Category: Opponent Breakdowns

Go deeper into defense with MQ’s Books:

Cautious Aggression: Defending Modern Football

Hybrids: The Making of a Modern Defense

Match Quarters: A Modern Guide to Split-Field Coverage

Breaking Down Your Offensive Opponent

Anchor Points: Building a Defense from the Ground Up

A Complete Guide to the Hybrid 4-2-5

Get them today!

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Art of X Show (Pod)

1. Apple
2. Spotify
3. Audible
4. YouTube
5. Substack

CoachTube Courses

1. Designing Pressures from a Two-High Shell (Half-Field Zone Concept)
2. MatchQuarters Guide to the Belly-Key Technique for Linebackers
3. Breaking Down an Opponent eClinic with Kenny Simpson & Cody Alexander
4. Developing a Game Plan with Kenny Simpson & Cody Alexander
5. Teaching Quarters: 2-Read (Cloud/Palms)
6. Defending 21p from a 3-Safety Structure
7. Defending the Spread From a 3-Safety Structure

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Essential Playlists (YouTube)

1. The Art of X Show (Pod)
2. The Art of X Show Minis – Short breakdowns on particular plays
3. MQ DB 101 – Quick clinics on different DB techniques
4. MQ Quick Hits – Various clinics on major defensive schemes
5. MQ Chess Match – Coach A. takes a look at different matchups in the NFL
6. MQ Mini-Clinics – Various short clinics on a multitude of defensive schemes
7. 2020 LA Rams 3rd Down Clips
8. Pressure Paths & Blitzes

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“Conversations with Coach A.” (’20)

1. Patrick Toney, DC, Louisiana (’20) [$]
2. Warren Sharp, Sharp Football Analysis/NFL (’20)
3. Matthew Powledge, STC/Safeties. Baylor (’20) [$]
4. Doug Farrar, USA Today/Touchdown Wire (’20)
5. Randall Joyner, DL, SMU (’20) [$]
6. Andrew Thacker, DC Georgia Tech (’20) [$]
7. Ted Nguyen, The Athletic (’20)
8. Brian Vaughn, Blitzology (’20) [$]
9. Seth Galina, PFF (’20) 
10. Will Windham, Safeties Kent State (’20) [$]

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Substack Top-10

1. Top 10 articles from 2022
2. Top 10 articles from 2021

Defending the Spread

Run Fits & Pressures

1. Zero the Mike (Belly-Key)
2. Using Natural Gap Exchanges in Your Front Seven
3. Utilizing a HEAVY technique in the run game [$]
4.  Line Twists to Combat Heavy Zone Teams
5. Defending the Zone Read
6. Defending the Power Read
7. Defending Split Zone
8. 5 Tips for Defending Spread Option Teams
9. Defending BAsh (“Back Away”) Concepts
10. Defending 20p Two-Back Power
11. Keeping it simple vs a running QB (’21 Bucs vs Eagles) [$]
12. The Saints Nose-Will (Wham) Scheme vs. the Rams (’22)

