Defending the Spread

How to find holes in protection
by: Mike Mari
Asst. Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator, Mendocino College
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At Mendocino College our defense was able to finish #1 in the state of California Junior College football for sacks last season. We feel that sacks happen because your coverage is sound. If you can’t cover, the ball will be gone long before a sack can happen. This article is going to address the topic of “Defending the Spread Offense: Finding Holes in the Protection.”

‘The spread offense spreads the defense, while creating match-ups that the offense can take advantage of.’ I have heard this saying often. I feel that while true that a spread scheme stretches your defense, I also feel those match-ups can often be favorable for the defense. This article will address Big on Big protection (B.O.B) or man protection.

As you will see in our base alignment (See Diagram 1) against a spread set is a 3-4 with a 2 shell over the top. In your basic B.O.B. protection, the guards are probably going to read 1-2, or inside backer to outside backer. At Mendocino College, we will play a game where it becomes a 2-way go for our stacked inside backers.

Diagram 1: Basic Alignment

You will also see that we will bring an outside backer off the edge (See Diagram 2). Our end will rush the inside gap of the offensive tackle. If that guard picks up the crashing end, our stacked inside backer will blitz. If the guard goes outside to pick up the blitzing outside backer, the stacked backer will blitz. In theory, this should have one player rushing free, or have a match-up between the running back and one of our rushers. We are confident that we will win that match-up more often than not.

Diagram 2: Blitzing the Outside Linebacker

By walking your stacked inside backer over the guard the decision is obvious for that backer (See Diagram 3). If the guard pass sets, the inside backer simply stays put, and ‘holds’ that guard so the outside backer blitzing will arrive untouched. If the guard sets and then bails to the outside, the stacked inside backer will blitz.

This ‘game’ can also be played from a trips and also an empty set. Another benefit of having your stacked backers walk up over the guards is that they are counted by the guards. The result is that now your nose tackle will have a one-on-one rush against the center.

Diagram 3: Stacked Linebacker Over the Guard

This game is favorable in our opinion against B.O.B. protection. Regardless of what protection scheme an offense runs, a hole can be found somewhere. This is a game we play at Mendocino College that has been useful to us over the last few years. Of course, this scheme can be countered with any zone or slide protection. There are games for those protections as well.

Remember, your scheme must fit the personnel you’re using. We have found that with this game we can make it work for most player types we put on the field. Our Offensive Coordinator (Chris Snyder) and I often have ideas drawn on the white board. The winner of our debates inevitably is the last person holding the pen. This scheme above can work and has worked for us at Mendocino. I hope this idea may be useful in your defense in the future.

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