How to defend the spread?

[boogerred]

You are facing a team that uses the spread to run the ball, but has a decent passing game. (2 above average WR and a QB with an accurate but not strong arm and a burner running back)

They run the zone read a lot and like to utilize the three and five step passing games.

How do you defend against this team?

[FarAwayFalcon]

I would put in some 3-5-3 packages and bring blitzes from everywhere. Your 3 down linemen need to be studs, and your backers better fly around the football. Oh and I hope my offense can put up some serious points too, hard to beat a spread team if you score 21 or less points.

[madpolecat]

Blitz them until they die.

[Winchell]

I would put 8 in the box and force the QB to throw the ball downfield. Corners need to sit 2 yards off and on the inside shoulder of the WRs. This will wall everything to the flat in order to disrupt timing in the 3 step passing game. It will also force the QB to make long throws to the outside instead of inside routes. By playing "press" this also allows the DBs to be more active blitzing off the edges and getting involved in stopping the running game. 5 under man sounds like a viable option, however, without seeing them on film, I can't say for sure.

[jiveturkey]

It depends on the QB. As a rule, we cover against a bad passer and blitz against a good passer. The idea being that we wont allow a bad passer to make plays with his feet and if we are patient he will throw several balls to us over the course of a game. A good passer will pick zones apart, so we send blitzes from everywhere against him. We never want him being comfortable with where the blitz is coming from and we want to get him before he can get us.....the odd stack idea is one I like in this instance.

[The Riepo Man]

Stunt, blitz, and pray to God they don't have a QB with wheels

[BlizzardMan]

You have got to run a stack (3-5-3 is how I would go).You also have to rely on a lot of man coverage. Your linebackers have to be all over the place and you must blitz someone on every play.

[boogerred]

I also like blitzing three from the backside. Even in the NFL that it hard to pick up.

[purpleblood1]

Everything would depend where everyone is lined up, when we played Wilmington College who ran Sam Wyche's spread we ran a ba$tardedized version of the 46 (Bears) and the slant 43 (Pittsburgh) defenses. We melted them together and held them to only 18 points and their QB to only 220 yards passing, they ended with like 250 yards and averaged around 450 a game for the season. Their QB was listed as a potential 2nd round draft pick, but people got scared because of what we did.

We ran the slant at the nose and tackles with the 46 stunts, then ran 5 LBs and 3 DBs. Wilmington also ran the no huddle with the wrist bands, so we went no huddle also, with wrist bands. They had added a wrinkle to their offense and was flipping their tight end and wideouts so we called timeout and had our LBs and DBs do the same then slid our front when the tight end flipped. I'll never forget that first time we went to the line and they came to the line and we're standing there facing them and they called timeout cause they we're confused. You wouldn't believe the phone calls we got from pro and colleges wanting to know what we had done. The wild part was we changed our defense for this game in only 2 days of practice.

If you need to know more PM me, glad to explain it more.

[boogerred]

I don't even coach anywhere. I was just sick of seeing the same old boring stuff, day after day.

I just wanted to get something that is relatively new and see how other coaches dealt with it.

But thank you.

[OVCfan32]

I've seen this work well. . . . got your basic 42 nickel package. . . .but roll up the better pass rusher(or the backer that can't cover for crap) and basically run a 5-1. . . sounds dumb. . but you can cover the flats and take out the playside guard just by being there rolled up. . .you get pressure. . .and you keep 5 dbs in the game. . and to be honest if you have a good nose you can just take out the linebacker and have 6dbs on the field. . . . . . This really need 1 good core defensive lineman to hold the inside together and keep cutbacks from hurting you, most average teams have 1. . .

but time and again the spread shows its purpose. . . . .if you have the better team and run the spread you'll have to give the game away, and if your playing against a spread and you are more athletic. . . .well its not even a game

[Westfan]

I don't believe stopping the spread is near as much about the system you run as it is the athletes themselves. If you have better athletes with ball skills, it defeats the purpose of the spread which is to create mismatches. The problem with most river teams (and Ohio State) for that matter is they don't see it enough and when they run into a team that can run it properly with quality athletes, they're in trouble.

Strategically, the 3-3-5 is probably the best defense for the spread. Problem is if you make this your base defense, and you run into a power rushing team, they can give you fits.

I like the 4-2-5. You can give many different looks out of this defense. Bring pressure from everywhere and try to confuse the linemen and the QB.

[D Owens]

Tackle the quarterback.

[FarAwayFalcon]

I don't believe stopping the spread is near as much about the system you run as it is the athletes themselves. If you have better athletes with ball skills, it defeats the purpose of the spread which is to create mismatches. The problem with most river teams (and Ohio State) for that matter is they don't see it enough and when they run into a team that can run it properly with quality athletes, they're in trouble.

Strategically, the 3-3-5 is probably the best defense for the spread. Problem is if you make this your base defense, and you run into a power rushing team, they can give you fits.
I like the 4-2-5. You can give many different looks out of this defense. Bring pressure from everywhere and try to confuse the linemen and the QB.

In 2006, Minford had a heck of a run game, and was shut down by a 3-5-3 against waverly and vinton co. If the 3-5-3 is ran in an attacking fashion with multiple blitzes on every play, you can stop almost anything with it. The 3-5-3 is basically a 5-3, with you d-ends backed off. I really like it, but it's hard to find 5 good linebackers on any team, imo.

[Tigercannon71]

Blitz, Blitz. Blitz and they Blitz again to make sure. Also you need to mix up your coverages and dont show you hand until you have to. Another thing if the QB is a runner you might want to take out a LB and put in an extra DB to act as a spy to stop him from running. Running a 3-5 or a 4-4 would help especially to disguise the coverages and this would allow you to bring pressure from anywhere.

[D Owens]

it's hard to find 5 good linebackers on any team

Very true.

Usually not all of them are REALLY linebackers, at least not inside linebackers. At least a couple of them are more DB-type players who have to be able to provide run support. That makes your outside guys really the most versatile guys in a 3-5-3 defense. Finding a mix of players with the necessary talents in a D4 school isn't easy though.

[boogerred]

More like strong safety types.

[BlizzardMan]

We used to call them "monsters".

[OVCfan32]

monster, rover, strong safety, outside backer, bandit. . . . .a good place to put your best RB on defense

[D Owens]

Those outside guys are who I coach at Waverly. I'm not real picky about the guys who play there. I'd just like to have two Jack Tatums out there. I don't ask for much.