What is the difference between 4 2 5 and nickel defense

The most important point is to be consistent. On flow toward the inside linebacker, they are responsible for defending the gap assigned to them, normally the A or B gap. So, if the defensive tackle to his side is aligned on the inside shade of the guard, the linebacker is responsible for the B gap. If the defensive tackle in front of him is aligned on the outside shade, the inside linebacker is responsible for the A gap.

If flow is away from the inside linebacker, he should not turn his shoulders but shuffle up and in toward the line of scrimmage. He should maintain backside leverage, overpursue and be ready to play the cutback. The strong safety and nickel are defensive backs who are mirrors of each other.

The strong safety aligns to the strong side of the formation, over the No. His depth will depend on the pass coverage called. In press-man coverage, he will be up on the line of scrimmage. In zone, he will be off the line of scrimmage. The technique of the strong safety and nickel will depend on the defensive call. They will blitz, play man coverage or play zone coverage. In zone coverage, the strong safety and nickel will key the unit end — the outermost player on the line in a three-point stance, either a tight end or tackle — through to the near back.

Either defense might employ or not employ two-gapping techniques by some or all of the DL but the only players that would do so would be the two interior DTs in the and the three DL in the When it comes to converting to these packages from base or groupings, that can very much depend on the team's best personnel over any other factor.

Just yesterday in the NFL draft the Pittsburgh Steelers chose Bud Dupree from Kentucky, a 6'4" pound edge athlete that will have obvious utility as an edge rusher in their nominally defense. Of course, you can't play a true defense anymore with two players of Dupree's size and skill at outside linebacker or you'll be picked apart by spread formations that ask them to cover slot receivers and tight ends in space.

It would be a waste of Dupree's pass-rushing and edge talents to ask him to drop in coverage as often as the Steelers would ask of previous OLBs in their zone-blitz driven defense and counterproductive regardless.

That may well depend on how quickly Dupree comes along as well as the other OLBs on the roster. The fact that Pittsburgh is supposed to be a base team has less to do with their nickel package than which players they want on the field and what they want to do behind the front. Football punditry is desperately behind the ball in terms of using accurate and descriptive terminology to explain what's happening today on the football field. You'll often hear talking points about a team in the draft or in recruiting that revolves around finding ideal fits for a or base defense.

More often than not, talking points based on those terms will have very little value in describing what those teams are looking for and how they'll deploy players. In an age where the nickel package is really the base defense, teams will be defined more by whether they prefer to play three true defensive linemen or only two. While someone can refer to the NFL as "THE National Football League" and it somehow catch on within a month as a way to make professional football sound like an important and serious business enterprise, updating schematic language is less likely to catch on as easily.

However, try thinking of defenses as either or when evaluating this current draft or your team's recruiting season and see if that helps your understanding of why your team makes their personnel choices. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.

By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. When the Cyclones go 4-down, it is no different than if they are blitzing a linebacker from their Dime package.

The coverages are similar too. Here is a look at the two base defenses:. The modern Spread offense is nothing more than the natural evolution of traditional schemes found in most Flexbone or Wing-T offenses. The main difference is the addition of multiple wide receivers and the location of the quarterback gun or pistol. The use of a different formation and location of the QB changes the conflicts of the defense. A different defensive approach must be taken when defending an offense that runs from the gun compared to a team that primarily aligns from the pistol or dot.

The best way to defend a downhill running team is to make the play bounce or spill. When facing a gun offense, defenses must adjust the traditional run fit rules because the RB can easily bounce the play wider than his initial aiming point. From the gun alignment, the QB has a full field of vision, and the offensive coordinator can choose from a number of defensive players to read. Running from the gun allows the offense to attack a defense horizontally as well as vertically.

The full plane attack by gun backfields forces traditional defenses to adjust the way it defends the Spread, primarily adjusting the play of the defensive ends.

