The Future of Defenses

[LTtxfan 49016]

https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/11/14/defensive-schemes-rpos-mike-pettine-packers-naia-grand-view

Great article on new Defenses.... Includes info from the new DC at North Carolina Jay Bateman (Former Army DC)

 

The Search to Save NFL Defenses

 

QUICKLY

• As points come in unprecedented waves, NFL defensive minds look in unexpected places with hopes of sparking the counter-revolution

By CONOR ORR 

November 14, 2018

Ranch-style houses of red and tan brick border Grand View University, nestled into a leafy neighborhood a few minutes outside Des Moines. The morning quiet is sporadically broken by alert Pomeranians sprinting through doggy doors to bark at unfamiliar faces heading to class on the campus where, upon a whiteboard inside the athletic department’s facilities, you might find the dry-erase scribblings of defensive football’s future.

This is three days before an October game against Peru (Neb.) State College, and Travis Johansen, the GVU Vikings’ 35-year-old defensive coordinator, has his opponent’s personnel groupings laid out in front of him in the form of four neat diagrams. Grand View won the NAIA title in 2013, the year Johansen arrived, and his defense has been among the nation’s dozen best every full season since.

At this level, offensive play-callers are either padding their résumés by trying to put up as many points as possible . . . or they’re utilizing some obscure, decades-old offense as a means of survival. Teams change offenses on a whim, sometimes appearing at games with nothing they’ve shown on film.

“So, yeah,” says Johansen, leaning back in a chair behind his desk, “it’s a bitch.”

The evolution of offensive football—and the chaos it has wrought—has forced Johansen to develop some creative tactics and philosophies that have amplified his name in coaching circles, despite the fact that he isn’t much of an operator at clinics or networking events. Ask Matt Drinkall, architect of the high-powered Kansas Wesleyan offense that is currently averaging 54.3 points per game—good for only third in NAIA—if there’s any coach who could maybe slow down his offense, and he gives one name: Johansen.

At the highest levels of the sport, offensive records are in peril thanks to schemes that prey on established defensive principles in order to conflict defenders and create easier reads for quarterbacks. It’s an approach born, in part, from the increased influence of potent college offenses. “The game is being changed forever,” says Drinkall. “We’re in the eye of the storm as two sides of the ball fight it out. Who can continue to evolve?”

Even in the pros, rattled defensive coordinators and position coaches know they’re falling behind. Johansen used to share notes with at least one nearby NFL coaching staff, the kind of exchange that’s become common as new-age offenses trickle up from the lower levels. The hope among defenses is that the counter-revolution will emerge from similar obscurity.

To understand the war on defense, though, one must first understand the ways in which football has changed, on multiple fronts: physically, emotionally and legislatively. According to coaches across all levels, these are the rocks that have accumulated to form an avalanche:

• Recent rule changes make it harder and more costly to a) battle receivers in tight coverage downfield; b) deliver warning shots to receivers running free across the middle; c) combat the myriad legal offensive screens used to pick defensive players in man coverage; or d) hit the quarterback.

• The so-called Madden generation is uninterested in playing defense—or is perhaps just more interested in playing offense. Coaches are finding it harder to convince players to get excited about menial tasks like washing out an offensive tackle or engaging multiple linemen to free up a linebacker.

• Play-callers—most notably Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma—have successfully married the effectiveness of option football with pass-happy Air Raid systems. Even with a quarterback who’s a minimal run threat, teams have figured out that by utilizing open space and spreading defenses thin, all they need to do is conflict one defender who has both run and pass responsibilities. If the defender commits to the run, throw the slant into the spot he vacated. Or vice versa.

After years of marinating at the lower rungs of football, this offensive revolution has finally trickled up to the NFL; it is no longer taboo for coaches to borrow from these systems. Nine weeks into this season, the league was on pace for more points (48.1) and touchdowns (5.5) per game than in any postmerger season. That, says Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, is “stressful.” “As a defensive staff, this is our livelihood. We [watch] these offenses each week and we’re like, ‘All right, here we go again.’ ” (When presented with the scenario that offenses be even more refined a decade from now, Pettine’s outlook for the future of defense isn’t optimistic. “Hopefully,” he says, “I’m sitting on a beach somewhere with a cigar in one hand and a margarita in the other.”)

Between his stint as coach of the Browns, which ended in 2015, and his landing in Green Bay last winter, Pettine spent his downtime at the hips of major college defensive coordinators. Greg Schiano at Ohio State. Dave Aranda at LSU. It is perhaps why he’s so often name-checked as a coach who has made progress toward combatting the run-pass options (RPOs) that typify today’s offensive innovations.