Clinic Notes/Defensive Structure/Special Coverages

1. Creating a Defensive Nomenclature (Language)
2. MQ Film Study: OU vs Alabama (2018 – 1st Half)
3. Toledo’s EXIT Stunt [$]
4. Using an EXIT stunt to combat Zone-heavy offenses (Liberty vs Arkansas ’22) [$]
5. The evolution of Washington’s Jack Del Rio (’23)
6. Coverages
   1. “Read” Coverage (20p Field Robber)
   2. Three Coverages Tags Every Quarters Team Needs
   3. Three Coverages to carry this Fall [$] 
   4. Match-3 & Cover 3:
      1. Saban’s Rip/Liz (Match Cov. 3) & How it Applies to Quarters
      2. Creating a simple way to run Match 3 [$]
      3. The “CHEAT” Technique for MOFC Schemes on Early Downs [$]
      4. The importance of a good Vertical Hook player in Match-3 (Browns).
   5. Trap 2 Coverages:
      1. Teaching Trap Coverage (Trevon Diggs/Cowboys)
      2. Trap Check! – The Chiefs Trap Coverages vs. the Bills (’22)
   6. Using a “Steal” or “Cross” tag in Skinny coverage (Packers/’22)
   7. Split-Field Post-Snap Rotations & Non-Traditional Tampas (NTTs):
      1. Changing the Picture: 2-Roll Coverage
      2. The Jets’ Stab tag in Quarters coverage (’22)
      3. Changing the Coverage Contour Post-Snap (NTTs & Steal rotations – Michigan ’22)
      4. The Bengals’ non-traditional Tampa Creeper (Brees)
      5. Dallas Cowboys Tampa Rotations (NTTs)
      6. Washington Commanders Tampa 2 Rotations (NTTs)
      7. Troys’s 2-Steal Tite Front Fire Zone (Spurs/Popovich)
      8. Coverage 101: 2-Hole (NTT)
7. Vic Fangio System (Brandon Staley & Rams)
   1. Original Article: The Argument For A Light Box (Fangio System/LA Rams Defense)
   2. Why is the Fangio System taking over the NFL (’23):
      1. The Fangio Tree’s roots keep growing – Part 1 (’23)
      2. The Fangio Tree’s roots keep growing – Part 2 (’23)
      3. The Fangio Tree’s roots keep growing – Part 3 (’23) 

       

   3. Primer on the system:
      1. The Fangio Philosophy Pt. 1 (Foundational Concepts)
      2. The Fangio Philosophy Pt. 2 (Run Fits & Pass Distributions)
   4. Coverage Systems:
      1. Unlocking the Fangio coverage system (’23)
      2. Where Single-High & Two-High Collide: 6-Cross [$]
      3. Flipping the Script (Fangio’s Cover 6 – HQQ) [$]
      4. Explaining Fangio’s Sub “Zeus” (Cover 8/HQQ)
      5. Amplifying 2-Man concepts: Fist, Finger, Pounder
   5. Penny Package
      1. 1. The Fangio System’s Penny (5-1) Sam 8
         2. The Eat Front within the Penny Package (Broncos ’22)
   6. Raheem Morris’ Version (Rams):
      1. Rams Defensive Primer Pt. 1 (’21)
      2. Rams Defensive Primer Pt. 2 (’21) [$]
      3. Rodgers & LaFleur put on a clinic vs the Rams (’21 Divisional Round) [$]
      4. Has the Rams’ defense gotten “soft”? (’22)
8. Bill Belichick:
   1. 1. 1. Many Faces of Bill Belichick (’23):
            1. Part 1
            2. Part 2 (Film Review)
         2. The Patriots’ Rain Check (Read Blitz)
9. Defending the Air Raid System
   1. Defending the Air Raid with “Steal” Coverage
   2. Taking STEAL Coverage to the next level [$]
   3. Air Raid Killers – Washington’s Defense vs Wazzu [$]
10. Defending Offenses
    1. Defending the Morris/Clemson Offensive System
    2. Solving the McVay Offense (Super Bowl LIII)
    3. Football is Back!!! (UCA vs Austin Peay & defending the Flexbone)
    4. Aaron Rodgers & Pre-Snap Motion [$]
    5. MQ Film Study: Michigan vs Minnesota (’20) – Defending RPO/Check Heavy Offenses
    6. MQ Film Study: Notre Dame vs UNC (’20): Defending an uber-RPO system
    7. Fitting DUO from a TILT Front (Under) – Indiana vs Rutgers (’20) [$]
    8. Film Study: Cincinnati’s “Hybrid” Defense vs Notre Dame (’21) [$]
    9. 5 Things Defenses Hate in the Low Red Zone [$]
11. Michigan State’s 4-3 Quarters Defense
    1. Master Class Pt. 1 – Michigan State’s ’18 4-3 Quarters Defense
    2. Master Class Pt. 2 Michigan State’s ’18-19 Coverages & Blitz Package
12. Alex Grinch Defenses (Oklahoma)
    1. Sacking the Longhorns – OU vs Texas (2019)
    2. Manipulating the Cover Down (OU vs Baylor 2019)
13. Clinic Notes
    1. Don Brown (Univ. of Michigan) Lone Star Clinic Notes (2017)
    2. THSCA Football Lecture – Kirby Smart’s (HC, Georgia) Defensive Evolution (’18)
    3. Mike Elko (Texas A&M) Lone Star Clinic Notes (2019)
    4. Dave Aranda (Baylor HC) Lone Star Clinic Notes (2020)

