Indiana Run Defense: Fronts, Stunts and Movements

This article looks at some of the movements of the Indiana Defense and some of their blitzes and pressures. They are one of the top teams in the country defensively. Indiana is a top 10 defense, 9th in scoring only allowing 17 points per game. They are also #1 in the country allowing only 82 yards per game in the run game. They are also 3rd in the country allowing 2.8 yards per game.

They play primarily 2 fronts on early downs. They will run a traditional 4-2 defense and then get into a 3-4 front as well. Both are effective as they have an excellent run defense.

Let’s look at some movements and pressures and see how sound they are with their gap integrity and run fits. This article will look more at the 4-2 front and how they handle things up front.

Movements

4=2 Shade Front

The nose lines up in a shade and slants away from the center. The LB with run action scrapes over the top into the A Gap.

film

Pressures

They do a nice job keeping numbers in the box by design. They send the Sam but use the DE as a b gap player to the side of the back. This allows them to walk the Will LB out and be a curl defender.

They bring the slot off the edge with the nose and End to that side moving. The nose goes off A gap with the DE going into the b gap. The Mike plays the A gap to the side of the pressure.

Away from the Pressure, the DT works outside to C gap with the DE folding back inside to play the B gap. A nice sim pressure by Indiana.

As the play develops you see the DT work out to c gap with the DE folding back inside to the side of the RB.

You see everyone in position both on the front side and the backside of the play.

Film

Under Front Sam Pressure

Example #1

They run a similar pressure below in the red zone.
They go with the Under front ,They bring the Sam off the edge with nose movement up front. This frees up the will LB as a free hitter with everyone else playing gap football.

2 under front movement clips!

Edge Pressures with Games

4-2 Base Front

They like to bring edge pressure to the short side with either the free safety or the CB. With this pressure they will run a game with the End ant Tackle on that side. The next 2 clips are from their base front. 4-2 front with a 3 technique and a 2i on the other side.

CB Pressure to the Boundary

They bring the pressure off the edge with the CB and run the tackle and end game to the side of it.

Free Safety Pressure to the Boundary

The tackle and end get run a game. The tackle collisions the guard but he moves away and the end folds back inside. Nicely executed scheme defensively.

Below are 2 clips of the CB and Free Safety pressure.

Clip #2