Coaching Football: Effective Defensive Game planning

Defensive Game Planning 

One of the hot topics in coaching is how you game plan. This article looks at  some of the  key questions to ask when defensive game planning:

What are really important factors when game planning for an opponent? What are some of the things we really have to do to be successful as defensive coaches.  I m not a big analytics guy because unless a team is 100%, I think it is extremely overrated. Let's be real, qb's can count to 3 and run checks to each side based on our numbers. How does analytics help if they are running mesh and you are in man and they throw to the rb because he is the 1st read and open. But next time you are in cover 2 and they hit the sit route at 10 yards.  Anyway, to me it is important to understand what they can run out of each set but more important, put your kids in position to make plays.

1. What are their strengths?

That is the question every game plan should start with. What is the strength of the team you are playing and how are you going to take away what they do best. If you don't start their, that is a problem. The good teams try to take away what other teams do best. To me it starts with stopping the run and making teams one dimensional. I truly believe in order to be effective defensively you have to stop opponents run game but also take away their strengths. 

2. personnel

Game planning to me starts with personnel groupings. How do you plan on handling the basics. If they run  a ton of 12/21 are you going to get out of nickel and go 3-4 or 4-3.How many packages do you need and what are your calls out of each package.

I play 3 personnel grouping: 

Base- meaning 4 def line and 3 lb vs 12, 21 ,22 personnel.

Nickel-4-2-5 personnnel  vs 11, 20  or 10

Dime: 3-2-6 personnel   vs 11 or 10

But I will say this: you don't have to change too much of your coverage concepts when you change fronts. Be consistent and keep the coverages the same and it allows you to be more multiple. 

 What do they run out of each personnel grouping. I run my call sheet more off personnel groupings then tendencies on 1st and 2nd down. Do they have tendencies? What do they do best? What are my calls going to be vs each formation grouping? 

What is your plan for 10 personnel?      What is your plan for 11 personnel?

What is your plan for 12 personnel?      What is your plan for 20 personnel? 

These are some of the basic personnel groupings to consider when developing your plan? Study your opponents personnel. Understand who their best players are and who you have to stop in the passing game and the run game on early downs.

3. Run game questions

Who do you have to stop in the run game. 

#1 Do they have an athletic qb &  they run a tremendous amount of zone read. If so, who do we want to run the football.  What are their qb designed runs?
#2 What are there most common run schemes? Are they a power, duo, zone team. What is their run sequence
#3 What are their rpo's? Can we defend them without bringing an extra db into the box?What are the reads?
#4 What are our run stunts/blitzes to disrupt the run game? 

#5 What do they run in the gun as opposed to under center? 
#6 HBack base runs- Y on runs vs Y off runs??

#7 Do they have a better side of the line & will they run that side more? 

#8 Can we handle their run game or do we need to stunt to disrupt the run game?

#9 Do we need to have special fronts in other than base to handle their formations and not be out leveraged?

#10 If option team, make sure your have option rules down.

#11 Are they using a major amount of fib(formation into the boundary) Why? To run the football or get you to roll that way and throw to the single guy to the field?

#12 What are they doing with the Y- on and off, they using him in their run game. Sniffer type runs.

These are some questions you need answers to answer in your run game planning.

4. Passing game questions

#1 question is how quickly does the qb get the ball out. Why blitz if the ball is out extremely quick because an emphasis of short passing concepts. Also, take a look at the qb launch points. Where does he release the football and what does he do with pressure. Is he weaker if you force him a certain direction. Do we need to spy him?

#2 What are their route concept and progressions. That is extremely important to understand the route concepts and read progressions. What do they like to run out of condensed sets? What do they do with the rb to the passing strength 3x1 and away from it. Make sure you review their major concepts based on formation splits and alignments.

#3- In what direction do they throw hot with pressure. What kind of pressures should you run to compensate for that. Here the Titans run a cover 2 pressure with the sam coming off the edge? Did they go cover 2 because the Pats throw hot weak/strong off pressure?

#4 Protection-What are their protections? Especially 3rd down. How do they handle odd, 3-2, mug, load or bear fronts. Do they 1/2 man, 4 man or full slide. If they half man can we create overload situations? Do they creep  the back up with mug pressures.  Can we get in a load front and put our best rusher over a guard? Can we manipulate pressure to get a rb on a defensive end. Can we mug and force a bad matchup  or get them to go max  and then drop and only send 4.  

#5 How do we handle their best wr. Do we have to double him or help over the top if outside. Do we need to go man on him if he's an inside wr and play zone with everyone else. Do we need to travel our best cb and put him on him?

#6 What do they do with the  rb in the pass game: Do they free release or check release the rb. What do they do with the rb vs 5-6 man pressures? Is the rb good in pass protection? Can he hurt you in the passing game? Do they release him across the formation at all?  Are they a good screen team?

#7 How well does their qb handle pressure? Do they throw hot?  What are their hot reads? Do they throw hot weak or strong with their hot read components. Dow we really need to blitz that person.

