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DYK(did you know) Defensive Schemes


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When it comes to offense you pretty much know if a team is a running team or

a passing team and that helps you to decide who to draft or trade for.

 

Well on the defensive side of the ball it is pretty much the same thing but

there are more schemes to learn and understand.

From Wikipedia

Defensive formations

 

3-4

 

The 3-4 defense declined in popularity over the years, but has found renewed use by modern professional and college football teams. The 3-4 defense is so named because it involves 3 down linemen and 4 linebackers. There are usually 4 defensive backs.

 

The 3 down linemen attempt to break into the backfield in order to sack or rush the quarterback or to stop running backs and other players behind the line of scrimmage. The defensive line is made up of a nose tackle (NT), who lines up in front of the opposing team's center and two defensive ends (DEs), who flank the nose tackle on both sides. Linemen in 3-4 schemes tend to be more massive than their 4-3 counterparts to take up more space and guard more territory along the defensive front.

 

4 linebackers line up behind the defensive line. In a 3-4 defense, the linebacker unit is made up of two middle or inside linebackers (MLBs/ILBs), who are flanked on both sides by outside linebackers (OLBs).

 

The strength of the 3-4 is its ability by its design to confuse the quarterback during passing plays. Most teams generate a pass rush by sending at least 4 defensive men at the quarterback. In a standard 4-3 alignment, these 4 rushers are usually the 4 down linemen. But in a 3-4, the fourth rusher is a linebacker. Since there are 4 linebackers, the fourth potential rusher can come from a variety of spots on the field, thus influencing and sometimes confusing the quarterback's pre-snap defensive read.

 

A drawback of the 3-4 is that without a fourth lineman to take on the offensive blockers and close the running lane, both the defensive linemen and the linebackers can be overwhelmed by blocking schemes in the running game; thus a 3-4 defense requires a large and strong nose tackle able to routinely tie up 2 or more blockers, freeing the middle linebackers to make the tackle. The 3-4 linebackers must be very athletic and strong enough to shed blocks by fullbacks, tight ends, and offensive linemen to get to the running back.

 

 

4-3

 

The 4-3 defense is probably the most commonly used defense in modern American Football and espically in the NFL. The 4-3 defense is so named because it involves 4 down linemen and 3 linebackers. There are usually also 4 defensive backs.

 

Defensive Line Defensive Tackles There are 2 defensive tackles in the 4-3 scheme. The first one, called an Over Tackle, is similar to the NT in the 3-4 in the fact that he is a little bigger and stronger and plays the 2 gap technique. It is called the 2 gap technique because he is responsible for 2 offensive linemen, generally the Center and Guard. His primary job is to stop the run and take up 2 or more blockers. The second DT, called an Under Tackle, is a bit smaller and faster, similar to a 3-4 DE. He plays a 1 gap technique meaning he is responsible for 1 offensive lineman, generally the remaining Guard. His primary responsibility is to rush the passer and stop the run.

 

Defensive Ends The defensive end’s primary role in the 4-3 defense is to get to the quarterback and create pressure. The 4-3 Des are the smallest of all of the defensive lineman due to their emphasis of speed over strength. They still need to be strong enough to fight their way past offensive tackles, yet quick enough to pursue the Running backs on runs to the outside. Defensive ends generally play the 1 gap technique, though will occasionally be forced to play a 2 gap in the event of a TE pinching in to block on run plays.

Linebackers Middle Linebacker There is only 1 inside linebacker in the 4-3 scheme, so he is called the Middle linebacker. Also known as the Mike, he acts as the quarterback of the defense and is often the defensive leader. The primary responsibility of the Mike is to stop the run, though he will often be asked to fall back in zone coverage. Because of this the Mike is often the largest and strongest of all of the Linebackers

Outside Linebackers As in the 3-4 there are 2 outside linebackers in the 4-3. These outside backers are known as Sam and Will. The Sam linebacker typically sticks to the strong side of the defense, across from the TE. The Sam does his fair share of blitzing, however he also needs to play the run and will usually be relied upon to cover the tight end or potentially a back out of the backfield. The Will will generally play on the weak side and has more freedom than the other LBs, often blitzing the QB or guarding against the screen.

