Dennis Allen's Defense 3rd Down Fronts and Coverages

The Saints are an excellent defense and have been pretty good under Dennis Allen on 3rd down. Before becoming the Head Coach, Allen was the defensive coordinator for many years and has had great success.

In 2023, they are top 5 once again, 4th-holding teams to a 34% conversion rate on those downs.

They were 5th in 3rd down opponent conversion rate in 2020 and 2021 in third down opponent efficiency. In 2019 they were 8th. That’s 3 top 10 finishes 3 years in a row and are 4th this year.

They will often be in 2 packages on 3rd down, Their 4 hands and then they play a 3-2 dime look.

3-2 Odd package

The first thing you will notice about his 3rd down scheme is they will often be in an odd front with numerous LB and DB showing. They do this with dime personnel, 3 cb, 3 safeties, 2 LB and 3 DE. He does this because it gives him flexibility in who will blitz and gives them more options in pass rush.

4-2 Nickel Package

They will also run some 4-2 on 3rd down. They use this to generate a rush with their 4 down lineman and will at times run a load front with this 4 hands package. They can play a traditional 4 man front as well.

This is what a load front looks like, 3 defensive lineman to one side of the center.

Let’s look at some of the pressure and coverage schemes in more detail.

Load Front Cover 1 Rat

3rd and 7

They bring the Sam off the edge into the b gap and the De is on a stunt on the other side. A nice 3 man game. The LB has the RB.

#2 example vs the Panthers 23’

Down and Distance

Load front

Pressure- 5 man DE Loop with Mike blitzing, no rat help underneath

Coverage man free

Load Front

E and T stunt with the End going 1st

Coverage 3 carry

3rd and 3 Here’s a different look that they ran on 3rd and 3.

Man free Rat from a penny look

Send the mike drop both De and play man free

Let's look at a few load front 3rd down vs the Bucs. The Bucs were 1/5 for 6 yards in 3rd and 10 or less. This clip is from 21

Load Front

They like to run the load front and play some man free and 2 man. on 3rd and 10 or less they were in some  type of man defense or combo defense vs the Bucs on every snap. They ran 1 snap of a cover 2 concept 3x1 with man backside.

Nice job in coverage

3rd and 3

This time they are in the load front with 2 LB showing.

They are playing man down below away from the trips and cover 2 with everyone else. The dime safety blitz engages once he reads slide protection.

No one is open and Brady throws it away.

Great design here by Allen after going man on the previous 2 snaps.

Again they show pressure with the load front one way with LB showing A and B the other way.

Good design as the coverage is solid downfield.

In the next example, again in the load front.

Later on the 4th snap they go man free. 

SS-on te.    N- on slot wr.     cb-1.        cb-1

and the mike and dime back rush with one responsible for the rb if he releases. The Bucs hit it for 6

Man free with the hole defender. FS looking to jump crossers

Again showing pressure this time the LB outside 

Again man coverage but Brady gets it out quick.

Again man free lurk with the safety looking for a crosser from the stack look.
You see the safety up top diving.

good pressure from the saints defense as it gets home before the mesh route develops.

Excellent defense 

Saints vs Bucs Week 15  2021

The biggest stat was the Saints held the Bucs to 6-19 on 3rd down.

3rd and 5

4-2 mug

Coverage Man free Rat

Here they run a rat concept with double coverage on Gronk, using the de as a rat defender not allowing Gronk to run his out cut while playing great outside leverage. 

nice defense.

3rd and 9
Load Front

Coverage Man free Lurk

They run lurk with the safety down.

3rd and 9

They play 2 man with a weakside lurk concept(safety to the weakside comes down and plays 2/3 weak. The Bucs design a nice play to free up the slot wr with the pick route but the weak safety comes down and makes a great play. 

2 man lurk is a great coverage as the safety dives to the middle of the field.

lurk with the safety diving down.

4-2 traditional

Saints vs. Falcons

The Saints had 8 sacks against the Falcons. Many times they were in man free or 2 man  and there was no place to throw the football. They played many snaps of man free or 2 man against the Falcons.

They often play combo with the lb and safety which helps them in the run game.

nice job of combo underneath.

3-2 Mug

Vs the Bucs

3rd and 3 they go man free with a rat defender underneath, again Brady tries to hit gronk on an out cut and is defended well by Jenkins. 

Nice job getting the LB out as the rat player. Safety comes down to play the RB vs 3x1 

3-2 mug below!