 #8 Really understand where the back is and how it ties into their route concepts. Often overlooked as well as their protections. Do they sub rb on certain downs?

#9 What will be more effective, zone pressures or man pressures? 

#10 Coverage to handle rpo game.What type of rpo game do they like? Are they good at it?

#11 What is their empty and 4 wide passing game. What do they do out of empty? Do they sprinkle it in or is it a big part of their offense. Do we need to check vs empty or run a base call?

5. 3rd down:  The $ down

Chart , chart and chart (here's a 3rd down chart)

I think sometimes this is sometimes overlooked in game planning. Really be sound in your calls by 3rd down based on and distance. Don't over coach it and really understand what they like to run on 3rd down.Can run everything out of nickel or 3-2 dime personnel. Ask how many calls do you really need?

At the college level you need calls for the following:  (Pro level treats 3rd and 3 as its own entity)

As stated earlier, look at their protections vs your 3rd down fronts:

A. Bear              B. Odd 3-2 or 3-3 LB looks 

 C. Mug looks           D. Load front   

E. Traditional 4 hands looks                  F. Any exotic looks you've seen from defenses. 

Do teams have a  tendency with coverage based in the look? (You'll be surprised) What is their protections and why?
Then look at situations: 

 3rd and 1-3   good run front, bear /odd or under vs tight end, cover 0/1 , 5 man  cover 3 pressures,  press quarters

 3rd and 4-6 yards    man, man free, press quarters or cover 2 with lurk principles jumping mesh routes. Be ready to guard the sticks. Expect some medium type routes. Try to avoid long games in this situation as the ball is usually out quicker. 

3rd and 7-9    run some 2/3 man d line games, can play various concepts, some 2, 3,4. Can go dime 3-2, or overload front  . Even go cover 2 from 3 hands and use the middle safety as a hole defender.   

3rd and 10+   cover 4, some games up front or send 6 and go 2 under 3 deep or 5 man zone pressures with cover 3 carry, (less hot throws) watch Bowles in the super bowl.  

You should have 2 calls for each situation. In reality there are 8-12 3rd down calls per game. Have a plan for these situations. Are you going to go nickel/dime in these situations. What zone/man coverages are you going to play.                  

6. 3x1 checks

#1Why do you want to run those checks? 
#2 Do you align  3x1 into the boundary? Why do they align 3x1 to the boundary?
#3  What coverages are best vs their route concepts?
#4  Do they leave their best kid to the boundary or put him to the 3x1 side?  
#5  Do you go man,zone or combo vs 3x1 formations?
#6 How do you handle condensed/bunch formations?

#7 How many 3x1 checks do you go into a game with?

Advice: week 1, always have an answer for their best wr. Have the ability to roll to the 3x1 side or single side but be flexible. Never want to not be prepared for some kid coming in out of nowhere and lighting you up. Have flexibility!

7. Empty

How much empty are they playing? How do you handle empty? Do you have an automatic empty check or do you just play the call? What routes are they running out of empty? What can we do to get pressure when they run empty formations? Or are you a send 4 play quarters team. WIth all the empty these days it changes the game. 

8. Unbalanced

How do you handle unbalanced with 3 and 4 man surfaces as well as when they use unbalanced sets on the perimeter? What are your unbalanced rules? Are you rolling the coverage and/or slanting to it? Do you shift everyone or just move 1 player?

9. Red zone/goal line package

What formations are they using in the red zone. How do you handle 2-3 tight ends and other personnel issues. Do we need to sub and go big vs 21-22 personnel? 

10. Coming Out

Theyse are key situations. What are teams trying to accomplish in the red zone and goal line? How good is their kicking game. Are they going to go for it on 4th down? What do they like to do in those short yardage situations? Have answers in the 4 key components mentioned above.

10. Use what you put in.

If you are not using 90% of what you have on your call sheet, you are over planning and not being effective in your game plan. Less is more.  

11. Tempo:
Do you have a call system that isn't wordy to run your defense against tempo. Also, understand that certain tempo teams have certain calls on each down in 3 play patterns in which they will run the same plays in sequence in order to play fast. Keep an eye on that when game planning tempo teams.

12. Special Situations and formations

   How do you handle formation into the boundary.  What happens when they give you a look you weren't prepared for?

13. Charting is very important. What should you chart.

When game planning I really focus on 3 areas:

1. 3rd down

2. Red zone/goal line/ 2pt plays

3. Coming out

4. 4th down situations is also important but everyone has their preferences.

Here is a chart on 3rd down for preparation. 

Conclusion:
When compiling a game plan, evaluate your opponents strengths and start their. Also, look at some weaknesses and certain things you can take advantage of. How will you handle their personnel groupings and be sound in special situations; 3rd down, short yardage and goal line. Make sure your fronts are solid to stop the run and also look at potential match ups in passing situations (both pass rush and coverage) 

Well, these are the questions I ask and hopefully you take 1-2 things away from this article and how to effectively game plan.