Coach ,

Each week throughout the season, after a weekend of watching football, I will discuss adjustments on offense, defense, and special teams as well as a discussion on adding wrinkles. We will also discuss how these changes can be implemented in practice.

I will share three ideas for each phase starting with Defense on Mondays, Offense on Tuesdays, and Special Teams on Wednesdays.

A few seasons ago I was talking with a coach on my podcast about in-season adjustments and he made a great point that any changes during the season should be “micro” adjustments. Those would be things like an adjustment versus a certain front on offense, a variation in alignment on defense, a refinement of technique, etc.  

“Macro” or big changes should be saved for the off-season. Those would be like changing an offensive system or installing a completely new coverage. Those take a lot of time to install and get ready for game day.

So our focus is on the “micro” changes in this series. Those are the things that can give you the edge you need to stay ahead of your competition.

After watching a high school game this weekend, I saw three opportunities for growth on the defensive side of the ball.

#1) To Win 3rd Down, Focus on Winning Second Down

Ryan Walter, Defensive Coordinator at Illinois puts a lot of time into thinking about 2nd down. He calls it the forgotten down, but he believes it is an important part of defense’s success and he spends time understanding how his opponent handles it as well as how he game plan’s his calls. 

Here is an example of how he handles a 2nd and 2-6 on track. He shares 3 situations here - 2&3 expecting run, 2nd & 3 expecting pass, 2& 4 across the 50 expecting pass. The examples give good insight into how he thinks about this down as a play caller. (click on image for video):

Video: 2nd & 6 on Track Preview

#2) Be prepared for one-word calls

This is something I believe that you will see as a trend from every offense, even those that typically huddle, and it’s one that I saw this past weekend from a huddle team. The pattern they showed was after a run of 6 or more and on third and short they got to the line fast and ran a play. For them, they were misdirection runs with a give to the fullback inside.  

The key to defending these plays is to understand the thought process and prepare for them. Here’s a good example of what many offensive coordinators believe in regard to how they will used their one word calls from Jason Lewis, Offensive Coordinator at Heidelberg (click on image for video):

Video: Tempo Plays for Your Offense

In order to avoid having to be vanilla, understanding when a team may use these and having a plan and your own one-word call or an automatic call can give you an advantage or at least negates the offensive advantage.

Think about what their most efficient plays are and what you would do to stop them, plan those calls, and practice them.

Practicing them probably is best done in a walk thru, then throughout the week, script them into your team periods. This gives players an understanding of how you are handling those situations so chaos doesn’t ensue on game day.

#3) Be opportunistic in creating takeaways.

I saw many defensive opportunities squandered by what I feel is a lack of focus, or potentially a lack of preparation.  

With the early season games typically being hot and humid, fatigue becomes a factor quickly, and it opens opportunity to take the ball away.  It’s the ball carrier who isn’t protecting the ball after the first hit, or the offensive lineman who stops an initial pass rush charge and then stops.  

Emphasizing how and when to take the ball away will take advantage of that running back. Here’s an explanation of how Vikings Defensive Backs Coach Daronte Jones teaches getting the ball away from a running back who is stumbling or trying to maintain balance. It is a vulnerable position for the running back and an opportunity for the defense (click on image for video):

Video: Stumble Bum

While every defensive coach would like to see the QB get hit, sometimes that just doesn’t happen. If offensive linemen aren’t finishing, which happens more often in the early season, mirroring the QB’s hand can knock the pass down or up in the air, creating a chance for a turnover. Here is how DJ Elliot teaches it to the Temple Owls (click on image for video):

Video: Mirror Hand

The little things, or as another coach termed the micro changes can pay off, especially in the early season.  

Growth from week 1 to week 2 can be significant with a focused plan.

Always be growing!

Coach Grabowski