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Keys to Playing Zone Defense the Right Way

Most cornerbacks that you run into will tell you that they prefer to play man coverage over zone coverage.  There are a number of reasons for this.  One is because they think it shows their worth at the position.  Second,  it’s because zones can be confusing and require a little more discipline than man coverage.  Intelligent corners don’t think this way as they know that zone coverage is necessary and can provide a pretty big payoff for guys that know how to run it.

When you are young (little league / high school) and you are athletic,  there is temptation for coaches to just have you do what is best at the moment and that is use your athletic superiority to dominate the opponent by playing man coverage.  What gets lost sometimes on coaches at that level is that part of their job is to teach the young athlete the game.  Unfortunately,  the desire and for some,  the pressure to win,  will lead them to do only what is necessary to win the game and not so much what is for the long term development of the player.

As a result of what I just described,  the young player grows into a mature player that struggles with the intricacies of playing zone coverage.  The biggest issue out of understanding the coverage is having the discipline to play it and cover their zone.  When offenses are plotting on secondary members by running routes in front of them or taking a player that is in one zone and running him off to another,  being where you are supposed to be can become a big problem.

Athletes who struggle in zone usually have one of two major things happening to them.  One is they don’t totally understand the coverage and or they don’t understand what it is the offense is doing to them.  To be more effective in man coverage,  you have to be willing to play zone.  However,  a coach is not going to be willing to run zone if his players are not disciplined.

The first thing you have to understand when playing zone coverage is that you are now covering with your mouth.  Whereas man coverage is all about your feet and your hands,  zone coverage forces communication into the equation in a big way.  When a player leaves your zone,  you must resist your man tendencies which is to chase and activate your zone intelligence which involves you telling your teammate that he is coming.  Learning to communicate is a big key to excelling at zone coverage.

The next thing you have to do is totally understand the zone coverage.  Of course you are going to know what your job is or I assume your coach won’t have you out there.  However,  understanding who has the surrounding zones will prevent you from being tempted to move into a zone that is not yours.  Understanding that the linebacker has the flat when you have the deep 1/3 will make you less likely to jump a route in the flat and instead call out to the linebacker that there is a player there.

Finally,  knowing what the offense is trying to do will allow you to plan ahead as the routes unfold.  Being able to plan ahead gives you the anticipation you need to remain in your zone.  Knowing that a team likes to run a seam route by the slot WR when the outside receiver runs a dig will keep you from chasing the dig when you should be helping on the seam.  Knowing that the route combo is coming will do wonders to keep you out of a zone belonging to someone else and in the zone that you are supposed to patrol.

If you are struggling with your zone coverage,  try taking care of the three things that I described in this article.  Before that,  understand why it is you may be struggling to play zone coverage in the first place.  Knowing these things will really help you in getting the problem corrected.

If you want to increase your knowledge of zone coverages and offensive concepts,  join the All Eyes DB Camp member’s area.  I have a ton of info and videos on those topics in there.  

Be As Deep as the Deepest

If you played defensive back and safety in particular,  you have likely had a coach tell you this when discussing a coverage.  “Be as deep as the deepest”.   There’s nothing worse than getting a ball thrown over your head as a defensive back and knowing that there is someone from the other team back there all by hisself.

For safeties there are a number of coverages in which being deep as the deepest would come into play.  If you are a true free safety then this likely applies to all of the coverages that are in your team’s playbook.   Whether you are in Cover 2, Cover 3 or something similar,  your job as a safety in those situations is to be the man furthest out from the quarterback.   First of all,  you want to discourage the throw from the quarterback and second you want to be there in the event that he develops the courage to launch one.

Most defenses are set up to take away the big play from the offense and make them “earn” their way down the field.  This means not blowing a coverage on defense that puts you underneath a receiver running deep through your secondary.  While it is important for you to know all of the coverages in your team’s playbook,  it is extra important for you to pay attention to the ones that require you to be the last line of defense.

Some defenses play Cover 3 from a two safety look meaning both safeties start off on the hash.  One of those safeties will be dropping down after the snap,  while the other will be rotating to the middle of the field or otherwise staying deep.  Other teams will play split coverages which means one coverage will be played to one side of the field while another coverage will be played on the other.  Often times one side will have a safety deep and the other will have a safety down.  In both of these scenarios,  it is not uncommon to see miscommunication as to which safety will be down and which safety will be up.   In both of these situations,  it is of extreme importance that the two players communicate with each other as well as with the defensive backs to their side of the field.  When in doubt,  stay deep and / or call out what you are doing.  It is better for you to be right and have the offense know what you are doing than to keep your responsibility a secret to the offense but make a mistake.

