Nickel Run Pressure

The Titans are in Nickel personnel on 1st & 10 against the Bills in 11 personnel.

Following motion by the Y to the backfield the WR goes in motion.

The Titans travel the Nickel with the motion. This is a common Nickel adjustment on Change of Strength (COS) motions. The Nickel aligns to the pass strength, when the offense uses COS motion the Nickel often travels to maintain the Nickel being to the pass strength spacing of the defense. Many of the coverages in Nickel personnel want the Nickel aligned over the slot to the pass strength. 

The defense also reloads the front changing the alignments of the DT's and flipping the ILBs.

The Rush:

The Nose is ripping across Center (RAC), the DE is on the inside move with the Nickel coming off the edge.

The Coverage:

3 Under 3 Deep Fire Zone

The run is a lead scheme with the TE. The scheme is designed to handle the 6 box defenders with the 5 OL + TE to create a 6 vs. 6 matchup. 

The C/G combo is working to the Mike, the lead is working to the Will. If the Will fits outside the Y's block the ball should run inside the lead off the combo.

If the Will fits inside the Y's block the ball should run outside the lead.

If the Mike plays across the combo to vise the lead block with the Will, the ball should stay playside in the B gap.

In all three examples the blocking scheme doesn't/can't account for the Nickel as a 7th body in the box. 

The Bills motioned twice on the play. The motion forces the defense to move and in theory helps control the Nickel.

The Titans travel the Nickel with motion and edge pressure. The Nickel was pressuring strong and is still pressuring strong when the offense presents COS motion. The DT on the RAC disrupts the play by beating the Center with speed and interfering with the Y's lead block. The Nickel off the edge cannot be accounted for by the scheme. 

The offense is matching the run scheme to the defensive personnel. Defense is in Nickel, the run scheme is designed to attack a 6 man box Nickel personnel. The defense can disrupt the scheme with Nickel pressure. The offense knows this and attempts to account for the Nickel in the box with a Y motion followed by a COS WR motion. The Nickel travels with the motion but still edge pressures leading to a 3 yard TFL. This is the back and forth of football. 

Really good plan and execution from the Titans and Mike Vrabel. Nickel travel pressure is a tool in the defensive tool box to answer and offense's answer of motion to control edge pressure in the run game. Some coaches wonder why some defensive playbooks are thick and why a nickel travels strong pressure is even necessary. This situation shows why this tool exist, when you need to account for an offense's motion plan vs. Nickel personnel this can be a great tool to have in the toolbox. 

3 Buzz Weak Flood Coverage

The Chargers are in Nickel personnel on 3rd&10 vs. 11 personnel.

The Chiefs are in a 3x1 with the TE in a reduced split.

The pre-snap coverage look is 3 buzz weak playing a 4 under 3 deep zone coverage.

Kansas City has a plan to attack the expected coverage on 3rd&10. 

The route starts with the reduced split Y on a width release curl/stop route past the sticks. The route is designed to widen the Corner in his 1/3 as well as pull the curl-flat Will LB out wide.

The inside WR to the strong side is running a spot curl setting up on the opposite hash in the weak hook zone. The Slot is going over the top of the spot route on a deep over route. The goal is to create a high/low on the buzz safety in the weak hook. If the Safety jumps down on the spot route at the sticks the over route has a void to attack. If the buzz safety stays deep for the over the spot route can sit down at the sticks for a 1st down completion. 

Strong side the RB swinging is designed to hold/widen the Hook/C-F defenders. The outside WR is running a basic. If the Hook dropper squeezes back inside with the crossing routes the basic can be a 3rd option after the high low on the weak hook.

The Chargers however are not running just a zone 3 buzz weak. They are flooding the coverage. The Chiefs have the RB strong representing a 4 strong load pattern distribution.

The coverage is man from the back side Corner. With the Corner handling the Y 1on1, the defense can distribute differently. With the Corner no longer playing a deep zone he no longer needs a C-F dropper to handle the routes in the underneath zone. The weak side curl-flat dropper can drop to the #4 instead of zone dropping the C-F. The defense now has an underneath dropper working to 1-2-3-4.

