Attacking the 4-4 Stack- Coach Scott Jazdzewski

We have faced alot of teams that have tried to put 8 men in the box against us in an attempt to make it difficult for us to run out option game. We see alot of the 4-4 cover 3 look, with the defensive tackles and inside linebackers stacked in an attempt to confuse our blockers.

In stacking the inside defenders the defense is trying to take away midline to both sides of the field. By doing so the defense weakens itself to defending inside veer, as well as rocket toss, our counter off of inside veer, any play actions off of either inside veer or rocket toss, and four verticals.

To block inside veer against this look, the play side tackle will rip inside the 5 technique to the stacked linebacker. The guard will reach the 2 technique. If the teams likes to change their gap responsibilities quite a bit we will have the tackle step down hard inside to combo the stack. If the 2 technique has B gap then the tackle will have him and the guard will have the A gap stacked linebacker. We have seen the linebacker have the B gap most often however. The slot will load block the ILB to the FS. The playside split end will stalk the corner. The center, backside guard and tackle will all scoop playside. The fullback will take his path off the outside cheek of the guard and look to hug the wall off of the playside tackle and guard.The QB will now read the 5 technique for give, and the OLB for pitch. Diagram 1

If the 5 technique likes to squeeze hard in an attempt to knock the tackle off his path, we can still get the ILB blocked with the slot. The QB will then pull ONLY if the 5 technique can tackle the diveback. He will still read the OLB for pitch. Now the only player unaccounted for is the FS. If the free safety vacates the middle to start running the alley for pitch, we will run play action off inside veer action to take advantage of his aggressive play. We will run the slot on a 9 route (Go, vertical) and the backside split end on an 8 route (post). Diagram 2

Diagram 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diagram 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We can also run rocket toss to either side. The PST will rip outside the 5 technique and look to block the OLB. The play side SE will push crack the FS. The slot will kick out the corner. The PSG will pull inside the tackles path and look to seal the 2nd level. Everyone else on the line will scoop to 2nd level. If the PST cannot block the OLB, then we can change the blocking scheme and have the slot block the OLB, the play side SE stalk the corner, and have the PST pull and help seal the inside. Again this leaves the FS unblocked, but if he starts vacating the middle to run the alley, then we will again hit him with play action to keep him in the deep middle. Diagram 3

Diagram 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We can also run our counter to inside veer. The QB will fake the give to the F, the FB will fill and block the 5 tehcnique. The PST will block just like inside veer except he will cross the face of the ILB and block his opposite shoulder. The BST and BSG will block on/down, therefore the tackle will block the backside ILB, and the BSG will stay on the 2 technique. The center will block back for the pulling guard. The wing will take his normal motion path, then plant and take the easiest path to block any second level defender outside the B gap, in this case the OLB. Against a 4-3 cover 2 structure the wing will block the Will backer in the backside B gap. The PSG will pull and kick out the 5 technique. If the 5 technique squeezes hard he will log him. The slot will take two steps upfield, then take an underneath handoff from the QB, and read the guards block on the 5 technique.

After a steady does of inside veer this play becomes explosive. The backside defenders begin to get lazy and fall asleep. The FS becomes overly conscious of the ISV. We have been able to hit this for big yardage in key situations during a game, based on the number of times we run inside veer. Diagram 4

Diagram 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We can also run lead option at this defensive structure. This play REALLY becomes big if the 5 technique is pinching hard, because it makes the job of the PST and the slot that much easier. The QB will get depth off the line and step at 7 o'clock so he can attack the OLB on a downhill angle. He will attack the inside shoulder of the OLB to make him commit to take the QB. If he does not commit to tackle the QB, the QB will keep the ball. He will only pitch if the pitch key turns his shoulders inside to tackle the QB. The playside SE will crack the FS. The FB will kick out the corner, and the wingback becomes the pitchback. Diagram 5

We have also made a slight blocking adjustment to this depending on the strength of our opponent, by releasing the slot on the overhang player, and sending the PST inside to block the ILB, we then pitch off the 5 technique.

Diagram 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The basic passing game consideration I would give is to throw four verticals against a cover three team. If the defense attempts to wall one of the slotbacks on their vertical release with the OLB, then an easy adjustment would be to send the FB on a swing route to that side, and just dump him the football. A defense should never be able to sit in cover three against a flexbone team.

This article is not meant to be comprehensive. If we saw this type of defensive strucuture this would be our preliminary plan to attack this type of defense. Each of the plays describe will take advantage of how the defense is aligned and how it will be forced to react based on our initial actions with the football.Games are won and lost with adjustments, but if the defense fails to adjust to you, and they stay in this defensive look, you now have a basis to attack the 4-4 stack.

 

Coach Jazdzewski has coached football for 7 years in Wisconsin and Arizona. To discuss this article please visit the following link.