Slant and Angle with Split Field Coverage

SLANT AND ANGLE

 When you think of the 50 defense with a slant and angle package it's almost impossible not to think of Michigan and Coach Schembechler.  I started out as a 3-4 guy and used a ton of slant and angle stuff to get some movement with undersized kids and make the defense a 1 gap philosophy.  The only problem I had was I always played Cover 3 behind it and rolled a safety down opposite the movement.  That left me with an 8 man box vs. 2 back Pro I teams and I wanted to recreate the 9 man box that 1/4 1/4 1/2 coverage gave me.  About two years ago I switched over to the 425 scheme and I have never looked back.  The problem with the 425 is it can get a little "STATIC" by nature if you do not move enough to protect it.  My coaching mentor Joe Delgais always said to me "Hey Mac ever notice why at every clinic offensive coaches draw all their stuff up to even fronts?"  His point was almost every coach can block the standard even front.  Now I move a bunch in the 425 and I have also built in a 3-3 stack package and a 3-4 Dime package to create more confusion for the offensive line and offensive coordinator.

DON'T BE AFRAID TO BE DIFFERENT

I wanted to come up with something that allowed me to slant angle but also play my base 1/4 1/4 1/2 coverages behind it.  The traditional way always had you slanting to the field, or the boundary, or the tight, or the split, or the back. The problem with that for me was I never knew what formation I was getting so I always played standard Cover 3 with a roll down safety replacing the OLB that went with the front. So I came up with a Dime Slant and Angle Package that allowed me to Slant based on formation so I could always set my base coverage behind it.  It is a complete trade off for me in that I can always play my base coverage behind it, but I can't choose as many elaborate ways to slant.  I'm OK with that because this is a change up for me not a base package.  It is used to protect my even front 425 package.

WHY NOT ADD 1 MORE

As I mentioned earlier this is a Dime package for me.  I am going to remove my 3 Technique and add another safety.  I never change sides in my 3-4 package.  I will always leave the exact same players on the exact same sides regardless of formation.  Now I know there are some people that will get upset with that but it's OK for me, this is my team right!!! By adding a safety I can now play any version of my base coverages to any set the offense gives me.  Please keep in mind this is used predominantly vs spread offenses.  The concept is very simple, I will send the down safety from the side with the least amount of receivers and slant away from him.  If i get a 2x2 set I will always come from the right because that is the side of my Will LB who is used to hipping himself out to play Palms or 2 Read or Blue whichever term you are comfortable with.

If you look at the above diagram you can see a standard twins open 2 back set.  We will bring the safety from the single receiver side and slant the front away from that safety.  I can now play 2 Read to the FS side and Sky or Cloud to the Away side. This gets me right back to a 6 man box with a post snap 3 and 5 Tech and a 1 and 5 Tech.  Now your ILB's have to be smart enough to understand the open gap in front of them for their fits, not difficult.

If we get a 2x2 set we will always send the Right Down safety because that is the side the Will LB is on, and he is used to hipping out to handle #2 removed.  You can now play 2 Read or Robber to the FS side and 2 Read, Man, or Squat and halves to the away side.

Now take a look at 3x1.  We will send the down safety from the single receiver side and move the front away from him.  Because I have an extra safety in the game I can play my standard special coverage to the trips side and still play bracket Sky or Cloud to the single.  You could play Solo to trips if you wanted as well.