Coach's Corner: Rules, Gaps, Techniques, and Blitz packages in the base 3-3-5 -- Part 1 Inside Gap Blitzes

Posted at 8:00am -- 4/7/2010

Coach's Corner: Rules, Gaps, Techniques, and Blitz packages in the base 3-3-5 -- Part 1 Inside Gap Blitzes

Last week it was stated GBMW would cover the base blitz as a follow up from an article on the 3-3-5: Below is the previous article for your convenience: Mailbag question: What did you think of the 3-3-5 breakdown on another blog? -- 4/1/2010

The information below, in part, is derived from notes obtained from a West Virginia University clinic a few years ago.

This is the base blitz.

2010 Defensive Depth Chart -- Updated 4/1/2010

Michigan: The 3-3-5 Base Defense

3-3-5 vs. Pro Set

.....................................TB
.
.....................................FB
.
.....................................QB
FL...................TE...T...G...C...G...T............................SE
............................^.......^.........^
..........................DE......NT.........DT
.
..........................^.........^..........^
........................SLB.....MLB........WLB
................^...........................................^
................S............................................B
.
^................................................................................^
FC.............................................................................BC
.
....................................^
....................................FS

DT: Greg Banks
NT: Renaldo Sagesse
DE: Ryan Van Bergen

WLB: Jonas Mouton
MLB: Obi Ezeh
SLB: Craig Roh

BC = J.T. Floyd
FC = Troy Woolfolk

SS: Thomas Gordon (Bandit)
SS: Jordan Kovacs (Spur)

FS: Cam Gordon (Deep Safety)

Here are some rules and terminology clarification. Remember, programs use terminology that is not always universal.

Technique Chart:

..TE .... OT .... OG .... OC ..... OG .... OT .... TE ....
9.8.7..5.4.4i..3.2.2i...1.0.1...2i.2.3...4i.4.5...7.8.9.

A nose tackle playing 0-technique means head up on the offensive center.

A defensive tackle or defensive end playing a 5-technique means an outside shade of the offensive tackle. By outside shade we mean the defender’s eye closest to the ball (inside) on the outside eye of an offensive tackle.

Gaps:
(D gap) TE (C gap) OT (B gap) OG (B gap) OC (A gap) OG (B gap) OT (C gap) .. (D gap)

So when we talk about a nose tackle playing a 0-tech, with double A gap responsibility, we mean the nose tackle is lined up head-on with the offensive center and is responsible for both gaps from the offensive center to the offensive guards (yes, it does indeed take quite a football player to excel at plugging that entire area).

A defensive end, or defensive tackle, playing a 5-technique, with C gap responsibility, means the defender lining up with an outside shade of the offensive tackle (same eye alignment as explained above: defender’s inside eye to the tackle’s outside eye). A 5-technique defender is responsible for the area between the tight end and the offensive tackle. If there is no tight end, many teams denote this space as a shadow or ghost player.

Here then are some inside blitzes and associated responsibilities:

Here are some inside blitzes and responsibilities:

Mike (middle linebacker blitz):

DT: he plays a 5-technique, with an outside shade on the offensive tackle and he has C gap responsibility.

NT: he plays 0-tech, head up on the offensive center. At the snap, the NT he angles hard to the quick or weak side A gap. His responsibility is the weak side A gap.

DE: he plays a 5-technique and has C gap responsibility.

SLB (Strong-side Linebacker): he plays a 50-technique (stacked behind the offensive tackle on the strong side) and has the strong side B gap responsibility.

MLB (Middle Linebacker): he blitzes the strong side A gap.

WLB (Weak-side Linebacker): he plays a 50-technique on the quick side and has quick side B gap responsibility.

Spur (Strong Safety): he plays 4x4 (4 yards to the side and 4 yards back from the man on the end of the line: tight end or the last man on the line of scrimmage). He has D gap responsibility.

Bandit (Strong Safety): is 4x4 (see above) off the last man on the line of scrimmage and he has D gap responsibility.

Field CB: is 1x8 with the outside wide receiver (1 yard outside of the receiver and 8 yards back).

Boundary CB: 1x8 with outside split end receiver (1 yard outside of the receiver and 8 yards back).

FS (Deep Safety): is 12 yards off the line of scrimmage, splits the #1 wideouts (furthest receiver from the center on each side, closest to the sideline), and fills the alley in run support.

Here are some outside blitzes:

Arrow: WLB (weak-side linebacker) blitz:

DT: Plays 5-technique and has C gap responsibility.

NT: Plays 0-technique and has the A gap responsibility opposite the blitzer.

DE: Plays 5-technique and has the C gap responsibility.

SLB (strong-side linebacker): his 50-technique means he is stacked behind the defensive tackle and he has the B gap responsibility.

MLB (Middle Linebacker): is stacked behind the nose tackle and he has the A gap responsibility.

WLB (Weak-side Linebacker): is stacked behind the defensive end and blitzes the A gap to his side.

Spur (Strong Safety): he plays 4x4 off of the tight end, or the last man on the line of scrimmage; he has the D gap responsibility.

Bandit (Strong Safety): he plays 4x4 off the last man on the line of scrimmage and has the D Gap responsibility.

Field CB: 1x8 outside #1 wide receiver, the wide receiver closest to the sideline.

Boundary CB: 1x8 outside #1 WR

FS (Deep Safety): he plays 12 yards off the line of scrimmage and splits both #1 wideouts, he is the alley player in run support.

Bullet: SLB (strong-side linebacker) blitz:

DT: he plays a 5-technique and has C gap responsibility.

NT: he plays 0-technique and has the A gap responsibility opposite the blitzer.

DE: he plays a 5-technique and has the C gap responsibility.

SLB (Strong-side Linebacker): his 50-technique is stacked behind the defensive tackle and he blitzes the A gap to his side.

MLB (Middle Linebacker): he is stacked behind the nose tackle and he has the A gap responsibility.

WLB (Weak-side Linebacker): he is stacked behind the defensive end and he has the B gap responsibility to his side.

Spur (Strong Safety): he plays 4x4 off the tight end, or the last man on line of scrimmage, and he has the D gap responsibility.

Bandit (Strong Safety): he plays 4x4 off the last man on line of scrimmage to his side.

Field CB: he is 1x8 outside the #1 wide receiver, the wide receiver closest to the sideline.

Boundary CB: 1x8 outside #1 wide receiver to his side.

FS (Deep Safety): he is 12 yards off the line of scrimmage and he splits the two #1's; he is the alley player in run support.

Please note: B Gap coverage is assigned in these base blitz packages to the outside linebacker or middle linebacker running to the ball carrier in the hope the back is rerouted east and west to other containment. There will be discussion about 3 and 4 techniques off of stems and stunts later on.


Written by GBMW Staff

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