Defending Wing-T TE Runs with Under Quarters

West Alabama is in an under front 2 high quarter quarter half concept vs. the wing-t.

The Mike is in a 10 and Will is in a 50. The Sam is aligned in a 9 technique but on motion he moves to a 50 off the ball. This allows the defense to fit as a 4-3 with the linebackers using a lever-spill-lever fit.

The Will does a great job leveraging the G block from the pulling Guard allowing the Safety to run the alley to make the tackle. 

The head up alignment of the DE on the TE allows for the DE to quickly engage and be violent on the pulling Guard on the G scheme. The 50 LB has a good alignment to be able to overlap and leverage the run. 

Another nice example of the 50 LB playing the lever technique, leveraging the ball back to the 10 LB. Also really nice example of the DE working a block shed and throwing across the face of a down block to get back involved in the play.

Against a shift to unbalanced the defense has a easy adjustment.

The offense presents a Guard over unbalanced, the defense aligns in the same under front spacing as before.

Once the OL shifts to build the unbalanced the DL slides into an over front with a 9 technique Sam. The ILB bump into a 4-2 box. 

The over front forces the wing into a down block and naturally widens the play. The defense can present 3 defenders off the edge in the Sam, Mike, and Safety vs. 2 blockers in the kick out and puller in the power scheme.

Good stuff from Steve Sisa and the West Alabama defense. 

Under Front Plug Pressure to Attack Split Zone

Here are the Panthers running an under front plug pressure on 2nd & 5. Carolina is in 4-3 personnel with a hybrid DE/LB. The usage of a hybrid defender allows the front to start in an odd front spaced like a 3-4 and stem pre-snap into an under front spacing. 

The Rush: 
Will LB blitzing his open A gap.

The Coverage:
Cover 1 with the Sam and Safety playing a combo coverage on the two TE's in the wing structure

The Nose in the play side A gap helps stop the flow of the zone. The Will pressuring in the weak side A gap gets penetration denting the zone. The denting of the zone forces the RB to cut back. The Will on the pressure and the 3 tech DT prevent the back side of the zone from climbing to the Mike while the DE boxes the split zone block by the TE across the formation. 

In coverage the Sam and Safety share the two TE's. The down TE zone blocks out, as the widest of the two the Sam takes the TE in man coverage. The off TE blocking across the formation becoming the man responsibility of the Safety. The Mike manned on the RB and the Safety manned on the TE are able to add 2 unblocked defenders at the point of attack on the LOS. 

This plug pressure was featured previously link here. The earlier example was used to attack play action on a 1st & 10. This type of simple versatile pressure can be effective on regular down & distances to attack both run & pass. 

Good stuff from the Panthers and Eric Washington.

Under Front Plug Pressure

Here is a classic simple under front pressure from the Panthers.

The Rush:

Will LB blitzing his open A gap.

The Coverage:

Cover 1 with the edge rushers peeling on the RB

This pressure has good versatility on 1st and 10. The plug of the A gap by the blitzing Will backer can be an effective run stunt. Here the pressure is too fast for the RB on the pickup off play action. Simple effective call from Carolina and Eric Washington.

4-3 Under Front Crossfire Blitz

The Rush

End - Contain

Mike - First, Blitz B gap

Sam - Second, Blitz A gap

Nose - Opposite A

Tackle - B Gap vs. run, Contain vs. pass

The Coverage

Corners – Tight 1/3

FS – Middle 1/3

SS- Seam

Will – 3RH

End – Seam

The same blitz can easily be run with man coverage.

The crossfire action of the Mike and Sam can create confusion for the offense’s blocking schemes. The issue for this blitz is what to do when the offense has a three man surface. 

The defense runs the risk of being badly out leveraged on outside zone, pin & pull, or other perimeter run schemes.

If the offense aligns with a TE or H back to create a three man surface the Sam adjusts.

The Sam aligns in the normal under front 9 technique. Against the run the Sam blitzes outside and contains. 

The Will can easily play to the A gap on any flow to the TE.

Against the pass the blitz returns to the normal crossfire pattern. The Sam blitzes under the End and Mike to the A gap.

With a simple adjustment by the Sam the blitz can remain sound vs. the run and create the crossfire action vs. the pass.

Under Front Weak Side Blitzes

Here is a package of complementary blitz patterns from the same under front alignment. These blitzes are from the 1999 Texas A&M Defensive Playbook. The Aggies used a 3-4 personnel but these blitzes are easily applicable to a 4-3 or 4-2 defense.

The blitz concept is from the Aggie's 53 front. 

Call DE  - 5
Away DE - 3
Nose - Call side 1

Sam & Rush Linebackers walked up

53 Dip

The Coverage - Cover Zero

Corners - #1's
SS & FS - #2's or #3
Mike - Running Back

The Rush 

Sam - Contain 
End - C gap vs. the run, Psycho B gap vs. Pass
Nose - A gap
End - B gap
Will - Tuff alignment on OT, Contain Rush
Rush - Loose alignment, Rush A gap

Psycho Technique

Against the run to the strong side the defense plays gap control. Against the pass the End executes a psycho technique to the B gap.

The DE rushes from the C gap to the B gap. This technique helps keep the End from being in the way of the contain rush of the Sam linebacker.

53 Blade

The Rush

Away End - A gap
Will - Tuff alignment on OT, X-It* to contain
Rush - Loose alignment, Rush A gap

*X-It technique is the Will attacking the tackle before looping to contain

53 Ox

The Rush

Away End - A gap
Will - Tuff alignment on OT, Contain Rush
Rush - Loose alignment, Rush B Gap

This package of blitzes gives the defense flexibility to attack the offense in 3 different ways from the same alignment. The defense could also choose to switch the alignment and responsibility of the Rush and Will.