Football 301

Excellent thread. So good I won't offer a pun.

 

From the looks of the the defensive assignments, it looked like it was a set to handle 5 receiver sets.

I actually don't know what a 46 is

 

4 down linemen and 6 DB's

 

Not exactly... 46 isn't in reference to 4 and six, it's a reference to whichever guy it was designed for in Buddy Ryan's defence.... his number was 46. Basically they have 4 linemen and 3 linebackers, but then bring a safety up into the box to basically act as a 4th backer. The blitz can come from any of the 4 guys, and any can drop into coverage.

 

Isn't that a Dime package?? there are 11 guys on the field...
4 linemen... 6DBs... and 1 LB

 

Mark has it right.

 

yep. The 46 isn't named for an alignment, it's just named.

The 46 ran off the idea of pressure coming from overloads. Ryan ran it pretty much with the idea of bringing two linebackers off one side. They ran it not unlike a 3-4 but with different blitz principles. It was pretty much the first defense to be flexible as far as lining up. They gave different looks, they gave different fronts, and it's hard to typify. On the other hand it's hard to find good personnel for it, and in the end it's not unlike running a sophisticated short passing game versus a strong running game. Too much of one makes it easy to stop but at least in a conventional run package you can be good enough to have success in obvious situations.

i.e. if you have to scrape for great personnel most every team has opted to do so for a 4-3 instead.

 

Dime package is 5 DB's I think

 

No Dime is 6 DBs... that's what I meant I thought he had mistake 46 for the term Dime Package... Nickel is 5 DBs... Easiest way to remember is 5-Nickel same as the coin and the other left is Dime

 

think that'd be free safety, Doug Plank

3 linemen line up opposite the 2 guards and center. the idea is to make it impossible to double the lineman over the center, which would be your strongest pass rushing lineman (e.g. Reggie White) that could collape a pocket.

no one lines up over the tackles, instead 2 defenders lineup outside each tackle with the intentions of straight-ahead, all-out speed rush of the QB. one of these lbs will drop and cover the TE. a great TE will help beat this defense.

corners are in man-to-man with only one safety to help, which is its biggest downside. the idea is to get to the QB before he has time to find an open receiver, which the Bears were extremely successful at doing.