Another common thing that happens in coverages where a safety is supposed to be deeper than the deepest is getting caught up with what’s happening in the backfield or directly in front of him.  When the coverage requires you to be in a deep zone,  the quarterback handing the ball to the running back should not be your concern.  On a coverage like that you are not the primary force meaning you aren’t supposed to be the first one responding to a run play.  The quarterback handing or faking the ball to the running back should not stop your feet or your movement to your deep zone responsibility.  Reacting late to the run play is not an error.  There are several men that the running back needs to get through before he gets to you.  Let those men do their jobs.

Offenses are also designed to distract defenders.  To do this,  they will often run a receiver in front of a defensive back to draw his attention away from another one that is running behind him.  Defensive backs at all levels get caught by this.  However,  the most disciplined safeties are rarely ever fooled by this.  A firm grasp of your responsibilities and careful film study will keep you away from getting caught up in this mistake.  Beware of the shallow route being run in front of the deep defender.  Nine times out out of 10 it’s a hoax.

I hope that this has cleared up for some what being deep as the deepest means and has been a refresher for the vets who have been made to look like amateurs by getting caught in the scenarios I described in this article.

Know the Lingo. How to Learn the Defense Fast

One of the biggest keys,  if not the biggest key for a defensive back’s success is not only knowing the defense but understanding it.  Knowing the defense is knowing where you are supposed to be on a certain coverage.  Understanding the defense is knowing why you are supposed to be there.  Your ability to grasp the latter comes from learning the lingo.

If you are not familiar with the term lingo,  it basically means the terminology used by a certain group of people.  In this case,  the certain group of people would be the current team you are playing for.  It would be very difficult for you to thrive as a citizen in France,  if you don’t understand the French language.  Likewise,  it is very difficult for you to thrive in a defense if you don’t understand the terms that the team uses to describe what the offense is doing and what your responsibility is.

First of all,  you have to have a common understanding of football coverages as well as run gaps.  At it’s core,  football is a very simple game and is basically an exercise in mathematics.  There are but only so many run gaps and there are but so many areas to be covered in pass defense.  A team can either run the football or throw the football on a given play.  Pretty simple right?  The complication of the game comes when teams attach terminology to tell it’s personnel where to go and what to do. Different teams have different terms they use to describe the same thing just as the french have a different word for car than American do.

Being able to learn a particular team’s defense or adjust to new coverages and responsibilities that are added is enhanced when you have a firm grasp of the basics.  This is because you are going to attach the new terminology to the basics on everything.  At the end of the day,  the coverages are all the same.  There are covers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.  Everything outside of that is born from those six coverages I just laid out.  So for example,  some of you have never heard of Cover 6.  Well,  I didn’t mention Cover 6 in that list did I?  The reason I didn’t is because Cover 6 is the combination of Covers 2 and 4.  Cover 2 to one side of the field and Cover 4 to the other.  It makes things a whole lot more simple when you are able to say that instead of adding something new,  I am instead just tweaking something that I have already learned.

For those of you who may not have heard of Cover 5 because not all teams call it that,  Cover 5 is 2 man.  The offense has 5 eligible wide receivers.  Five defenders underneath will cover those 5 receivers while two safeties will stay deep over the top.  You see how much more simple that is to understand?

I once sat in a coach’s clinic where Nick Saban was a speaker.  He spoke for 45 minutes about a coverage that he really liked.  If I’m not mistaken,  it was called “Seattle”.  Fifteen minutes into the presentation,  after he had laid out the responsibilities for all of the defenders,  I realized that Seattle was Cover 3.  So for the next 30 minutes I could focus on the tiny details he had added onto the basic Cover 3 instead of saying,  I now need to add Seattle to Covers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

So,  morale of the story here is,  nail down the basics of coverage and then gap responsibility.  Then attach any new lingo being used to those basic coverages.  It will speed up the process of you learning all the new tricks that a current coach,  a new coach or a new team will throw your way.  Inside of the All Eyes DB Camp Member’s Area,  I break down all of the basic coverages on defense in a simple way that you can understand.  You may want to consider joining – Click here.

4 Things That Make An Elite Nickelback

With all the footballs filling the air in recent years because of the advancement of passing in the game of football,  one position has gained more importance than ever before and that is the nickel back.

