Post by Coach Campbell on Jan 9, 2017 1:17:48 GMT
Salvador Lopez
Our Defensive Philosophy is BEND but DO NOT BREAK. We tell this to our players from day ONE. We are a GAP SCHEME / READ DEFENSE and there is a system to the MADNESS. The one thing we make clear to our players is we do things that work for us. They might have been on a previous teams or programs that do things differently, or different from what their parent, uncles, brother, or friends might suggest. We play four down lineman that shade to the strong side or tight end side. We play with three line backers and four defensive backs that operate with a cover 4 for a base coverage. We like to draw the line at our Defensive Linemans heels we operate on the L.O.S. Our Defensive Lineman know they need to keep Offensive lineman off the linebackers. If we get double teamed at the L.O.S. we create a pile to keep pursuit lanes open for LBs. We get upfield when we recognize pass or pin back our ears when we get a blitz call. Our linebackers will read defensive lineman first to get a direction of where the ball will go. We rarely look in the backfield.
Here is what we tell our defense. Oline are honest kids they tell you if the play is Run or Pass, because if they make a mistake the QB & RB will let them know. So they have to be on their game at all times. Running backs are sneaky they step one way and go the opposite, they flash hands like they are going to get the ball and block, they look like they are going to block and then they squirt out and get a pass. Quarterbacks are the most dishonest kids on the offense. They practice slight of hand drills ... they flash the ball one way and give it the opposite way. Then you think you have figured them out and they run out and pass the ball down field.
Dlineman mirror step their offensive lineman ... my guard steps away from me ... I step with him and squeeze the gap down so there is no running lane for the sneaky guy. The guards steps at me and push I step and push back keeping my outside arm free for leverage ... again to prevent a running lane.
LBs - they are trained to fill Gaps that are created by O-lineman. They base block or cross block the DT and DE they fill the hole with inside Hat / Shoulder keeping leverage to the outside in case the ball bounces out. If flow goes away you have a slow read in case off counter, reverse, or play-action. If you are a MLB flow goes away to the outside I have fast flow. If I'm the OLB and I see a hook block on my DE I fly to the outside and keep containment ... send it back inside or allow the cavalry to catch up. We want the ball to go EAST - WEST and it does not hurt us. North South plays we want to attack down hill quickly. We use a cover 4 which allows us to put my FS /SS at 8 yards on run situations and gives us a 9 man box for run support.
We use other defensive fronts to give the offensive different looks, and blitz packages to put pressure on the QB or confuse his pre-snap read. We PRIDE ourselves on stopping the RUN and making you beat us with the PASS. If we stop you for a gain of 1 or 2 yards (defensive lineman's heels the line that we draw - you are going to be punting) If we make you one dimensional and force you to pass when you don't want to ... it makes it easier for us. We are okay with giving up a play or two, but if you don't score we create an iron curtain at the goal line and keep you out. "BEND but DO NOT BREAK" We also play a lot of kids on defense as long as they can hold there own. We like to platoon the defense itself ... for a five year period we were playing 20 kids on defense ... every three plays they were rotating and subbing out. The only two that did not come out were my two safeties, they were pretty solid and worked well with each other since they were freshman. Our kids could go full speed for three plays and 9 fresh bodies would show up and not lose a step on talent. Most teams could handle this until the middle of the 3rd quarter. Our defense had only played 1/2 the time and were still fresh and hungry, this allowed them to fly to the ball. The group that got the most three and outs got pizza during films. Orange Squad or Black Squad. I coach at a small school with not many kids moving on to play college ball. I have a hard time seeing kids sitting on the bench and not playing. I make a deal with my players ... you show me in practice you know our system and you can execute it I will find quality playing time. This makes everyone step up, my seniors and juniors know their playing time is on the line if you players are doing a good job ... because that was them two years ago. I converted DB into DE when theirs 15 DB's and only 5 DEs, and it takes time but the speed they bring makes them All - League a few times. I've taken the skinny tenacious players and put them in as the nose tackle on Goalline. Because they can get a quick get off and grab QB ankles or disrupt the Center QB exchange. They have purpose and only have to withstand maybe four goalline plays in a row. We have been fortunate to have some really smart athletic kids play ball for us and keep me on my toes when I was the defensive coordinator and as the head coach for 12 years.
We take what the GOOD LORD provides us with every fall camp. I learned not to wish for other athletes to come out ... i think it disrespects the athletes that did showed up the first day of fall camp. If we need better athletes than I have the other athletes convince them to turn out, I do not beg or plea.
Basic practice week for us is
Monday - Speed development and agility training, special teams, and films " the theme on Monday is how fast and efficient can I perform, without tripping and falling down. We teach our kids how to predict the path the ball carrier will take and be there before they get there. "PURSUIT DRILLS" we this for or fastest athletes especially "D-LINEMAN". They live on the L.O.S. if its run we let them come to us and attack it, we do not chase RB's in the back field they are to fast to chase from behind. But if we force them to run EAST to WEST they have not gain any ground. We tell our D-lineman to meet them at the T's (the T's are where hash marks meet the 5 yards lines or the yard line meets the sideline) If you are the DE and the Running back is running a sweep or toss he eventually needs to cross the L.O.S or solid 5 yard line ... meet then there inside to outside pursuit and if they try and they cut back because the corner or OLB has taken the perimeter away you are there. Coaches ask us how we develop quick d-line or LBs because they make a lot of tackles on running backs for short gains ... we just say a lot of wind sprints.
Tuesday is run game offense and defense and we have two 8 minute sessions where we go live for 1/2 line. This allows for Big on Big and Younger on Younger
Wednesday is pass offense and defense - we do form tackling drills - pursuit drills for all phases of the ... catch in the middle of the field, pass to the sideline, ball carrier running down the middle or boundary how WE prevent them from scoring. We want at least three defenders on a tackle, this tells me we have all of the ball carriers options of escape covered. We work on blitz packages, plus we go over how to contain QB's and not let them escape by rolling out or stepping up ... cover the pass rush lanes.
The drill we like for pursuit and our kids hate.
we put the ball on the 50 yard line and have the defenses back to the end zone. The team huddles, gets the defensive call, they break the huddle identify strength and line up, coach yells out offensive cadence and snaps the ball, the defense drops to their stomachs and performs and updown then coach points right or left and the team scrambles to get a pursuit angle to the side line, but each member must stand on a 5 yard line form the 50 to the goal line.
Two CARDINAL RULES no one follows another defender, because if they trip and fall you will go down with them. Second if you are backside corner you are the safety valve and your aiming point is the goal line and backside OLB you have the 5 yard line or cut back. Playside Corner better have the 50 force the player back inside, its a fight between the OLB and DE for the 45 yard line it comes down to speed and athleticism. The next fight comes down between the MLB and FS who can cover the 35 the rest of the team is trying to get and angle to cover the other 5 yard lines down to the goal line. If someone walks they repeat the drill after they hustle back and huddle up. They police themselves and the coaches only give advice on how to take a better angle. This is brutal on the front four but the team rallies behind them.
pursuit angle
He is a film clip of our team(white) pursuing a ball carrier (blue). There is a defender coming down laterally every five yards. At the top one of our players has gone down and will take another one down because they were following each other from behind. L.O.S. was was the 50. Hope this picture and diagram help you visualize the drill. I can not type as fast as I think. If you notice the hash mark on the 50 - 45 it makes a T symbol "meet them at the T's".
Like I said earlier we have a system that works for us and our philosophy, we do things differently, and we like to PLAY SMASH MOUTH FOOTBALL.