Coverages in the 4-2-5 Defense with Aaron Segedi, Trenton HS (MI)

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We had another great Web Clinic presentation, this time with Coach Aaron Segedi from Trenton High School in Michigan. Coach Segedi presented their 4-2-5 Defense coverages, as well as getting into some of the front.

This is a very detailed presentation on a complete coverage package for your 4-2-5 Defense, using variations of Cover 4, Quarters, and some Cover 2 principles. Along with the detailed presentation, you’ll get film and Question & Answer in the recording of this presentation.

This Web Clinic was presented on March 20, 2013. [Read more...]

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Blitzing in the 4-2-5 Defense Web Clinic with Ricky Coon, NWMCC (03/13/2013)

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4-2-5 Defense BlitzCoach Ricky Coon is the Defensive Coordinator for Northwest Mississippi Community College, and he presented his 4-2-5 Defense Blitz Package at our Web Clinic on March 13, 2013. Coach Coon has had previous stints at Highland CC, Ellsworth CC, Chowan University and most recently at Southwest Baptist University.

The 4-2-5 Defense that Coach Coon currently runs is modeled after the TCU 4-2-5 Defense, so you’ll see a lot of similarity in terminology and concepts. We get into a huge array of blitzes, including how and why to run the blitzes, variations on coverage behind them, video clips of blitzes, adjustments and more.

If you were not able to attend the Web Clinic live, definitely look to attend some of our future web clinics! We’ll be doing weekly Web Clinics throughout the spring. [Read more...]

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Bringing the Heat with 6-Man Blitzes in the 4-2-5 Defense

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The 4-2-5 Defense gives us a lot of opportunities to blitz the offense. We have great angles and multiple coverage options. While you can find plenty on the Zone Blitz in the pages of Football-Defense.com, we haven’t spent much time on more aggressive Cover 0 blitzes.

Blitzes come in 3 main categories, regardless of whether they are Zone or Man blitzes…

  1. Middle Pressure: Attacks the interior of the Offensive Line. Good for pocket passers and inside running game. You risk getting hit by outside runs like Outside Zone, or Sprint Out passing. Both could cause you to waste your blitzers and be outnumbered on the outside.
  2. Single Edge Pressure: Attack one edge of the defense. Good against Zone Read teams as a change. Great for attacking from the wide side if teams have a tendency to run or sprint to the field. You risk flushing an athletic QB to a side without a numbers advantage.
  3. Double Edge Pressure: Attacks from both edges, to contain a QB who likes to move outside of the pocket, or an outside running game. Leaves a numbers advantage for the offense up the middle, because you will often need to blitz at least one of your inside linebackers.

Choosing Your Blitz Coverage

With Cover 0 blitzes, you are able to bring 6 blitzes to get more pressure on the Quarterback. But you lose the benefit of a deep safety that can make a tackle if things go wrong, to let you line up and have another play.

Cover 1 blitzes leave 1 high safety with man coverage, giving more security against the big play. But with 5 eligible receivers to cover, plus 1 deep safety, you only have the ability to blitz 5 men. The same is true for 3 under, 3 deep zone coverage blitzes.

Each type of blitz coverage has its place. Cover 0 blitzes, while having the greatest risk, also have the highest probability of causing a game changing moment.

Coaches must also decide whether they will use press man or off man coverage. Each has its advantages, but you may not have the ability to get every option in. Press coverages can take away player routes and timing immediately, but have the risk of a defender getting beat on the receiver’s get-off. Off man has less risk of big plays. Your defender aligns at 6-8 yards, the break point for most routes. Shorter underneath passes are more likely, though, and can give the QB a better chance to get the ball to hot, or rush, routes.

Middle Blitz with Cover 0

I like middle pressures where the blitzes are attacking the A Gaps, and crossing to give some misdirection to the Center. The Center has to make a decision on who to handle, leaving the back responsible for the other blitzes, in most drop back pass protection schemes.

Here, we’ll bring one Linebacker and the Free Safety. You could also blitz the two linebackers if you are uncomfortable with leaving the backer one on one with a skill player.

