Category: Defensive Scheme

The “Ameba” front is nothing new to defensive football. However, the thought process behind the alignment is that because there is no proper structure, the offensive line will struggle to decide how to divvy out the blocks. So what you usually get is some kind of Double-Fan to the edges.

Usually, defenses will stand everyone up in the box, with all the players still contained inside both Tackles. However, in Georgia’s ameba look, they combine width as an element to create space. The Bulldogs can also pair ameba looks with pre-snap shifts to add another level of complexity to the offense (below).

In the clip above, the Bulldogs mass their alignment around the Center and then shift pre-snap with a “move” call. The sudden movement does two things. First, it can cause a false start by the O-line, especially if Georgia has hit home on a few pressures. Second, it forces the O-line to recalibrate its protection once the shift has moved. Forcing any athlete to think critically while people are running at them can spell disaster, particularly against the Georgia D-line. Another example from last year is shown below.

The ameba alignment and move shifts were widespread in the Georgia scheme last year. Self-scouting in that system is a priority, and every off-season, they look at new ways to attack or change the way they did something the year prior. Like the ameba front, Georgia’s defensive staff doesn’t want opponents to be able to get them into predictable situations off their prior history.

The Bulldogs eventually finished in a BOSS alignment in the two prior clips (above). BOSS stands for Bigs On Same Side and stresses the offense’s protection by placing the anchor points or D-line all to one side of the Center. The alignment has become popular at the higher levels of football as a way to manipulate protection. Often, an offense will slide their protection toward the “bigs,” opening them up for manipulation.

Related Content: The BOSS Front (Bigs On Same Side)

The BOSS alignment is referred to as a “load” front. The popular Saban “NFL” presentation simulated pressures use a “load” element in their root design. In short, it is a best-practice way to attack protections. When combined with width, a defense can stress the protection even more. I have written several times about how width can be a great tool in isolating weaker O-linemen in protection.

The width element of the alignment comes from a front I call BLAZERS. In this particular alignment, the defense places two defenders outside the Tackles. By doing so, the defense forces the Guards to play like Tackles. Usually, when looking to attack protections, the defense will attempt to attack a Guard with speed. In most offenses, the Guards are run-first blockers. Just as offenses use space to attack a “bad” athlete on defense, the same applies to attacking protections. Make the Guard play like a Tackle.

Related Content: The BLAZER Front

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It is the time of year when coaches start to hunker down and begin to plan what they want to study for the following year. In a sea of information, coaches can get lost when looking for teams to choose to study. One piece of advice I always give is to stay away from antiquated metrics like rushing and passing yards and focus more on advanced analytics. Unless you plan on visiting a nearby staff, try and look outside your region for teams to watch. We all live in different ecosystems, so if you are looking for “new” ideas, look outside your typical worldview.

One of the things I look for when deciding on defenses to study is overall efficiency. Football Outsiders has given us their DVOA stat in the NFL that many pundits use to rate units. In the college world, we have BCF Toys, which is run by Brian Fremeau, who uses a similar formula as DVOA to rate college units. If you have followed me at all, you have seen his ratings.

Another great site I use to pick teams and track them throughout the year is CFB Graphs which breaks down the EPA for every FBS team (Follow Parker on Twitter!). EPA stands for Expected Points Added and focuses on field position and Down & Distance. I like this stat because it utilizes historical context and evaluates each play concerning where it is on the field. For example, a 3-yard play on 1st & 10 is not equal to a 3-yard play on 3rd & 2. Add the value of the field position, and you get a clearer picture of how teams are earning or restricting yards.

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The 3-3-5 started creeping into the college football landscape following the 2017 Iowa State campaign that saw them go 8-5. In ‘16, the Cyclones had a newly appointed Head Coach in Toledo’s Matt Campbell and struggled to match the talent in the Big 12, especially on defense, going 3-9. Defensive Coordinator John Heacock and Campbell knew something had to change.

Iowa is not a recruiting hotbed, and Iowa State is considered the little brother to Iowa, losing many battles for the top talent in the state. The Cyclones needed to maximize the hybrid talent they had on their roster and create a unique defense that would challenge the Air Raid systems within the league. Before the schematic switch in ‘17, Heacock had been a base 4-3 coach. That wouldn’t cut it with the talent on the roster and the offense in the league. So in the offseason, the Cyclone Stack was born.

