Stopping the spread

A

arkiehusker

Four-Star Recruit
OK I have a question for all you football gurus. Most spread offenses are about timing, and throwing the ball to a certain place at a certain time. Why don't teams run more of a press type coverage to try and disrupt the timing. It puts your d backs closer to the line for run support and for disguising blitzes.

I know that I get paid tons of money to coach on the D1 level, :sarcasm but I was just wondering why it isnt tried very often. :dunno

 
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Same reason teams in the NFL don't run the spread. In college, it's hard for DB's to play man on man close to the ball. In the NFL, they have DB's that can stop a spread dead in its tracks. Can you imagine a vertically challenged DB trying to play press man on man coverage against a 6'4 or so RB? In order to put the pressure on the QB and disrupt timing, you have to blitz the LB's rather than have them drop in zone coverage. By doing this, you have opened up the middle of the field. If the DB's are covering tight man on man and the field is open up the middle, a misdirection run will be open for several yards.

 
IMO, you need to have excellent corners to run a press like that. If your corner biffs a play and you're pressing hard, a 5 yard slant turns into a 60 yard TD. For us, to be fully honest, I do not think we've got the skill right now to do that. We need try and minimize the damage against spread offenses and take our chances when they make mistakes (which happens plenty). We also need to pressure the quarterback as much as possible, which will disrupt timing. The problem is some of those spreads run a three step drop and then the ball is gone on a lot of plays...hard to pressure the qb when that happens. But there are always chances, you just have to spot them or be a good DC and predict them (Bo is certainly capable of that).

 
Putting pressure on the QB is very difficult with the spread. Almost all pressure must come from the D-line. The LBs need to defend the middle of the field and the secondary cannot let anyone get behind them. Tackling is always important but even more so when trying to stop the spread. The D-lineman also need to get their hands up.

 
Sure tackling and pressure the QB. Spreads are all about short passes and RBs in space, and getting yards after catch. Most passing plays in most spreads are short outs and bubble screens.

 
as it applies to us... I dont think we can stop the spread right now. I would try to hit the QB as much as possible(like last game) and try to get TO. we will have to outscore teams that run it. I think by mid season next year we will have a very experienced group of DB that will be able to handle it better.

 
EbylHusker said:
IMO, you need to have excellent corners to run a press like that. If your corner biffs a play and you're pressing hard, a 5 yard slant turns into a 60 yard TD. For us, to be fully honest, I do not think we've got the skill right now to do that. We need try and minimize the damage against spread offenses and take our chances when they make mistakes (which happens plenty). We also need to pressure the quarterback as much as possible, which will disrupt timing. The problem is some of those spreads run a three step drop and then the ball is gone on a lot of plays...hard to pressure the qb when that happens. But there are always chances, you just have to spot them or be a good DC and predict them (Bo is certainly capable of that).
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AND get the Dline to get their hands up if they can't get to the QB - even if they don't get all of the team's interceptions it could disrupt the timing as much as pressing the corners

 
huKSer said:
EbylHusker said:
IMO, you need to have excellent corners to run a press like that. If your corner biffs a play and you're pressing hard, a 5 yard slant turns into a 60 yard TD. For us, to be fully honest, I do not think we've got the skill right now to do that. We need try and minimize the damage against spread offenses and take our chances when they make mistakes (which happens plenty). We also need to pressure the quarterback as much as possible, which will disrupt timing. The problem is some of those spreads run a three step drop and then the ball is gone on a lot of plays...hard to pressure the qb when that happens. But there are always chances, you just have to spot them or be a good DC and predict them (Bo is certainly capable of that).
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AND get the Dline to get their hands up if they can't get to the QB - even if they don't get all of the team's interceptions it could disrupt the timing as much as pressing the corners
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:yeah

Or grab the QB by the face mask and swing him around since Big 12 Refs never call that. <_<

 
Ohio Pete said:
huKSer said:
EbylHusker said:
IMO, you need to have excellent corners to run a press like that. If your corner biffs a play and you're pressing hard, a 5 yard slant turns into a 60 yard TD. For us, to be fully honest, I do not think we've got the skill right now to do that. We need try and minimize the damage against spread offenses and take our chances when they make mistakes (which happens plenty). We also need to pressure the quarterback as much as possible, which will disrupt timing. The problem is some of those spreads run a three step drop and then the ball is gone on a lot of plays...hard to pressure the qb when that happens. But there are always chances, you just have to spot them or be a good DC and predict them (Bo is certainly capable of that).
Click to expand...
AND get the Dline to get their hands up if they can't get to the QB - even if they don't get all of the team's interceptions it could disrupt the timing as much as pressing the corners
Click to expand...
:yeah

Or grab the QB by the face mask and swing him around since Big 12 Refs never call that. <_<
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The other thing is to make the recievers think twice about coming over the middle and catching the ball by laying them out every chance you get.

