Brent Venables "Clemson Days" 4-2-5 Inside Pressures

This article looks at some inside blitz pressures and coverage concepts to run in your 4-2-5 or 4-3 defensive scheme.

Clemson under Brent Venables ran numerous stunts and played some coverage concepts behind it.

We will look at some different ways to bring inside pressure and play different coverages behind it. It involves some double a pressures, double B pressures, some plug stunts and some LB games.

2 under 3 Deep Pressures

2 under 3 deep is a 6 man pressure system. You can do this in different ways and send numerous packages(see my other article) but this article focuses on inside pressures.
The first is an axe stunt. On the back end it is a 2 under 3 deep system. We have 2 eyes players that will react to the QB shoulders and try to be at a depth of 1 yard inside the 1st down yardage to gain.

Axe Stunt

Axe to me is sending both inside LB on the blitz into the a gap.

The stunt below shows this stunt with another 2 under 3 deep zone concept.

Cover 2 Variation of the Axe Pressure with DE dropping to the boundary.

Film

Load Front Inside Pressure Man Free

The next one is bringing both ILB to the same side opposite the back. This is important as it creates matchup issues. The LB blitz the same side A and B Gap.

The load front with mug pressure look creates 1 x1 matchups. Pitt ran a ton of 4 man slide protections this game. By shifting to the load front, it put the DT 1x1 with the center. The DT won.

Cover 1 Pressures

Loop Stunt

This is a very effective stunt to run against teams that run full slide protection. It puts the RB in a no win situation as he has to make a decision, often taking the inside pass rusher. You can run this with a traditional 4-2 look, load front or covering the center with a dt.

Here are 3 examples of the loop stunt vs full slide.

Loop Stunt puts the RB on 2 blockers vs slide protection. They get a hit on the QB.

Film

Load Front Blast Cover O Rat

They run a cover o stunt with inside pressure. Blast means both LB are blitzing the B gaps. They use the Sam as an underneath defender while playing cover 0, straight man on the back end.

Pitt goes full slide vs the load front look with the RB coming back for the OLB.

The tackle gets beat as he tries to work back for the LB as both LB are blitzing the B Gap.

Here you see the tackle try to work back to the RB. He gets there late and they get the sack.

Film

Blast blitz Cover 0

They align the DT in the A gaps and bring the double B gap pressure.

Bonus Clip

I saw this one in my drive and figure I’d throw it in there.

Load Double A pick Stunt

I have a few bonus clip of a great blitz at the NFL level. The one I love below is a great game the Bucs and Bowles ran vs the Eagles. It is a double inside pressure from the load front with one LB picking for the other.

The One LB picks for the other and both guys go to block him. The other inside LB loops around him for the pressure.

film

These are some concepts you saw from Venables when he was at Clemson. I hope you enjoyed this article.