Related Content: Running a 3-Down/3-Safety Dime as Your Base (2017)

Ironically, Oklahoma would have a historical offensive year in ‘18 on the back of Heisman winner Baker Mayfield (Panthers) and under the tutelage of USC’s current Head Coach Lincoln Riley. Oklahoma State would also have a tremendous offensive year, finishing behind the Sooners in OFEI (BCFToys). But, the Sooners’ only loss in the regular season came to the Cyclones 31-38. The Cyclones would finish 28th in DFEI, and people around the Big 12 were starting to take notice.

My first experience with the system came at February’s Lone Star Clinic (‘18). Following a 10-4 season where Gundy felt the defense held them back, he moved on from Glenn Spencer and replaced him with Ohio State’s current DC, Jim Knowles. Safety Coach Dan Hammerschmidt had the task of doing a defensive clinic talk without knowing exactly what the Cowboy defense would look like. Instead, he told the coaches in attendance that something was going on in Ames; their defense was unique, and Gundy hated it.

Though Iowa State went 7-6 in ‘19, they had close games with the top teams in the league. Coaches around the country were taking notice and trying to reverse engineer the Iowa States defense. Inspired by the Cyclones, Baylor made a wholesale switch to the Odd Stack after they struggled to a 7-6 in ‘18. Even Georgia was studying the concepts. Fast-forward to 2022, and numerous teams are featuring the 3-3-5, even in the vaunted SEC!

Related Content: Evolution of the Odd Dime Pt. 1 – Coverages (2019)

Looking at current college football efficiency ratings, you will see multiple Big 12 3-High teams in the top 25: Iowa State, Kansas State, TCU, and Tech. The defense has become part of the fabric for many teams that can get hybrid players and develop them. In leagues such as the Big 12, American, and many other G5 conferences, the diversity of offensive schematics lends itself to the system.

The scheme first developed as an “Air Raid” killer has become a suitable concept for many teams to use as their base defense. Even the SEC, which features NFL talent on every roster, has seen teams turn to the 3-high system to match the offensive evolution in that league. As a result, half the league is in the country’s top 25 of the most efficient offense. One of the best examples of the scheme receiving legitimacy was how teams played the ‘19 LSU Tigers’ historic offense. Even Georgia experimented with the Odd Stack alignments after watching Auburn use a variation of the scheme to hold the Tigers to 23 points (by far their lowest total of the year).

Related Content: Auburn’s 3-1-7 vs LSU (2019)

Once thought of as a gimmick, it is now a mainstay in the college football landscape. As I wrote in Hybrids, following the ‘18 season, the cyclical nature of the football would eventually lead to offenses moving away from four-open formations and back to bigger packages. In ‘22, many offenses at the higher levels are creating 12 personnel packages that feature a WR and a blocking TE. The evolution is similar to the last two times the defense got the jump on the offensive side of the ball.

In the ‘80s, the Hybrid Fire Zone 3-4 became all the rage, and Lawrence “LT” Taylor changed the game forever. The EDGE position was in its infancy, and the sack was king. So teams began drafting and developing rush ends. To counter the Giants’ LT, Washington Head Coach Joe Gibbs invented the H-back or moving TE position. The H-back allowed the receiving WR to escape into a route while the H-back did the dirty work on the Fire Zone pressures.

In the 2000s, the Tampa 2 defense overtook the NFL to counter the passing attacks. Defenses within this scheme needed lightning-quick LBs and D-linemen to attack the pass. A result of this was the defenses, in essence, got smaller. The natural answer to a lighter package for offenses is to get big, as the NFL regressed into its three-yards-and-a-cloud of days.

We now sit in a time where the Spread has won, but the defense is using hybrid schemes to counter. Modern offenses are going with 12 pers. to place the defense into difficult personnel decisions. At the NFL level, many defenses are packaged base, and offenses take advantage by using 12 pers. looks to run Spread concepts. At the college level, TEs are becoming increasingly important. The best example of this is Georgia, which features Soph. sensation Brock Bowers (#19) and the massive Darnell Washington (#0) sitting at 6-7 270.

