Inside Zone vs 3-4 Pressure Teams

How to equate numbers to run inside zone vs a 3-4 Defense with attacking OLBS

[@baldman54]

As a defensive coordinator, who has played in or coached the 50 defense for 15 years, I can tell you that the option play he drew up at the 14:00 mark is scary! This is brilliant. I have some details to clean up, and I have some things to share with my offensive coordinator

[@CoachMac]

Lots of things look good on a whiteboard!!!!

[@kbeatty5150]

Thanks Coach I Appreciate it! 20 personal was a great package for us this year. Our base run was Power and secondary was Inside Zone with multiple reads. When we played a 3-4 scheme that aligned similar to what you drew up we ran the Toss play to hit the perimeter out of multiple 20 personnel formations.

[@CoachMac]

Love 20, think it has so much variety. Toss schemes are beautiful.

[@wmcdougle]

Awesome video, and pretty damn timely. This is an issue we are facing In our new conference. Bigger faster stronger kids are destroying our 2x2 and 3x1 looks because we can’t protect enough to even get the ball out to the perimeter. This is something I’ve been thinking about for a few weeks, but from a personnel standpoint we are struggling. I fear that we are too deep into the season to switch course even though I feel strongly that we should.

[@CoachMac]

1 Back can become very dude dependent and when you are out gunned it makes for long nights. I'm a huge advocate of 20 personnel.

[@Teddypain20]

Once again excellent video coach!!! Been wondering how others block inside zone against a 3-4.

[@PhillyEaglesFanatic]

Coach Mac, Around 14:56, you talked about arcing the tackle for the rush. What about having the h-back same side as the back, and having them read the will, and the QB reads the rush? That way, if they happen to run some type of scrape exchange, the will's outside action is handled when the QB pulls. With the h-back, im thinking they read the will and block accordingly; if the will goes outside, h-back arcs. If the will sits, shoots the gap, or goes playside, the h-back goes after them through the b gap.

[@CoachMac]

You could certainly do it that way

[@PhillyEaglesFanatic]

@@CoachMac Thanks for the fast reply!

[@bryanschaumloffel1454]

Another great video coach.

[@zyye]

yeet, epic video bro. help alot. you're a radical dude

[@gregwoodard02]

Out of 2x2 vs the 3-4 front with 4i techniques and tight OLBs, you can kick out both 4i techs with the guards, fold both tackles inside to the ILBs, and have the center base the nose. Have the RB key the nose and hit the opposite A gap. Give it every time unless you're going to hit a quick screen.

[@CoachMac]

I love this idea, just have to be aware of ILBS blitzing which gives the TUG(tackle under guard) scheme some problems.

[@gregwoodard02]

I'm glad you like it. And you're right. No play is going to work every time.

[@JasonSmith-nb7pf]

Done this as well. I liked it bc most of those 3-4 teams assume you have to double the nose to get any inside run game going, so having an A gap run that can get you 4-5 yards without have to double the nose really puts questions in the mind of the DC.

[@smafitness4698]

We did this some real success against a tough 3-4 team. We added an RPO with it, sending the back in motion to the flat and having qb either throw the flat route or him run the ball. The qb would read call side inside.

[@TCook-yi4wu]

Just faced 6a number one team in Illinois. Exactly what we faced offensively. 20 personnel killed us with inside zone. H back was triggering but it didn't help. Fits were bad. Like you said their dogs were better than ours.

[@CoachMac]

Tough to win those matchups unless they beat themselves.

[@JasonSmith-nb7pf]

Also if you do bring in a hip/sniffer/TE to even up the box and start to have success running the ball, it will force those 3-4 teams who typically like to play 2 Read or Quarters to have to completely change their defensive structure to bring an extra hat into the run game. Now you're forcing the defense to make decisions about who they want to bring in the box, which CB needs more help in coverage, how do they get him that help, do they need to change the front, etc. At that point, you've severely limited their coverage schemes and they're not comfortable with the ones they do have. Hit a few 1 high beaters, and now they're really in trouble.

[@PlatformSportsLeague]

Good Stuff Coach!

[@coachs.keator3862]

I like it Mac...

[@CoachMac]

Thanks boss

[@adamwalker214]

Hey coach great video, coach do you ever read the 4i and block out on the wide edge guy? If you can block the nose with center, the PSG gets right to the backer and you get a great seem on a pull read.

[@williamvanduzer3742]

Coach, Thank you for the awesome informative video of not just x's and o's, but also philosophy and mindset. So against a 3 front, or 5 front in this case, do you always push inside zone to the front side where you are scooping the nose with the backside guard?

[@CoachMac]

We would try to but if the backside tackle cant get to the Will you will have some issues,

[@johnellwoodtaylor4769]

Throw the bubble screen or a post out will combination until they get out of that formation.

[@CoachMac]

Good thought, have to have success doing it

[@craigseaman4275]

Great stuff, are you not a TE guy because you never have the dudes or you are just not a TE guy period?

[@CoachMac]

Don’t feel like we would be efficient enough coaching that position

[@craigseaman4275]

@@CoachMac thanks for the quick reply. I do love what you do in 20 personnel

[@joegigandet1415]

This is Gold. 5 vs 7 is tough to run on. And most of the time a bad idea. I wish our team was open to post snap RPOs. We do have access throws at lesst