Pettine prefers that his Packers stay out of zone coverages; he avoids putting players in situations where they have both a gap responsibility in the run game and a zone to defend in the pass, even if man coverage leaves them susceptible to picks and rubs; and he tends to rush players from non-traditional positions. He relies on Green Bay’s support staff for self-scouting each week, making sure his alignments don’t tip his hand, and he spends hours rearranging theoretical troops like an obsessive Risk player.

“You’re much better off,” says Pettine, “being proactive than reactive—especially reactive at halftime after you’ve been gutted and you’re wondering what happened.”

---

What have all those trips to college campuses turned up? At Grand View, Johansen’s approach is rooted in simplicity. He uses a micro playbook, about two pages long, that changes each week. Instead of forcing his entire working theory upon his defense, he arms players with only a few fundamental techniques that they’ll need for the upcoming game—simple maneuvers they’ll rep over and over during practice.

Keeping things simple allows the defense to stay flexible. Against RPO-based teams, for example, his defense may appear in what looks like a dime front (six defensive backs) when, in reality, it’s a balanced run D that swaps out slot corners for safeties who can assist against the ground game, like smaller linebackers. In other words: “position-less football,” says Johansen, who pulls up one concept, circles his safety and notes, “he’s anything from a defensive end to [a DB] playing Cover-0 in the slot.”

Those linebackers and defensive backs whom offenses are trying to manipulate with RPOs? Johansen teaches each one to treat the receiver in front of him like a sparring partner in a boxing ring. And he structures his defense, at times, with just three down linemen, each with the responsibility of widening the tackle box to prevent breakaway runs. Johansen is, in his words, “reinventing the defense” every week.

There’s a tinge of desperation to Johansen’s tinkerings, like those of a commander whose battalion is under constant siege. Talk to enough defensive coordinators and you’ll notice that many refer to their units as some kind of overmatched rebel outfit. Appropriately, one of the most resourceful defensive generals works at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Jay Bateman stunned the college football world in September when his game plan helped Army take then No. 5 Oklahoma to overtime, despite an overwhelming disadvantage in personnel. But to those in the know, Bateman’s prowess as a defensive coordinator was old news. Last offseason a parade of coaches traveled up the Hudson River to study the 

Black Knights’ tactics.

Bateman’s philosophy, like Johansen’s at Grand View, requires the mastery of only a few simple concepts. Those are then folded into the weekly game plan and adjusted after input from players. Film cut-ups are texted to each cadet’s phone on Monday, with the requirement that he reply to Bateman with two unique observations.

The one constant week-to-week: “Everyone is a blitzer,” says Bateman. “A kid is a defensive end—well, now he’s a linebacker, or a strong safety. How does a quarterback declare him? [Their offense will] start blocking guys that aren’t even rushing, and not block guys who are.” From this, Army employs six different blitzes, but Bateman runs them out of dozens of personnel packages, which he says forces offensive coordinators to spend twice the normal time in preparation.

Bateman says the biggest concern he’s heard from visiting NFL coaches about this kind of multiplicity is that it requires immense brain power from the safeties in charge of lining everyone up and from the corners memorizing the coverages. Bateman’s solution is to have his defense operate as a collection of grouped special forces. They use one-word calls, the first letter of which pertains to a specific position group, alerting players as to who is blitzing. Linebackers, for example, might be assigned an S-word—so if the call is “spider,” linebackers are going after the QB. The other groups know what coverage or technique to play when the linebackers blitz.

Players then have all week in practice to work on just a few moves, or techniques relevant to the upcoming game plan. The nosetackle, for example, might be told: Center kill, gap control, cross left and cross right; and he’ll have all week to focus on those instructions. The result? An amorphous defense with the most realistic chance to match the targeted explosiveness of modern offenses. Defensive backs with their hands in the dirt. Linemen floating in coverage, scattering the quarterback’s progression.

“The days of a defensive player dropping back into a spot, the quarterback throwing it and [the defender] breaking on the ball are over,” says Bateman. “If one of my guys draws up something like that, I tell him, We ain’t doing that.”

---

Dallas Whitaker, a former Rutgers grad assistant, heads up an undefeated Somerville (N.J.) High program that averages 47.2 points per game. At 25, he’s one of the youngest head coaches in New Jersey high school history. He’s also one of the most confident.

