Quarters Coverage Zone Pressure

Here is an interesting zone pressure run by the NY Giants this season. Giants' Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo dialed up a non-traditional 4 man rush from a Dime personnel group and backed up the pressure with quarters coverage.

The Rush:
Nickel & Dime - Contain Rush
Mike & Nose - A gap, Inside rush lanes

The Coverage:
3 under 4 deep zone coverage

Corners & Safeties - Quarters
DE's - Attack the OT, Drop
Will - Show pressure, Drop

The bluff of the pressure by the Will LB attracts the attention of the RG which prevents the guard from being able to help with the rushing Dime. The attack and drop tech of the DE results in the OT blocking no one. 

Another factor in the success of the pressure is the usage of the Nickel and Dime as outside rushers. This pressure could easily be run from a traditional 3-4 personnel with OLB's filling the role of the contain rush. The OL reacts differently to OLB's as rush threats than they do to Nickel/Dime DB players. An OLB is a 50/50 or higher percentage chance of rushing the QB. A DB is much less likely to rush and the OL are less inclined to pass set to a DB aligned at or near the LOS.  

Good stuff from the Giants defense. This is a creative way to generate pressure while rushing 4 and playing quarters coverage on 3rd & 9.  

Atlanta Falcons' Nickel Zone Dog

Here is a zone dog rushing the nickel the Atlanta Falcons have busted out several times this season.

The Rush:

Nickel - Contain Rush

DT - Penetrate B gap

DE - Loop to A gap

DT - Inside Rush Lane

DE - Contain Rush

The Coverage:

3 Under 3 Deep Zone

The bluff of pressure by the Mike and Will linebackers helps control the pass protection of the Center and the RB.  

Here the bluffing Mike forces the set of the Center away from the pressure. The bluffing Will attracts the block of the RB. The result is a 3 on 2 leaving the Nickel unblocked.

Here the offense motions to empty. The Center sets away from the pressure to the initial threat of the bluffing LB's. Again the result is a 3 on 2 with an unblocked nickel.

Here the looping DE beats the redirecting guard. The DE pressures the QB into sliding off his launch point in the pocket.  The Nickel is accounted for by the TE. The looping DE affects the QB buying time for the Nickel to beat the TE 1 on 1. 

The pressure has yielded good results for Dan Quinn and the Falcons.

Dallas Cowboy Zone Dog

Here is an interesting 5 man dog from the Dallas Cowboys' Defensive Coordinator Rod Marinelli. 

The play starts in a standard 4-3 2 high safety shell look.

During the cadence the DL stems the Nose and DE into this look.

The Nose moved to a head up zero technique and the DE went from a wide alignment to head up on the OT.

The defense then stemmed a 2nd time into this look.

The Nose moved to a strong side 1 technique and the Sam backer walked up on to the LOS. The stemming by the defense allows the Cowboys to create a odd front structure and bring a 50 front type of pressure.

The Rush:
Sam & End - Contain Rush
End - Inside Rush
T&N - Delayed twist

The Coverage:
3 under 3 deep

The penetration of the Nose in the A gap forces the Center's shoulders to turn. The delay twist by the Tackle is able to loop tight and pressure the midline.

Using pre-snap stemming and DL alignments are creative ways to incorporate Odd front concepts into a base Even front defense.