This time of year, coaches around the NFL are re-evaluating their schemes, adding new wrinkles for the season ahead. Last week, we talked offensive football and focused on five concepts that we need to see more on NFL Sundays. Today, let's flip over to the defensive side of the ball and run the same drill. From bringing all-out heat inside the 15-yard line to combination man coverages that take receivers out of the game, here are five defensive schemes that put offenses in a tough spot.
Red zone zero-man
Playing Cover 1 inside of the deep red zone looks great on the chalkboard with the free safety in a position to close the middle of the field. But when the ball is snapped, that free safety might as well go into the stands and grab a hot dog. You're playing 10-on-11 now with the free safety just covering grass.
Remember, the field shrinks -- dramatically -- when the ball gets inside of the 15. And the speed of the game increases. One false step and you take yourself out of the play as a free safety. One "look-off" from a Brady, Brees or Rodgers and you are toast. In reality, there is a small window of opportunity to even impact the play in true Cover 1 as a middle-of-the-field defender inside the red zone.
Now, you want to use that free safety as a "rover" who drops down inside of the hash marks? Yeah, that sells. The same with coaching up the free safety to jump inside crossing routes. But as that static over-the-top, middle-of-the-field guy? Forget about it. You need a new plan.
That new plan is zero-man. Bring the heat and play blitz-man coverage (inside leverage). Force the ball to come out and tell that quarterback he has to speed up the process before he takes a shot from an unblocked rusher. Now you are dictating the tempo to the offense. And now you have the advantage.