What a Rush! Getting the Most out of Your Pass Rush

by: Earl Lane
Defensive Line Coach LSU
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Pass rush is the single most important part of our job. It should be a passion of any good rusher. We are committed to stopping the run to win. As we do this, it will give us more opportunities to rush the passer. It’s very important to be a complete defensive line with the ability to do both.

    The sack is the most exciting play in football. It brings the crowd to its feet, lifts the defense and destroys the confidence level of any offense. It is one way our rusher can contribute to the success of our team.

    Pass rush is an art that must be developed over time. Most pass rush techniques are individual techniques that pit you against an offensive blocker, one on one. Each person has a different body. I want my rushers to develop a move that best suits their style and abilities. There is no easy way to become a great pass rusher. It takes passion and pride along with many hours of film study and field work. You have to live it every day.

Keys
Some key points I cover with my players before getting into our drill work include:
A.    Fundamentals and attention to detail
B.     Must be a physical player
C.     Ability to concentrate under pressure
D.    Unselfish attitude: four men working together for one objective (pressure and sacking QB’s)
E.    Never be surprised by a pass; go to a bull rush if you are. Get hands inside, sink hips and hat under O-linemen’s chin and drive him to QB. Always work back to an edge.
F.    Maintain lane integrity versus pass. Know the QB we are playing

    I always like to cover some of the most common mistakes made by blockers; to have any level of consistent success as a rusher you must study your opponent:
A. False steps
B. Extreme stances
C. Stiff arms
D. Poor body balance
E. Slow feet or set up

    As a rusher it’s important that we pre-determine our move (picture in your mind what you are going to do). This will assist in increasing quickness. Explore on the snap, gain ground and keep good body angle until you make contact with blocker. You have 2.5 to 3.0 seconds so you don’t have time for three or four moves. It is important to be precise and calculated. Use bluff techniques, especially if you are twisting a lot.

    We must always improve our get-offs through repetition. Get-off drills seem simple but they will improve all the mechanics of our rush. Speed kills.

    Twists are used in passing situations to aid our pass rush. They are also effective against teams that like to feature the draw. The type of twists may be determined by game plan. Twists can be run quick or delayed. You must be aware if the offensive line is using man or zone protections and you must be alert for any aggressive blocking. It will hurt your twists if you are stopped or cut off at the LOS. Let the surprise element be on your side. Our objectives are to destroy the protection area of the offensive line, obstruct the QB vision (throwing lanes), and keep the QB from feeling comfortable in the pocket (constant pressure and harassment).

Coaching Points
A.     Never tip your stance (pass rush twists are only effective as an element of surprise).
B.    Make pass rush twist look like on-on-one rushes.
C.    Don’t tip the twists with your eyes. Be creative.

    Here are some techniques and change up possibilities in using twists:
    Even with a pass rush twist falling into a change-up category, we must take the change-up to another dimension and have alternative ways to run the twist. If line stunts are a part of your defensive style, then we must anticipate strong preparation to deal with them. Consequently, we must be able to game plan and adjust the way we execute these twists. We have four ways of running twists:

1. Right Now – using quickness and the element of surprise to beat the opponent
2. Delay – a delay in the game to force your opponent out of area blocking
3. Grabs – A. First man in the twist versus man-to-man blocking – Grab your teammate’s man and take him with you. This will allow your teammate to come free on the twist. - B. First man in the twist versus area blocking – Grab your man and take him with you. This will allow your teammate to come free on this twist.
4. Bluffs – this completes the game package. If teams are switching off too quickly, a quick bluff or look off will keep them honest.

    Don’t be predictable; keep the offense guessing. Included are examples of our rush technique: collapsing the pocket (See Diagram 1) and examples of our twist technique (See Diagrams 2-4).

Diagram 1. Collapsing the Pocket

Building the Trap to pressure and Sack the Quarterback:

•     Squeeze and contain and work upfield shoulder

Twists



Diagram 2:
•      NT: Holds guard/center attention
•      DT: Slams center and attacks inside rush  lane (If center slides to DT, NT attacks inside and DT loops).


Diagram 3:
•    DE: Sells speed first, then attacks inside rush lane.
•      DT: Sells B-gap rush, slams OT, attacks DE’s rush lane
•      NT: Must draw center’s attention


Diagram 4:
•    All four rushers work as one, making rush look like normal one-on-one pass rush.
•     Then they exchange pass rush lanes.

About the Author

Earl Lane

Defensive Line Coach Earl Lane joined the LSU staff this past February after coaching for 10 years at the University of South Florida. While at USF, Lane's defensive line ranked among the top five in the nation in sacks in both 2001 and 2002. Last fall the Bulls ranked No. 14 in the nation in scoring defense and No. 18 in rushing defense. Lane is a graduate of Northwood University in Midland, MI.


Questions?
If you have any questions you
can email the author at: 
EarlLane@AmericanFootballMonthly.com

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