Defending the Wing-T Offense

The Wing-T is a great offensive system that challenges defenses at both the high school and collegiate levels. Many of today’s one-back and spread offenses can trace their roots back to the Wing-T.

We defend the Wing-T by being as simple as possible. We try to play one front and one coverage the entire game vs. Wing-T sets. We take an “Over” front concept and slide the front to the TE/Wing. We want to take away or limit the Wing-T’s ability to run to the TE surface (Diagrams 1 and 2).

Diagram 1.

Diagram 2.

Here are some rules for both defensive fronts and linebackers in playing the Wing-T:

Defensive Fronts:

• The nose guard plays head up on the center and runs through the back door of all reach blocks.
  
  
• The defensive end (5 technique) plays head-up on the offensive tackle (4 technique) and controls the B gap.
  
  
• The defensive tackle (3 technique) widens and plays the 5 technique.
  
  
• The rushing end plays a heavy 9 technique on the TE.
  

Linebackers:

• Mike linebacker stacks behind the nose guard and cheats slightly toward the SE.
  
  
• Sam linebacker plays in a stack position behind the defensive tackle.
  
  
• Will linebacker plays on the hip of the OT vs. the HB and adjusts according to the split of the slot (twins).
  

There are numerous Wing-T formations. For the basic ‘wing’ formation, there is no adjustment (Diagram 3). For wing flat motion, there are a number of adjustments. The $ will come across with motion and play the motion man to the flat. The free safety will rob the #1 receiver (Diagram 4).

Diagram 3. Wing - There is no adjustment but be ready to defend the belly series, weak or strong.

Diagram 4. Wing Flat Motion - With wing flat motion, the $ will come across with the motion and play him to the flat. The F/S will rob the #1 receiver.

For Wing-T slot formations, the defense should play the coverage call. The Sam linebacker keys the halfback, the Mike linebacker keys the guard to the 5 tech side and the Will linebacker keys the other guard (Diagram 5).

Diagram 5. ‘Slot’ Wing-T - The Sam linebacker keys the halfback. The Mike keys the guard to the 5 tech side. The Will linebacker keys the guard and the slot receiver.

For ‘Queen’ Wing-T formations, the adjustments include:

• The wing motion checks cover 3. The Will linebacker carries the #3 WR (Diagram 6).

Diagram 6.

• For slot motion, the Sam linebacker plays Jet Sweep (Diagram 7).
  

Diagram 7.

• If the wing does a three-step peel, the defense plays cover 2 (Diagram 8).
  

Diagram 8.

• If the slot receiver reels, no adjustment is made and the defense plays cover 2 (Diagram 9).

Diagram 9.

For the Buck Sweep Series - which includes the buck, trap and waggle – the corner spills and the Sam linebacker goes over the top (Diagram 10).

Diagram 10.

For the Belly Series, the corner attacks and the Will linebacker goes over the top (Diagram 11).

Diagram 11.

For the power, hand sweep or jet sweep, the secondary contains (Diagram 12).

Diagram 12.

For the 3-step, sprint out passing game, the Sam linebacker forces the play (Diagram 13).

Diagram 13.

Please feel free to contact the Edinboro University football staff at anytime if you have questions about this article. We have video of most of our games vs. Wing-T opponents. Each video is cut-up vs. the formation families (Wing, Slot, Queen) and by play family (Buck Sweep/Waggle, Jet Sweep/Jet Waggle, Belly/Keep Pass).

About the Author: Wayne Bradford has been on the Edinboro staff for 15 years and this fall enters his ninth season as Defensive Coordinator. A graduate of Salisbury State, Bradford started his coaching career there and was Defensive Coordinator from 1994-1998.