How To Defend Against Combo Blocks

Thats the way we do it, start with the fit of each different blocking scheem, move through the couters slowly at first, then start speeding up.

Coach,

This is the philosophy I teach our DLM. The purpose of a combo block is two fold. The first is to reach an outside shade DLM with the help of a chip or initial double team from an outside OLM. The second is to slide the outside OLM off to get up to the MLB. With that in mind I teach our kids to engage the combo block like a double team. That is to engage your first key (the OLM you are aligned on) and see your second. If you get the double team look, press back on the outside OLM to create a seem between the two OLM. Now the DLM can turn is shoulders and trust his hips through his gap. This technique does two things. The first is the DLM does not get reached because he created a gap for himself by pressing back on the outsiude OLM so now he can blow through that seem to maintain his gap responsibility. The second, since he got pressure on the outside OLM is now the outside OLM lost his momentum to get to the next level so your DLM kept his MLB free from a blocker as well.

This seems to work well for us.


Scott
OL, DL, D Coord
Rochester Lourdes High School, MN

Kmills50
I have a video of Rex Ryan from years earlier ( I think from college in Cincinnati?) that explains this concept, and we have used it in the past. My only issue w/ it is that we are then asking our d lineman to basically turn their hips AWAY from the ball. In other words, the back is probably running to where the combo man (2nd blocker, not "post") came from, and in order for us to get our hips into that man we actually would have to turn our feet/hips away from the ball carrier. That is fine if your goal for the d line is to keep them off your backers.
Hope I explained this well enough to follow!

Kmills50
I have a video of Rex Ryan from years earlier ( I think from college in Cincinnati?) that explains this concept, and we have used it in the past. My only issue w/ it is that we are then asking our d lineman to basically turn their hips AWAY from the ball. In other words, the back is probably running to where the combo man (2nd blocker, not "post") came from, and in order for us to get our hips into that man we actually would have to turn our feet/hips away from the ball carrier. That is fine if your goal for the d line is to keep them off your backers.
Hope I explained this well enough to follow!