Challenging and Eliminating An Isolated Wide Receiver Part I

By Ryan Jirgl, Defensive Coordinator

Whittier College

In today’s game we are exposed to many variations of air-raid and up tempo offenses. Scoreboards are being lit up at an incrible rate. The 2016 football season saw 58 NCAA Division I teams average over 30 points per game, all of which averaged over 10.0 yards per completion (NCAA.com). Clearly the game is changing and defensivley if we do not adapt, we will find ourselves on the wrong end of the scoreboard. The question being asked is, how are we able to become multiple post snap, while still looking very uniform pre snap? Offenses are finding a variety of ways to get their playmakers the ball, as they should. The game plan is centered around personnel and mismatches. How can an offense or a defense expose an opponents weakness, and then capitalize on it? What I would like to address is the isolation of a single wide receiver. This wide receiver could be a physical mismatch for the defensive back or based on a scheme, have the ability to create an offensive advantage. Regardless of personnel, defensive scheme and responsibilities, my goal is to provide mutliple answers while the core look of the defense does not change.

The first example of this is what we call a “Cop” adjustment. In our base 4-3 defensive scheme we are looking to help challenge the isolated wide receiver in a 3×1 formation. Typically in our 3×1 normal adjustment we install a loose man technique, with our weak side corner. This requires him to align 1×6 outside of the #1 receiver. He then has to establish inside leverage on the snap. This becomes man coverage as the corner is solely responsible for the #1 receiver. We align 1×6 outside, so we can look exactly like we do pre snap when playing our cover 2 concept. This allows us to be multi dimentional post snap. This can be seen below in Figure A.

Our “Cop” adjustment incorporates two players, the weak side corner and safety. We will need both these players to communicate and make the adjustment in order for us successfully execute this scheme. I will discuss the weak side corner portion of this adjustment first. With our “Cop” adjustment we have our weakside cornerback play a press man technique. Its vitally important that he starts in his base alignment, and then shows his press alignment late. Press man technique tells the weak side corner he is responsible for the #1 reciever. His man is his man throughout the play. The corner will align at the line of scrimmage, facing the wide reciever. This allows the defender to eliminate the short pass by not giving up any ground with a cushion. Additionaly, this adjustment and press alignment allows the defender to become more physical. His technique is to collision and jam the reciever, preventing him from gaining ground, and getting into his route. See Figure: B. This also helps throw off timing between quarterback and reciever, often causing the quarterback to go to the next option in his progression.

Now that our weak side corner is properly aligned and playing press man, we can now incorporate our “Cop” adjustment with our backside safety. In our defense that is the Rover. What is extremely important here is communication from our safety to our corner. There must be both verbal and not verbal communication between the two players. Typically in our 3×1 adjustment our Rover is our true post player. This player must cover ground in an effortless motion, plant, drive and break at multiple angles. With our “Cop” adjustment, our Rover is still a post player but must be able to help the weak side corner if the #1 receiver goes vertical. At the snap, the Rover is coached to pedal straight back while reading the backside #1 to the front side (3 WR side) looking for and post threat. The Rover should stay deep so he can play downhill on all routes. See Figures: C and D.

to be continued, part 2 will be posted tomorrow.