Defending Compressed Flexbone Formations

Here is a support change up used by Houston this season. The typical expectation is a Corner down at the LOS is going to be cloud support with the Corner being force, keeping outside arm/leg free, and playing pitch on option.

The Cougars show a defensive alignment that looks like cloud support but plays an interesting change up instead.

With the FB lead blocking the offense has numbers on the edge. If the corner had played a force technique here the FB would have been able to get a kick out block allowing the QB to attack off the end of the LOS inside the kick out and gain yards. Instead the corner knifes across the face of the FB to play the QB forcing the QB's path to flatten and widen. The Safety is able to overlap the knifing corner for the pitch. 

Houston later uses the same knife technique by the corner against a toss.

The compressed formation sets up the angles for a crack arc scheme on the edge. The DE is cracked while the arc looks to kick out the force player in this case what looks like cloud support. Again the corner knifes across the face of the block avoiding the arc to make the tackle. The Safety again overlaps outside the corner. 

Nice support change up against the compressed formation by Houston and Defensive Coordinator Doug Belk. Good concept to have in the playbook for flexbone schemes.