Defending Motions or Topics on Motion

1. Defending Jet Motion
2. Defending A-Behind and Flare Motion

Defending Spread Formations

1. RPO Stop Calls
2. Defending Pistol Formations:
   1. Defending 10p 2×2 Pistol
   2. Thoughts on Defending the Pistol Spread (’23)
3. Defending Quads Bunch Formations (Bills vs Chiefs ’21)
4. Defending Trips/Empty
   1. Why You Should Run an Under Front to 3×1 Sets
   2. Defending Trips — Fitting the Run
   3. Top Trips Coverages Explained
   4. Specific Split-Field Trips Coverages:
      • Defending Trips with Stress Coverage
      • Learning Stress Coverage (Arizona St. 2017)
      • Defending Trips Into the Boundary (Stress)
      • Defending Trips with Special Coverage
      • Defending Trips with Stump Coverage (Stress + Special)
      • Solo Coverage (Poach)
        • Defending 3×1 Formations with Solo Coverage
        • Coverage 101: Poach vs. Solo Techniques
        • Using a ‘Clamp’ tag in Quarters coverage (Poach/Solo)
      • Locking the Mike in 3×1 Coverage – Taser
   5. Empty
      • Attacking Empty (Tenn vs Indiana – 2019)
      • Attacking Empty/Quads
5. Spread Unbalanced Formations
   1. Defending the Spread’s Top Unbalanced Sets
   2. Defending Two-Back Unbalanced Trips (Michigan St. – 2018)
   3. How offenses take advantage of MOFC coverages with unbalanced sets [$]

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3-4/3-Down-Dime Resources

1. Okie Front (5/Shade/4i)
   1. The Okie Front (Under)
   2. Defending Modern Spread from Okie
   3. Baylor vs Boise (2016) – How a hybrid 3-4 defends a multiple Pro Spread offense
   4. Defending 11p from a 3-4
2. The Tite Front/Mint Package (404)
   1. The Tite Front (303/404)
   2. Todd Orlando:
      • How Offenses Attack the Tite Front (2017/2018 Texas Longhorns)
      • Bringing the Heat (USC ’20 Pressures)
   3. Georgia’s Defense:
      1. The Modern Bear Front (Georgia vs Notre Dame – 2017)
      2. Georgia’s Mint Front
      3. Georgia’s Defensive Philosophy (’22)
   4. App. State Defense (vs UNC ’19)
   5. Tite Front Essentials (What you need in your toolbox) [$]
   6. Building on the Tite Alignment: Shake 2 [$]
3. Illinois Penny Package vs. Michigan (’22)
4. 3-Safety Packages
   1. Iowa State Cyclones 3-3-3
      • Running a 3-Down/3-Safety Dime as Your Base (2017)
      • Running a 3-Down/3-Safety Dime as Your Base – The Front (2018)
      • Cyclone Pressure Package (2019)
      • Attacking the 3-High System: OU vs Iowa State (2021)
      • Fitting the run from a 3-High defense (Iowa St. ’22)
   2. Baylor Bears 2019 3-3-3  – Phil Snow
      • Evolution of the Odd Dime Pt. 1 – Coverages (OU vs BU 2019)
      • Evolution of the Odd Dime Pt. 2 – Fronts & Fits (OU vs BU 2019)
      • Evolution of the Odd Dime Pt. 3 – Pressures (OU vs BU 2019)
      • The Multiplicity of the Panters’ Defense (’21)
   3. Jim Knowles Hybrid Defense
      1. Jim Knowles & the search for the ultimate hybrid defense. (Oklahoma St. ’21)
      2. Jim Knowles & the search for the ultimate hybrid defense… continues (Ohio State ’22)
   4. Auburn’s 3-1-7 vs LSU (2019)
   5. The Bearcat Stack (Cincinnati ’20) [$]
   6. The Katy HS (TX) Hybrid 3-4
   7. Blitzing from an Odd Stack vs a pro-style offense (Ole Miss vs Kentucky ’22) [$]
   8. Dime Package 3-High:
      1. Tampa Bay’s X-Front (3-High) vs Kansas City (SB LV ’21) [$]
      2. MQ’s Simple 3-Down Dime Package
5. 3rd Down
   1. Attacking 3rd Down With Multiple Fronts
   2. Jim Leonhard (Wisc)
      • 3rd Down Study: Wisconsin vs Oregon (Rose Bowl ’20) [$]
      • 3rd Down Study: 2020 Wisconsin [$]
   3. 3rd Down Calls From a 3-4
   4. The BOSS Front (Bigs On Same Side) [$]
   5. The 49ers BOSS Package (vs. the Seahawks ’22)
   6. The BLAZERS Front (9s/5s)
      1. The BLAZER Front [$] 
      2. Mike Elko’s Split Front (Blazers) [$]

