Coach's Corner: Rules, Gaps, Techniques, and Blitz packages in the base 3-3-5 -- Part 2 Outside Gap Blitzes

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

Coach's Corner: Rules, Gaps, Techniques, and Blitz packages in the base 3-3-5 -- Part 2 Outside Gap

We recently covered the typical 3-3-5 outside linebacker/inside gap blitzes. We will now look at some outside linebacker blitzes that target the outside gaps.

The two blitzes discussed below a few years ago were called Cannon and Dart by the West Virginia coaching staff.

Cannon is a WLB (Weak-side Linebacker): C Gap Blitz.

The line techniques are given below:

DT: his alignment is a 5-tech and he has C gap responsibility.
NT: his alignment is a 0-tech and he has A gap responsibility.
DE: his alignment is a 5-tech and he has B gap responsibility.

SLB (Strong-side Linebacker): his alignment is 50-tech (stacked behind the defensive tackle) and he has B gap responsibility to his side.

MLB (Middle Linebacker): his alignment is a 00 technique (stacked behind the nose tackle) and he has A gap (both) responsibility.

WLB (Weak-side Linebacker): he aligns inside the defensive end and blitzes outside.

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

Bandit (Strong Safety): lines up 4x4 off of the last man on the line of scrimmage and has D gap responsibility.

Field CB: 1x8 outside #1 wide receiver, he is to secure the boundary (sideline) to his side.

Boundary CB: 1x8 outside #1 wide receiver, he is to secure the boundary (sideline) to his side. Note: boundary is usually terminology for the short side of the field (closest to sideline) or the strong formation (tight end or more players).

FS (Deep Safety): 12 yards off line of scrimmage, splits the two #1 wide receiver's, he also has the alley in run support.

At the snap of the ball, the defensive end aggressively attacks the B gap. He does this by stepping laterally and then trying to get penetration in the B gap. The WLB attacks the line of scrimmage diagonally and then attacking diagonally through the C Gap.

Gaps:

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

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
RDE: 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)

------------------------------------------------

Dart is a SLB (Strong-side Linebacker): C gap Blitz

DT: his alignment is a 5-tech and he has C gap responsibility.
NT: his alignment is a 0-tech and he has A gap responsibility.
DE: his alignment is 5-tech and he has B gap Responsibility.

SLB (Strong-side Linebacker): his alignment is a 50-tech (stacked behind the defensive tackle) and he has D gap responsibility to his side.
MLB (Middle Linebacker): Alignment is 00, stacked behind the nose tackle and has A gap responsibility.
WLB (Weak-side Linebacker): Alignment is 50-tech, stacked behind the defensive end and has B gap responsibility.

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

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

Field CB: is 1x8 outside of the #1 wide receiver, he is to secure the boundary (sideline).

Boundary CB: 1x8 outside of the #1 wide receiver, he is to secure the boundary (sideline).

FS (Deep Safety): is 12 yards off the line of scrimmage, he splits the two #1 wide receivers, he also has the alley in run support.

At the snap of the ball, the defensive tackle aggressively attacks the B gap. He uses the same technique as the defensive end in the "Cannon" blitz. The SLB (Strong-side Linebacker) will angle diagonally to the outside of the tight end and then attack diagonally behind the tight end.

Gaps:

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

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
RDE: 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)

In future pieces we will discuss "Shade" alignments by the fronts and more complex Blitz schemes.

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Written by GBMW Staff

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