PHILOSOPHY. WE DETERMINE THROUGH SCOUTING REPORTS WHAT 3-4 THINGS THAT THE OFFENSE WANTS TO DO, AND DOES BEST. WE THEN DESIGN OUR DEFENSIVE GAME PLAN TO TAKE THOSE OPTIONS AWAY FORCING THE OFFENSE TO EXECUTE A PART OF THEIR PACKAGE THAT THEY ARE NOT AS GOOD AT.
TWO EXAMPLES WILL ILLUSTRATE OUR POINT. WE WERE TO FACE THE NUMBER ONE OFFENSIVE TEAM IN THE NATION FROM THE PREVIOUS WEEK. THEY WERE RATED #1 IN USA TODAY'S PASSING STATS. WE DETERMINED THAT THE QB WHILE HAVING A GREAT ARM WAS REALLY A DROPBACK PASSER - NOT A SCRAMBLER. WE DECIDED TO PLAY 5-UNDER MAN, 2 DEEP ZONE AND COVER THEIR RECEIVERS WHILE PUTTING A CONTROLLED RUSH ON THE QB. THEIR RUNNING GAME WAS FAIR, BUT OUR MIKE LB'ER WAS SUPERIOR (AREA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR). WE WERE GOING TO CONTAIN THEIR RUNNING GAME WITH MIKE, COVER THEIR RECEIVERS AND CONTROL RUSH THE QB WHO WOULD BECOME FRUSTRATED WITH THE COVERAGE AND TRY TO FORCE BALLS INTO COVERAGE. IF HE HELD ON TO THE BALL LONG ENOUGH, HE WOULD BE SACKED BY THE RUSH. HERE IS HOW WE ALIGNED AGAINST THEIR BASE SET:
EACH OF THE 5 UNDER DEFENDERS MANNED UP WITH THE RECEIVER OVER THEM. THE IDEA IS THAT THEY WILL PLAY INSIDE AND UNDER THE RECEIVER KEEPING THEMSELVES BETWEEN THEIR MAN AND THE QB. THE TWO DEEP DEFENDERS WILL PLAY UP AND OVER THE DEEP RECEIVERS. THE QB, THEREFORE, WILL HAVE TO THROW THE BALL OVER THE UNDER DEFENDER AND UNDER THE OVER DEFENDER. ON A SIDELINE PATTERN, THE QB WOULD HAVE TO THROW THE BALL OVER THE UNDER DEFENDER AND UNDER THE SIDELINE (WHAT WE FEEL IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PASS FOR A HIGH SCHOOL QB TO COMPLETE). WE WON THE GAME 4 TOUCHDOWNS TO TWO. ONE OF THEIR TD'S WAS A "TRICK" PLAY - A DOUBLE PASS COMPLETED BY THE SE THAT WENT FOR 60 YARDS - OUR DEEP GUYS CAME UP TOO FAST NOT COVERING THE DEEP RECEIVERS AFTER THE FIRST PASS. THE QB WHO HAD COMPLETED OVER 450 YARDS PASSING THE WEEK BEFORE, HAD ONLY 110 YARDS PASSING FOR THIS GAME. OF COURSE WE BLITZED A BUNCH FROM THIS SET KEEPING THE OFFENSE OFF BALANCE.
IN THE SAME LEAGUE WE FACED A TRULY TOUGH WING T TEAM. THE PHILOSOPHY OF THIS PARTICULAR TEAM IS TO ESTABLISH THE FB FIRST. IF YOU DO NOT STOP THE FB TRAP OVER THE CENTER AGAINST THIS TEAM, YOU WILL LOSE THE GAME. WE ALIGNED:
IN THIS DEFENSE (3 DOWN COVER 1 MAN) THE MIKE LB'ERS JOB IS TO DRIVE THE CENTER BACK INTO THE LAP OF THE QB. THE DT'S STRIKE THE INSIDE SHOULDER OF THE GUARDS AND STEP TO THE A GAP. THE FS KEYS ON THE FB. WE HAVE THEM OUT MANNED AT THE POA. THE FB IS NEUTRALIZED. IT TAKES GREAT DISCIPLINE TO RUN THIS KIND OF DEFENSE. EVERYONE MUST KEEP THE FAITH - THE FAITH THAT EVERYONE ELSE WILL HANDLE THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES. FORTUNATELY, WING T TEAMS DO NOT HAVE A VERY GOOD PASSING ATTACK. THE OTHER THING WE LIKE ABOUT PLAYING WING T TEAMS IS THAT EXCEPT FOR THE FB, MOST OF THEIR PLAYS BEGIN WITH THEIR BACKS, ESPECIALLY THEIR FASTER PEOPLE, RUNNING SIDEWAYS FOR 5-7 YARDS OR MORE BEFORE THE GAIN ANY POSITIVE YARDAGE. IF YOUR PLAYERS WILL READ THEIR KEYS AND NOT THE BACKFIELD ACTION, THEY WILL EFFECTIVELY CONTROL THE WING T ATTACK. THE KEYS FOR THE LB'ERS ARE GUARD TO NEAR BACK. ALWAYS KEY GUARDS STRONGLY IN A WING T SYSTEM. GUARDS PULL AND LEAD THE PLAY ON 90% OF THE RUNNING PLAYS. THE GUARD WILL TAKE YOU TO THE POA. THE SECONDARY MUST DISCIPLINE THEMSELVES TO READ THEIR BASIC KEYS (END, TACKLE, NEAR BACK). PROBLEMS ARISE WHEN THE PLAYERS STOP READING THEIR KEYS AND LOOK INTO THE BACKFIELD. WHEN YOU LEAVE YOUR KEYS AND WATCH BACKFIELD ACTION, YOU ARE USUALLY HIT IN THE EAR HOLE WHILE BEING FAKED OUT BY THE ADEPT DECEPTION OF THEIR BACKFIELD ACTION.
IF YOU HAVE A GOOD MIKE LB'ER WHO WILL DISCIPLINE HIMSELF TO READ A KEY, YOU CAN BLOW UP THE FB TRAP WITH ONE SIMPLE KEY - THE CENTERS HEAD. ALIGNED IN A BASE 4-3, THE MIKE LB'ER SHOULD READ THE CENTER'S HEAD FIRST. AGAINST A WING T THAT PULLS GUARDS ON ALMOST EVERY PLAY, THE CENTER IS THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR SEALING OFF THE DEFENDER OVER THE PULLING GUARD. IN EITHER SHORT TRAP OR LONG TRAP ACTION, THE CENTER BLOCKS BACKSIDE. IF THE MIKE LB'ER READS THE CENTER'S HEAD MOVEMENT AND FILLS IMMEDIATELY WHEN THE CENTER'S HEAD GOES EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT, THE LB'ER IS IN THE HOLE BEFORE ANY ONE CAN BLOCK HIM. HE THEM MUST BREAKDOWN AND TACKLE THEIR BEST BALL CARRIER ONE ON ONE, BUT LIKE WE SAID . . . YOU HAVE A GOOD MIKE LB'ER.
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