Midline vs. 4-4 stack

bpolson1974,

We also see a lot of 8 man fronts; mainly 6-2 and 4-4 stack. When we see 4-4 stack, we will run midline at their 3 technique. We block it as follows: If their strong DE is a 9 then the TE has him and ouR PST will go up and get the stacked LB, our PSG will inside release and get the ILB, our C will block the backside ILB and our BSG and BST have the 2 and 5 respectively. **If the strong side DE is a 6 we will TEX block him meaning the PST blocks the 6 and the TE folds around for the stacked LB. **Depending on our weeks preparation we will sometimes send our TB through the LOS to help with the front side ILB. **One of the things we try to do if we see a lot of 4-4 is to come out in 2 TE's and make them balance up and then take advantage of the best way for us to run midline based on their adjustments to our balanced formation. THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR MOST SUCCESSFUL PLASY AGAINST 4-4 FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS!

Hope this helps a little!

We used to face a lot of 4-4 stack defenses but the option game killed them. If given a true stack with the DTs in 2 techs, we would run either the inside veer or the lead (load) option. If they were in an interior split six look (DTs in 3s and LBs in 20is) we would run Midline. I found that running Midline vs a good 2 tech is tough, so with 4 defenders on and inside the Guards, getting off tackle or outside seems to work best for us. Unfortunately after a year or two, the 4 teams that ran this defense no longer run this against us. Teams that run a 4 really try to beat up our guards. If they are successful, we then run Lead Option and throw the ball. A good 2 technique that is dominant can give the Inside Veer and Midline fits by controlling the FBs track in both plays.

Coach Campbell,

We have run mostly out of the I formation in the past. We do run some split backs also. We have run from a variety of formations. We use a lot of double tight with a flanker or wing. We also do some 2 receiver things with a tight end or sometimes a slot. Teams haven't really respected our passing game after we graduated all of our receivers 2 years ago. Although teams around here are very difficult to get out of the 8-man front. I think much of it has to do with the fact that it's all anyone runs around here.

Anyways, would the Midline be a good play versus a team that stacks their OLB's over the DEs? I am afraid of them crashing the C gap and blowing the play up. Do you ever have the TE make a "mike" call on the line of scrimmage? I would really slow teams down from trying to crash that gap!

Thanks for all of your help!

Brent Olson
Lewiston-Altura Cardinals
MN

jimram,
When faced with a true 6-2, (DGs in 2s or 2is, DTs in 5s, and LBs in 40is, DEs in 9s) we also like the Outside Veer. We will also run the Inside Veer if we can clean up the FB track and Lead Option. But if there interior is strong we will get into trips and force them to remove a LB to cover the trips. We then can open up our running game.
If you are talking about a Split 6-2 (DTs in 3s, DEs in 6s or 7s, ILBs in 20is, OLB in 9s) we will run Inside Veer to the Open side, and Midline and Lead Option to the TE. Teams in our league that ran the Split Six would go by the book and reduce to a 1 tech on the Open side and stay a 3 on the TE side. We would run these two plays just about the whole game. Now, as I mentioned above, they do not reduce or play a 3. They put their biggest, meanest D Linemen over our Guards and try to disrupt both the IV track and the ML track. That is the main reason that we put in the Outside Veer a couple of years ago. That along with the Lead Option was the answer. We also like the traditional Power play and the off tackle ISO vs these Ds. Most experts will tell you that when facing a Split 6, your running game should be determined by where they play their DE. If in a 7 run outside, if in a 6, split and run off tackle. That is an over-simplification but it has some merit.