 

Secondary The 4-3 defense generally uses 4 defensive backs. Two of these are safeties, and two of them are corners. A cornerback's responsibilities vary depending on the type of coverage called. Coverage is simply how the defense will be protecting against the pass. The corners will generally line up 3 to 5 yards off the ball, generally trying to “Jam” or interrupt the receivers route within the first 5 yards. A corner will be given one of two ways to defend the pass (with variations that result in more or less the same responsibilities): zone and man-to-man. In zone coverage, the cornerback is responsible for an area on the field. In this case, the corner must always stay downfield of whoever it is covering while still remaining in its zone, always between the sideline and the opposing player. Zone is a more relaxed defensive scheme meant to provide more awareness across the defensive secondary while sacrificing tight coverage. As such, the corner in this case would be responsible for making sure nobody gets outside of him, always, or downfield of him, in cases where there is no deep safety help. In man coverage, however, the cornerback is solely responsible for the man across from him, usually the offensive player split farthest out.

 

The free safety is responsible for reading the offensive plays and covering deep passes. Depending on the defensive call, he may also provide run support. He is positioned 10 to 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage, toward the center of the field. He provides the last line of defense against running backs and receivers who get past the linebackers and cornerbacks. He must be a quick and smart player, be capable of making tackles efficiently as well as read the play and alert your team of game situations. He is the most skilled player, he is the last defense. The strong safety is usually larger than the free safety and is positioned relatively close to the line of scrimmage. He is often an integral part of the run defense, but is also responsible for defending against a pass; especially against passes to the tight-ends.

 

 

The 4-3 is widely used because of its balance in stopping both runs and passes as well as being personnel-friendly since smaller players can be used effectively along the defensive line.

 

The original version of the 4-3 lined up the tackles over the offensive guards and the end over the offensive tackles, with the middle linebacker over the center and the other linebackers outside the ends. In the mid-1960s Hank Stram developed a popular variation, the "Kansas City Stack", which shifted the strong side defensive end over the tight end, stacked the strongside linebacker over the tackle, and shifted the weakside tackle over center. At about the same time the Cleveland Browns frequently used a weakside shift. The Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry developed a "flex" variation, that moved standout lineman Randy White all over. Now every team has its own variations.

 

Nickel

 

The nickel defense is employed in obvious passing situations, or against a team that frequently uses four-wide receiver sets on offense. The defense has 5 defensive backs, and usually has 4 down linemen and 2 linebackers. A lineup of 3 down linemen and 3 linebackers is sometimes used, but this is often called a "3-3-5" defense instead of a "nickel" defense.

 

In most defenses, the secondary consists of two cornerbacks (CBs), a free safety (FS) and a strong safety (SS). The nickel defense adds an extra defensive back, known as the "nickel back" (NB), in order to defend against the pass. A nickel back is also employed in the "dime" defense (see below) and is usually a cornerback, although safeties can be utilized as well. The term "nickel" comes from the five-cent value of a United States nickel, in reference to the fifth defensive back.

[edit]

 

Dime

 

The dime defense is usually employed in obvious passing situations. The formation usually consists of 6 defensive backs, and has either 4 down linemen and 1 linebacker, or 3 down linemen and 2 linebackers.

 

A dime defense differs from the nickel in that it adds yet another defensive back to the secondary. The sixth defensive back is called a "dime back" (DB). The defense gets its name because a dime is two nickels.

 

46/Bear

 

A variation of "8 in the box" in the NFL is called the 46 or "Bear" defense. It is designed to put pressure on the QB by lining up the defense with 3 defensive linemen covering the center & guards, and the 4th defensive linemen lined up either "wide" outside the TE or wide off the weak-side Tackle. The linebackers & strong safety are lined up behind the defensive line to put pressure on the QB as well.

 

This defense earned its name from the team that employed it to near-perfection, the Chicago Bears. The 46 was their base defense when the Monsters of the Midway dominated the 1985 season.

Coverage Shells

 

Cover 2

 

In traditional Cover 2 schemes the free safety (FS) and strong safety (SS) have deep responsibilities, each guarding half of the field.