There was a time when most teams deployed 21 personnel (2 backs, 1 tight end and 2 WRs) for the majority of the game and only in third down passing situations did they bring in a third wide receiver.  In time,  that third wide receiver required a similar body type to cover the extra wide receiver and keep him quiet.  That third body type became known as a nickel back because he was the fifth defensive back.

Now,  that third wide receiver no longer needs to wait for third down to be on the field.  A majority of teams deploy a third wide receiver most of the time.  Others bring on a fourth wide receiver in passing situations while others are primarily a four wide receiver team.  This means nickel backs are standard players on the field and as such,  they should be on point if the defense is going to be successful.  So with nickel backs being so much more important now than ever,  let’s take a looks at four things nickel backs need to be elite.

(1)  Quickness

We all know what the typical slot wide receiver looks like.  It’s usually a Cole Beasley,  Robert Woods or Cooper Kupp type.  These type of wide receivers are extremely quick,  crafty and elite change of direction guys.  To cover them,  a nickel back will need to be the same.  Having a great ability to change direction is very important when covering in the slot full time.  Routes from the slot position can be very tricky when you factor in the whips, dirties and returns.  In addition,  just your simple routes happen very quickly.  The ball gets to a slot wide receiver a whole lot faster on the slant and out routes.  Being able to determine the route and break on it quickly is a must.

(2) Physicality

Nickel backs are typically smaller types ranging from 5’8″ to 5’11”.  These are not the sizes in football that we equate with toughness but it is essential as a nickel back.  One of the major reasons for this is because although they are smaller in size,  they are playing closer to the big people.  Because nickel backs are lining up on slot wide receivers,  this means they are also in the run fit when the ball is handed off to the running back.  Essentially,  the nickel back has replaced a linebacker.  So when teams get smart and want to amp up their run game with nickel personnel on the field,  it is the nickel back that must grow some balls to take on blocks and wrap up ball carriers.

In addition,  some teams will also throw a bigger slot wide receiver into the game play to take advantage of a perceived mismatch.  Putting a big body on a smaller body gives the offense an advantage at the catch point.  A nickel back will need a certain amount of toughness to bang up against the big slot WR and make plays on the ball when they arrive.  If you are soft in the slot,  a team will eat your lunch by creating this 1-on-1 match up.

(3)  Awareness

When you are in around the line of scrimmage things happen rather quickly.  So not only are you tasked with locking down a wide receiver but you are also part of the run game.  This means you must quickly decipher intersecting routes along with pulling linemen and backfield play fakes.  The action inside happens at break neck speed.  If you are slow on processing reads then you are severely limited as a nickel back.   Your coach will only really be able to use you in man to man situations and that will basically tell the opposing team what you are doing.  It won’t be long before they come up with route concepts intended to beat man coverage and confuse you.  If you want to be a reliable nickel back then you have to continue to maximize your understanding of offensive football.  Being able to see a play unfold and react in a hurry will make you an A+ defender.

(4)  Patience

Now that I have gassed you up on how quick things happen on the inside,  I do feel the need to tell you that a great nickel back will also have to have patience.  Yes,  I know,  on the surface that does not seem to go together but allow me to explain.  Part of understanding what is happening on the other side of the ball is having the patience to not move out of position when they are attempting to fool you.  Whether that is a slot wide receiver giving you 700 head fakes to get you off of your leverage or it’s the quarterback faking a hand off to then throw a bubble screen,  having the patience after reading your keys is vitally important.  Being over zealous to make a play can quite often lead you to being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Good nickel backs believe what they see when their eyes are in the right place and have the patience to wait for the play to come to them.

As you can see,  a nickel back is in need of a range of different skills.  Once an after thought of a position,  a nickel back has accelerated past being a common player on the field to one of the most important guys on the defense.  It is important to get off the field on third down when you are playing in games and most of the time,  the nickel back is tasked with making that happen.  If you want to be valuable to your team and your defense,  go about sharpening and or acquiring the skills mentioned in this article.

3 Things Safeties Can Do to Help Out Cornerbacks

Great secondaries play together.  Great defenses play together.  This means that what one man sees so does the other.  When one mans sees it,  he communicates it to the next man.  Any plus unit that you have ever witnessed work has had a great working relationship between all of it’s members and had great leadership.  Last month,  I talked about 3 Things Cornerbacks Can Do to Help Out Safeties.  In this article,  we will discuss 3 things safeties can do to help out their cornerbacks.

