Post by Broncoholic66 on Jan 18, 2009 2:56:14 GMT
Hello coaches!
This post is directed towards those of you who have zone blocking knowledge/experience. I have been an avid follower of this forum for a few years, and above all I am, and always have been, in love with the Denver Broncos (especially for the zone blocking system that we have had in place since coach Mike Shanahan's arrival in 1995). I am not a coach (yet), but have taken a very special interest in Alex Gibbs' (and now Rick Dennison's) zone philosophies, specifically his tight and wide zone 'force' plays. Through the wonders of the internet, I have been able to come across a 2004 Bronco Mini Camp playbook, as well as a couple of weekly game plan/scouting reports from the 2002 season, and also have the Gibbs IZ/OZ tapes from Gilman Gear.
It's my understanding that in Gibbs' 'force' scheme, the FB is always responsible for the playside OLB (or the furthest man playside, who is off the line of scrimmage but still in the box), and then your combinations work backwards from there (with of course, a few exceptions).
My question is this: when running tight and wide 'force' plays (IZ/OZ plays w/ FB leading playside) to the strong (TE) side vs a 3-4 front, what are the responsibilities for the FB/OL? I've put together what I would think is the proper 'Gibbs way' to block this play from the following conjectures:
Here is a diagram (from the Broncos' playbook) of the wide zone force play vs a 25 (4-3 UNDER or WEAK REDUCTION) D which assignment-wise, should (technically) look the same as a 3-4 would look on the STRONG side of the play (with the exception of the alignment of the NT)...this is what i assume the frontside assignments would look like:
<center><img src="img164.imageshack.us/img164/2413/ozforcezj6.png" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a><br/>
FB would be responsible for the first force player strong side (in this case, the SS) while PSG/PST combo PSDE to the MLB. C will combo w/ the BSG to the plugger (weak side MLB).
On the backside, you would have this:
<center><img src="img300.imageshack.us/im.../7848/ozforcebsin1.png" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a><br/>
As stated above, BSG will combo NT w/ C to Plugger (WSMLB), and WST sifts the BS DE. (PS - on a side note, what is a sift block? As far as I understand, Gibbs cuts anyone and EVERYONE on the backside of a wide zone play).
Now where I get confused is here: in the following diagram (which is also wide zone vs a 25 defense, or what equates to the same assignments vs a 3-4 on the STRONG SIDE), the FB becomes responsible for the PS MLB, which means that now the PSG and C 'slam' the NT back to the WS MLB. I've seen the Broncos run wide zone like this vs 3-4 teams on a number of different occasions and have wonderd 2 things: A) why would the assignments change (especially when zone blocking rules are apparently so 'clear cut', and B) what how happens on the back side of the play? the BSG is uncovered, but since the WS MLB is being combo'd up to by the C/PSG and not the BSG/C, what is now the BSG's assignment? When I've watched tape of the Broncos, it appears that the BSG actually combos 'down' (towards the backside) on the BS DE w/ the BST...but wouldn't this work against 'normal' zone blocking rules? This also appears to happen when the run tight zone to the strong side vs 3-4.
wide zone:<center><img src="img155.imageshack.us/im.../ozdifferentiw2.th.png" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a><br/>
tight zone:<img src="img243.imageshack.us/im...8606/izforcebb9.th.png" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a><br/>
Ok, so I know that I've thrown down a TON of info in just this one post, I'm just trying to get a good handle on how the Broncos w/ Gibbs style of zone blocking, would block 'force' to the strong side vs a 3-4...the Broncos also run what is called a 'RELEASE' play vs certain fronts in which the TE releases out past the d-line and the PST slides out to pick up the man covering the TE. This, again, changes all of the players' resposibilites (including combos) from the front side all the way to the back:
<center><img src="img509.imageshack.us/im...31/ozreleaserx2.th.png" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a><br/>
I apologize for making this such a long (and intense) post, but can anyone help me clear all of this mess up? Which would be the 'traditional' Gibbs way of blocking tight/wide zone force vs a traditon 3-4 front?
