AFM RSS Feed Follow Us on Twitter       
AMERICAN FOOTBALL MONTHLY THE #1 RESOURCE FOR FOOTBALL COACHES
ABOUT |  CONTACT |  ADVERTISE |  HELP  



   User Name    Password 
      Password Help





Article Categories


AFM Magazine

AFM Magazine


Snake Bitten

Temple’s Cobra brings the pressure. Intense blitz play designed to coax offenses into mistakes
by: Raymond Monica
Defensive Coordinator, Temple University
© More from this issue

Click for Printer Friendly Version          

Our defensive philosophy is to have 11 hats with speed to the ball. We accomplish this by doing a pursuit drill every day, and by coaching effort on every play. We also watch film after every practice to evaluate fundamentals, techniques, proper execution of the defensive scheme and, most importantly, effort. We believe that with great effort from all 11 players, we have a chance to win. We feel that playing with great effort “intensity” allows our defense to create more turnovers than our opponents. We accomplish this by doing a series of strip drills once a week during practice and by emphasizing the technique during individual and team practices.

At Temple University, our base defense is a 4-2-5 with robber coverage. However, we like to bring pressure to create sacks, tackles for loss and cause poor throws by the opposing team’s quarterback. We do this by bringing pressure with the scheme that looks like our base defense. We call this blitz in our 4-2-5 package 30 Cobra cover 0.

Our 30 Cobra blitz package was formulated from different ideas, by watching film, visiting other schools and by our own experiences. We understand what our personnel is capable of accomplishing, so we keep things simple by placing rules and responsibilities in systematic order for a player to follow. A coach once told me the only thing better than a simple idea is a simpler one.

The installation process of our 30 Cobra cover 0 blitz begins with a 10-15 minutes walk through at the beginning of practice. We use large garbage cans for the offensive line and players for formations. The whole defense comes together when we are installing a blitz. After the defensive line understands what we are doing, we let them go. We will then continue the walk through with the secondary and the inside linebackers. When we walk through without the defensive line, we let the first and second team go at the same time to help on the number of repetitions we get. After we show all formations, we rotate the third and fourth groups.

During practice, we have a 10-15 minute blitz period. We want our players to have a good concept of that day’s blitz. We want them to learn it right the first time. If it is not executed the way we like it, we will push our installation back one day.

We also have a 30 minute pass skelly period. Within those 30 minutes, we will use 15 minutes of that time working on the blitz we are putting in for that day. Once we get into the season, we will blitz one out of four plays in pass skelly. During our skelly period, we go against our first and second team offense. We feel lining up our best players against one another is the only way we will get better during a long season. When we blitz in skelly, we are going against the best receivers we have.

As a coach, you often wonder if you are doing too much or not enough. You know as well as I do if you have any breakdowns when you call a blitz, it could be a big play for the offense. By not covering a receiver or bring in the wrong gap. Each week we decide what our pressure package is going to be and we get as many repetitions as possible in that package.

When we put the blitz in the classroom, we always show film of the year before. We want to watch our blitz executed like it should look, but then we will show the most common mistakes so we don’t keep repeating them.

This is our alignment to a Pro I formation. We have a strong and weak side. Our strong side always goes to the call side, which is the tight end, and the weak side goes away. The strong side end alignment is a 7 technique, strong tackle 3 technique, weak tackle 0 shade and weak end 5 technique. Our first call is based on the tackles alignment. We play a 3 and 0 technique, so our front is called 30. The Sam linebacker always goes to the tight end and aligns in a 30 technique. Will backer goes away from the call and is in a 20 technique. Both outside safeties are three yards outside the end man on the line of scrimmage and two yards deep. The free safety is inside shoulder of the tight end at a depth of seven to nine yards. The two corners will play bump and run or off man. If we play off man, we should look like we are playing robber coverage. (See Diagram 1)
Diagram 1
Diagram 2

