HAs anyone ever blitzed 7 men

- 4 if is a 3rd and medium to long

- 3 if they are in a 2 back set with the SS coming down in the alley and the FS rotating back to deep 1/3 (or vice-versa if they throw to the single receiver side)

Have you looked into the option of a robber-type coverage behind the full blitz? Honestly, I think I'd play man, though. You're selling out.

JFL

Thanks for the input. I appreciate it.

We are under talented and usually out manned. And dont worry, All of my 7 man blitzes that I have come up with have 6 man (with true man coverage) and 5 man (zone blitz) relatives. But, in looking at out game film last year and analyzing, we were only at a 17% success rate when we zone blitzed (which is all we had in last year). So, I need to apply more pressure.

True, screen and draw are a big thing to consider. But, I wont only have 7 man pressures in there, we will have 5 and 6 man packages as well. And fortunately, we dont face a lot of effective screen teams. Draw, on the other hand, is a big factor. But hey, that why they call it gambling. Big risk, big reward.

Thanks again for the input, as I am more on the conservative side as well.

Honestly I sit here biting my tongue as I dont know you or the circumstances your in. It is so easy to Arm Chair QB everything without walking a mile in your shoes. My first three teams were essentially a kin to 8th graders playing against a Varsity team. Defensive I ran a 4-3 the first year and did not have the players to do that with. Second year went to a 4-4 Split with better results but still lacked players in key spots, 3rd year switched to a 50 front and was able to handle most teams fairly well with 3 Good LB and A Great NT. Trust me I blitzed a ton with those first two teams because we weren't able to get any pressure on the backfield. I learned very quickly that for every successful blitz there was four or five that missed and cost me points. I was consistently out sized, over matched, and under experienced. The answer for me defensively was to be conventionally unconventional. Gaps, shifts, stunts, slants, anything to keep my undersized kids from being directly over an opponent. Casey Stengel once said to the object of hitting is to hit the ball where they aint! Same thing holds true for an undersized defense. Dont be where the offense thinks you will be.

Were I in your situation I would look seriously at the flex defense, a 3-3 stack, or a 3-5-3 anything that involves movement in different directions at different times. They are conventional defenses with a twist. Additionally, I wouldn't run anything but zone coverages for the plain and simple fact that it allows all of my defense to face the offense without turning their backs to chase a receiver. Will you give up some yardage? Yes but with everyone facing the backfield they can all play the run while still defending the pass. They dont have to be lock down Corners or worry about jamming or stopping the inside release. What it also means is that if and when I do blitz the misses arent as costly.

We are in a very similiar boat as you as far as talent etc. Last year we went to the Okie Dog Pinch as pretty much our base defense unless someone makes us come out of it by formation. If you are in anything less tahn 3 wide we are sending 7, our 2 ILB and our 2 corners are the only ones we don't send. It has been better for us than any other D we have played and our team has come to believe that if we can stay in the okie dog we can probably stay in the game. We DO NOT have great corners, but we play man to man every play with them and have been better doing that than we have been in zone ever. If we give up a big play it is usually because we just got beat by a better team. the only thing we do that is "special" is our contain rushers are taught if a back comes to you, tackle him or run with him. We figure if a QB can get the ball out fast enough with that much heat in his face he is probably pretty darn good and our DB's should be able to stay with a guy for the 5 yds into his route he gets before the Q has to start running. The only thing that has hurt us has been screens, but those have been more from our ILB wanting to get into the offensive backfield instead of getting into their drops like they are supposed to.

Just something I picked up from watching Boston Colleges 46 video, is that even the threat that you will blitze different defenders or all the defenders makes the offense account for all your defenders every play. With that train of thought bringing the house every once in a while should help your other blitzes because lineman and backs will be less likely to commit immediately to blocking a defender because their assignment tells them to worry about a different defender. It creates one on ones that hopefully you can win.

Hey Oneback

I hope all is well. BElieve it or not, I was at the clinic where coach Pettine gave this clinic (Baltimore Glazier). Before going to the pros he was a HFC at a regional high school in my area, so I went to see him speak. Very good and obviously knows his stuff.

Thanks again for sending. Its also available on the Megaclinic site if you are a season pass holder, for anyone else who may also read this thread.