1 – Communicate the Calls

Ask any cornerback and they will tell you that there’s nothing worse than standing out on the edge with the receiver ready to come at you,  the quarterback ready to receive the snap and you have no idea what coverage they are in.  Sure,  I know a lot of times in this situation the call has come in late from the coordinator.  However,  the primary job you have as a safety the moment you get the call is to communicate it to the corner to your side and then anyone else who needs it.  It doesn’t matter what you do on a given play if the corner has no idea what’s going on.  Your great coverage won’t matter if the corner is sitting in the flat because he thought it was Cover 2 when Cover 3 was the actual call.

It is in your best interest as a safety to a) communicate the call quickly and b) know the defense so that you actually know what the call is.  Sometimes the coverage is dictated or changed by the offense’s alignment and or motion.  If you don’t know the playbook or the game plan,  you may be unsure about the call.  When you are unsure about the call you are hesitant to communicate to the cornerback and now he has no idea what defense he’s in.  Certainly that makes his job harder and it won’t be long before he’s asking the coach to get you out of the line up.

2 – Be in the Spot

Whether it is man or it’s zone,  a cornerback is hopeful if not relying on you to be where you are supposed to be.  One of the biggest pet peeves for cornerbacks is the mythical double team that doesn’t happen in quarters coverage when the safety to his side loses his threat.  Over time,  corners have learned to not depend on it but when you get a safety who reads his keys and gets there,  it makes all the difference in the world.

Similarly,  coverages like 2 Man are designed to have a cornerback give up his instinct to be on a wide receiver’s hip and instead let him beat him up the field.  When a corner plays this right in expectation that the safety will have him over the top,  it’s best you be there.  Playing cornerback has a lot to do with ego.  Getting beat deep by a wide receiver in 2 man because the safety “saw something” and wasn’t there can destroy trust like a suspect Instagram DM in your girlfriend’s account.   As a safety it is important to know the coverages thoroughly and be where you are supposed to be.  Cornerbacks are told to play to their help and maintain their leverage.  For them to have trust in what they are being coached to do,  you must be where you are supposed to be.

3 – Fill the Alley

Run plays are not a cornerback’s favorite play.  9.5 times out of 10 the cornerback must fight off the block of a wide receiver and / or pulling guard before they get to the prize of tackling the back.  As such,  cornerbacks have their place where they are supposed to fit.  Quite often,  that fit is outside where they are asked to turn a running back back inside to the defense.  In many coverages,  the safety is responsible for that area right inside of the cornerback on a run play known as the alley.  When a safety is slow to fill that area or continues to miss tackles there,  the run plays usually strike for big yardage.  What results from this is the cornerback trying to do the safeties job.  This means that he starts trying to go inside of wide receivers’ blocks or duck under offensive linemen’s charges.  When that results in the corner getting pinned inside,  the run plays usually go for massive yardage if not touchdowns.

Typically,  the cornerback gets blamed for a run play that breaks for big yards around the edge.  To avoid this embarrassment and type of offensive attack,  cornerbacks who can’t rely on safeties start acting erratic.  As a safety,  you can avoid this by showing up in the alley with bad intentions.  Not only will it allow the cornerbacks to play the blocks the way they should,  it may make the running back hesitant to keep going in there because…. “they just not gone want that.”

Sometimes cornerbacks when asked what would they rather have,  a great safety or a great pass rush answer “a great pass rush” because corners are greedy by nature.  They think great pass rush means more interceptions and this may be true.  However,  I have found that the corners who have played with great safeties almost always answer “great safety” to that question.  What answer would your cornerbacks give to that question?

Don’t Get Lost Defensive Backs. Read Your Keys

By: Chad Wilson
IG: @alleyesdbcamp

Imagine a blind man trying to play football.  How much do you think he would be worth on a field playing against a bunch of other guys who can see? Not much I would gather.  We’ve seen guys playing with broken arms and heavily taped ankles or feet however,  the only guy with a patch over his eye is on the side of the Las Vegas Raiders’ helmet.

When you don’t use your eyes properly while playing  you are essentially blind in a football sense.  As a defensive back your most important asset on the field are not your legs that you ran the 4.4 forty with or the hands that you used to bench press 315 lbs.  The most important asset are the eyes you use to relay the information to the brain that tells your hands and legs what to do.

One of the most important things your eyes are going to be used to do are read your keys.  Eyes are used to key the hip movement of a wide receiver in man to man coverage which gives you keys to what type of route you may be getting.  Your eyes are also used in zones to key the route combinations the offense is running so you will know who will be in your zone and will have to cover.  Your eyes will also be used to key a quarterback to see where he may be looking and ultimately throwing the ball.

