MQ Archive | #ArtofX

Find everything you need in one place.

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

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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

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

“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) [$]
  9. Seth Galina, PFF (’20) 
  10. Will Windham, Safeties Kent State (’20) [$]

Substack Top-10

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

Defending the Spread

Run Fits

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

Clinic Notes/Defensive Structure/Special Coverages

  1. Creating a Defensive Nomenclature (Language)
  2. MQ Film Study: OU vs Alabama (2018 – 1st Half)
  3. Jim Knowles & the search for the ultimate hybrid defense. [$]
  4. Toledo’s EXIT Stunt [$]
  5. Using an EXIT stunt to combat Zone-heavy offenses (Liberty vs Arkansas ’22) [$]
  6. Coverages
    1. Saban’s Rip/Liz (Match Cov. 3) & How it Applies to Quarters
    2. Creating a simple way to run Match 3 [$]
    3. The “CHEAT” Technique for MOFC Schemes on Early Downs [$]
    4. “Read” Coverage (20p Field Robber)
    5. Three Coverages Tags Every Quarters Team Needs
    6. Three Coverages to carry this Fall [$] 
    7. Changing the Picture: 2-Roll Coverage
    8. The Jets’ Stab tag in Quarters coverage (’22)
  7. Vic Fangio System (Brandon Staley & Rams)
    1. The Argument For A Light Box (Fangio System/LA Rams Defense)
    2. The Fangio Philosophy Pt. 1 (Foundational Concepts)
    3. The Fangio Philosophy Pt. 2 (Run Fits & Pass Distributions)
    4. Rodgers & LaFleur put on a clinic vs the Rams (’21 Divisional Round) [$]
    5. Where Single-High & Two-High Collide: 6-Cross [$]
    6. Rams Defensive Primer Pt. 1 (’21)
    7. Rams Defensive Primer Pt. 2 (’21) [$]
    8. Flipping the Script (Fangio’s Cover 6 – HQQ) [$]
    9. Has the Rams’ defense gotten “soft”? (’22)
    10. The Eat Front within the Penny Package (Broncos ’22)
    11. The Fangio Tree’s roots keep growing – Part 1 (’23)
    12. The Fangio Tree’s roots keep growing – Part 2 (’23)
  8. Defending the Air Raid System
    1. Defending the Air Raid with “Steal” Coverage
    2. Taking STEAL Coverage to the next level [$]
    3. Air Raid Killers – Washington’s Defense vs Wazzu [$]
  9. 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) [$]
    9. 5 Things Defenses Hate in the Low Red Zone [$]
  10. 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
  11. Alex Grinch Defenses (Oklahoma)
    1. Sacking the Longhorns – OU vs Texas (2019)
    2. Manipulating the Cover Down (OU vs Baylor 2019)
  12. 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 10p 2×2 Pistol
  3. Defending Quads Bunch Formations (Bills vs Chiefs ’21) [$]
  4. Defending Trips/Empty
    1. Why You Should Run an Under Front to 3×1 Sets
    2. Defending Trips — Fitting the Run
    3. Top Trips Coverages Explained
    4. Specific Split-Field Trips Coverages:
    5. Empty
  5. Spread Unbalanced Formations
    1. Defending the Spread’s Top Unbalanced Sets
    2. Defending Two-Back Unbalanced Trips (Michigan St. – 2018)
    3. How offenses take advantage of MOFC coverages with unbalanced sets [$]

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:
    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. 3-Safety Packages
    1. Iowa State Cyclones 3-3-3
    2. Baylor Bears 2019 3-3-3  – Phil Snow
    3. Auburn’s 3-1-7 vs LSU (2019)
    4. The Bearcat Stack (Cincinnati ’20) [$]
    5. The Katy HS (TX) Hybrid 3-4
    6. Blitzing from an Odd Stack vs a pro-style offense (Ole Miss vs Kentucky ’22) [$]
    7. Dime Package 3-High:
      1. Tampa Bay’s X-Front (3-High) vs Kansas City (SB LV ’21) [$]
      2. MQ’s Simple 3-Down Dime Package
  4. 3rd Down
    1. Attacking 3rd Down With Multiple Fronts
    2. Jim Leonhard (Wisc)
    3. 3rd Down Calls From a 3-4
    4. The BOSS Front (Bigs On Same Side) [$]
    5. The BLAZERS Front (9s/5s)
      1. The BLAZER Front [$] 
      2. Mike Elko’s Split Front (Blazers) [$]