When the RB (#4) runs a route strong the Will LB opens to the strong side looking for the first crosser. The Will is in great body position to handle the crosser coming back across on the spot route. When #4 goes strong the buzz Safety can pass the 1st crosser to the Will. The buzz Safety is free to handle the new #3 coming across (S) on the over route. By matching the buzz Safety on the over route, the void area the offense was attempting to attack is no longer available. Having the Will/Buzz Safety distributing this way eliminates the high/low in the weak hook zone. Strong side the Mike is able to get into the window of the new #2 (Z) on the basic while the C-F Nickel leverages the RB in the flat. 

The Mike ends up squeezing inside with the QB's front shoulder intentions. With the spot and over routes covered the QB takes the Y on the 1on1 vs. the Corner in man. The QB is pressured by a great 4 man pass rush which helps force an errant throw. The pressure also prevents the QB from having time to work back to the basic route. 

Cover 3 is a simple concept. Teams that run Cover 3 variants as the bulk of their coverage concepts have all the nuanced adjustments to handle whatever offenses throw at them.

Well done from the Chargers and Defensive Coordinator Gus Bradley.

Bluffing Pressure to Manipulate Pass Protection

The Steelers are in Nickel personnel on 2nd & Long vs. a compressed 11 personnel formation.

The Rush:

The DL is attacking their gaps with the Will pressuring the open B gap.

The Coverage:

3 Under 3 Deep Firezone

The pressure pattern is very simple but also highly effective. The Steelers bluff the Mike and the Nickle as pressure threats. This creates the possibility of 4 from a side. The threat of 4 from a side causes the issue for the pass protection.

If the offense were in a half slide concept opposite the Nickel:

The 4 from a side threat is a major issue. The defense will have a 2 on 1 overload on the RB. The QB would need to throw hot off the 2nd rusher because the RB can only block 1 of the threats, the QB must account for the 2nd. The protection would however picked up the Will pressure the Steelers actually ran pretty easily. The threat of 4 from a side pressure the Steelers were showing helps prevent this protection.

If the offense is in a man protection:

In this example the OL "Miked" the Will LB. The OL has the 4 LOS threats and the Will LB in protection. The result is exactly like the half slide. 

The offense was not in either of these protections. Both of which match up well against the Will pressure. The pass pro is attempting to account for the 4 from a side threat resulting in a different protection scheme.

Without knowing the call from the offense it is difficult to access what the protection call was on the play. I could be a half slide with the RB bonused.

In this example the slide is working to the pressure threat and the RB is with the slide. This allows the protection enough bodies to block 4 from a side.

The more likely situation is a man protection with the OL "Mike" declaring the Mike LB.

In this example the OL declared the Mike and is accounting for the 4 LOS threats and the Mike. The RB is dual reading the Nickel to the Will.

In both the half slide and man protection examples the protection can handle 4 from a side.

Unfortunately for the protection the bluffed pressure look from the Steelers was not the actual pressure postsnap. 

The protection is accounting for the 4 strong look which allows the Will to run through in the B gap.

To both be ready to handle the 4 from a side pressure threat and handle the Will, the RB has to scan.

In the clip the RB didn't scan which allowed for the run through. The RB checked the Nickel then looked inside to the Mike. Even if the RB had scanned, a coast to coast block by the RB is difficult on a full speed rusher. This is where pressure planning comes together. The Steelers are representing a threat the protection has to ready to block. Built off the 4 from a side look is a complimentary piece that leads to confusion and a very difficult block for the RB. The protection cannot simply ignore a 4 from a side threat. If the offense will ignore it, the defense can come back with a called 4 from a side and create quick pressure. Exotic pressure patterns aren't the only way to create pressure. A simple pattern complimented with a bluff can create big challenges for pass pro.

Great stuff from Pittsburgh Defensive Coordinator Keith Butler. 

Double A Gap Mug Zone Under Man Pressure

The Browns are in Nickel personnel on 3rd & 7. The defense adjusts to motion and walks into the pressure concept. Likely this is a blitz the formation concept adjusting to the new formation following the motion.

The Rush:
Safety is off the edge with the DT and ILB penetrating. The DE is looping weak.

The Coverage:
Zone Under Man

The pass protection is a 6 man scheme with the RB accounting for an A gap. The OL is in a bind. With all the OL covered they are forced into a man protection principle. The pressure presentation make it difficult to quickly assess who are rushers and who is dropping. If the OL fans out to the Safety they risk leaving an interior pass rush threat unblocked to the QB. If they don't fan to the Safety there is an immediate pressure to the QB off the edge. The QB doesn't want to be forced into a hot throw on 3rd & 7 against a 5 man pressure. With a 6 man protection the offense does not want a 5 man pressure to force a hot throw.

