The 3-5-3 defense is best known for the aggressive play calling style that most coaches who utilize this front prefer. While there are many who will argue that the stereotypical 3-5 defense is nothing more than a myth, I prefer to do the opposite.
In fact , let’s throw gas on the fire. The only reason to run the 3-5 is if you are fast and undersized. And you love…LOVE…to blitz.A little too drastic the other way now? Probably. But let’s take a look at some big time, 6-man blitzes for the over-aggressive psychopaths whom make this great defense what it is today.Middle Blitz
As with all of our 6 man pressures we will play Cover 0 behind it, a straight man coverage with no help for anyone. All 5 players in man coverage will play inside leverage if their man is removed from the line of scrimmage.
Zoo is simply going to send our 3 defensive linemen and our 3 inside linebackers blitzing to the 6 inside gaps up front (A, B, C gaps on both sides). You can use any normal line stunt and the Zoo call for a play that is highly aggressive and cheap to install.You could also use a Zoo X Blitz coupled with the Jacks line stunt. This tells the two backers blitzing A and B together to cross, exchanging gaps and adding even more pressure.With the Free Safety in this blitz, I like to walk him down to 7 yards as the Backers are prowling up. On the snap he is keying the running back for a pass release. If he gets run, he can fit up into the play faster. If he gets a pass set by the back, he can blitz-engage.
Double Edge Fire
A great blitz for bringing heavy double edge pressure is to bring the two Outside Linebackers (sometimes called the spur and bandit, or overhang safeties) and the Mike Linebacker. Couple this with a pinch stunt out of the Defensive Line and you have a really effective blitz.
Note that you may want to be able to check this blitz against 10 personnel formations because you may want one of your OLBs to handle man coverage on a speed player who is split out.
Single Edge Attack
A final way to bring a 6 man pressure is to bring all of the speed from one side. We can bring the OLB, Inside Backer and Middle Linebacker coupled with a slant away from where we are bringing the pressure.
From a shear numbers disadvantage you will usually want to bring this from the weak side. If you get aTrips formation when you are trying to bring this type of pressure from the strong side, you will be forced to check out of it.
Another good way to use this blitz is to use the pressure from the Boundary side, meaning the short side of the field, when the ball is on the Hash. This will also let your Free Safety get down a little later against all but Trips formations, with relatively little room for the #2 Receiver weak to create separation.