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

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. 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) [$]
    5. Georgia Defense vs Texas A&M Offense (2019)
    6. Texas Defense vs LSU Offense (2019)
    7. Ravens Defense vs Browns Offense (W1 2020) [$]
  8. 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. Oct. ’21 – The “Brady” Path (Boundary Insert)
    16. Nov. ’21 – Denver’s BOSS CHIEFS (Field Not) “Go!” 5MPRS
    17. Dec. ’21 – Tulsa’s Back SPURS “Add” 0 blitz
    18. Jan. ’22 – Chiefs’ Under BOAT 0 max blitz
    19. Feb. ’22 – Gophers’s Dbl A-gap pressure attacking the boundary (Bills)
    20. March ’22 – LAR’s Over “Read” Pressure [SIM]
    21. April ’22 – 49ers “ALAMO” Blitz (3-through-the-A)
    22. BONUS May ’22 – Browns Safety 5MPRS & Creeper [$]
    23. May ’22 – Clemson’s HOT pressure variations vs Wake Forest [$]
    24. June ’22 – West Virginia’s MAC 3-Buzz Sim [$]
    25. July ’22 – Troy Trojans Study & Using Sims to Create Natural Cross-Dogs [$]
    26. Aug. ’22 – Louisiana’s BOSS Back Check Sim [$]
    27. Sept. ’22 – Attacking the RB with a Cross-Dog Progression [$]
    28. Oct. ’22 – The Buccaneers’ BOSS Mug Cross Trap 2 (5MPRS) [$]
    29. Nov. ’22 – The Dolphins’ NOT stunt to & from the boundary [$]
    30. Dec. ’22 – Georgia’s “Pod” Alignment & EYES blitz. [$]
    31. Jan. ’23 – San Diego State’s Torch Stunt from a Nic Front
    32. Feb. ’23 – Western Kentucky’s Mug Diner Tampa Sim
    33. March ’23 – Eagles Safety Simulated Pressure in the Divisional Round (Geno)
  9. Pressure/Blitz Design
    1. 5 Tips for Developing a Blitz
    2. How to Packaging Blitz Calls
    3. Building a Better Zone Blitz
    4. Blitzing the Formation (BTF)
    5. 5 Tips For Blitzing From The Secondary
    6. Designing an Odd Cross-Dog Blitz [$]
    7. HUG & SHARE Rush Concepts [$]
    8. Attacking the Guard in Pass Protection
    9. Miami Dolphins “Plug” Blitz (Boyer/’22)
  10. “TAG” Pressures (Max Drop-Out)
    1. The Dolphins’ “TAG” max pressure [$]
    2. “TAG” You’re it! (UCLA’s version of TAG)
    3. Miami’s 7-O look is more than just a “cool” pressure [$]
  11. Simulated & Creeper/Replacement Pressures
    1. Simulated Pressures from a “Positionless” Defense (Texas – Sugar Bowl ’19)
    2. Attacking the Center (BELLY/MANNING) [$]
    3. Building a Creeper Toolbox [$]
    4. Creating an A-Gap Progression Series (Mex/Manning/Missouri) [$]
    5. The Ravens’ “DOG” scheme to create Sim Pressures [$]
    6. The MEX Path: An A-Gap Sim [$]
    7. The FALCONS Path (Saban NFL Sim) [$]
    8. The FAVRE Path: Field Edge Creeper [$]
    9. Attacking the Passing Strength (Favre Path/Baylor ’21) [$]
    10. Packaging Your Creepers & Sims [$]
    11. The WHIP replacement pressure (Titans vs Bengals ’22) [$]
    12. Attacking the Offense Away from the RB [$]
    13. The Fire Zone isn’t Dead [$]
    14. Layering the Fit (Creepers, Sims, & Fluid Fronts) [$]
    15. Attacking early downs with an A-gap 5-man pressure (Raptors) [$]
    16. Attacking the edge of the box with a “pin-loop” (Rodgers/Packers path)

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)

Quarters 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

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

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. Moving Away From Winning as a Metric (Win Rate & Bias)
  6. If you are playing a Zero-Sum Game, you are losing

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…

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

 

© 2016 – Present | MatchQuarters | #ArtofX | Cody Alexander | All rights reserved.

Author: MatchQuarters

Author/Coach

27 thoughts on “MQ Archive | #ArtofX”

  1. Pingback: MQ Pressure Tape: Texas A&M vs Georgia (2019) – MatchQuarters | #ArtofX
  2. Pingback: MQ Pressure Tape: Clemson vs Ohio St. (2019) – MatchQuarters | #ArtofX
  3. Pingback: MQ Pressure Tape: Virginia vs Notre Dame (2019) – MatchQuarters | #ArtofX
  4. Pingback: The Cyclone Pressure Package – MatchQuarters | #ArtofX
  5. Pingback: MQ Quick Hits Ep. 23: Cheat Steps – High Safety Play in Single-High Coverage – MatchQuarters | #ArtofX
  6. Pingback: Evolution of the Odd Dime: Stopping the Tigers (LSU vs Auburn 2019) – MatchQuarters | #ArtofX

  7. Really have enjoyed articles — etc OUTSTANDING content and presentation — ordered book

    Could you explain the difference between a bluff and a bait ??

    Reply

    1. It can also be refered to as SHOW. You are just showing a pressure, then popping out. Bait can talk to the inside guys, Bluff to the outside. Depends on how you want to structure it.

      Reply

  8. Coach – Thanks for all you do. Great site. I’m looking for some resources to help teach LBs (incuding SAM with a full cover down) their responsibilities in pass coverage, specifially 2-Read/Cloud and 4-Read/Sky. Your pages on teaching Safeties (“How I Teach Match Quarters – Pt. 2”) and Corners (“How I Teach Match Quarters – Pt. 1”) are great. I’m just having trouble finding something like that for LBs. Is there certain post I should be looking for on the site?

    Reply

  9. Coach A, keep up the good work. Lots of your resources helped me out this year. I was wondering, do you have a link that defines the terms you use (cut, push, late push, etc.)

    Thanks again Coach.

    Reply
  10. Pingback: MQ Quick Hits Ep. 11 – Naming Formations – MatchQuarters | #ArtofX
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  12. Pingback: MQ Quick Hits Ep. 9 – Breaking Down an Opponent – MatchQuarters | #ArtofX
  13. Pingback: MQ’s DB Resources – MatchQuarters | #ArtofX
  14. Pingback: Coach Stone Podcast Number 8 | Coach Stone Football
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  20. This page is absolutely fantastic! Great information here, some info confirms what I know and more importantly reading up on new ways to defend different offenses. Great website.

    Reply
  21. Pingback: #FMT – Create an Identity – MatchQuarters

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