 

Cover 2 can be run from any number of defensive fronts such as the 46, the 3-4, and the 4-3. Various "underneath" coverage played by cornerbacks and linebackers may also be implemented. For example, Cover 2 Man means 2 safeties have deep responsibility while the cornerbacks and linebackers follow their offensive assignment in one-on-one coverage. Cover 2 can also be paired with underneath zone schemes: Cover 2 Zone refers to 2 safeties with deep responsibility but now the CBs and LBs drop back into specific coverage zones where they defend passes ONLY in their assigned area.

 

Teams that play Cover 2 shells usually ascribe to the "bend-but-don't-break" philosophy, preferring to keep offensive players in front of them for short gains while limiting long passes. This is in stark contrast to a more aggressive Cover 1 type scheme which leaves the offensive team's wide receivers in single man-to-man coverage with only one deep helper. By splitting the deep field between two defenders, the defense can drastically reduce the number of long gains.

 

The main weakness of the Cover 2 shell occurs in the middle of the field between the safeties. The safeties attempt to gain width upon the snap of the ball to cover any long passes to quick wide receivers down the sideline. This movement creates a natural hole between the safeties that can be attacked. By sending a receiver (usually a tight end) into the hole, the offense forces the safety to make a decision: play the vulnerable hole in the middle of the field or help out on the wide receiver. The quarterback reads the safety's decision and decides on the best matchup (which mismatch is better--TE vs S or WR vs CB).

Cover 1

 

Cover 1 schemes employ only one deep defender, usually a safety. Many underneath coverages paired with Cover 1 shells are strictly man-to-man with LBs and defensive backs each assigned a different offensive player to cover. By using only one deep defender in Cover 1, the other deep defender is free to blitz the quarterback or provide man-to-man pass coverage help.

 

Cover 1 schemes are usually very aggressive, preferring to proactively disrupt the offense by giving the quarterback little time to make a decision while collapsing the pocket quickly. This is the main advantage of Cover 1 schemes--the ability to blitz from various pre-snap formations while engaging in complex man-to-man coverage schemes post-snap. For example, a safety may blitz while a CB is locked in man coverage with a WR. Or the CB may blitz with the safety rotating into man coverage on the WR post-snap.

 

The main weakness of Cover 1 schemes is the lone deep defender that must cover a large amount of field and provide help on any deep threats. Offenses can attack Cover 1 schemes with a vertical stretch by sending two receivers on deep routes, provided that the quarterback has enough time for his receivers to get open. The deep defender must decide which receiver to help out on, leaving the other in man coverage which may be a mismatch.

 

A secondary weakness is by its design: the use of man coverage opens up yards after catch lanes. Man coverage is attacked by offenses in various ways that try to isolate their best athletes on defenders by passing them the ball quickly before the defender can react or designing plays that clear defenders from certain areas thus opening yards after catch lanes.

 

Cover 2

 

In traditional Cover 2 schemes the free safety (FS) and strong safety (SS) have deep responsibilities, each guarding half of the field.

 

Cover 2 can be run from any number of defensive fronts such as the 46, the 3-4, and the 4-3. Various "underneath" coverage played by cornerbacks and linebackers may also be implemented. For example, Cover 2 Man means 2 safeties have deep responsibility while the cornerbacks and linebackers follow their offensive assignment in one-on-one coverage. Cover 2 can also be paired with underneath zone schemes: Cover 2 Zone refers to 2 safeties with deep responsibility but now the CBs and LBs drop back into specific coverage zones where they defend passes ONLY in their assigned area.

 

Teams that play Cover 2 shells usually ascribe to the "bend-but-don't-break" philosophy, preferring to keep offensive players in front of them for short gains while limiting long passes. This is in stark contrast to a more aggressive Cover 1 type scheme which leaves the offensive team's wide receivers in single man-to-man coverage with only one deep helper. By splitting the deep field between two defenders, the defense can drastically reduce the number of long gains.