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Defending Formations/Personnel Groups

1. Defending 11 Personnel (Pro Spread)
2. Defending single-width or “nub” formations
3. 12 Personnel (Ace/Ace Trey)
4. Y-off or 20 pers. (H-back/Sniffer)
   1. 20 Personnel — Over vs Under (Setting the Strength)
   2. How Don Brown (DC – Michigan) Defends 11/20p 2-Back
   3. Keying the H-back/Sniffer (vs Y-off Formations)

   4. Running a 5-1 Bear Front vs 2-Back Spread (’21 – Georgia vs Tenn.)

5. 21 Personnel (Defending Power Football From a Hybrid Defense)
6. 30 Personnel
7. Defending the Wing-T

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Stop Calls/Pressures/Blitzes

1. Run Down Stop Calls
2. Dog Check (Single-Dog Pressure)
3. Pitt’s SPECIAL Coverage (HOT) [$]
4. Phil Snow’s (Panthers) Double A-Gap Series (W2 vs Saints ’21) [$]
5. Five Concepts from the National Championship Game (’22) [$]
6. Blitzing the TE – “Saints” (Safety) Add Pressure [$]
7. Clemson’s Red Zone Fire Zones (vs UNC ’22)
8. 2020 MQ Pressure Tape Series
   1. North Carolina Defense (Bateman) vs Clemson Offense (2019)
   2. Clemson Defense vs Ohio State Offense (’19 Fiesta Bowl)
   3. Virginia Defense vs Notre Dame Offense (2019)
   4. Pitt Defense vs UCF Offense (2019) [$]
   5. Georgia Defense vs Texas A&M Offense (2019)
   6. Texas Defense vs LSU Offense (2019)
   7. Ravens Defense vs Browns Offense (W1 2020) [$]
9. Blitz of the Month
   1. July ’20 – Tampa Bay’s Trap 2 5MPRS [$]
   2. Aug. ’20 – Boise State’s Fly Mug SMPRS [$]
   3. Sept. ’20 – Cincinnati’s Dime Bluff Mex 2 SMPRS [$]
   4. Oct. ’20 – Tampa Bay’s [Ni] Over Cross CRPR [$]
   5. Nov. ’20 -Washington’s Jet Shoot C1
   6. Dec. ’20 – Chicago’s BOSS Bears C1 5MPRS [$]
   7. Jan. ’21 – LAR’s Over Weak Bomb 6 CRPR [$]
   8. Feb. ’21 – Indiana’s Over Wick 1 Rat CRPR
   9. Mar. ’21 – Dolphins’ Odd Mug Stun 1 Rat SMPRS
   10. April ’21 – 49ers Odd Mug “Back” HOT
   11. May ’21 – Northwestern’s Odd Bears Ni Add FZ 3 
   12. June ’21 – North Dakota’s Odd Stay Lynx (Will/CB) 6 Safety
   13. July ’21 – San Diego State’s Odd Wolf Switch 1
   14. Aug. ’21 – Pitt’s Odd Cowboys Hot blitz
   15. Nov. ’21 – Denver’s BOSS CHIEFS (Field Not) “Go!” 5MPRS
   16. Dec. ’21 – Tulsa’s Back SPURS “Add” 0 blitz
   17. Jan. ’22 – Chiefs’ Under BOAT 0 max blitz
   18. Feb. ’22 – Gophers’s Dbl A-gap pressure attacking the boundary (Bills)
   19. March ’22 – LAR’s Over “Read” Pressure [SIM]
   20. April ’22 – 49ers “ALAMO” Blitz (3-through-the-A)
   21. BONUS May ’22 – Browns Safety 5MPRS & Creeper [$]
   22. May ’22 – Clemson’s HOT pressure variations vs Wake Forest [$]
   23. June ’22 – West Virginia’s MAC 3-Buzz Sim [$]
   24. July ’22 – Troy Trojans Study & Using Sims to Create Natural Cross-Dogs [$]