Hot throws are also problematic in that the routes will be thrown quickly and likely short of the line to gain.The coverage concept allows the defense to add zone droppers to deny the hot routes to the inside receivers while playing off man to deny the vertical shots. 

The coverage concept also allows the defense to show the double A gap mug while the droppers can execute the drops assigned. The coverage responsibility isn't in conflict for the skill set of a DE/ILB and avoids conflicts based on alignment. The alignment/pressure presentation is critical to affecting the pass pro and allowing the Safety to come free. 

Nice design from former Cleveland Defensive Coordinator Steve Wilks. 

Double A Gap Pick Pressure

Ohio State is in a hybridized 4-3 in a double A gap mug spacing. The down safety is a Nickel/Slot Corner skill set and the DE's are in 2 point stances.

The Rush:
DEs and DT's are rushing their gaps from wide alignments to create space in the A gaps. The Will is penetrating and picking the Center while the Mike is stutter then wrap.

The Coverage:
Cover 1 with the rush accounting for the RB

From the 6 up look the OL is manned up with the Center setting to strong side with the RB handling the weak side A gap threat. When the the Center sets strong the Will is able to execute the pick. This is similar to when an unengaged OL rib shots an adjacent engaged DL. The Center cannot see the pick and isn't in the body position to effectively engage with the penetrating Will. When the Mike wraps the Center is forced to redirect creating a further disadvantage vs. the pick. The result is 2 rushers through the weak side A gap. The Will gets the pressure following the knockdown on the pick of the Center. This pressure has been featured previously from the Falcons the article is available here. The major difference is the technique of the A gap rushers.

Nice pressure plan from Greg Mattison and Jeff Hafley.

Double A Gap Mug Cross Fire Pressure

The Patriots are in a Nickel personnel with OLB bodies at DE on 2nd & 6.

The Rush:
3 Tech DT to the side of the RB is working contain through the B gap while the opposite DT and Rush LB are in their expected rush lanes. The Mike engages the Center before crossing face. The Will shows in his A gap before timing his pressure off the Mike, ultimately the Will is pressuring the opposite A. The ILBs create a delayed A gap crossfire effect.

The Coverage:
Cover 1 with the Rush LB to the RB in man coverage on the back

The protection is a 6 man protection with the RB assigned to an A gap rush threat. The anticipated pick looks like:

The OL is handling the primary pass rush threats. The Center is handling an A gap threat while the RB has the opposite A gap rusher.

The technique of the A gap rush LBs is what makes this pressure effective.

The Mike engages the Center before crossing face. The Mike's initial rush combined with the Will's timing draws the RB to the opposite A gap. The RB wants momentum and speed to get set up to make his block. The Will's technique forces the RB to first be aggressive to the opposite A gap before being forced to redirect to pick up in the opposite A gap. This is a difficult redirect block for the RB to make effectively. The RB naturally loses power and body position on the redirect giving the pass rushing LB an added advantage. One valuable asset of pressure in general is it forces offensive players who expect to be initiators into becoming reactors. The forced reaction of the RB in pass pro helps the LB win the 1 on 1 matchup. The Rush's man technique to mirror the RB also has a nice effect. The T/G treat the situation like a twist game. The Guard still has eyes and is setting to the Rush for the twist exchange as the pressure happens inside preventing any help late from the Guard on the Will. 

The technique and timing is well coached and executed. The pressure not only creates 5 1 on 1 matchups in pass pro, it also isolates the RB on a LB in an A gap while putting the RB in a disadvantaged position to make his block. Picked up doesn't equal protected. 

As always this is really good stuff from Bill Belichick. 

Overloading the RB with 2 Under 3 Deep Pressure

Clemson is in a Nickel personnel on 2nd & 7.

The Rush:

Pressure side DE stems down to a 4i. The full line is slanting away from the pressure with the ILB and Safety pressuring off the edge. The ILB is first going up the field and wide, while the Safety is outside and going through the heel line of the up field ILB. The path gives the Safety a straight line run on the QB.

The Coverage:

2 Under 3 Deep

The usage of the stem down by the DL is a huge factor in allowing the overload of the RB.