 

The main weakness of the Cover 2 shell occurs in the middle of the field between the safeties. The safeties attempt to gain width upon the snap of the ball to cover any long passes to quick wide receivers down the sideline. This movement creates a natural hole between the safeties that can be attacked. By sending a receiver (usually a tight end) into the hole, the offense forces the safety to make a decision: play the vulnerable hole in the middle of the field or help out on the wide receiver. The quarterback reads the safety's decision and decides on the best matchup (which mismatch is better--TE vs S or WR vs CB).

Cover 3

 

Cover 3 refers to 3 deep defenders each guarding one-third of the deep zone. Cover 3 schemes are usually used to defend against passes, mainly those towards the deep middle of the field. Unlike Cover 2 schemes that create a natural hole between safeties, Cover 3's extra deep defender is able to patrol the middle area effectively.

 

The most basic Cover 3 scheme involves 2 CBs and a safety. Upon snap, the CBs work for depth, backpedaling into their assigned zone. One safety moves toward the center of the field. The other safety is free to rotate into the flat area (about 2-4 yards beyond the line of scrimmage), provide pass coverage help, or blitz.

 

As with other coverage shells, Cover 3 is paired with underneath man or zone coverage in its most basic form.

 

The main weakness of Cover 3 shells is the 2 retreating CBs. Since the CBs are working for depth, short pass routes underneath the CB can isolate him on a wide receiver near the sideline with little help.

 

Cover 4

 

Cover 4 refers to 4 deep defenders each guarding one-fourth of the deep zone. Cover 4 schemes are usually used to defend against deep passes.

 

The most basic Cover 4 scheme involves 2 CBs and 2 safeties. Upon snap, the CBs work for depth, backpedaling into their assigned zone. Both safeties backpedal towards their assigned zone.

 

As with other coverage shells, Cover 4 is paired with underneath man or zone coverage in its most basic form.

 

The main weakness of Cover 4 shells is the retreating defensive backs. Since the DBs are working for depth, short pass routes underneath can isolate them on a wide receiver near the sideline with little help.

 

Cover 0

 

Cover 0 refers to pure man coverage with no deep defender. Similar to Cover 1, Cover 0 has the same strengths and weaknesses.

Tampa 2

 

Tampa 2 refers to a style of defense played by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and implemented by its coaches in recent years. Because of its success it has become popular with many professional and college teams. It blends the Cover 2 and Cover 3 defenses by having two defensives backs, usually the safeties, in deep coverage on either side of the field, and a middle linebacker covering the medium to deep middle. Its benefit over the Cover 2 is that the sidelines and middle of the field are better protected against deep threats, with the drawback being a larger open area in the short middle of the field underneath the middle linebacker. Its benefit over the Cover 3 is that it only dedicates two defensive backs to deep coverage rather than three, allowing for better protection against short outside routes.

 

In the following, "cover" refers to the "shell" that the defense rolls into after the snap of the ball, more specifically the number of defenders guarding the deep portion of the field.

 

 

 

Hopefully the above scheme definitions help...if you have any questions on how they impact IDPs(in general or specific) feel free to ask...i am sure that someone will be able to help...

 

Before ending this post I am gonna touch on the Tampa 2

and how it effects the way it can affect how an IDP Position scores.

 

 

In general you will hear many IDPers refer to CBs as "trash" or "worthless"

but some Tampa 2 CBs are far from worthless...

Rhonde Barber & Nate Clements are two very good examples of CBs that score well due to the scheme their team plays...now to understand why....the corner back in a Cover 2 scheme is responsible for covering passes within 15 yards of the line of scrimmage, so since they are closer to the line of scrimmage they able to be more involved in run support then a "normal CB" all because they know they have help deep which also allows them to try and jump some routes and come up with a big INT or INT for TDs from time to time too.

 

 

WHO IS PLAYING WHAT(From 2006 needs to be updated)

 

4-3

CIN, HOU, JAX, NO

TEN, DEN, OAK, CAR,

NYG, PHI, WAS, GB,

ARI, SEA. KC, ATL

 

 

3/4

NE, NYJ, CLE,

PIT, SD, DAL, SF

 

4/3 3/4 Hybrid

MIA, STL

 

 

Tampa 2 / Cover-2

BUF, IND, CHI,

DET, MIN, TAM

 

46

BAL

Edited by keggerz
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For new IDP FF players, this is pretty good stuff. Before I got into IDP, I knew something about the various D schemes, but not so much about how certain schemes will affect a particular player's FF scoring. I understood the cover 2 for instance, but didn't realize some CB's can score pretty well in that system.

