Football 101: LBs

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OrangeElvis151

< 25 Posts
I thought here in the wastland of time between spring training and fall practices, we might coax some of our more knowlegeble posters to give all of us a little UT Football 101.

Today's topic is linebackers. Most of us know what they are, but do we truly know what they do? What are linebackers' responsibilities? What are the differences between the guy in the middle and the strong & weakside backers? What does someone mean when they talk about a "true/natural middle linebacker"? Why does DJ play where he does vs the middle or other side?, etc...

There are many of us who know the answers to some of these questions. Speak up. If this turns out to be well received, we should plan on doing this for every position, then archive it for future reference...
 
Linebacker responsibilites vary from defense to defense and team to team. Looking at it on a very high level, they are supposed to be the tacklers on a football team.

In theory, you have DT's to occupy linemen, hopefully draw double teams, and leave the linebackers free to run.

In a defense with 2 LB's (5-2, or Fifty, or Okie), you will have a Strong Side LB (usually called Sam), and a Weak Side LB (usually called Will). The LBs would switch side according to the strength of the formation (Sam would go to the side with the TE, two-receiver side, etc.) You could also leave the LB's on the same side every play, a left and right LB. This is not as popular in 50 defense as it would be with a 3-4 or 4-4 defense. Then, you would have a Left Inside Backer and a Right Inside Backer, possibly.

Anyway, the Sam LB is usually a larger player, more able to take on blocks. In turn, your Will LB is leaner and faster. The defensive front is usually arranged to allow him to pursue the play without getting on a block at all.

In a 4-3 defense, you will usually have a Middle LB (Mike), and a Sam and Will. Since the Sam will be on the TE side 95% of the time (if there is one), he has a much greater chance of taking on a block. It is the DE's responsibility (usually) to keep the TE from blocking down inside on the backer. The DT (on the guard or his outside shoulder) should be able to draw a double team from the G&T. This is a best case scenario.

In a 3-4 defense, at least one of the Outside LBs are glorified pass rush DEs.

In the 4-4, the Outside LBs are more Strong Safety types (more pass coverage responsibilties but with a lot of run support).

To keep the post from being several pages, I will stop now. Ask some more specific questions, and I'll be happy to throw out what I know.

BTW, DJ plays a weakside LB because of his size. He is better running in space and not taking on blocks as much.
 
thanks Coachkiss. i'm sorry i wasn't more specific - but i think we should just stick w/ UT's basic formation - the 4-3.

is it the Sam backer, then, that has coverage on the TE in basic, stuntless defense?
 
Coachkiss, thanks for the write-up.

There has been alot of talk around here the past few months about how our defense will be much better with a true or natural MLB. Aside from DD's tendency to run out of the play, what qualities does Boyd (the topic of most of the posts) possess that DD may have been missing? Is it all based on size/strength, or ability to take on a blocker?

By the way, I for one like the idea of these posts.
 
If we're talking about the base 4-3 defense, then I can add some insight. I had an opportunity to play linebacker for the Longhorns and in my tenure we played the 3-4 and then due to coaching changes we switched to the 4-3. In the 4-3, the LB"s all serve different roles.
The weak side (or Will) LB is the faster more athletic of all three LB's. His primary roles are to blitz off the edge, cover down on any three receiver sets, though he doesn't have the slot receiver man-to-man, and cover the tail backs in one on one coverages. The Weakside LB will make more tackles that the Middle or Strongside LB's because of the design of the defense. He will usually be a little more slender than the other two LB's because of his coverage responsibilites. (i.e Everick Rawls and Derrick Johnson)
The Middle (or MIke) LB's will by nature be an inch or two shorter than any of the LB's because his ability to have leverage in the "between the tackles" run game. He will usually be one of the tougher and stronger players on the team. He will have some type of leadership ability because he sets the defensive huddle and he calls the defensive play.He doesn't have to be the fastest LB because his primary responsibility is to secure "in between the tackles." He will usually lead the team in tackles depending on the DT's in front of him. His primary responsibility in the passing game is the full back and tight end, which he works in combination with the Strongside linebacker.
The Strongside (or Sam) will by nature be taller than all the three LB's. He will usually be a great over all athlete, maybe a dual sport athlete. He will not have as many tackles as the other LB's because he is usually on the tighend side or the strength of the offensive line. He will be very active in the passing game, usually covering the tighend in pass coverage. He doesn't blitz as much as the Weakside LB but he does bltiz alot. He doesn't get as much attention as the other LB's just simply because he doesn't put the stats as the other LB's.
This breakdown is fairly comprehensive but I hope it helps.
 