Thanks in advance!
This post is directed towards those of you who have zone blocking knowledge/experience. I have been an avid follower of this forum for a few years, and above all I am, and always have been, in love with the Denver Broncos (especially for the zone blocking system that we have had in place since coach Mike Shanahan's arrival in 1995). I am not a coach (yet), but have taken a very special interest in Alex Gibbs' (and now Rick Dennison's) zone philosophies, specifically his tight and wide zone 'force' plays. Through the wonders of the internet, I have been able to come across a 2004 Bronco Mini Camp playbook, as well as a couple of weekly game plan/scouting reports from the 2002 season, and also have the Gibbs IZ/OZ tapes from Gilman Gear.
It's my understanding that in Gibbs' 'force' scheme, the FB is always responsible for the playside OLB (or the furthest man playside, who is off the line of scrimmage but still in the box), and then your combinations work backwards from there (with of course, a few exceptions).
My question is this: when running tight and wide 'force' plays (IZ/OZ plays w/ FB leading playside) to the strong (TE) side vs a 3-4 front, what are the responsibilities for the FB/OL? I've put together what I would think is the proper 'Gibbs way' to block this play from the following conjectures:
Here is a diagram (from the Broncos' playbook) of the wide zone force play vs a 25 (4-3 UNDER or WEAK REDUCTION) D which assignment-wise, should (technically) look the same as a 3-4 would look on the STRONG side of the play (with the exception of the alignment of the NT)...this is what i assume the frontside assignments would look like:
<center><img src="img164.imageshack.us/img164/2413/ozforcezj6.png" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a><br/>
FB would be responsible for the first force player strong side (in this case, the SS) while PSG/PST combo PSDE to the MLB. C will combo w/ the BSG to the plugger (weak side MLB).
On the backside, you would have this:
<center><img src="img300.imageshack.us/im.../7848/ozforcebsin1.png" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a><br/>
As stated above, BSG will combo NT w/ C to Plugger (WSMLB), and WST sifts the BS DE. (PS - on a side note, what is a sift block? As far as I understand, Gibbs cuts anyone and EVERYONE on the backside of a wide zone play).
Now where I get confused is here: in the following diagram (which is also wide zone vs a 25 defense, or what equates to the same assignments vs a 3-4 on the STRONG SIDE), the FB becomes responsible for the PS MLB, which means that now the PSG and C 'slam' the NT back to the WS MLB. I've seen the Broncos run wide zone like this vs 3-4 teams on a number of different occasions and have wonderd 2 things: A) why would the assignments change (especially when zone blocking rules are apparently so 'clear cut', and B) what how happens on the back side of the play? the BSG is uncovered, but since the WS MLB is being combo'd up to by the C/PSG and not the BSG/C, what is now the BSG's assignment? When I've watched tape of the Broncos, it appears that the BSG actually combos 'down' (towards the backside) on the BS DE w/ the BST...but wouldn't this work against 'normal' zone blocking rules? This also appears to happen when the run tight zone to the strong side vs 3-4.
wide zone:<center><img src="img155.imageshack.us/im.../ozdifferentiw2.th.png" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a><br/>
tight zone:<img src="img243.imageshack.us/im...8606/izforcebb9.th.png" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a><br/>
Ok, so I know that I've thrown down a TON of info in just this one post, I'm just trying to get a good handle on how the Broncos w/ Gibbs style of zone blocking, would block 'force' to the strong side vs a 3-4...the Broncos also run what is called a 'RELEASE' play vs certain fronts in which the TE releases out past the d-line and the PST slides out to pick up the man covering the TE. This, again, changes all of the players' resposibilites (including combos) from the front side all the way to the back:
<center><img src="img509.imageshack.us/im...31/ozreleaserx2.th.png" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a><br/>
I apologize for making this such a long (and intense) post, but can anyone help me clear all of this mess up? Which would be the 'traditional' Gibbs way of blocking tight/wide zone force vs a traditon 3-4 front?
Thanks in advance!