In some situations,  your eyes will be used to key the movement by an offensive lineman right after the ball is snapped.  That movement will give you a pass or run read which signals to you what your assignment will be.  As you can imagine,  knowing the things that I mentioned would be rather important.  Far too often,  defensive backs,  particularly young ones,  are on the field playing blind.  They will have their eyes in the backfield watching the play like they are watching the game on TV.  More often than not,  the action in the backfield is not the key they should be reading.  Most misdirection and false reads come from the heavy motion in the backfield after the snap.

If you want to be successful as a defensive back,  it is ultra important that you focus on the keys that your coach has given you.  Or follow the keys that you have picked up on film.  Often times a complicated or tricky play by an opponent can be quickly determined by reading a certain player on the offense.  When that key player is not focused on after the ball is snapped, the trick  ends up being on you.

In closing,  if your key in a zone coverage is the #2 receiver then that’s where your focus should be once the ball is snapped.  If you’ve been told on a certain play that you should read the high hat / low hat of the offensive linemen then that’s what you should be focused on.  Trying to play football at a high level without reading the important players on the offense when a play is being run,  severely limits your chance at success.  Playing an instrument or singing when you are blind can work quite nicely.  Trying to play blind on the football field,  not so much.

The Most Important Film You Will Ever Watch

If you have been on this blog, or on my YouTube Channel or my Instagram page you have most likely heard me talk about watching film.  Watching film is critical to your success.  A sturdy knowledge of your opponent each week will certainly put you in the right position more than not when the game arrives.  However,  there is a big opponent and an important piece of film that every defensive back must watch and not too many do.

Sometimes we get so consumed with who we are going to face that we forget about our biggest opponent which is ourselves.  The road to controlling our opponent goes through us so it only stands to reason that we would pay attention to what it is we are doing.  I often get messages on YouTube and Instagram with young defensive backs asking me how to defend specific routes.  The question usually goes something like this: “coach I am having trouble covering slant routes any tips?”  The answer to fixing that problem most likely is studying yourself on film.

By studying,  I mean studying.  A lot of guys will watch film of themselves the day after the game but few guys study themselves.  You must breakdown your film the way you breakdown film of your opponent.  You know how you study every little move of the wide receiver from splits to which foot he has up?  You must do the same of yourself.  How is your alignment?  How did your feet move?  Did your drop your hands?  What are your eyes doing at the line of scrimmage?

The careful analysis of your game should be every bit as detailed as that of your opposition.  The little things that you pick up about yourself allow you to be clear on what things are working for you and what needs to be corrected.  Each week,  you are going to work to correct those things during practice so that you can perform better with each passing game.  This can only happen if you are taking detailed notes on what it is you are doing each and every game.

If you are fortunate enough to be at a high school that films practices you should take advantage.  Most high school football players won’t watch their practice film.  If they do watch it,  they don’t do so for any quality amount of time.  You are leaving good plays on the table when you fail to do this.  Each day of practice gives you an opportunity to sharpen your skills and execution.  You can best do so by watching what it is you did the day before with a careful eye.  Look at your movements during practice and make a note of things you would like to improve the next day.  It will certainly help you practice better as you will find yourself setting goals for each session.

While studying yourself on game film and in practice may seem to be a minor thing,  I can assure you that it adds up.  It is a sneaky way to improve fast and if you don’t think that you need to improve then you are of the wrong mindset.  As the old saying goes,  there’s always room for improvement.  Improvement comes from self evaluation and film is the way you are going to do it.  Now go watch some film.

3 Ways that Cornerbacks Can Help Out Safeties

Chad Wilson
IG: @alleyesdbcamp

In the relationship that exists in the secondary between cornerbacks and safeties we often hear the cornerbacks as the ones who are complaining.  If they aren’t complaining about the safety not being in the post when he’s supposed to be,  they are complaining about not having the help over the top and both of those come when they aren’t complaining about safeties not providing the required help on a double team.

Sure,  I understand,  the safeties are the deepest of the deepest and truly the last line of defense.  As such,  when a team finds the end zone,  most likely they are the ones that are going to have to shoulder the blame.  However,  if you are a coach or a player with any kind of an IQ then you know that breakdowns occur in many places quite often when a big play occurs by the offense.

