Coach ,

This week we share three tips starting with coaches, then scheme, and finishing with individual technique.  

Camp puts a focus on learning the concepts and schemes. As we progress into the season, the game becomes much more contextual. The scheme is now put into the context of down and distance, score differential, time left in the game, and field position.

The focus changes not only for the players but for the coaches and the work they do as well. That leads to our first tip for this week on defense.

#1) Situational focus should start with the game plan and reflect in the practice plan

Maine Defensive Coordinator Mike Ryan has a weekly in-season teaching progression for his team. It’s not just a few periods on one day of the week, they prepare and teach their third down defense and adjustments all week long. In doing so, the players can feel confident in executing the plan. He explains their weekly progression in this video (click on image for video):

Video: 3rd Down Teaching Progression

#2) Bear Front to Attack Protections 

Last season, Temple defensive coordinator DJ Elliot joined me throughout the season to discuss defense, and one of the ideas we talked about a few times was to utilize a bear front to attack a protection.  

The bear front is something that typically shows up in run situations, so offenses may have one way in which they pass protect against it. While you may have not seen this on film, you can determine if they man-protect or slide-protect and attack them accordingly. With four players in the inside gaps, there are plenty of options. 

Joe Adam, Head Coach at St. Anselm shows one of the simplest ways to beat the protection with a Mike Blitz (click on image for video):

Video: Mike Blitz

#3) Don’t give up!

Defensive backs can and will get out of phase in their coverage.  Whether it’s man or zone, coverage eventually turns into man and a situation where a defender must stop the receiver from catching the ball.  

Getting out of phase then recovering is something that can be practiced, and there is specific technique that goes along with it.

North Carolina State defensive backs coach Freddie Aughtry-Lindsey teaches a “punch through and rip” which he teaches in a drill designed to help the defensive back win even if he’s temporarily lost his receiver. He illustrates the technique here (click on image for video):

Video: Top of Route - Out of Phase

Whether it’s getting you and your staff organized, finding the alignments that get you the looks you want, or teaching the techniques that allow your players to win, there is always an opportunity to learn and improve in-season. Good luck this week!

Always be growing!

Coach Grabowski

P.S. Any resources we share in this series have a temporary discount if you want to dig deeper into the concepts. Find these courses here.