re: Defense film study, a disappointing watch (kinda long)

We had these EXACT SAME CONCERNS last year at this time. Literally the exact same. I can't tell you just how deja vu this is. Thanks for putting it together.

We just aren't able to get a cohesive group on the field early in the year for whatever reason. This is especially true at linebacker, where you NEED leadership the most.

No penetration on the Dline, linebackers not committing and then over-pursuing. Safeties taking bad angles.

Deja vu.

Great post. Someone send this to Pelini. Seriously, he needs to see it.

TBob called it the worst defensive tape he had ever seen.

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It’s amazing how bad Clark is

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Amazingly good at dancing after making a rare play.....

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TBob called it the worst defensive tape he had ever seen.

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Hard to argue with that

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This is just baffling to watch. He was not that bad last year.

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He was not that bad last year, because it was a different defense and he had time to learned it for atleast 2 years. As much as we blame O and Bo(Zo). You can coach EFFORT. BUT, it us their job to recognize it and get someone who's going to give it their all. Whether if they understand it or not.

The problem is the LBs are just playing the run, which should at least work against the run, but with modern offenses they can't just line up and tackle a guy. They stare at all the misdirection and then chase the ball carrier for a 9 yard gain.

In gif #7, it's not confusion in coverage it's that Bo guessed run. So the LBs are just playing coverage underneath if it happens to be a pass. Doesn't work in today's game.

The one that’s really glaring to me is 5, the alignment was bad and they motioned to the strong side and no shift, it was an easy pick up with numbers in their favor. In 4, bad technique by Logan and very evident they are missing Shelvin ( I may have missed something dealing with hurricane but I didn’t see Ika, why? ) At times LBers are shooting gaps when they should slow play it and vice versa. Guys are getting caught shifting or not shifting when they should or shouldn’t and created bad numbers and alignments.

It’s important to realize how the defense is supposed to defend each play and their responsibility. I’m a former Texas HS coach who ran a 4-3, so heres what I see from a base 4-3 from these gifs:

1) you’re correct— 11 gets driven, 18 overpursues to try to cover him. Hell of a play by 97 to run flat down the line in his gap and make a play. Stingley loaf.

2) not 8’s fault at all. He gets a down block, gets hands on and squeezes the down block with his eyes up and shoulders square, perfect technique. He’s responsible for the dive, LBs have to flow. 19 gets murdered. Based on the alignment we can see there should be a safety running downhill which appears to be 31 at the very end of the play. Where was that guy? He’s the “alley” player.

3) I think this is actually a solid defensive play against a really tough scheme. 8 has to fight down the line with the puller in front of him. He’s in charge of the dive player usually, so he seems to be correct. 18 sees the read and stays outside despite the read from the double pullers, even fighting off a blocker to do it. Again the safeties are a bit slow.


4) this is bad by a lot of guys against simple outside zone. First thing to notice is the blitzing safety on the back side. At least the DL on his side should be stunting toward the run. 8 has him point blank and doesn’t make the play. 19 has no excuse. He’s watching the motion instead of his keys and takes a false step which kills him. With a blitzing safety over there this is inexcusable. Even then, make the freaking play. 92 runs up field creating vertical seems in the defense. Again, where is the safety 31?

5) double pullers where nobody attacks the pullers. It depends on how it’s coached with the slot back as to who should (if he's considered a TE). 19 is very timid. Biggest issue for me is 18 has double pullers and just sits there. Backside Lb has to go when you see that! You can’t defend a pulling scheme without following the pullers because they’re creating new gaps and he’s sitting in gaps that don’t exist anymore. And he doesn’t attack the block. Bad.

6) clearly a stunt in here sending 3 upfield exchanging inside responsibility to 19. 19 is out of control— if he hits the puller the play is dead. But the worst is 18. He gets double puller away from him and still follows the sweep. Between 11 and 7 that’s covered. He knows he’s wrong too— look at his reaction.

7) part of how you play zone is that you disrupt the timing of the offense. 18 sees him coming the whole way and just gets beat. 19 is usually playing what’s called a wall technique where your job is to bang the receiver to slow him down. It got on 18 too quick, although if he was faster he could have covered it.

8) 18 has to trigger! Double pullers (turns out the second puller is the new ball carrier) means you have to go, especially when 19 bumps him last second. To me this is on 8. He runs straight up field, doesn’t get hands on the down block which would have led him to the puller and killed the play.

I’ll leave 9 and 10. I remember watching the game it seemed over and over that the effort was just bad away from the play and sometimes where the play was happening. Defense is about effort which covers mistakes. From a scheme POV the DE’s have to attack pullers, and the LB have to flow with the pullers to their new gaps.