We’ll call this blitz Famous, with the F alerting the Free Safety and the M alerting the Mike. The Linebacker needs to alert the Nose Guard to get out of the A Gap. He will align in a 2i on the inside shade of the Guard and use a cut step to cross the face of the Guard.

It is important that the ends take a wider than normal rush, since their ability to contain the Quarterback can be a crucial part of the success of the blitz. [Read more...]

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What’s the Difference? Part 1: 4-4 Defense vs 4-2-5 Defense

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One of the most common questions I get via eMail is from coaches asking about what front they should be running. Most of the time, they are trying to decide between one or two Defensive Fronts that have a lot in common.

The truth is, they probably are stressing over a question that is relatively simple to answer. As I’ve explained in our free eBook, Defensive Installation Manual, there are really only two decisions to make:

  • Odd or Even Front? Do you have a player head up on the nose, or not?
  • 7-man or 8-man front? Will you run a single high safety, or two high safeties as your base coverage? You are not locking yourself into either one, just committing to a base defense, the one you can get back to any time.

But that does not satisfy most coaches. They need a number, a title, something to identify with. They are jealous of the fraternities that they see their offensive counterparts enjoying (Air Raid, Pistol Option, Double Wing, etc).

Understandable. Why fight it, let’s go with it.

Over the next few weeks, I will compare some of the most commonly confused fronts and attempt to explain the differences. Keep in mind that as I write these article, our defense lines up on any given down in a 3-3 Stack, 3-4, 4-3 Over, or 4-3 Under front, so I’m not particularly biased to any of them).

4-4 Defense

4-4 Defense vs 4-2-5 Defense

One of the most common debates, with passionate members on both sides, is the argument about the difference between the 4-4 Defense and the 4-2-5 Defense. I have long been in the camp that says, “There is no difference.”

After much consideration, I have decided to stop fighting this fight. I rarely respond to anyone who argues the point, and am now publicly stating, there is a difference between the 4-4 Defense and the 4-2-5 Defense.

Now, schematically, there isn’t really a difference. My 4-2-5 Defense could look exactly like your 4-4 Defense, and we’re just using different words.

But there are also a few variations on the 4-4 Defense and the 4-2-5 Defense that make a big difference in the discussion.

4-2-5 Defense [Read more...]

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22 Keys to Success for Your 4-2-5 Defense

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4-2-5 Defense Cover 3Are you running the 4-2-5 Defense this season? Want to be guaranteed for success? This is a checklist that will tell you exactly what you need – and maybe show you what you do not have – to run a dominant 4-2-5 Defense.

The 4-2-5 Defense is a strong defense against the run, while it’s more athletic Outside Linebackers (or Overhang Safeties) will provide more support against the pass.

How you play the Free Safety, or how good he can be, is a major determining factor in the success of the defense if you are going to be a 1-High, Cover 3 or Cover 1 Defense.

The ability of the Weak Safety, and your ability to coach him, will be a game changer if you are going to play a 2-High defensive coverage such as Cover 2 or Quarters Coverage.

See what you have, and what you need to have, to run a successful 4-2-5 Defense.

