I know this is a culturally specific Idea and is possibly only interesting to followers of the sport, but I'll try and define things so that someone vaguely familiar can follow along.
(If you already know most of that stuff, I have put a line of asterixs in for you to skip down to).
Basics:
In American
football, 6 of 11 players on offense are allowed to touch the ball (odd exceptions exist where more can, but are rarely used).
Various alignments of players are used by coaches to try and match up stronger players against weaker players and one of them that is in vogue right now is called the Spread Offense.
The Spread Offense basically spreads 4 or 5 of the eligible (allowed to touch the ball) players acrossed the width of the field in order to get 1 on 1 coverage match ups and allow the offensive players to make plays in open space. If the defense aligns incorrectly, it is usually exploited.
The fact that the skill players are in open space has lately made this a difficult offense to defend.
On the Defense, the Dime package indicates 6 players responsible for covering the offensive skill players (leaving only 5 players assigned to get to the ball where it currently is). It is usually used when the offense is expected to have most of it's skill players attempting to receive a long pass.
There are also terms like Cover 2, Cover 1, and Cover 0 which indicate a defense where defenders are not assigned a player to cover, but instead cover areas of the field and help the players with assignments in coverage to prevent long down field pass completions. Cover 2 indicates 2 defenders, 1 = 1, and 0 indicates there is no help. Cover 0 is risky because with enough time, even the best defenders can be beaten.
A Blitz is also risky, but can be rewarding. It involves a player whom the offense thinks has a coverage responsibility not being responsible for coverage, but instead running with abandoned trying to tackle the person with the ball.
I will try and show some of this graphically:
(x)___________0 0 [] 0 0______________(x)
____(x)__________________________(x)
________________(X)__(x)
The graphic I made indicates a common alignment for a spread offense. The (x) players are eligible to receive the ball, either by it being pitched forward, backward, or handed to them. The (X) indicates the quarterback who usually does the distribution and the (x) to his right is a running back who often is handed the ball and runs through or around the big guys on defense. The [] player is the person who starts the play by pushing the ball backwards to the quarterback and the "o" players job is to try and prevent defenders from getting to the person with the ball - they are the Big Guys.
A defense typically would look like:
___(S)______________________(S)
(C)_______(LB)__(LB)__(LB)_______(C)
________(L)__(L)___(L)__(L)
0_________0__0__[]__0__0__0
________________0________________0
________________0
________________0
(I know, I drew a more standard type Offense, but the typical defensive alignment are probably better shown that way).
The (L) players are Big Guys who try to get to where the ball is as fast as they can. They have specific names, but I just used (L) for Lineman to simplify.
The (LB) players (Linebackers) are pretty Big, but more manuverable and follow where the players with the ball are going trying to prevent them from gaining yards.
The (C) players (Corners) are usually assigned to cover the offensive skill players, but in some cases they cover an area instead.
The (S) players (Safeties) are usually assigned to cover an area and are the last resort for the defense if the offensive player with the ball gets through or around the Line & Linebackers.
**************************
My Idea to stop the Spread offense is a Dime Cover 0 with one or two blitzers - usually 2.
C__S___C3___________LB___C4__S__C
_________DE__DT___DT__DE
(x)________0__0__[]__0__0_______(x)
__(x)________________________(x)
________________(X)__(x)
The C,S,& C3/C4 (Corner and Safty) are in man to man coverage on both sides of the formation. The extra Corners are not there to cover and will Blitz except in a certain situation.
If the offense's Tackles (the Linemen furthest away from the Center) jump out ignoring the Defensive Ends (DE), the DE is to Blitz and the extra Corners are to pick up the End's lane assignment.
If the Tackles block they end, I figure the quarterback has a maximum of 1.5 seconds to get the snapped ball, decide where to throw the ball, and execute the decision. This is not very much time to do this and also not enough time for receivers to get open.
I figure that in most cases, the Running back will be forced to block one of the blitzing corners and that's ok with me as it takes him out of the play as a receiver and I still have one unblocked blitzer. In the event he does not block, but instead runs out of the backfield to get open, I have the single Linebacker there to shadow him.
The Defensive linemen in this scheme are not to pass rush! They are to acheive contact with their offensive counterparts and maintain a presence in that position to make quick runs in the middle of the field a losing proposition - due to the Linebacker in the middle, narrow running lanes and the blitzing corners coming from behind.
The only solution to the defense, as I see it, is a quarterback draw right up the middle behind the center directly after the snap. In the event that this play starts becoming successfull, I figure Interior Defensive Line shifts will present difficulties for even this and if not, One of those blitzing cornerbacks can be on a delayed blitz - first reading for the QB Draw.
I'm curious if anyone can find any huge flaws in this defense.
(Thanks).