If the defense has aligned the DE is a 4i initially the OL may have declared the protection accounting for the defense like a odd front spacing. 

The Guards and Tackles could work a fan/fan concept with the Center on the Nose. This would allow the protection to pick up the pressure.

The strong side OG/OT would handled by the DE/DT. The Center would lock the Nose. The OG would set the pressure side 4i and travel back with him as he tries to cross face. The OT would pick up the first edge threat from the ILB while the RB would pick up the 2nd threat from the Safety. This would allow the QB time to hold the ball and give routes a chance to get open vs. the 2 under 3 deep. There is no doubt a 2 under 3 deep coverage wants the ball out fast to prevent the routes from finding the open space in the coverage concept.

The DE's alignment however wasn't initially in a 4i, he stems down to the 4i alignment.

The 5 technique DE gets the OL into a half slide protection. The OG is uncovered starting the slide putting the OT manned on the DE. The RB is responsible for the either the ILB or Safety blocking inside out. If both blitz the QB has to handle the 2nd free rusher with a hot throw. The RB wants to block the most inside threat.

When the DE stems down during the cadence it is too late for the OL to get into a fan/fan concept. The OT stays manned on the now 4i aligned DE. This functionally turns the protection into full slide with the whole OL setting away from the pressure. One tried and true pressure plan against full slide is to get 2 rushers off the edge vs. the RB. That is exactly what this concept creates. The bonus is the pressure path.

The ILB and Safety present spacing off the edge with the ILB first and inside and the Safety second and outside. The spacing appears to the RB that the ILB is the most inside threat. The RB aggressively commits to blocking the first threat. When the Safety goes through the heel line of the ILB it creates an efficient straight line run on the QB. The RB has difficult pick up against this look to ID the Safety as the most inside rusher. The RB is already committed to the ILB leaving the inside most rusher free.

The QB is forced to get the ball out fast with immediate pressure in his face. The QB is forced to throw at a pressed up X receiver before the route has time to develop. The QB also had no time to work back to the route combination to the strong side.

Nice pressure design from Brent Venables. 

Odd Front CrossFire Pressure

The 2015 Eagles are running in an odd front spaced Nickel personnel vs. 11 personnel.

The Rush:
3 technique looping to contain, Nose & DE slanting away from the pressure. The Mike is 1st in the A gap with the Will wrapping 2nd over the top to the opposite B gap.

The Coverage:
3 under 3 Deep Fire Zone with a Safety as the 3RH drop

Several nice elements to the run pressure. The stem down to a 3 technique influences the OT. The OT hesitates when the 3tech loops out across his face creating time & space for the wrapping Will on the cross fire. The Nose, DE, and OLB do a nice job building a wall on the front side of the zone forcing the wind back into the pressure and drop in Safety.

Nice pressure from former Eagles Defensive Coordinator Billy Davis.

Cover Zero Man Blitz

The Patriots are in Nickel personnel dialing up cover zero man coverage blitz concept on 2nd & 6. The Nickel personnel uses OLB bodies as DE. The front spaces as an odd instead of the expected even front spacing.

The expected spacing of this type of Nickel front is an even front, something like this over front spacting diagram. The Patriots instead space as an odd front with the ILBs bumped strong. The spacing is similar to a 3-3 defense with both stack LB's walked up on edges.

The Rush:

Both edges have the 5 technique aligned rushers working outside to contain with the edge aligned rusher going Up & Under. The DT aligned at Nose is working weak with the blitzing ILB working strong to attack both A gaps. 

The Coverage:

Cover Zero with Corners over. The DB's lock & level the bunch. The coverage is disguised as Cover 1. The down Safety appears to be the man coverage player on the TE with the deep Safety in the post. The coverage assignment puts the down Safety on the RB with the deep Safety handling the TE.

The offense is in a 5 man chip protection. The RB is virtually free releasing only giving a quick chip on 53 off the edge before entering his route. The defense is rushing 6 vs. a 5 man protection creating the run through for the +1 rusher. The coverage disguise shows Cover 1 which indicates likely a max 5 man rush. The QB is responsible for the unblocked rusher with a hot throw. The Patriots may have planned this type of pressure knowing the QB is a backup in week 3 of the season and making his first career NFL start. This pressure forces an inexperienced QB to handle the free rusher and throw hot under immediate interior free rush pressure.