In our Cobra blitz, we are going to close off the A and B gap to the strong and weak side. The 7 technique will stunt to the B gap. His aiming point is the outside foot of the guard one-yard deep in the backfield. The 3 technique will slant to the A gap, his aiming point is inside shoulder of the guard, 0 shade will stay in A gap, 5 technique will stunt to the B gap; aiming point is the same as the 7 technique. The inside backers know that A and B gap is closed off so they can fast flow to the ball. The linebackers have the backs man to man on any pass. If the back blocks, he will add to the rush. The secondary will always make a Lucky or Ringo call to give the passing strength. If two backs are in the backfield, the passing strength will be to the two receiver’s side. Both outside safeties will blitz to the outside checking reverse and boot – aiming point is near the shoulder of the back. The free safety will cover the number two receiver to the passing strength. Both corners have a number one receiver to their side. (See Diagram 2)

When an offense goes to a one back set, we will try to make it look like our base alignment. The defensive line is still going to close off A and B gap. Outside safeties will blitz from the outside. The passing strength in Diagram 3 is a Ringo call. Sam linebacker has the number two receiver away from the passing strength. He will cover the tight end. Will linebacker has the back man to man. If the back blocks, he will add to the rush. The free safety will cover the number two receiver to the passing strength. Both corners will always have a number one receiver to their side. (See Diagram 3)
Diagram 3
Diagram 4

We will still have the defensive line and outside safeties doing the same. The secondary will make a Lucky call for the passing strength. The corners will always have a number one receiver to their side; the free safety has the number two receiver to the passing strength. The Sam linebacker will then cover the number three receiver to the passing strength. And Will linebacker has the back man to man. He will always add to the rush if the back blocks. (See Diagram 4)

The front will continue to close off the A and B gaps. Our Owl safety will still blitz from the outside. The passing strength call is Lucky. Corners have the number one receiver, the free safety will take the number two receiver to the passing strength and the strong safety will make an “I’m gone” call to the Sam linebacker to replace him from blitzing off the edge. We have the strong safety covering the number three receiver to the passing strength; we do not want the linebacker to have to cover a quick receiver. Will linebacker has the back man to man. (See Diagram 5)
Diagram 5
Diagram 6

When teams run empty sets, I think that you must make a decision if you are going to play zone or blitz. We do both. If we blitz, there are our rules. The passing strength in Diagram 6 is a lucky call. Both corners have the number one receiver to their side. The free safety has the number two receiver to the passing strength. The strong safety has the number three receiver to the passing strength and he makes an “I’m gone” call to the Sam linebacker. The Owl safety has the number two receiver away from the passing strength and he makes an “I’m gone” call. So the linebackers are blitzing off the edge, the defensive line is closing off A and B gap just like they would do in Cobra. (See Diagram 6)

Rules for 30 Cobra Cover 0

1. The defensive line will close off A and B gap.
2. The corners have the number one receiver to their side.
3. The free safety has the number two to the passing strength.
4. The Owl and strong safeties have the number two away from the passing strength or the number three to the passing strength. If the number two or number three is a tight end, he will blitz.
5. Sam and Will linebacker have the backs man to man in any two back sets. Any one back set, Sam has the number two away from the passing strength and the number three to the passing strength. If the number two or number three is a quick receiver, he will get an “I’m gone” call from the outside safety and he will blitz off the edge. Will has the running back unless he gets and “I’m gone” call, then he will blitz outside.

Since we have been at Temple, we have improved each year defensively. Last year we finished 19th nationally in total defense. Our blitz package has been a big part of our improvement and it also helped us create more turnovers. We finished 11th nationally in turnovers per game.

I would like to thank American Football Monthly for their interest in Temple football and for allowing us the opportunity to share some of our ideas. If we can ever help or answer any questions, please give us a call. If you live nearby or are just passing through, please stop in. You are always welcome to come and visit us at Temple University.





NEW BOOK!

AFM Videos Streaming Memberships Now Available Digital Download - 304 Pages of Football Forms for the Winning Coach



















HOME
MAGAZINE
SUBSCRIBE ONLINE COLUMNISTS COACHING VIDEOS


Copyright 2024, AmericanFootballMonthly.com
All Rights Reserved