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3-4

CoachHoover: Notes on Belichick Coaches Clinic

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CoachHoover: Notes on Belichick Coaches Clinic

Another great find! Here are the notes taken by a coach attending a coaching clinic by BB. Some great stuff, but since we’re on a defense schemology week we’re only posting the notes from that side of the ball. Note the very last note at the bottom…

Defense

  •        Just because you have 11 guys wearing the same-colored jersey doesn’t mean you are a coordinated unit.

Pass Defense – must collision WRs so they don’t just run down field uncontested. 

  •         Get on WRs quickly – don’t give them any space.
  •        Don’t let them inside – keep good inside leverage.
  •        He showed his team cut-ups of Arizona’s WRs running downfield uncontested to reinforce what NOT to do.  Then show examples of what you do want to do.
  •        Pass Defense – DBs – job #1 – defend the deep ball.

Run Defense – set the edge – turn the ball back inside toward pursuit.

  •        Don’t just run upfield – must attack at correct angle. 
  •        Don’t let the ball outside for uncontested yardage.
  •        Force player – once you force it inside, shed block and get in on tackle.  You want to push back the  LOS.
  •        Must teach players how to defeat blocks.
  •        QB as runner – Offense will always out-gap you.  Somebody must be a two-gap player.
  •        Backside of Defense – still want to set the edge for Reverse, Cutback, and Misdirection.
  •       Every week – emphasis is on setting the edge.
  •      Tackling – don’t leave your feet – run thru the RB.

Pass Rush – worst place to be is behind the QB.

  •      Must collapse the pocket to get at depth of QB.
  •       Must have push up the middle – don’t let QB step up in pocket.
  •       Michael Vick – obviously would play differently.
  •       Pass Rusher behind QB – worst position in football that you can be in.
  •       Pass rush helps the coverage more than having four Champ Baileys will do.

Patriots defensive philosophy from Dean Pees

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Came across this on a messageboard, it appears to be notes taken by a coach after hearing Dean Pees talk about the things the Patriots preach on defense. It’s in bullett point form, wish it was a little more descriptive, but I felt it was worth sharing regardless:

Dean Pees Defensive Coordinator New England

The Patriots Defense

Defensive Laws:
Leverage
Attack
Wall
Square

Patriots ran 37 coverages and 17 fronts in 2007

Coach’s Fundamentals

Drill work- Does your drill work emphasize the player fundamentals that you want because practice must mimic game.

Evaluation-Does it works? Can your players do it? Does it fit your scheme?

3-4:

Defense must fit together to build a wall to force indecision in the running backs mind.

Separation in the defense creates a seam.

Must stay square if a guy turns sideways it creates seams.

From end zone, should be able to stand behind and see the back numbers of defenders, if you cannot then that player got turned.

Practice what kids are going to see.

Not as much penetration in base.

LBs must attack and come across square.

Press the offensive player and stay square.

Do not use a sled or bags because its not who you play against.

Goal is 3 yards a carry because two gapping penetration causes positive gains.

Never wrong arm anything. Face to face, never give self up. 

Make a play by staying square (two gap him). Do not cut offensive player because it causes seams.

Everybody pushes east and west, not north and south.

Safety reads the shoulders of backs-stay square.

Everything is read and react.

#1 coverage is quarters
#2 cover 3

PS: One of my former players (All-Pro ILB James Farrior) is the defensive Captain, & signal caller for the World Champion Steelers. Their 3-4 Defense operates on a different PHILOSOPHY. They try to spill (& wreck) EVERYTHING to the outside – to secondary run support, in their ¼, ¼, ½ coverage (S/S to quarter side, & W/C to half side). That is one reason Polomoleau makes so many tackles – he is a “heat seeking missle”!

Ravens 3-4 Defense Coaching Slide Show

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Ravens 3-4 Defense Coaching Slide Show

Really interesting stuff here in the format of a slideshow that comes to us via current Jets DC Mike Pettine back when he was with the Ravens. While the Patriots and Ravens defensive systems are different there’s still plenty of interesting info to take from this. Highly recommended reading, and if you pay attention you’ll learn a lot about how NFL defenses work.

You might notice some defensive formations that the Pats saw a lot of out of the Jets last year. Especially the blitzes coming out of the Cover 0 looks.

Building a Defensive Game Plan For the Patriots to Stop the Jets

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Over the course of these season we’ve charted the defensive game plans and defensive packages the New England Patriots have used. This has been an insightful lesson into what the Patriots do and who they do it with.

This week against the New York Jets the Patriots are presented with some unique challenges. Based on the fact that top interior rushers Mike Wright and Myron Pryor, as well as top nickel corner Jonathan Wilhite missed Thursday practice it’s very possible that the Pats will be without the services of all three.

Of course it’s impossible to predict what Bill Belichick will do, but here’s our best crack at it.

The Patriots were in their base 3-4 defense for 66% of the snaps in week two and I’d bet they will stick to a similar plan on first and second down. I expect this will be the run-stopping personnel:

  • Brace – Wilfork – Warren
  • Ninkovich – Spikes – Mayo – Cunningham
  • McCourty – Meriweather – Sanders – Arrington

Brandon Deaderick should be well rested so expect to see plenty of him on the defensive line as well. Vince Wilfork was used in every spot on the line the first time around, expect that to happen again, especially with Kyle Love’s progression at nose tackle.

The Jets didn’t see much of Cunningham in week two, that is another difference that hasn’t gotten much mention this week. Brandon Spikes will have to be on his toes for play action passes, that has been one of his biggest challenges in his progression.

McCourty will take on Santonio Holmes, while Arrington will take Braylon Edwards.

On third down (short – medium) the Pats will have to get a little creative since with the injuries to Wright, Pryor and Wilhite. I expect the personnel to look like this:

  • Cunningham – Wilfork – Love – Banta-Cain
  • Guyton – Mayo
  • McCourty – Meriweather – Sanders – Chung – Arrington

Wilfork and Love maintain a presence versus the run as the Jets did have some success on the ground the first time around against the Pats sub-packages.

I see the coverage match-ups as so:

  • McCourty – Holmes
  • Arrington – Edwards
  • Chung – Cotchery
  • Guyton – Keller
  • Mayo – Tomlinson

In third and longs, with a lesser threat of a run, the Patriots could bring in Darius Butler and Dane Fletcher for a dime package that looks as such:

  • Cunningham – Love – Banta-Cain
  • Fletcher – Mayo – Guyton
  • McCourty – Arrington – Meriweather – Sanders – Chung – Butler

Arrington has been used as a blitzer from this package and that’s a wrinkle the Pats could throw at Mark Sanchez. Fletcher can be used as a spy on both Sanchez or Ladainian Tomlinson, and could even be employed in the nickel package in such a role should the Pats reduce to three lineman. He will also blitz at times.

The thought of Butler lining up on Edwards could bring horrible flashbacks from week two, hopefully he’d be up to the challenge.

If the Patriots are missing their top two interior rushers in Pryor and Wright it will certainly put pressure on Gerard Warren (who had a good game week two), Deaderick, Love and Wilfork to generate some pressure up the middle on Sanchez. If he’s allowed to sit on “the spot” and get comfortable he will pick the Patriots secondary apart like most teams have this season.

Based on the game tape they’ve seen, it’s probably a somewhat safe assumption that the Jets are expecting similar personnel packages as I’ve laid out here. Of course the execution of coverages and disguises are what truly make a defense work, and that will be in the hands of the Patriots coaching staff and their players.