Day: October 26, 2020

Categories
Chicago Bears Football Concepts

Bears/Rams Part 2: X and O possibilities of the Bears halting the Rams

The premise that has come and gone but is common throughout most levels of football are zone runs. All the linemen block to the left or right, and how the back attacks it determines the run. Apparently, in the past 15 years, the QB can keep the ball and run the other way, similar to the old timey option. As for straight handoff, the big hitting runs come on cut backs by the running back. Teams run boots and play action off this, OR you can run quick hitting RPO’s for short gains too. The sneakiest thing about a well run zone team, is that they can have a running back be very successful that no one has heard of until that season. (Raheem Mostert, 49ers 2020. Mike Anderson, Broncos, 2000).

The idea is that their are usually 5 linemen (in this case 6) to occupy an equal amount of defenders. Teams like to spread people out, then run up inside with this.
Ignore all the fancy circles and arrows, as I didn’t make this. But, it shows the different paths the back can take depending on the blocking. This concept is different from GAP schemes like power and counter, where the back only has one direction to go.

Remember that one time the Bears stopped the Rams?

Old Coaches know old things

In 2018 on a brisk Sunday night, former Bears DC Vic Fangio came up with this tactic allegedly dating back to the 1950s. Other noted defensive savants, who are famous for making unpredictable adjustments, hint hint nudge nudge, used this in the Super Bowl against the Rams. The Fangio/Belichick lab creation brought 6 D lineman down to cover all the gaps when the Rams try to run their wide outside zone. The DB’s stayed back in zone, and then flowed to the run game to clean up. The zone they sat back in in quarters allowed them to absorb deep routes, and having ends way out on the edge didn’t allow the jet motion to make them move their safeties around, which stayed static, and didn’t give Goff much to read.

Okay, without losing your shit, the Bears (AND Pats) put 6 guys on the line of scrimmage like when you played in junior high. The premise was to have a defender in the C Gap (outside the tackle) immediately, who could then set the edge and hopefully negate outside zone.

Here are two modern ways that aren’t from the 1950’s

What else can the Bears do, as these cluster formation out of trips become more popular? Here are some ideas from another blog I check out on occasion. Coach has graciously allowed me to steal a pic or two with a description. Here is the link: https://coachkoufootball.blogspot.com/2020/10/defending-bunch-and-condensed-formations.html?m=0

Some issues with man defense, and why people play zone, is that the linebacker in the middle, CAN’T get out and cover that back when receivers are running right at him and or threatening him vertically.
In these stacked formations, teams want to run crossing routes and set “legal picks”. If defenses sit back in zone, some body will get cut off, so staying back in zone is likely the best bet. The closest guy to the middle receiver will play man, the other two will play zone and sit back and wait for the route.

I will now use words and a mouse to tell you sports

Both videos will use play action out of a bunch set. the first will involve an inside zone fake fun like we learned earlier, and the second will involve motion jet motion in a similar scenario. Bear freakin’ Down!

The Rams will use tight formations to use old timey drop back play action. Shit, it gets ’em yards.