   25. Aug. ’22 – Louisiana’s BOSS Back Check Sim [$]
   26. Sept. ’22 – Attacking the RB with a Cross-Dog Progression [$]
   27. Oct. ’22 – The Buccaneers’ BOSS Mug Cross Trap 2 (5MPRS) [$]
   28. Nov. ’22 – The Dolphins’ NOT stunt to & from the boundary [$]
   29. Dec. ’22 – Georgia’s “Pod” Alignment & EYES blitz. [$]
   30. Jan. ’23 – San Diego State’s Torch Stunt from a Nic Front
   31. Feb. ’23 – Western Kentucky’s Mug Diner Tampa Sim
   32. March ’23 – Eagles Safety Simulated Pressure in the Divisional Round (Geno)
10. Pressure/Blitz Design
    1. 5 Tips for Developing a Blitz
    2. How to Packaging Blitz Calls
    3. Building a Better Zone Blitz
    4. Blitzing the Formation (BTF)
    5. 5 Tips For Blitzing From The Secondary
    6. Designing an Odd Cross-Dog Blitz [$]
    7. HUG & SHARE Rush Concepts [$]
    8. Attacking the Guard in Pass Protection
    9. Miami Dolphins “Plug” Blitz (Boyer/’22)
    10. Georgia’s A-gap Pressure Package (vs TCU ’23)
    11. Creating a “Layered” Pressure (Texas vs Bama ’22)
    12. Oregon State’s 3-thru-the-A pressure (Alamo)
11. “TAG” Pressures (Max Drop-Out)
    1. The Dolphins’ “TAG” max pressure [$]
    2. “TAG” You’re it! (UCLA’s version of TAG)
    3. Miami’s 7-O look is more than just a “cool” pressure [$]
12. Simulated & Creeper/Replacement Pressures
    1. Simulated Pressures from a “Positionless” Defense (Texas – Sugar Bowl ’19)
    2. Building a Creeper Toolbox [$]
    3. Attacking the Center (BELLY/MANNING) [$]
    4. Packaging Your Creepers & Sims [$]
    5. Attacking the Offense Away from the RB [$]
    6. The Fire Zone isn’t Dead [$]
    7. Layering the Fit (Creepers, Sims, & Fluid Fronts) [$]
    8. The FALCONS Path (Saban NFL Sim) [$]
    9. Baltimore Ravens System:
       1. The Ravens’ “DOG” Scheme to Create Sim Pressures [$]
       2. Creating Simple Simulated Pressures (Ravens/’22)
    10. Mex/Allen path:
        1. The MEX Path: An A-Gap Sim [$]
        2. Attacking early downs with an A-gap 5-man pressure (Raptors) [$]
        3. Creating an A-Gap Progression Series (Mex/Manning/Missouri) [$]
    11. Favre/Panther/Newton Path (Ni Creeper):
        1. The FAVRE Path: Field Edge Creeper [$]
        2. Attacking the Passing Strength (Favre Path/Baylor ’21) [$]
        3. Attacking the edge of the box with a “pin-loop” Rodgers/Packers path (Broncos vs Chiefs ’22)
    12. Brady/Whip & Miami (sister)Paths:
        1. Oct. ’21 – The “Brady” Path (Whip/Boundary Insert)
        2. The WHIP replacement pressure (Titans vs Bengals ’22)
        3. Do simple better. A lesson from the Titans. (Whip Creeper)
        4. Attacking Weak: The Fangio systems Ni Whip & Penny Whiskey 9
        5. The Seahawks’ strong side B-gap Creeper (Miami)