Ole Miss vs Kentucky

The trickle-down of the McVay/Shannahan offense that features 11 and 12 pers. groupings with pre-snap motion and a Wide Zone run game have begun. An excellent study of how 3-High defenses choose to attack the Pro-Style attack from the NFL was seen in October, as Ole Miss defeated Kentucky, whose last OC is currently with the Rams, and this year’s OC, Rich Scangarello, hails from the 49ers.

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Not all 3rd Down pressures need to be exotic. Sometimes a best-practice stunt can do the trick. However, I do believe that to win on passing downs, the defense needs to manipulate the protection. One of the best ways to do this is utilizing a 5-O front to create man-blocking.

When presented with five defenders on the line of scrimmage (LOS), most offensive lines will check to some kind man blocking scheme or Combo pass protection that slides one way and has man blocking to the other. Either way, a defense can manipulate the matchups and get a defender free by utilizing a 5-O front and understanding how an offense reacts.

In the diagram above, the Dolphins have presented the Vikings with five defenders on the LOS. I call this particular 5-O alignment BOSS (Bigs On Same Side) or an overload front. Sometimes, an offense may choose to slide to the “bigs” side. In that case, pressures that attack away from the slide side can be used. When teams go to man-blocking, defenses can use simple line stunts to devastating effect.

The goal for a 5-O front is to create a mismatch to win one-on-ones. The Dolphins move their EDGE Jaelan Phillips (#15) inside and place him in a 4 technique on top of the Tackle. The placement of a hybrid player inside and using width in his alignment puts pressure on the Guard. Not only does the Guard have to fan out to block the defender, but now has to play in space, similar to a Tackle. To isolate the Guard, even more, the Center is occupied with a “zeroed” Nose in #94 Christian Wilkinson.

Related Content: Attacking the Guard in Pass Protection

Away from the “load” side, the Dolphins have a mugged ILB on top of the RB and another EDGE outside him. An offense that sees this look with no off-ball LB will either release the RB to check the mugged ‘backer or have him chip the most dangerous edge. If an off-ball LB is present, the RB will likely be responsible for him in the protection, scanning the LB to the edges for any blitzer.

The Dolphins have set themselves up for success by utilizing two main concepts, a 5-O front, and a BOSS alignment. Both concepts will help Miami attack the protection with a simple NOT stunt. In a NOT stunt, the Nose will work to the A-gap to the side of the 3 tech. (in this case, 4 tech.) while the DT will wrap to the opposite A-gap. I call this pressure RAVENS because the BOSS Front and NOT stunt will come from the field (in the NFL, the passing strength). The concept is shown below.

In my language, a “bird” means field. Birds fly, so we use the “F” to signify the field side. Another popular example of an “F” Sim pressure is FALCONS, which attacks the offense with an overload to the field as well as a Ni blitz into the B-gap. The sister pressure for Ravens would be BENGALS (which will be shown later). The BOSS Front and NOT stunt in Bengals would now come from the boundary or away from the passing strength (NFL). “B” equals boundary.

Simple pressures like a NOT stunt can be used to “pick” O-linemen as they attempt to block. The width of the 4 tech. will assist Phillips in defeating his block and crossing the Center’s face. The goal is to use a quick interior defender to wrap around before the O-line can respond.

Opposite the wrap is a mugged LB on top of the RB. For Miami, the LB is responsible for the RB and will stand in front of the Guard, reading the RB’s intentions. If the back stays in, the LB will be a decoy, so the Guard doesn’t work back to the looper. Any flare action by the back and the LB will take him man-to-man. Against weak Guards that do not play well in space or chase defenders, a defense can stab-and-drop the LB and play true zone behind the stunt (as illustrated in the diagram above).

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Have you ever heard of the “four-point play?” In football, that is a third down stop in the red zone that forces the offense to attempt a FG. On first down within the 25-yard line, the EPA for an offense is +4. So if a defense can force a FG within the Red Zone, that can be a net gain of points from one to four depending on where the defense gains a stop.