But the best way to defend the spread is to keep it off the field, run the ball and chew clock, and hope your D gets them in as many third and longs as possible.

 
arkiehusker said:
OK I have a question for all you football gurus. Most spread offenses are about timing, and throwing the ball to a certain place at a certain time. Why don't teams run more of a press type coverage to try and disrupt the timing. It puts your d backs closer to the line for run support and for disguising blitzes.

I know that I get paid tons of money to coach on the D1 level, :sarcasm but I was just wondering why it isnt tried very often. :dunno
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The main problem with that is that the spread is meant to take advantage of a mismatch. The offense runs it because they feel their wr/te/rb is better than the other teams cb/safety/lb. Like others have said you have to have great cover corners and great defensive personel as a whole. If not there will always be someone open.

CU tried this against MU last year and if I remember correctly MU had big plays over the top 5 or 6. CU could not match up and MU went over the top all day.

The best way to stop it is to make your tackles. Keep the play in front of you and limit the YAC.

Really the truth is, it is very hard to stop the really good ones. And chances are they are going to score. So you have to try and create TO's, make sure tackles and limit your mistakes.

***EDIT***, I looked up the plays from the MU/Cu game and 3 times MU had scoring pass plays of 20 or more yards. Threw for 400+ yrds, avg'ed 16 yrds a completion and had 5 recievers that had a catch of 25 yrd or longer.

 
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Ebyl hit the point pretty well.

I think the key for Nebraska to stopping the spread (especially Texas Tech and Mizzou who concentrate more on passing than running) is to put pressure on the QB. However, the front four definitely needs to step up and try to get pressure on the QB without sending linebackers. Most likely, the offense would then switch to short passes such as quick slants and perhaps a screen or two. That's when you drop back an end into coverage to knock those quick passes down.

The key is to try and anticipate what the offense will do next and be proactive rather than reactive.

Football is like chess. Except much more exciting to watch.

 
Michael said:
Ebyl hit the point pretty well.

I think the key for Nebraska to stopping the spread (especially Texas Tech and Mizzou who concentrate more on passing than running) is to put pressure on the QB. However, the front four definitely needs to step up and try to get pressure on the QB without sending linebackers. Most likely, the offense would then switch to short passes such as quick slants and perhaps a screen or two. That's when you drop back an end into coverage to knock those quick passes down.

The key is to try and anticipate what the offense will do next and be proactive rather than reactive.

Football is like chess. Except much more exciting to watch.
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very true Michael. However MU is not the same spread as TT. Mu is pretty balanced and will take what you give them. If you drop back they run, if you stack they pass. TT is pretty one dimensional.

You are however spot on about mixing it up. Obviously from being a Tiger fan I know of examples from Tiger games, but if you stay the same and dont adjust MU will just keep running the same thing. perfect example was the Cotton Bowl. Arkansas took out their LBs and went with 8 and sometimes 9 DB's and dropped back. MU ran all game. CU stacked and pressed and MU threw all game. You have to keep them guessing

 
fro daddy said:
very true Michael. However MU is not the same spread as TT. Mu is pretty balanced and will take what you give them. If you drop back they run, if you stack they pass. TT is pretty one dimensional.
You are however spot on about mixing it up. Obviously from being a Tiger fan I know of examples from Tiger games, but if you stay the same and dont adjust MU will just keep running the same thing. perfect example was the Cotton Bowl. Arkansas took out their LBs and went with 8 and sometimes 9 DB's and dropped back. MU ran all game. CU stacked and pressed and MU threw all game. You have to keep them guessing
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Well yeah. I guess I didn't mean to compare the two in that aspect. I am well aware Texas Tech cannot run the ball. It usually gets shut down, and gets shut down early. They are very much a one-dimensional team which is why they will not win the South.

Mizzou, on the other hand, can run if they choose to do so. However, the offense is predicated on the pass. Mizzou uses the short pass kind of like a run and they tend to pass a fair amount on first down (or other downs where it may normally be considered a "running" down). They definitely have two-dimensions which is what makes them so tough to defend.

However, mixing up coverages and blitzes makes it tough on the offensive line and the QB making his reads. If you're expecting the DE to be coming after you and all of a sudden he's dropping back into coverage right where you were going to throw a quick slant, well...it causes problems. If anyone is going to beat Mizzou this year, they are going to have to create confusion.

 
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