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Cool Clips Series

1. Southern Miss’ Fluid Front & Trap Coverage
2. Oregon’s Odd Front Flush Concept
3. Georgia’s “Big 12” pressure vs. TCU (Half-Field Zone)
4. Defending a Stack Mills concept (UCLA vs. Pitt ’22)
5. Defending “pause” bubbles
6. The Eagles’ “Quads” Zone vs. the 49ers (’23)
7. The Chiefs “return” motions in the Super Bowl (’23)
8. The 49ers’ (BOSS) Wrap Stunt
9. Tulanes’ “Pyramid” Scheme (Travel)
10. Tennessee Vols’ “Bears” Sim
11. Oregon State’s MARS off-ball Sim (Marino/Mahomes)
12. Tulane’s Tex-Mex (Chuy’s) “pick” pressure

Pedagogy and Drill Tapes

1. Get the self-titled book Match Quarters
2. DB 101: Drill Work From Winter to Fall
3. Creating a Fall Camp Indy Schedule [$]
4. MQ’s DB Resource Page
5. LB Philosophy and Fundamentals
6. Thoughts on creating a position manual.
7. Quit using a ball in pattern match drills early in Fall Camp. 

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Analytics/Install/Opponent Breakdowns/Practice/Self-Scout

1. MQ’s Full-Length Opponent Breakdown Manual
2. Building a Hit Chart
3. Four Day Install Plan for a 4-2-5
4. Weekly Schedule (Practice Plan)
5. 5 Cut-ups to Improve Your Self-Scout
6. Throw Out the Stats – “What really is a “good” defense?“
7. Three questions to ask yourself after a clinic
8. 5 Reasons You Should Use Simple Efficiency Data This Offseason

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Special Projects

1. ’22 Off-Season Study Guide [$]
2. MQ Previews the 2021 NFC Championship: Bucs vs Packers
3. Desert Heat Pt. 1 – The Air Raid Invades the NFL (Kingsbury) – The Roster (’19)
4. Desert Heat Pt. 2 – The Air Raid Invades the NFL (Kingsbury) – The Scheme (’19)
5. Yearly Non-Football Post
   1. Moving Away From Winning as a Metric (Win Rate & Bias) – ’21
   2. If you are playing a Zero-Sum Game, you are losing – ’22
   3. Embrace Your Story – ’23
6. 2023 NFL Draft:
   1. Analyzing the ’22 AFC Coverage Matrices
   2. Analyzing the ’22 NFC Coverage Matrices

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Hudl Newsletter

1. Creating an In-Season Scouting Report in Hudl Beta
2. How to Create Great Tendency Charts Quickly in Hudl Beta

3. Scrap the passing chart—these four columns give you a better…

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Pro Quick Draw Blog

1. 5 REASONS YOU SHOULD USE SIMPLE EFFICIENCY DATA THIS OFFSEASON
2. FIVE TIPS FOR DESIGNING YOUR DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOK FROM SCRATCH
3. FIVE REASONS YOU SHOULD USE HYPER-VISUALS TO ENGAGE YOUR ATHLETES

 

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