Defenses and offenses change the way they play once they cross this magical line, which is why both sides of the ball spend time in practice working situational football. For both sides, the field is restricted. At the 25-yard line, the offense only gets 35 yards to work with, and as the ball moves closer, the space disappears.

DB play becomes tighter, and techniques change once you pass the +25. For example, some DCs get over-aggressive and “take the fight” to the offense, while others become more passive and flood the underneath zones. Regardless, it is vital to have a plan for how an offense likes to attack each area of the Red Zone.

I like to break the Red Zone into three parts: High, Low, and Goal Line. The “High Red” begins at the +25 and goes to the +15. Usually, in this area, the offense will take one shot within the first two downs that will attack the middle of the field (MOF) because there is not much room to throw a high-arcing Fade route. The goal in this area is to get the next first down while the defense is trying to earn a long 3rd Down and tackles for loss (TFLs). Doing so puts the offense out of FG at the lower levels.

The “Low Red” is from the +14 to the +5 and will be the main focus of this article. In this area, offenses will use all means necessary to get into the end zone. Crossing and mesh routes, restricted or condensed formations, and motion all assist them in their goal to score. Defensively, a coach cannot get overly aggressive and expose the defense. Space is important, and there isn’t much to earn.

Finally, the Goal Line stretches from the +4 to the end zone. In this area, offenses must decide to get big or condense the formation. If going big, they have to match the weight by the defense.

Attacking the edges of the box is a premium if relying on lighter packages with condensed formations. If going big, boot-action, off-tackle runs, and pop-passes are usually the got too. Gap schemes are limited because an offense doesn’t want to get tackled behind the line of scrimmage (LOS). The slightest mistake on either side could spell disaster with everyone in a tight space.

1) Condensed formations:

You don’t have much space to work with in coverage in the low Red Zone. Lack of space can be a blessing and a curse when the defense is backed up. In the Red Zone, defenses must be highly aware of communication, and condensed formations stress the defense. Everyone must be on the same page because there is no room for error.

Condensed formations also force the defense out of playing man; they can easily get picked if they choose to do so. Another factor here is that many DCs don’t like to blitz condensed formations because it can create windows, and the ball can get out quickly in the Red Zone to the voided space. Finally, as we know, predictability for defenses in the modern era is a no-no.

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In recent weeks, a lot has been made about the Rams’ “soft” zone coverage. However, for many, the cover piece to the defense is the (non-offense) root cause of LA’s struggles in the first half of the season. Currently, the Rams sit at 22nd overall in passing DVOA, which measures efficiency (Football Outsiders). Since Head Coach Sean McVay was hired, the Pass DVOA of the Rams has never dipped under 11th.

McVay hired Wade Phillips as his original DC, opting to move on from him after the ’19 campaign. In the three years Coach Phillips was at the helm; the Rams finished 4th, 11th, and 8th in passing DVOA. The Rams hired Brandon Staley in ’20 to revamp the defense and usher in the two-high boom we are seeing now as more teams are moving to a Fangio philosophy in coverage. The ’20 rams would finish 9th in passing DVOA. Raheem Morris took over from Staley after he left for the Chargers and had a Pass DVOA of 6th overall and a Super Bowl.

Related Content: The Argument For A Light Box (Fangio System/LA Rams Defense)

Fast forward to the ’22 campaign, and the wheels have fallen off the secondary. Ironically, the run defense is one of the best in the NFL. LA currently sits at #3 in Run DVOA and #2 in run-stop win rate. The defense designed in LA puts a premium on winning match-ups at the line of scrimmage. Doing so allows the defense to commit more bodies into coverage, and in a coverage first world, you want plus numbers in the backend. Kirby Smart of Georgia has turned this philosophy into a defensive juggernaut (below).

So, could the Rams’ struggles in the secondary be attributed to a significant lack of pass rush? If LA is doing a great job against the run, maybe they need another elite EDGE to place opposite (or beside) Aaron Donald. The loss of Vonn Miller in free agency stung, but looking at the numbers, it hasn’t affected their pass rush.