“I don’t understand why people aren’t running this stuff every play,” he says of his offense, a hybrid of principals derived from Oklahoma, Washington State and Chip Kelly–era Oregon playbooks.

Three years ago, though, Somerville was in the midst of a 25-game winless streak. After the 2014 season, Jeff Vanderbeek, the former Devils owner and Lehman Brothers VP, took a job as the co-head coach at his old school. It was a rescue mission. Vanderbeek stacked his staff with young, forward-thinking coaches who could expose the antiquated defensive minds of Jersey football. He handed the program off to Whitaker last summer.

Somerville doesn’t have a literal playbook, just core concepts. Things run fluently on a language of three- or four-word calls. To keep the kids’ attentions, players are sometimes allowed to name plays. (One recent example: “Fetty Wap,” after the Jersey-born rapper.)

At a Friday practice in autumn the pace is frantic. In passing drills, each rep features at least four QBs so that every receiver catches a ball. In the 11 v. 11 portion, offensive linemen do up-downs after each snap, instead of blocking—a conditioning technique that sprinkles high-intensity cardio into the installation period. Receivers who run routes over a certain length on a given play bail out at the sideline, tagging in another player, like a line shift in hockey. A drone hovers above this all, its camera capturing every moment. For defensive coordinators, the footage amounts to a horror film.

The sequel could be scarier. On the same evening, Somerville’s peewee program begins a workout on a small practice space behind the high school field, tiny huffs and puffs escaping from too-large helmets as they go through drills. “They’re running the same offense as the high school,” Vanderbeek says of the children, some as young as six. “Same plays.”

Vanderbeek smiles at the kids, at the chaos he’s ensured for years to come. If someone is going to find a way to stop this, they better do it quickly.

 

Edited December 9, 2018 by LTtxfan

[Dewey 3281]

I think the nfl can do away with the long PI calls, too many times it's obvious the play is to draw the penalty, kick the fg and go home. QBs are too good, purposely under throwing the receiver, wr checks back, runs into the db, flag and most likely ball game.

Make that a 15 yard penalty and get your crews to call a more consistent game on top of that. Throw flags when I wr chips, hell, we've seen.plays where it isnt even a chip, more like a roadblock.

Honestly, theres things defenses can do better, but they are up against too much.

[Bullneck 19027]

Quote

Ranch-style houses of red and tan brick border Grand View University, nestled into a leafy neighborhood a few minutes outside Des Moines. The morning quiet is sporadically broken by alert Pomeranians sprinting through doggy doors to bark at unfamiliar faces heading to class on the campus where, upon a whiteboard inside the athletic department’s facilities, you might find the dry-erase scribblings of defensive football’s future.

 

[Neonmoon 38127]

If refs actually called the pick plays, the ones where the WR is obviously picking, and maybe call a hold on OU style holds, then offenses would be slowed down. 

[David Dennison 18694]

Has one of these offenses won a national championship yet?

 

[bluto 4895]

big believer in merit based pass intereference.. if you throw into double coverage or throwing a duck off your backfoot under heat, you don't deserve PI

[LTtxfan 49016]

3 minutes ago, David Dennison said:

Has one of these offenses won a national championship yet?

 

Good Question.... Most College teams are incorporating some form of rpo's in their offenses nowadays so probably all 4 Teams in CFP this year have components of these Offenses....

(It's why Saban chose Tua as his starting QB.)

[Parliament 14149]

6 minutes ago, David Dennison said:

Has one of these offenses won a national championship yet?

 

No, and they don't have to, for them to be disruptive.  If a Purdue beats an Ohio State (then loses the next 2 games.  wtf), it changes the playoff race for the rest of the season.

[LTtxfan 49016]

1 hour ago, Dewey said:

I think the nfl can do away with the long PI calls, too many times it's obvious the play is to draw the penalty, kick the fg and go home. QBs are too good, purposely under throwing the receiver, wr checks back, runs into the db, flag and most likely ball game.

Make that a 15 yard penalty and get your crews to call a more consistent game on top of that. Throw flags when I wr chips, hell, we've seen.plays where it isnt even a chip, more like a roadblock.

Honestly, theres things defenses can do better, but they are up against too much.

Agree on change to rules on PI in NFL...... Just don't like a 40-60yd penalty

[Surly Bevo 24717]

If really trusted refs to be able to find their head from their ass I would suggest incidental pass interference vs intentional pass interference.  Give the incidental for the come back and shit like that, make it like 5 yards and an automatic first down (like defensive holding) and then yea no more spot fouls for intentional, it's just a 15 yard penalty. 