  1. A run stopping strong side Inside Linebacker, the Sam Backer. This is your plugger, your traditional Linebacker. If he is timid, you have no chance.
  2. A wild man at the weak end position. Someone you can really cut loose. He should lead your team in sacks, and be able to run down plays from the back side. While he may not be as technically sound as others, he makes things happen.
  3. Passionate pursuit to the football. From day one, your guys have to want to be around the ball every play. Accept nothing less!
  4. An aggressive Free Safety who becomes the 9th Man in the Box. I respect playing it safe and lining up a sound tackler 17 yards deep so you can line up and play again. I do not think that’s a championship mentality though.
  5. Ability to change fronts. Something as simple as lining your weak side Tackle up in a weak shade on the center one play, and a 2i (inside shade of the Guard) the next, will help. You can get creative, so have a couple of different fronts each week.
  6. A simple blitz package to bring pressure. Bring a Linebacker here and there to mix it up. Have at least one 6 Man, Cover 0 Pressure each game, too. If your kids can handle it, and your coaches can coach it, get into some Zone Blitzes.Inside Zone Blitz
  7. A Strong Defensive End who can hold his ground. The weak side End uses speed as his biggest asset. The strong end cannot get down blocked by the Tight End. He has to be able to lock him out, hold the point, and control the C Gap.
  8. Corners who understand their role in your defense. If you are a Cover 1 team, they’re role is to be lock down studs. But if you run Cover 3 primarily, they need to not get beat deep, and let you line up again. They are pass first defenders.
  9. A versatile Will Backer will let you get more creative. He is also the guy on the QB, often the best athlete on the Offense, when teams run the Zone Read. Can he handle that?
  10. A great Outside Linebackers coach. You should be hammering the High Hat / Low Hat keys for these guys. When they are good at it, your defense will be good. Otherwise, they will be confused and conflicted all night long.
  11. A solid Goal Line or Short Yardage package. At some point you may want to bring those OLBs, at least one of them, up on the line. Good time to do some personnel substitution and bring in a 5th Defensive Lineman or another true Linebacker.
  12. Speed kills. Put your fastest players on the field for most of the game. Pursuit falls into this category as well.
  13. Emphasis on takeaways. Get our ball back! Teach your players that the most valuable object on the field is that football. If it goes on the ground, it’s ours. If it goes in the air, we have as much right to it as the Offense.
  14. Discipline. You need players who will do their job, be gap sound, and be coachable. That goes for any defense, of course, but the 4-2-5 Defense will crumble if players are not gap sound.
  15. A war daddy 3-Technique who can throttle the running game. He needs to take up two gaps – his B Gap, and beat the Guard so bad that his tail closes up the A Gap. Put your biggest, strongest, meanest stud right here.
  16. Focused coaches in the Box. If you have coaches in the box on your headset, they need to be focused in on what they are supposed to watch. There is nothing more frustrating than watching film the next day and realizing, if you had only known what was happening, you could have made an adjustment…Coaching your 4-2-5 Defense to defend Trips Formations
  17. A capable Scout Team. When the Scout Team plays without passion, without heart, and with poor technique and pad level, your defense gets used to it. Do not let your defense dominate the Scout Team and think you guys are great! Have a coach on your staff who will coach the Scout Team harder than you coach your own defense.
  18. A clearly defined goal. It can be a goal for one practice, one game, one week, one season. The goal needs to fit your program. Our goal this year is 9-5-9, 9 players within 5 yards of the ball on 90% of plays. That applies to every practice, and every game. It applies to every rep the Scout Defense runs, too. They can’t be developing bad habits when they are likely the next man up should injury occur.
  19. Clear leadership. There are four places, at minimum, where players need to get leadership in football. They have a position coach, who gives them technique. They need a coordinator, who leads the defensive unit. There will be a head coach, who molds the identity of the team. And finally, they must have some leadership from each other. Whether it is one player, an experienced group of Seniors, or some other form of leadership, you have to get some leadership out of your players on the field.
  20. A short memory. Bad things will happen, we forget it, line up, and play again. There can be no pointing of fingers, dropping of the head, or any other negative reaction. Learn from it, get after it again.
  21. Ability to get off blocks. Stress to your players that they will get blocked, each and every play. In order to make a great play, you must defeat one block. No college coach looks at a highlight film full of clips of your unblocked Linebacker busting kids up and thinks, “I have to get that kid.” Great players defeat blocks, then make plays.
  22. A little bit of luck. There’s going to be a ball that bounces your way, a mistake by the opponent, a change in the weather that favors your boys. Accept it, embrace it, and do not waste it! Nothing can keep your team from success more than missed opportunities.

Thinking about running the 4-2-5 Defense this season, or want to refine your 4-2-5 Defense? Check out Coaching Football’s 4-2-5 Defense eBook for immediate download!

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