Some cornerbacks are tough to work with and can make a safety’s job a lot harder than it needs to be.  In that vain,  this article is a basic one for cornerbacks so that they can help safeties perform their job better.  By doing this,  cornerbacks stand to gain because a soundly performing safety makes your job at cornerback easier.  So here are three ways cornerbacks can help out safeties

(1) Know the Checks

When the defensive coordinator is handing out the checks (no not the money) meaning the coverages that your defense will change to when movement occurs on offense,  corners tend to not pay attention.  Cornerbacks do this because they think that all of the responsibility for checks falls on the safety.  However,  smart cornerbacks know otherwise.  Anything that the safety should know,  the cornerback should know.  Knowing this gives the cornerback the power of anticipation.  You can play better when you know the check is coming instead of simply waiting for it to come and then reacting.  Sometimes,  the offense moves late or the safety may make the check late because he’s preoccupied with something else.  Knowing what the check is preps your mind for it so that you can adjust accordingly and quickly.

(2) Communicate the Formations

Yes, we all know that the safeties have a better vantage point aligned 12-20 yards behind the defense.  However,  it is not always that they can see everything from back there.  What is very helpful to the safeties is cornerbacks who communicate what they are seeing from their side view of the offense.

Simply telling the safety “I have 3” can alert him to the fact that you have three wide receivers to your side in case his view is obstructed or he is preoccupied with some other responsibility he may have.  Alerting a safety to a nub (tight end with no WRs) or a wing can be helpful in him getting the checks called and the defense lined up.  The more people communicating pre-snap the better the chance of success.  Call out what you have to your side of the field so that the safety can make the right calls and be in the right places.

(3) Execute the Coverages

There’s nothing worse than the corner that won’t get a jam in Cover 2 especially when there are two vertical routes to his side.  The only thing worse than that is a corner that wants to sit in the flat in that situation with no threat and put the responsibility on the safety to cover two deep routes.  Have that happen enough times and the safety will lose all trust in the cornerback.  Outside of a quarterback trusting his left tackle,  there is no other position group required to have more trust than the safety and corner.

Everything in the secondary is not about man coverage.  Sometimes you must play zone coverage and those can get a little complex.  Don’t be that corner that has no awareness and / or technique.  If you are supposed to be inside and underneath in 2 man coverage then be inside and underneath.  Force the overthrow and give the safety a chance to make a play.  Pay extra special attention to what your technique and leverage is supposed to be so that you can allow the safety to move with confidence.

Most corners,  especially young ones,  get tunnel vision when they line up at cornerback.  They tend to only focus on the man in front of them or on their job only.   Sure,  know your assignment and do your job but be aware of what the safety must do as well.  It takes a whole village to stop a passing attack.  Being knowledgeable and able to communicate will help you build a great relationship with your safeties and lead to all star type performances from everyone.

When it Comes to Dominating at DB, Knowledge is the Key

By: Chad Wilson – Owner – All Eyes DB Camp
IG: @alleyesdbcamp

There he was,  the other team’s top wide receiver and the best pass catcher in the county jogging out of the huddle to his spot on the left side of their formation.  Tasked with keeping a handle on his explosive output,  I trotted over to line up on him.  If you are playing present day high school football,  what I did next would seem odd.  If you are learning how to play the position on your own then not so much.

As the tall angular wide receiver got into his stance ready to zoom off,  I took my position, one yard off and one yard inside of him.  I was also turned to the side facing him cutting off any path inside for a slant or crossing route.  Basically,  I was telling him you’re not going inside and we are just going to race down the field and see who wins.  I was pretty damn sure he wasn’t going to out run me.  It was an odd way to line up in “bump and run” coverage but it was all I knew at the time and it worked for me.

To my credit,  I did my job that night.  That wide receiver caught one pass for a minimal gain.  Oddly enough it was a slant,  the very route I was aligned to totally eliminate.  Not bad for a running back who was moonlighting as a cornerback.  My efforts, along with that of my teammates, was enough to give us a pivotal win against a league rival.  Proud as I was of my nailing my assignment then is as funny as it is to me now to think about how I lined up in press for the entire game.   Knowing what I know now doesn’t allow it to be anything other than hilarious.

What worked for me that night would not work for me as I progressed to the college level.  Discarding my dream of being a running back,  I was now a full time cornerback who signed up to play in a pass happy league known as the Big West.  My team, Long Beach State,  also featured some accomplished pass catchers and a worthy passing attack.  Lining up in front of future San Diego Charger Mark Seay cocked inside and looking crazy drew a puzzled look from the veteran.  The puzzled look after the snap belonged to me as Seay buzzed by me, stacked me and faded outside of me 50 yards down field to easily catch the pass I never saw over his shoulder.  Welcome to the big leagues.

