Defensive Schemes

[ShowtimeSpicer]

Just curious as to what defensive schemes you guys are using, and the success of them. I'm planning on beginning a dynasty with the University of Florida, and am likely going to use the 4-3 defense and about 95% man coverage.

[Slimshoom]

I like the 3-3-5 a lot, its probably one of my favorite defenses, but a lot of the teams I play dont have enough quality personnel to run it effectively. Typically I run a 4-3, with a little bit of everything mixed in depending on the opponent and situation.

[Young J 334]

4-2-5 cover 2/3 zone and cover 2 man with a middle spy. 3-3-5 cover 3 zone on 3rd downs and quarters 3 man deep with a middle lb spy for 3rd and long, other long yardage situations and late games when guys are trying to come back. keeps everything in front of you

[thelasthurtknee]

well i run alot more plays than just 4 or 5 but here is my base.

4-3 over cover 2 and 4-3 normal/over cover 3 press

my scheme is a personel based one since i dont run much man. kinda like a kiffen (Tampa Bay) coached defense style.

in my base i have my rolb on the line of scrimmage so the re is a 5 tech and the le is a 7 tech. your rolb is the 7 or 9 per say on the right side of d.

DT's you need big space takers here. Strength of 90 or more and bsh and pur are keys as you will need you dt's to be able to run down the line. your one tech should be your best dt

DE's the 7 tech is your star on the line. i like a 3-4 outside backer type here. athletic and fast with good acc is key. he has to have some range and be able to drop back in zone or cover the flat. he has to be able to play on an island. re is more of a dt than de. needs to be strong and a sure tackler. and speed is a plus but the power here is the need. i call my ends rock and hammer since they are not playing traditional 4-3 ends. the athletic one being the hammer and the power guy is called rock. i audible my dline to wide angle and spread them wide almost every play so you actually end up with your dline in one gap wider than normal.

OLB's your rolb will be the star. i often times find myself moving a good mlb to this position. needs speed and acc. good tackle and good zone cover skills. pursuit is also very key. strength is also very important since he's playing on the line and taking on fb's and te's in the run game. you lolb is kinda a mlb since he's playing head up on guard. this is a run stuff guy because he will be rotating out with a nickle corner in pass situations. this is important since i spread my dline out. he has to be able to fill the middel witht he middle backer. i noramally call my rolb by a name that pertains to the team. when i was the badgers i called it Miner lb'er (badger was the nickname for wisconsin miners) and with Miami its Storm lb'er at LSU he was called Future lb'er since the tigers seem to send a backer to the pros every year. these are my only positions that guys who are asked to do things that their position normally doesnt focus on.

MLB this is who i control and never switch. you have to be able to cover deep middle in zone and be a tackling machine. needs to have power to get off block and cover the middle in the run game since this is the weakness of the d. you also have to single handedly take on screens by under cutting the oline. if you dont read it, the O can tear this system up with screens. the deep middle pass is another weakness and you have to be able to cover it deep (think Urlacher). so your middle backer has to be a stud since he has to fill the run and pass holes.

CB's this is a zone scheme so i like cb's that can hit and play zone. sure tacklers with good pursuit. press is a plus and size is a huge plus. pur and bsh are keys but the zone cover ability trumps all. ill go as low as a 87 speed cb since im not asking them to run with anyone.

S's well you can do multiple things here. i like speed at fs and power at ss. i try to use my fs at all times as the center fielder and my ss as short coverage in cover 3. in cover two which is my base i like to put 8 in the box alot so that brings my ss up. you really could have any combination here. i used to always move a backer to ss in the offseason so i would basically have 5 lb'ers(2 olb, mlb, ss, le) on the field at all times but this hasnt been as successfull as years past. im using ss's and athletes that could play s or lb'er only this year.

if you know much about football you know i basically run a 3-4 by what ive described and your pretty much right. ive had so much success with this d on this game. its a bend dont break and i dont blitz very much at all. i just sit back and wait for you to shoot your self. i run most of the cover 3 and 2's in the 4-3 some 4-4 zone blitzes and a couple good plays in the 5-2 for short yardage since the gline d sucks. i run nickle in some 3 wr sets and most 4 or more wr sets mostly out of nickle strong. this is kinda similar to what dallas or s.d. or the steelers used to run with kiffens cover 2 phylosophy. im a coach and scout so sorry if this was a bit to much info. im bored at the office.

[Jive_Turkey]

50/50 man/zone, blitz zone for contain, man for the gamble the rest is up to the sticks.