One of the significant anomalies for the Rams’ defense is that they sit second overall in team pass rush win rate (ESPN) yet are dead last in pressure rate (PFF). Let that sink in. In reality, the Rams are winning their one-on-ones up front, something this defense was designed to maximize (they still have Donald). The main issue is that they are not creating any pressure off those victories.

Now, let’s revisit the “soft” coverage element and put it into context. First, the Rams are a Cover 3-based defense that tends to play off-ball CBs. According to PFF, the Rams run the highest rate of Cover 3 at 48% of their snaps. Only the Colts run more at 49.5%. In all, they run a variation of Cover 3 on about 57% of their snaps. Finally, they run Cover 1 at the lowest rate and only have 59 snaps of press. The next closest (Broncos) has almost 100 more reps of press. So your eyes are not deceiving you; the Rams’ coverage is, in fact, “soft.”

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Off-ball “sims” and five-man pressures attacking the A-gaps have become a popular way to attack spread offenses. Regardless of whether zone or gap scheme is dominant, the popular path is considered a utility pressure. I define utility pressures as paths that can be used on any down and in most situations outside of 3rd & Long.

Off-ball sims “float” the Center and attack the interior of the offensive line. “Floating the Center” refers to the movement of the defense post-snap. The interior defensive line will stunt the B-gaps (or “pin” if in a 3 technique), leaving the A-gaps exposed and no one for the Center to block. Essentially, letting him float in space as the ILB blitzes into one of the A-gaps (below).

Before we go any further, let’s define an off-ball simulated pressure. I separate simulated pressures into two categories, off-ball and presentation. In an off-ball sim, the ILBs are at regular depth and alignment. Post-snap, one of them (or both) will attack the Center, ripping into one of the A-gaps. The pressure looks like an internal blitz, only for one of the DEs to drop out into coverage, creating a four-man rush.

Presentation sims are what you generally see on 3rd Down. The defense presents the offense with five or more defenders on the line of scrimmage (LOS), only to rush four. Defenders outside the box can be added in, but no more than four will rush the QB. In many cases, these pressures are designed to attack the pass protection of the offense.

Simulated pressures are different than Creepers within my definition. Creepers, or replacement pressures, attack the edges of the box (A- or B-gap) and drop a DE opposite the pressure. The technical term “replacement pressure” illustrates the see-saw action of the defense post-snap. Pressure from one side of the box from a second- or third-level defender and a first-level defender dropping into coverage opposite. One of the more popular versions of a Creeper is the Brady (boundary) or Whip (weak) path shown below.

Creepers and off-ball sims are designed as run-stopping pressures that can provide a pass rush if the offense decides to pass. Analytics has changed how offenses play on early or “normal” downs (1st-2nd & 7). Passing on early downs allows the offense to stay ahead of the chains because it is more efficient than running the ball.

Play-action, especially from under the center (UTC), has proven to be a successful way of attacking defenses stressed by uncertainty. To counter the doubt, defenses have turned to off-ball sims and Creepers to attack the run-action while also establishing a pass rush.

Don’t confuse Creepers and off-ball Sims for pass rush. The design and usage of these defensive tools are to mitigate the run while maximizing the coverage ability of the defense. One trend across the higher levels of football is to utilize off-ball ‘backers in the rush more often than bringing secondary players.

Another trend is using five-man pressures (“Adds”) instead of opting for replacement pressures or off-ball Sims. The reason is best described by the Creeper/Sim guru himself, Baylor’s Dave Aranda, in an interview he did with 247Sports in June,

“…you’re getting your d-linemen one-on-one blocks when you’re sending five. You’re trying to get a mismatch there and give them an opportunity to win.”

Aranda is referencing a trend he noticed last season when studying the defending National Champion Georgia Bulldogs, who, in his words, are “a big creeper outfit.” Five-man pressures can be paired with several different coverages. Regardless if a MOFO or MOFC dominant system, adding an extra defender to the rush can create matchup issues and attack the run scheme. Adding a rusher also increases the likelihood that the defense will cause pressure against a play-action scheme.

