Quote:
Originally Posted by O.city
So, figured with this week and our opponent this would be a good place to talk about defending the read option.
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I only know what I've run, and what I've heard at clinics (from college coaches).
The key, usually, is the backside DE. Typically that's who the QB is reading (Eric Hicks is so glad he doesn't play against the RO). If the backside DE can squeeze space, but also stay squared, he's got a chance.
Otherwise...
One school of thought , and what I've run, is "Rock and Roll." Your D-Linemen play as if they were playing any zone run (rock), keeping their gap and playing down the line. The difference is that the LBers actually play back a gap (roll), screwing with the read, and putting them in position for the misdirectiscrew
The other thing I've heard, and it makes sense, but I hate it, came from the DLine coach at SMU (also why I thought that DE from there a couple years ago would bust). They teach their D Linemen, on a zone block, to allow themselves to be overtaken, essentially playing back a gap, and let the LBers run to the next gap. This way there's no concern with a DL overrunning a play. I hate that, because I think you teach your DL to be less aggressive with that. LBers are better athletes, and are standing up... Let them be athletes. Let the DL just play their spot. (I also teach my LBers to slow play flow outside, anyway, because I want their pursuit to be inside out.)
DL twists can also screw up the read, but you can't run them all the time as you put your players in low power situations vs OLinemen.
Now, I'll say again... These are HS and college answers. With the speed of the pro players, I doubt they have any special scheme against it, other than, "be aware they do this, and don't get sucked in on the backside." I had the most athletic team I've ever coached, this year, and I don't think I spent more than 5 minutes a week discussing it with them, and we never gave up yardage against it. (Moral: great players make coaches look wicked smaht!)
I wouldn't be surprised to see a few more safety blitzes this week, however.