[Tex Long 4356]

Pro, college, whatever - I want to see a receiver or RB penalized and ejected for "self-targeting". A fair portion of the fouls called on defenders are due to a ball carrier putting his head down and turning what would have been a perfectly good tackle into a "helmet-to-helmet" penalty called on the D. 

[bluto 4895]

Wasnt zeke hit with that yesterday?

[Tex Long 4356]

Was he?

[kopp0e 1135]

On 12/9/2018 at 9:59 AM, Dewey said:

I think the nfl can do away with the long PI calls, too many times it's obvious the play is to draw the penalty, kick the fg and go home. QBs are too good, purposely under throwing the receiver, wr checks back, runs into the db, flag and most likely ball game.

Make that a 15 yard penalty and get your crews to call a more consistent game on top of that. Throw flags when I wr chips, hell, we've seen.plays where it isnt even a chip, more like a roadblock.

Honestly, theres things defenses can do better, but they are up against too much.

Good point, I had honestly not thought of it from that perspective..!

[ztejas 43287]

7 minutes ago, Tex Long said:

Was he?

Yes, and it was one of the worst calls I've ever seen in my life. Zeke went immediately into concussion protocol while the defender was fine. I don't think the offensive player should be penalized unless it's clearly intentional targeting or spearing. Making it murky just continues to pussify the game and confuse players as to what's allowed and what isn't. 

The main issue with PI being a spot foul is that DBs are so handicapped at this point rule-wise. If they were allowed more leeway in the use of their hands or bodies, especially when the contact is incidental, it wouldn't be as much of an issue. 

Totally agree though that, under the current rule-set, the spot-foul PI is silly. 

[JBJ 3649]

dPI and oPI enforcement is the biggest problem.  It's not that we figured out how to do football offense in the past decade - it that the rules have made it possible.

[Zavala 1384]

Bend don't break, take chances to create long 3rd downs and turnovers.

Learn to sell the holding along the offensive line, since they won't call it unless it's obvious. 

I like the delay blitz with speedy guys that Orlando does. 

[immortal13 4059]

1 hour ago, Tex Long said:

Pro, college, whatever - I want to see a receiver or RB penalized and ejected for "self-targeting". A fair portion of the fouls called on defenders are due to a ball carrier putting his head down and turning what would have been a perfectly good tackle into a "helmet-to-helmet" penalty called on the D. 

Fuck. That. Shit. Do you even Earl Campbell, bro? A running back should always be able to truck a defender coming at him. Those type of plays are what makes football the best sport to watch. As the ball carrier he should have more leeway to the space in front of him. It should be up to the defender to figure out how not to get plowed by the running back. The Zeke Elliot play yesterday was a perfect example. The call that went against him was completely regarded.

[ztejas 43287]

27 minutes ago, longhornmatt said:

I agree.  Calling or not calling hand checking and other fouls in the NBA changed the game from scores in the 120s, to scores in the 80s, and now back to the 120s.  Everyone would say things like “Players just can’t shoot and don’t have fundamentals anymore!” when scoring decreased.  No, actually it was mostly that they were getting mugged all the time.

Football would revert back quickly if offensive holding were enforced and pass interference were called the same way as 20 years ago.

I mean, this is partially true. Obviously you're getting off-topic but the increase in shooting 3s has played just as much a factor into higher scoring the past couple of seasons as has rule changes. 

More 3s = more points (unless you're team is totally dogshit at 3P%), plus longer rebounds that lead to more transition/fast break opportunities. 

It's not just rule changes, it's stylistic, too.

Just like football. It's not just that the rules have gotten softer, it's that offenses are getting better at scheming and scheming much more complex offenses at younger and younger ages. 

[Eggo 3975]

I went down an interweb rabbit hole with regard to that New Jersey school being coached by the Lehman guy. Sounds like he marched in with his big cigar and decided he was going to bankroll a high school program into relevancy. This shit is fucked up.

https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/somerset-county/2018/01/11/former-somerville-high-school-football-coach-sues-school-board-head-coach/1025019001/

Quote

Franey again told Casamento, without providing any details, that he was working on something "big" for the school district and that he would have to post Casamento's job, and if Casamento were to tell anyone, "he would lose his job," according to the lawsuit.

Casamento asked Franey if he was going to be fired, to which Franey, according to the lawsuit, replied: "No, not as long as you keep your mouth shut."