Fire Zone (3U/3D), Half-Field Zones (Saban Big12s), Trap 2, and Cover 1 are generally the coverages teams pair their five-man pressures with. Fire Zones and Cover 1 are probably the most used pairings. Half-Field Zones require more communication, but if a defense is Quarters dominant, the defense has a man side and a zone side with an automatic “take-back” rule for the #3 defender. Trap 2 is great versus teams that like to run 2×2 formations because, in reality, you are only losing your low-middle-hole players.

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»» If you plan on buying the digital copy of my new book, the pre-order is live!

Amazon doesn’t do pre-orders for paperback, but it will be available no later than November 14th (probably the weekend prior). So, yes, there will be a hard copy of the book, but it will be out around the 14th. The digital copy will drop to your Kindle on Tuesday, November 15th.

I’m excited to get this out to you guys. Here is a peek at the Table of Contents:

The book ties everything together from Anchor Points and puts the philosophy into an actual system. The pedagogy behind the book has been developed over the past decade of teaching the game, coaching at all levels of football, and pulling from the best practices around the country.

Not only does the book cover concepts, but it breaks down how installs are built and the philosophy behind them. As always, MatchQuarters provides the how and the why behind the scheme. In short, you get the whole process. The book is for all defense. A 4-2-5 looking to modernize or a 3-4 looking to add a “Peso” package, the book combines both philosophies in a concise way.

Though the book has a 4-2-5 label, the demand for fluidity in the modern game is illustrated. Odd and Even spacing are discussed along with coverage. Simple doesn’t mean simplistic. The modern football team has less time to work on schematics yet faces more diverse environments. How does a defense combat the modern iteration of the spread?

“By being like water… adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it.”

Bruce Lee

Whether a coach, player, fan, or student of the game, MatchQuarters’ “A Complete Guide to the Hybrid 4-2-5” allows you to build a base knowledge of how a defense is built. More importantly, the book dives into understanding why defenses are running specific schemes and how the elite teaches them—pedagogy and planning over everything.

»» Click HERE & score your digital copy today!

Thank you for your continued support of MatchQuarters.

– Coach A.

Head Coach Todd Bowles has done a fantastic job over the several years he has been with the Buccaneers. Defensively, Tampa Bay has had a Top 10 DVOA (Football Outsiders) for the past two years, and the 2022 campaign has them on track to finish in the Top 10 again. Bowles has shown a knack for evolving his defense to fit his personnel and the changing ecosystem within the NFL.

When Bowles got the Defensive Coordinator job in ‘19, the Bucs’ defense was coming off an ‘18 campaign that saw them ranked 32nd in DVOA. In one off-season, Bowles raised the level of play to a Top 10 defense, finishing 9th in DVOA. Primarily a 3-4 Cover 1 defense in his first two years, Bowles has transitioned into more of a Nickel (2-4-5) hybrid zone defense, which matches the trend around the league.

In ‘19 and ‘20, the Bucs’ secondary ran primarily Cover 1, but the past two seasons have seen Tampa Bay shift to a zone scheme that bases in Cover 3 with Cover 2 (and some Quarters) as a change-up. Bowles’ willingness to pressure the QB on passing downs is one constant within the scheme.

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When defenses are looking to attack an offense’s pass protection, the first order of business is to find the “donkey.” Where is the worst offensive lineman, and how can we get him in a bind or one-on-one with our best player? Once the worst O-lineman is identified, the staff can look at how the line attempts to protect itself in various scenarios.

Does the offense slide to a specific part of the field? To or from a RB or TE? These are all factors that matter when attempting to design ways to attack protection. Most teams at the lower levels focus on Big-on-Big (BOB), Slide, or Combo (half-slide) protection.

For many teams, an easy way to get a one-on-one matchup is to align in a 5-O Front structure to create man-blocking. When defenses place five defenders on the line of scrimmage (LOS), they are creating a natural one-for-one alignment. In many cases, this will create man-blocking; you have the guy in front of you.

A double A-gap presentation will usually create combo protection with the RB responsible for one of the mugged linebackers. A 5-O front, like the one illustrated below, with an off-ball LB for the RB, is the typical way to get the man protection needed to create a one-on-one. The alignment is illustrated with “X’s” across the board because the defense can place any of its players at any technique across the line.

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