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Originally Posted by luv
No. Nor do I know about screens.
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Zone defense is essentially what the Chiefs run when they bust out the Cover 2. The linebackers, safeties and cornerbacks are each responsible for "zones" on the field - certain areas. If any offensive player enters that area, it is their responsibility to cover them.
Before a pass is thrown, the linebackers playing in zone defense will often hit any receiver entering their zones, to disrupt their route and throw off timing. This is legal as it is within the allowed area - five yards and less from the line of scrimmage (where the ball is snapped). The new illegal contact rules make it illegal for defenders down the field to touch receivers.
Man defense, as you might guess, is when each each defender is responsible for another offensive player. A linebacker will run with a tight end, a cornerback with a wide receiver, and so on. You will also see combinations of the two - quite frequently, in fact. In man defense the safeties will often support corners by playing deep zones, to take away long gains - hopefully.
Screen passes are pretty simple. The offensive line allows defensive linemen to penetrate into the offensive backfield. As they release their blocks, they slip out into the flat and block for a running back, who takes a short pass from the quarterback, who is often fading backwards (as if retreating from the pass rush). If it works correctly, it works for a long gain, as the linemen can block defenders downfield and clear space for the running back.
In essence, the screen pass creates a "screen" for the running back to run behind. It's kind of an extended handoff.