In January 2015, Casamento was informed that the Board of Education would be hiring Jeffrey Vanderbeek, the former co-owner of the New Jersey Devils, as his co-head coach.

Casamento approached Franey to discuss the move and Franey, according to the lawsuit, warned him to "play ball" and stay silent "or else."

 

[BurntOrange&White 39717]

Pro, college, whatever - I want to see a receiver or RB penalized and ejected for "self-targeting". A fair portion of the fouls called on defenders are due to a ball carrier putting his head down and turning what would have been a perfectly good tackle into a "helmet-to-helmet" penalty called on the D. 

This.

You constantly see running backs lower the crown of their helmet.

[Huckleberry 32710]

On 12/9/2018 at 11:27 AM, Neonmoon said:

If refs actually called the pick plays, the ones where the WR is obviously picking, and maybe call a hold on OU style holds, then offenses would be slowed down. 

Calling holding is absolutely the fastest way to even things up. The things that offensive linemen get away with now compared to two decades ago, at all levels, are amazing.

It used to be that grabbing a defender outside the frame was nearly an automatic flag. Now that is the standard way that many blockers attempt to engage every defender and it's rarely called.

Edited December 10, 2018 by Huckleberry

[BurntOrange&White 39717]

Calling holding is absolutely the fastest way to even things up. The things that offensive linemen get away with now compared to two decades ago, at all levels, are amazing.
It used to be that grabbing a defender outside the frame was nearly an automatic flag. Now that is the standard way that many blockers attempt to engage every defender and it's rarely called.

I’d be interested to see the number of holding calls called each year since 1998

[Dewey 3281]

Learn to sell the holding along the offensive line, since they won't call it unless it's obvious. 

I've had the same thoughts, just start screaming like a lil bitch, arms flailing all over. Seriously.

[SpiralOut 1809]

These offenses will never be stopped.  Because the people running the sport don't want them to be stopped.

The Big 12 refs hardly ever call holding because the Big 12 is the pass-happy Air Raid league and calling holding every other play like they should would shut that down.

The NFL wants more points.  So they've structured the game to where that happens.  Like PI being thrown on any 'ol ticky tack contact with a receiver.  They've also been able to give themselves cover from the concussion/physical damage problem while also ramping the scoring up by making QBs untouchable and flagging any semi-hard hit a defender gives out. 

If defenses somehow manage to evolve to combat this stuff then the people running college football and the NFL will just slap more rules on to make sure offenses stay out in front. 

[Zavala 1384]

1 hour ago, Dewey said:

I've had the same thoughts, just start screaming like a lil bitch, arms flailing all over. Seriously.

 

I'll take a spin move to show jersey stretching. At the worst it can still cause the OL to disengage and maybe you can make a move around them. 

[GotThatFire 166]

On 12/9/2018 at 10:30 AM, bluto said:

big believer in merit based pass intereference.. if you throw into double coverage or throwing a duck off your backfoot under heat, you don't deserve PI

 Same with underthrown balls where the receiver has to slam on the brakes causing the defender to slam into them 

[Tex Long 4356]

6 hours ago, immortal13 said:

Fuck. That. Shit. Do you even Earl Campbell, bro? A running back should always be able to truck a defender coming at him. Those type of plays are what makes football the best sport to watch. As the ball carrier he should have more leeway to the space in front of him. It should be up to the defender to figure out how not to get plowed by the running back. The Zeke Elliot play yesterday was a perfect example. The call that went against him was completely regarded.

Yeah. No. If the ball carrier intentionally goes helmet first, it's a foul. The penalty was created for player protection, not to make things harder for defenders... call it both ways. Or don't call it at all.

[Vic Mackey 46939]

Good defenses can still shut down these powerful offenses and cause them a lot of issues. Look at what Dallas did to New Orleans last week and what the Bears did to the Rams last week. Were those outliers? Maybe. But in a sport where it's just one game and you go home in the playoffs as opposed to a series, then that's all it takes. Defense still travels. It's just getting hard to play defense as the years go by. The NFL execs love these Rams/Chiefs types games and those seem to be the talk the next day. How many are talking about the defensive blood bath last night of the Bears/Rams? No one.

[immortal13 4059]

Umm, yeah. What about short yardage and goal line situations? Are you saying a back shouldn't be able to dive or put his head down and push through the line? I hope not because that would be fucking regarded. 

[Tex Long 4356]

No. Maybe. If a ball carrier puts his head down, no problem... unless he causes helmet-to-helmet contact... then, it's either a foul by him, or a no-call, or should be.