The full plane attack of the gun backfield allows offenses to run concepts where the offensive players have the option to attack downhill or stretch to the sideline, utilizing the whole field.

When developing a defense it is important to start with the front and work back. Lining up correctly to formations, understanding keys, and developing a plan to stop the run all starts with the front seven. Playing a single-gap defense and using formations to dictate alignments allow defensive players to see the formation quicker and align correctly.

Each player in a defense is anchored to one another in some way. Understanding these anchor points, and how they change depending on formations, is crucial to the success of any defensive unit. Offenses make use of Trips formations because it forces the defense to give something up. To gain a six-man box a defense must spin, either to the Trips or away.

One offensive play that has not lost its power in modern football is the option. An option offense forces the defense to play assignment football. Each player on a defense must stay gap sound and understand how the structure of the defense adapts versus each option play. Add pulling guards and trap plays and a Spread Option offense can inflict a lot of damage if the defense is not disciplined. One of the main keys for defending Spread Option teams is eye discipline. It is imperative that each position on a defense understands his fits and read keys.

Spread Option teams also make it difficult to blitz. When applying pressure to an option offense the defense can expose itself to being a man short if the players do not understand how the pressure changes option responsibilities.

Many defenses choose to stay in base and fit the option. Every defensive coach in America is looking for new and improved ways to attack offenses. Blitzing allows the defensive coach to gain a little control on the offense by creating cutbacks or forcing a quick throw. Sending extra men creates changes in the defense that affect players from the front to the secondary.

Understanding how each pressure affects pass distribution and run fits is crucial for creating successful blitzes. Leave a gap open and the offense will find it.

Whether a pressure or a blitz, simple rules must be created when designing blitzes. The main goal of each blitz or pressure should be stopping a scheme the opposing offense is trying to utilize. Not all pressures are created equal. Some are more dangerous than others, but when designing a blitz there are five things a defensive coordinator should consider. Episode 6 describes the differences between pressures 5-man and blitzing 6-man and how it affects pass distributions.

Understanding blitz structures are crucial for developing coverage concepts behind them. Knowledge is power. I get a lot of questions about packaging blitzes and how to go about doing so. In the first article, I detail the theory behind the concept and briefly go over the setup process.

Packaging blitzes are nothing new. Coaches like Belichick, Rex Ryan, and Saban use the offensive formation to determine how to attack. The easiest way to demonstrate the whole process is to actually create a blitz package. Below is Dog Check, a single-dog one linebacker pressure. Strength is to the Y which is a TE. If the offensive line is balanced, both DEs will line up on the outside shoulder of the tackles. They will be responsible for contain.

If you are playing a Zone coverage the CBs except for Cover 2 will play off and split the different between both receivers. If you are playing man you can move the CBs up in press or you can have them play off man coverage. There are several different ways you can handle this formation. The first way is simple and shown on the diagram above. Basically, you just bump the linebackers out to match numbers. You can do several different things with D away from trips.

You can have line up like a linebacker and make him a box player. You can keep him in his regular overhang alignment and have him blitz off of the edge. You can also have him move back and have him play safety good for long down and distances.

Also, putting your DE on an inside shade of the TE will help slow down any TE release and it will help anchor against any off-tackle plays. It presents a heavy run threat and it also gives you 2 passing options on one side- so you have a run strength and a passing strength to the same side. As far as aligning goes, you will treat this as a strong right- the strong side DT will be in a 3 tech and the DE will be in a 7 tech.

If you want you can have the linebackers shift to the right. This will bring the D up on the outside shoulder of the Y tight-end and now you are a 5 man front. The L and R will shift over one gap.

The D away from the shift will compress in, but still maintain his overhang leverage. In youth football, teams are going to run the rock! So the second most important thing when it comes to understanding the Defense is defending the run! By maintaining a 6 man box you will always be strong against inside runs.

The Defense is very strong against the Inside Zone. This defense emphasizes defending the middle of the field and spilling the play outside to the overhang players.