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For new IDP FF players, this is pretty good stuff. Before I got into IDP, I knew something about the various D schemes, but not so much about how certain schemes will affect a particular player's FF scoring. I understood the cover 2 for instance, but didn't realize some CB's can score pretty well in that system.

 

Definetely awesome with use of keg's previous thread :D --

 

4-3

CIN, HOU, JAX, NO

TEN, DEN, OAK, CAR,

NYG, PHI, WAS, GB,

ARI, SEA. KC, ATL

 

 

3/4

NE, NYJ, CLE,

PIT, SD, DAL, SF

 

4/3 3/4 Hybrid

MIA, STL

 

 

Tampa 2 / Cover-2

BUF, IND, CHI,

DET, MIN, TAM

 

46

BAL

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Great information here. Bears reading over and over to understand as someone else touched on - how it effects the fantasy value of players such as the corners in the Tampa 2 and the different linebacker positions in a 3-4. Being fairly new to IDP (3 years) great stuff :D

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Definetely awesome with use of keg's previous thread :D --

 

4-3

CIN, HOU, JAX, NO

TEN, DEN, OAK, CAR,

NYG, PHI, WAS, GB,

ARI, SEA. KC, ATL

3/4

NE, NYJ, CLE,

PIT, SD, DAL, SF

 

4/3 3/4 Hybrid

MIA, STL

Tampa 2 / Cover-2

BUF, IND, CHI,

DET, MIN, TAM

 

46

BAL

 

 

Notes on the Bills use of cover 2

Link to article Here

 

Bills Team Report

7/2/2006

 

By Allen Wilson

Buffalo News

 

 

PERSONNEL ANALYSIS: The perception that the Bills will go exclusively to a cover 2-type zone coverage scheme isn't entirely accurate. The cover 2, in which there is safety help over the top, will be a part of the base package. But the defense will give CBs Nate Clements and Terrence McGee plenty of opportunities to play man-to-man coverage. Clements is one of the game's elite cover corners, while McGee is a burgeoning talent with good ball skills. Their ability to play different coverages, support the run and blitz gives defensive coordinator Perry Fewell plenty of flexibility. . . .

 

Rookie LB Keith Ellison will have some catching up to do when the team opens training camp July 28. Ellison missed most of the offseason work because a NCAA-NFL role prevented him from participating until his school, Oregon State, completed exams in late June. However, Ellison is smart and should pick up the defense quickly. His quickness, range and athleticism give him a chance to earn a roster spot.

 

SCOUTING REPORT: SS Matt Bowen is an ideal cover 2 safety with good range and is physical in run support. He is not quick enough to play receivers man to man, but he excels in zone coverage. He's a hard-hitting and sure tackler who makes ball carriers pay for coming into his area. Bowen plays with intensity and a high motor. He is good at getting through traffic and making plays in pursuit. While he lacks top speed, he's a savvy defender who is rarely caught out of position. Bowen faces a stiff challenge from first-round pick Donte Whitner for the starting job, but Bowen will be a key contributor on defense and special teams.

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Just spotted this tidbit on KC and Cover 2????

 

Mitchell Improving

 

<i>TSN</i> reports Kansas City Chiefs <b>MLB Kawika Mitchell's</b> career took a dramatic turn for the better last season. Mitchell showed better instincts and play recognition, took better angles to the ball carrier and was an improved tackler. Mitchell also overcame his tendency to over run plays. Mitchell became so important to the Chiefs that he never came off the field, even on passing downs. Mitchell has the necessary range and skills to continue to be a productive player in the new cover 2 scheme. :D

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  • 1 month later...

gonna give this a bump for those that might be in drafts or have some starting soon...hopefully some of it helps

 

 

Great Info Keg :D

 

Now do I want to be a nice guy and share with my owners :D Maybe, maybe not. They can do their own digging. Some are subscribers, but do not visit the forums. :D

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  • 4 months later...

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