Hey, I know what... let's make tackling below the knee illegal, but let offenses cut block.

[immortal13 4059]

Ok bro, agree to disagree. But I never once have argued for any more restrictions against what defenders are allowed to do. I actually don't like the targeting rule, but hey keep arguing with yourself.

[LTtxfan 49016]

1 hour ago, Vic Mackey said:

Good defenses can still shut down these powerful offenses and cause them a lot of issues. Look at what Dallas did to New Orleans last week and what the Bears did to the Rams last week. Were those outliers? Maybe. But in a sport where it's just one game and you go home in the playoffs as opposed to a series, then that's all it takes. Defense still travels. It's just getting hard to play defense as the years go by. The NFL execs love these Rams/Chiefs types games and those seem to be the talk the next day. How many are talking about the defensive blood bath last night of the Bears/Rams? No one.

Maybe more folks talking about Bears defensive performance from last night than you may realize.... heard on sports radio and all over ESPN/ FS1 highlight and talks shows.  NFL Network spent a lot of time discussing it as well.

Really enjoyed seeing both Da Bears and The Cowboys defenses yesterday.

[po elvis 2070]

the guy who will be king will be the guy who figures out how to stop an offense that is down by one score and there is a minute on the clock. whatever everybody is doing isn't working.

[Helobious 9490]

1 hour ago, po elvis said:

the guy who will be king will be the guy who figures out how to stop an offense that is down by one score and there is a minute on the clock. whatever everybody is doing isn't working.

That's just the offense in survival mode vs a defense playing to not surrender a big play. The result is usually the offense getting huge chunks of yards a play. 

 

[BurntOrange&White 39717]

Ok bro, agree to disagree. But I never once have argued for any more restrictions against what defenders are allowed to do. I actually don't like the targeting rule, but hey keep arguing with yourself.

Between the tackles and within 3-5 yards of the LOS shouldn’t be a penalty. But if the RB is leading with the crown of his helmet near the sideline or open field then call it. Would be the best way and most clear and clean way. You can’t preach making the game safe but making all the penalties on the defense.

[Tex Long 4356]

11 hours ago, immortal13 said:

Ok bro, agree to disagree. But I never once have argued for any more restrictions against what defenders are allowed to do. I actually don't like the targeting rule, but hey keep arguing with yourself.

 

8 hours ago, Bevo VIII said:

Between the tackles and within 3-5 yards of the LOS shouldn’t be a penalty. But if the RB is leading with the crown of his helmet near the sideline or open field then call it. Would be the best way and most clear and clean way. You can’t preach making the game safe but making all the penalties on the defense.

This is the fucking point. 

[Thermos H. Christ 478]

22 hours ago, Tex Long said:

Pro, college, whatever - I want to see a receiver or RB penalized and ejected for "self-targeting". A fair portion of the fouls called on defenders are due to a ball carrier putting his head down and turning what would have been a perfectly good tackle into a "helmet-to-helmet" penalty called on the D. 

In college at least, helmet-to-helmet hits on a non-defenseless RB or receiver are perfectly legal as long as the defender doesn't lead with the crown. Keep your face pointed at the ball carrier instead of the ground and you can't get a penalty whether they go high or low or whatever. Easier said than done I'm sure, but it seems like it ought to be teachable.

[JBJ 3649]

2 hours ago, Thermos H. Christ said:

In college at least, helmet-to-helmet hits on a non-defenseless RB or receiver are perfectly legal as long as the defender doesn't lead with the crown. Keep your face pointed at the ball carrier instead of the ground and you can't get a penalty whether they go high or low or whatever. Easier said than done I'm sure, but it seems like it ought to be teachable.

No.  It's either/or not both.

Either you hit a defenseless player in the head, or you lead with the crown.  But both isn't required.

Edited December 11, 2018 by JBJ

[Thermos H. Christ 478]

Read the post. I said non-defenseless, which applies practically any time we’re talking about a ball carrier lowering their head to collide with a defender. A player in possession of and running with the ball is not defenseless. A receiver going up for a catch is not charging forward with their head lowered.

[NowThis 931]

call Offensive PI a lot more and scores will drop dramatically

[Treefidy 1463]

On 12/10/2018 at 4:26 PM, Zavala said:

I'll take a spin move to show jersey stretching. At the worst it can still cause the OL to disengage and maybe you can make a move around them. 

Go back to the old tear away jerseys.  Escape the grab and leave the OT holding your jersey and a 10 yard penalty.