The pressure design helps make the run through happen efficiently.

The 4 most likely rushers in the defensive personnel grouping are the 2 Rush LBs & 2 DTs. The OL turned the protection to the most likely threats. The strong side B gap blitzing LB was the responsibility of the QB.

If the offense chose to treat the front like odd and instead used a Fan/Fan protection pushing the Guards & Tackles out to the outside rush threats the unblocked rusher would have been in the A gap.

The pressure is a nice design vs. either of the most likely 5 man protection schemes.

Good pressure design from Bill Belichick.

Split Field Coverage 5 Up Twist Pressure

Wisconsin is in a sub Nickel personnel with OLB bodies as the DEs. The expected spacing is a traditional even front structure from this type of personnel.

The Badgers instead space as a pseudo-bear front covering all 5 OL. One of the OLB is aligned as a stand up 3 technique. An ILB is walked up as the edge pressure threat.

The Rush:

Both DT's are penetrating with the Rush backer working an up & under wrap to complete the 3 man twist game. The field side Rush backer is the contain rush.

The Coverage:

Split Field Safety playing quarters coverage concepts on both sides with the Mike LB dropping off the RB.

Purdue is using a scat protection free releasing the RB. The 5 immediate pass rush threats covering all 5 OL force the protection into 5 1 on 1 blocks. The Nose and Guard are committed to the penetrating DTs when the wrapping Rush shows up preventing them from reacting back to the Rush backer. The timing of the twist allows the pressure to strike the balance between forcing the OL to buy the penetrators and still hitting the wrap fast enough to get quick efficient pressure. 

Nice technique by the Rush backer keeping the path tight off the penetrating DT's and getting square and vertical to be in good body position to finish at the QB as he wraps. 

Good pressure design from Jim Leonard. 

1 Rat Pressure vs. Empty

The Broncos are in a sub Nickel package 4-2-5 spacing with OLB bodies at DE.

The Rush:

DL slanting weak with the pressure side Rush LB working up & under pass rush. The Nickel is pressuring off the strong side edge.

The Coverage:

Cover 1 Rat with the weak side Rush LB dropping to be the rat in the hole

The pre-snap picture shows both ILB's walked out and a 2 high safety shell. With the RB aligned outside the picture looks like it will not be man to man coverage. A LB didn't go out wide as the man player on the RB which implies split field safety coverage. 

The OL is in a half slide to the weak side. With only the 5 OL in the protection the OL must decide who/what looks are the most dangerous. The 5 OL have to set to the biggest threat. The pre-snap picture of 2 high safety coverage with ILBs removed from the box, the likely pass rush is a 4 man rush with possible pass rush twists from the 4 threats on the LOS. If the slide went to the field the weak side OG and OT would be man to man on the 3tech DT and Rush backer. By sliding weak instead the OL can more easily handle weak side DL pass rush twists. If the DL is going to run a DL twist game against a weak side slide the best place to attack is on a twist game to the man side. This means the DL would need to use the strong A gap DT in the twist game. The protection is doing a threat assessment and the 330LB Nose is a lower threat in the twist game vs. the weak side threats. This protection gave the OL a good look vs. a 4 down pass rush with possible DL pass rush twists which is the most likely post-snap threats.

The Nickel as the 4th rusher is unexpected from the pre-snap presentation. The OL is not accounting for the Nickel in this protection. An extra rusher from the man side of the protection is the responsibility of the QB to get the ball out quick/hot off the unblocked rusher. Why doesn't the QB see the pressure?

The pre-snap look shows the defense has 4 over 3 strong side and 3 over 2 weak side. Two elements bring the QB's eyes weak. One is the pre-snap look of a  match-up of an ILB vs. a TE. The other is post-snap safety rotation. When the Safety rotates to the post it brings the QB's eyes weak. The rotation made the 3 over 2 weak into a 2 vs. 2 weak. The TE/LB match-up and coverage rotation makes that the side to throw against. The protection needs the QB to account for the extra rusher strong. The coverage look makes the QB want to throw routes opposite the hot throw pressure threat. 

The Nickel ends up on the unblocked run because the QB had him in the protection and didn't see him because the coverage drew his eyes opposite the pressure.

Nice empty formation pressure design from Ed Donatell and Vic Fangio.