Power/Counter Question

that is what most teams do counter and power are great vs. the tnt/Bear fronts

HEY ZUCK,

What you guys call the t-n-t look, we always called "playing solid" and as you describe it is how most do it.
A solid front also is great at taking the midline away.

Coach Easton-TIGER ONE

YOU CERTAINLY CAN run it vs. the "TNT" SOLID look!!!!!!! I don't believe in splitting more than 18". The Redskins set a single game SUPER BOWL RUSHING RECORD (ran the "COUNTER/GAP" - which means they DOWN blocked the TNT on the "solid front" (Bears 46) which Denver used - ran it for 204 yards & 2 TD's on THAT play alone).

Here are exerpts from the write up on the game from the Sports Illustrated article (read it to your HFC):

On the Redskins' sideline Gibbs was huddling with offensive line coach Joe Bugel and backfield coach Don Breaux.
"Joe asked me, 'What do you think, Buges?' " said Bugel after the game. "Breaux and I both said, 'Don't give up on the Counter Gap.' They'd been playing a stunting type of defense, a guessing defense, and they'd guessed right in the first quarter and given us a couple of minuses on that play. Against stunting defenses like the Broncos use you have to pull your guard and the tackle to the opposite side. It's a precision play, and when the timing's a little off, well, it can look ugly. Maybe in the first quarter we were a little overanxious, and the timing wasn't right. But Breaux and I both felt it would come."
Washington started its third drive of the quarter on its own 26. On first down Clark curled inside for a 16-yard reception. "It was a cover-three zone," he said. "They were laying back. There was a big hole. Maybe it was because they'd been burned already. "The next play was Smith's biggie, 58 yards for a touchdown on the Counter Gap over the right side, with Jacoby and McKenzie pulling and tight ends Didier and Don Warren cutting off the pursuit. "It seemed like it was going to be a tight squeeze," said Smith. "I had to take it inside. I don't know, it just popped."
Smith's 58-yard TD put Washington ahead 21-10, and the Broncos were in shock. On the sideline the Redskins linemen were telling Bugel to keep calling the Counter Gap. "The Broncos were playing a variety of Buddy Ryan's Bear defense, where they line up men over both guards and the center," said Bugel. "So we went to a counterattack. If you hit it right against that defense, you can break something big."
Back to the run went the Skins, this time breaking Smith for 43 yards on the Counter Gap off the left side, with guard RC Thielemann getting the key trap block on Karl Mecklenburg. "They were in shock," said Thielemann. "They couldn't believe we were running for this kind of yardage on them."
"They cut off our pursuit," added Mecklenburg. "Instead of getting seven or eight yards when they broke a run, they were getting 20 or 30 or 40. I'm hurt and embarrassed. I certainly don't want to ever go through that again."


PS: HERE IS THE TECHNIQUE ON THE "DOWN BLOCK":
DOWN BLOCK


The Down Block is executed by the offensive lineman blocking on an angle towards the ball. We drill the down block using the near shoulder as a landmark.


1. DOWN BLOCK A “PENETRATOR”: Step with your near foot at the near shoulder of the defender and place your head in front of the defender’s near shoulder. Upon contact adjust to the defender’s reaction to the football by turning into the defender with a good blocking base and using your hands and feet to finish the block.



2. DOWN BLOCK VS. A “READER”: Step with your near foot at the near shoulder of the defender and place your head behind the shoulder of the defender. Upon contact adjust to the defender’s reaction to the football by turning into the defender with a good blocking base and using your hands and feet to finish the block.


3. IF you are not sure WHAT the defender is going to do - aim for the near shoulder & ADJUST on the move (if he "reads", or, "penetrates").

CORRECT: Here is the origin of the NAMES of the COUNTER play:

1. "COUNTER-GAP" = used when the Center AND playside Guard are BOTH covered. Entire playside GAP BLOCKS!

2. "COUNTER-TREY" = used when playside Guard is uncovered. Means that playside TACKLE & TE "trey" (DT) block!

3. "COUNTER-DUECE" = used when the Center is uncovered. Playside GUARD & TACKLE "duece" (DT) block.

That is the HISTORY of one of the GREAT plays in the history of the game! If anyone wants to discuss this in more detail - PHONE me at 804-378-0116 (up to 10 PM/EDT). Now that we are all "IN-SEASON" - there is PRACTICALLY NO typing time (for in-depth questions).

PS: "ZUCK": Tell your HFC that you should "eat them up" with the "Counter-Gap". Just cut those O-Line splits down from 2 ft. to 18"!

5-2, 5-3 or a 5-2 monster?

when running the power and counter who blocks the 7 technique ( in. shoulder ) defensive end