Granted,  I shunned aside what I was taught in the early part of that first practice to unleash my “super technique” that worked so well for me in high school.  As expected,  the booming sound of my college defensive back coach piped in like a jet engine roaring overhead after Seay caught the ball.  It was time to learn how to play cornerback for real.  Athletic talent alone was not going to be enough.

The most important thing for a defensive back as he progresses through the levels (youth, high school, college and pro) is to acquire as much knowledge as possible.  Just as it is important for you to grow stronger and get faster,  it is important to get wiser.  Great defensive backs are hungry for knowledge.  It really is the food that fuels your future performance.  There are many aspects to playing the position and the game.  If you aren’t hungry to maximize your knowledge in each facet of the game then you will end up being that guy cocked inside trying to win versus elite competition.

At no point should it be ok for you to leave a stone unturned in the area of learning the game.  Once you’ve thoroughly grasped your techniques,  it’s time to learn the defense.  Once you’ve learned the defense,  it’s time to thoroughly understand what the offense is doing and on and on and on.  You will not reach your full potential as a defender if you aren’t constantly seeking information on how to play.  When they say curiosity killed the cat,  they were not talking about defensive backs.

Thinking back on my experiences as a high school defensive back and how gaining knowledge so dramatically improved my game is the major reason I got into coaching and now training.  I have dedicated an entire online member’s area to educating players not only in my local area but nationwide and internationally.  I am fully aware how discovering techniques, drills, coverages and info on how offenses operate can take your game to the next level.  If I were playing today,  I would not be caught at the line of scrimmage without it.

With that said,  allow me to shamelessly plug my member’s area as I feel it is extremely important for defensive backs to use it.  I am contacted all the time by players and coaches from all over who have used it to improve their game,  their coaching and thus their results.  Ultimately,  that is what it’s all about.  So,  if you are interested in reaching your full potential as a player or coach,  I urge you to consider joining the knowledge base I have set up for you on this website.   After all,  cocked to the side cornerbacks in press coverage just look funny.   Click here to join the All Eyes DB Camp Member’s Area.

Boss Unit: 1983 Denver Broncos

By: Chad Wilson _ All Eyes DB Camp
IG: @alleyesdbcamp

In the second installment of the Boss Unit series on All Eyes DB Camp,  I am going to talk about a team who’s defense is much maligned in the history of great defenses discussion.  This is due in large part to their inability as a team,  back in the day,  to cash in on their opportunities to win it all and that is the Denver Broncos.

It would seem strange to mention a defensive unit that was part of a team that squeaked into the playoffs as a wildcard and made a quick first round exit but let me explain.  In the 1983 draft,  the Broncos,  tired of all of the uncertainty at the quarterback position,  made the decision to trade for a cannon armed rookie out of Stanford by the name of John Elway.  Elway’s path to the Broncos via a draft day trade with the Colts is well documented and is not the topic of this article.  Whatever the case may be and however talented Elway was,  he was still a rookie in the NFL and it showed.

While Elway showed flashes of the brilliance that made him the overall #1 pick in 1983 and would eventually land him in the Hall of Fame,  his 1983 season largely looked like a typical one for a rookie quarterback.  When you toss twice as many interceptions (14) as you do touchdowns (7),  you can bet the offense was not clicking.  With that said,  if the Broncos were going to taste any success in the 1983 season,  it was going to have to be on the backs of the members of the defense.

The Orange Crush,  as the defensive unit was nicknamed,  was up for the challenge.  Denver ended the season as the 9th ranked defense in the NFL and 5th overall in team interceptions with 27.  The Denver Broncos secondary was packed with talent and out of the five starters at defensive back,  they produced 24 of those 27 interceptions.  Let’s take a look at who the bosses in this unit were.

FS – Steve Foley 

Foley was the epitome of maligned for the Broncos.  The 8th round, 199th pick of the 1975 NFL draft out of Tulane was second on the team in ’83 with five interceptions.  Being among the team / league leaders in interceptions was nothing new for Foley.  In five of Foley’s 11 seasons (all with Denver) he had five interceptions or more.  Only once in his career did he have less than three interceptions in a season.  With his high IQ and uncanny instincts,  Foley made it a point to always be around the football.  If he wasn’t intercepting the football he was knocking it loose or punishing the unfortunate person that took a hold of it.  Consider some of the great defensive backs that have played for the Broncos over the years like Steve Atwater, Champ Bailey and Aquib Talib.  None of them have more interceptions than the franchise leader Steve Foley with 44.  Not bad for an 8th round pick who was cut by the Broncos as a rookie and played for the Jacksonville Express for a season before being reacquired in his 2nd year.

