Fangio Read the Turn Pressure

Here is a simple Cover 1 dog from Vic Fangio's 2017-2018 Bears defenses with a rushing LB reading the turn of the protection. Bears are in Nickel personnel.

The Rush: 

DE's are wide rushers. Front has a DT in a 3 technique to the side of the RB with a shade DT away. The LB opposite the RB is reading the OG's pass set. If the guard sets inside to the shade DT the LB pressures the B gap. If the guard sets out to the LB in the B gap the LB loops to the opposite A gap to find daylight in the rush. 

The Coverage:

Cover 1 man free coverage with the LB to the RB in man coverage on the back. 

First example is on 2nd&7

The guard sets out to the pressure LB, the LB wraps to the opposite A gap. The pass set for the Center is very difficult. The LB is able to win vs. the Center on the redirection set. The pressure also creates a 5 vs. 5 pass rush. The DE is able to win his 1 on 1 vs. the OT on the edge.

2nd example is a 1st&20 later in the game with the Bills in obvious pass mode. 

Both LB's sugar around presenting a possible 6 man blitz. The Guard sets inside to the A gap DT allowing the LB the clean run through in the B gap.

3rd example is on 3rd&8

The 5 man rush creates 5 OL vs. 5 rushers. OL have to exchange 2 man twists/stunts 2 OL vs. 2 rushers with no help. When a defense is in a 4 man rush the 5 OL may have an unoccupied adjacent OL who can help with a twist. In a 5vs5 situation all the OL are occupied prevent adjacent OL help. In this situation the C/G do a good job of IDing the LB wrapping creating an interior twist action. The issue is degree of difficulty. The C/G are in a Goldilocks situations. Goldilocks: the porridge is too hot, too cold, or just right. Here if the Center is too fast the DT penetrating in the A gap has good inside leverage on the G when the Center leaves to set the wrapping LB. The DT does a great job ricocheting through the G's inside shoulder to create quick pressure. The Guard's redirection set to an inside leverage DT is very difficult. If the Center hangs longer on the DT making it easier on the Guard, it is very hard on the Center to redirect set on the wrapping LB. Often the Center in a bad body position to effectively block the wrap which was shown in the earlier example from the Buffalo game (Example 1). The result to both the C and G have to be just right.

4th example on 3&8

Here the Bears change the presentation. The front is in an overload with 3 DL on the same side of the Center. The DL is overloaded to the RB and opposite the pressure. The overload helps encourage the Guard to set inside to the overload allowing the LB to quickly run through in the B gap.

5th example on 4&6

The pressure LB gets the Guard setting wide on the movement pass with the QB getting out of the pocket. The LB doesn't wrap inside and instead works for width to continue pressuring the QB as the launch point changes. Added bonus in coverage is the hover technique of the DB on the TE. When the TE blocks to help secure the edge for the QB sprint out, the DB hovers. Hover is staying over the top of the man responsibility with depth and vision on the man and the QB. This allows the hovering DB to break like a zone dropper would undercutting routes around him and providing help to man coverage defenders. The QB attempts to throw the ball on a lower trajectory with velocity to fit the ball in vs. man coverage. The man coverage throw allows the hover DB to vision and break getting his hands on the ball.

Good stuff as always from Vic Fangio. He has been coaching good defense for a long time. I'm excited to see his defense in Denver this season. 

Reading the Slide of the Protection

 The Dolphins are in a 2-4-5 Nickel personnel on 2nd & 10.

The Rush:

The End and Will are rushing as contain rushers. The interior 4 are reading the blocks of the OL to determine if they rush or drop out to hot drops. In this example the right interior stay as rushers while the left interior rushers drop out. More on this concept later.

The Coverage:

Cover Zero man with 2 hot droppers. The Safeties are using engage hug rush technique, attacking their man responsibilities forcing the TE and RB to block the players covering them in man coverage. When the X goes in motion the Corner runs with and bumps the Nickel reassigning with the new formation.

The read of the protection is a straightforward idea: 

If the OL is blocking toward the LOS defender the defender doesn't want to run into a player set up to block him, drop out with zone eyes to help on hot throws. The pressure is overloading the protection the QB must get the ball out fast.

If the OL is blocking away from the LOS defender the adjacent OL then must be responsible for blocking him. By attacking the near hip of the OL the defender is reading, it will take the defender as far from the adjacent OL's block as possible and put him on the fastest path to the QB

In this example starting from left to right:

DE - Contain rush

Rush - Reading the Guard, G blocks to him drop to hot throw

DT - Reading the Center, C block to him drop to opposite hot throw

Rush - Reading the Center, C blocks away, penetrate off Center's near hip

Mike - Reading Guard, G blocks away, penetrate off G's near hip

Will - Rushing C gap, becomes contain rusher if TE and RB release on routes

Safeties - Engage rush the TE/RB

If the turn of the protection had been different:

DE - Contain rush

Rush - Reading Guard, G blocks away, penetrate off G's near hip

DT - Reading the Center, C blocks away, penetrate off Center's near hip

Rush - Reading the Center, C block to him drop to opposite hot throw

Mike - Reading the Guard, G blocks to him drop to hot throw

Will - Rushing C gap, becomes contain rusher if TE and RB release on routes

Safeties - Engage rush the TE/RB

In this example the Rush will attack the RB which both creates immediate pressure on the QB and prevents the RB from getting into a route. The RB blocking inside also allows the Safety to be free off the edge. The penetrators will again create stress on the interior of the protection with the OL setting away from them. 

These are the types of man blitzes that allow the defense to make the OL wrong no matter how they choose to block, help deny hot throws, and prevent rushers from running into OL set up to block them. 

Great scheme from Dolphins Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer and Head Coach Brian Flores. 

Reading the Slide - Putting the Center on an Island

Previously I wrote about reading the slide to get pass rushers home for Coaches' Lounge.

Here is another example of reading the slide of the protection.

The Rush:
End and Rush - Contain Rush
Tackle - Slow Under on the OT's set
Nose - Strong A
Mike - Reading the set of the Guard. If the Guard sets inside to the Nose the Mike will run through in the B gap. If the Guard set out to the B gap the Mike will convert to the his rush to the opposite A gap

The Coverage:
Cover 1

The protection is a 5 man scat protection with the RB free releasing. The width of the Tackle and Rush force the Guard and Tackle to set wide. The Mike reads the set of the Guard coming to him and wraps. The width of the sets creates space inside for the wrapping Mike to win one on one vs. the Center. The Center is forced to redirect off the Nose to block a superior athlete in a large space. The degree of difficulty for the Center creates a major advantage for the blitzing LB. 

This concept plays similarly vs. a half slide concept.

 The RB is in good position to help on the wrapping Mike. When the RB blocks the Will adds to the pressure using a green dog technique. 

Another likely protection from this formation is full slide.

The Tackle is slow under allowing him to stay outside when the OT slides away. This allows the Rush & Tackle to create the 2 on 1 overload on the RB.

If the offense uses a half slide with the RB crossing the formation the pressure can attack the RB. 

The Mike reading the slide allows for a run through in the open B gap. The RB is forced to pick up a full speed Mike from across the formation. 

Reading the protection allows rushers to avoid running into blockers and attack daylight.