Defending Compressed Flexbone Formations

Here is a support change up used by Houston this season. The typical expectation is a Corner down at the LOS is going to be cloud support with the Corner being force, keeping outside arm/leg free, and playing pitch on option.

The Cougars show a defensive alignment that looks like cloud support but plays an interesting change up instead.

With the FB lead blocking the offense has numbers on the edge. If the corner had played a force technique here the FB would have been able to get a kick out block allowing the QB to attack off the end of the LOS inside the kick out and gain yards. Instead the corner knifes across the face of the FB to play the QB forcing the QB's path to flatten and widen. The Safety is able to overlap the knifing corner for the pitch. 

Houston later uses the same knife technique by the corner against a toss.

The compressed formation sets up the angles for a crack arc scheme on the edge. The DE is cracked while the arc looks to kick out the force player in this case what looks like cloud support. Again the corner knifes across the face of the block avoiding the arc to make the tackle. The Safety again overlaps outside the corner. 

Nice support change up against the compressed formation by Houston and Defensive Coordinator Doug Belk. Good concept to have in the playbook for flexbone schemes.

Stacking Linebackers & Changing Support vs. the Flexbone

The Clemson defense is spaced in a 3-4 defense with the ILB's stacked and a 2 high safety shell.

By stacking the ILB's Clemson can get both backers quickly to the side of the option. 

When the LBs are aligned in a traditional 3-4 spacing the back side guard has  a reasonable angle to zone up to the back side ILB. The block by the back side guard slows the pursuit and play side run fit of the backer even if the ILB sheds the block effectively.

The same block is more difficult for the guard when the LB is in the stacked alignment. The ILB is flowing play side too quickly and the angle for the guard is too extreme for the block to be effective.

The stacked backers helps even the numbers for the defense. In this case the offense is presenting 6 blockers and can option a 7th defender on a dual option play. The defense now has 7 defenders. If the defense lost the extra LB (cut off by the back side guard for example), the offense would be advantaged with 6 blockers for 6 defenders and the ability to option one of the defenders.

Georgia Tech is blocking for 6 defenders and optioning the 7th (Sam). The QB is keeping or pitching off the Sam backer's reaction.

This is where the perimeter support comes into play. The defense has choices of who will be the pitch player on the option. The Safety, Corner, or OLB could all fill that role.

In this diagram the support is a safety support (Safety playing pitch). On paper the offense has good angles to get the defense blocked.

In this diagram the support is a corner support. Again the offense has good angles to block the support players.

In this clip the Georgia defense stems to a stacked backer alignment pre-snap and plays a corner support. The OLB plays the QB, when the ball is pitched. GT's edge blocking has the Corner (pitch player) blocked with the arcing slot.

Clemson elected to play Backer support instead.

The OLB plays laterally for the pitch while the Safety fits inside in the alley. The arc block of the slot makes the angle to block the safety difficult.

By changing up the support, Clemson has the advantage on the edge. Clemson played multiple fronts and supports in the game to keep GT off balance. Good stuff from Coach Venables and the Tigers. 

Flexbone Play Action Passes

A couple of examples of play action pass (PAP) from the Navy offense.

Navy is using a double slot formation with the WR snugged down with tight splits.  The slot to the side of the action does a nice job selling a seal block on the LB before running his crossing route.

This route is designed to attack coverage rotation with the option action. The back side rotation safety is in a bind with both an action side vertical threat and the delaying slot on the crossing route. 

The next route is from a tackle over unbalanced formation.

The route ends up a 4 receiver release to the weak side. The route concept spaces well to stress the coverage. The QB does a good job off the play fake of setting up in the pocket created by the unbalanced OL. Unbalanced formation tend to heavy run, this play is a reminder flexbone teams do have PAP from the unbalanced formations.

These are well designed concepts from the Navy offense and ones be aware of if you are defending a flexbone team next season. 

Flexbone vs. 4i Odd Front

Here is an example of Georgia Tech running option scheme at a 3-4 odd front structure with DE's in 4i's from Georgia.

Both midline and veer option have challenges against the 4i aligned DE's. That doesn't mean flexbone teams are out of options.

Arc option

Arc option is similar to veer option only the playside OT is arc blocking instead of inside releasing (veer) to the LB. The 4i aligned DE makes the veer release by the OT impossible.

Here GT arcs the OT this makes the 4i DE the Dive key and the OLB (Jack) the pitch key. If the 4i widens with the arc of the OT the QB will give the dive.

The perimeter blocking is a crack arc scheme. The Arc block (OT) is blocking the alley defender. In this case the Safety is coming down. The WR is reading the Corner. If the corner triggers to the alley the WR will crack the safety and allow the Arc (OT) to block the alley player. Since the Corner stays wide the WR blocks the Corner.

Good play design from Paul Johnson and good execution from the Yellowjackets. This is a play to prepare for if you run 4i DE in the odd front and expect to see a flexbone option offense this season.