CB – Louis Wright

In the same draft that saw Foley added to the Broncos,  Louis Wright came on board to the Orange Crush Family.  Wright was the 17th overall pick for the Broncos out of San Jose St.  The tall and athletic corner who hailed from California was hell in press man coverage.  At 6’2″ with long arms and track speed,  Wright was difficult for wide outs to get away from.  At 200 lbs.,  Wright was not afraid to run up and smack a running back that thought he had some yards coming on his side of the field.  Wright patrolled the left side of the Denver Secondary with heavily taped forearms looking for opportunities.  In 1983 he found the most on this boss unit.  Wright had a career and team leading six interceptions while smothering their opponents’ top receiver.  Wright would make his fourth Pro Bowl in 1983 and be a strong point in the teams’ defensive rank.

SS – Steve Wilson

Wilson formed the other half of the Steve and Steve duo in the Denver secondary.  While not the starter at strong safety,  Wilson saw a lot of action in 1983 and produced mightily when he was in there.  Wilson was tied for second with Foley in interceptions in 1983 with five.  Originally entering the NFL as an undrafted wide receiver in 1979,  Foley would eventually switch to cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys before joining the Broncos in 1982.  The 1983 season was arguably his best in the league and he fit right in to the strong Broncos’ secondary.  Wilson made good use of his wide receiver skills honed as a collegiate at Howard and his early years as a Cowboy to get into the throwing lanes and snap up passes from opposing QBs.  Wilson would end his career in the NFL with 22 interceptions after the 1988 season.

SS – Dennis Smith

The 1983 season was only the third one for Smith who was drafted 15th overall by the Broncos in the 1981 draft.  If there was one thing Smith was known for during his NFL career it was for knocking opposing ball carriers’ senseless.  Smith traveled through the Denver secondary like a prison guard delighting in dishing out a toll on anyone not wearing the Broncos’ patented high orange colors.  Smith was a sturdily built 6’3″ 200+ enforcer but in 1983 he added ball hawk to his resume.  After a pair of 1 interception seasons,  Smith broke out with four INTs on this sticky fingered unit.  Now,  opposing wide receivers running through Denver’s secondary weren’t sure if they could get separation on the corners,  avoid leading the QB into an interception by the intelligent safeties or get knocked out by the menacing Smith.  The USC grad would enjoy a 14 year career (all with Denver) in the NFL and would be a six time pro bowl selection.  Smith is a member of the Broncos’ ring of honor and is 7th on their all time interceptions list with 30.

CB – Mike Harden

Harden,  like Smith,  was one of the younger members of the Broncos’ secondary in 1983.  Between he and fellow cornerback Louis Wright,  opposing receivers found it difficult to get away from the physically imposing duo. Harden was a 6’1″ long armed corner from Central Michigan.  Not a ton was expected out of the 5th round pick in the 1980 draft but Harden over delivered.  Along with providing sticky coverage on wide outs,  Harden had similar suction on his hands when the ball came his way.  In 1983 he tied Smith with four interceptions to give quarterbacks precious few options when surveying the Denver secondary.  Along with his four interceptions in ’83,  Harden would recover three fumbles and return his INTs for 127 yards to lead the team.  Harden would go on to stack together a couple of five and six interception seasons after 1983 and end his career with 38 total.  He would spend his last two seasons with the Los Angeles Raiders but his 33 interceptions as a Denver Bronco has him 6th on their all time list.

As you can see the Denver Broncos’ secondary had at least one of everything in 1983.  They had lock down corners with Harden and Wright.  They had ball hawks with high IQs in the two Steves,  Foley and Wilson.  They also had physical enforcers with Smith and Wright.  The frustration for opposing quarterbacks was real and with the offense fighting to find it’s way with rookie Elway at the controls,  the defense,  led by the secondary,  carried the Broncos to a 9-7 record and a playoff berth.  Many will forget this Denver Broncos’ air patrol unit but not me and neither should you.

I posted a great article in my Member’s Area using practice film from the Denver Broncos of this era  entitled “This Black & White Video Can Teach You All You Need to Know About Press Man“ talking about press man.  It is one of the best press man vids out there.  You can check out the article by clicking here.  You will need to be a member to read and watch it.

 

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