If we're talking about the base 4-3 defense, then I can add some insight. I had an opportunity to play linebacker for the Longhorns and in my tenure we played the 3-4 and then due to coaching changes we switched to the 4-3. In the 4-3, the LB"s all serve different roles.

The weak side (or Will) LB is the faster more athletic of all three LB's. His primary roles are to blitz off the edge, cover down on any three receiver sets, though he doesn't have the slot receiver man-to-man, and cover the tail backs in one on one coverages. The Weakside LB will make more tackles that the Middle or Strongside LB's because of the design of the defense. He will usually be a little more slender than the other two LB's because of his coverage responsibilites. (i.e Everick Rawls and Derrick Johnson)

The Middle (or MIke) LB's will by nature be an inch or two shorter than any of the LB's because his ability to have leverage in the "between the tackles" run game. He will usually be one of the tougher and stronger players on the team. He will have some type of leadership ability because he sets the defensive huddle and he calls the defensive play.He doesn't have to be the fastest LB because his primary responsibility is to secure "in between the tackles." He will usually lead the team in tackles depending on the DT's in front of him. His primary responsibility in the passing game is the full back and tight end, which he works in combination with the Strongside linebacker.

The Strongside (or Sam) will by nature be taller than all the three LB's. He will usually be a great over all athlete, maybe a dual sport athlete. He will not have as many tackles as the other LB's because he is usually on the tighend side or the strength of the offensive line. He will be very active in the passing game, usually covering the tighend in pass coverage. He doesn't blitz as much as the Weakside LB but he does bltiz alot. He doesn't get as much attention as the other LB's just simply because he doesn't put the stats as the other LB's.
This breakdown is fairly comprehensive but I hope it helps.
 
i'm really hoping aaron harris is that 'true' MLB that we've been waiting for. man he sure looks the part.

my only 2 cents is that you want the middle to be strong, sideline to sideline, and a very smart player. i really liked winfred tubbs when he found his niche in the middle, he could get to the outside and was still strong enough to take on middle runs. great college player.
 
From what I have seen of DD (quite a bit), and what I have seen of Boyd (not a lot)...

Two things can kill a MLB, sitting still and making the wrong read. In other words, the more you make the right read, the better MLB you can be (depending on talent).

Reads are very simple to very complicated. The MLB can key the fullback, read the triangle (G to G plus Fullback), key fullback unless he gets action across the center from one of the guards, etc. Teams never make the job easy for an athletic set of LBs. Cross action, counter plays, traps, etc. can make the job of a LB difficult.

Standing still and taking too long to make the reads allows linemen to reach the LB level on blocks. Quick reads and quick movement make good LBs great, and make the great ones outstanding. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true.

Also, once a read is made, the LB should pursue keeping his shoulders parallel to the LOS. This allows him to react better to a cutback. He should also strive to stay on the inside shoulder of the ballcarrier if he is pursuing in open space.

Another cardinal sin for MLBs is bubbling. Instead of pursuing through a hole, or going downhill. They are bubbling around blocks. Bubbling means increasing the distance from the LOS to get around a block. Sometimes this is unavoidable because the DT is on rollerskates.

Some of the problems I saw from DD were overpursuing (leading to cutbacks) and slow reads in some situations. Many times you would see on the replay of a run that DD would be in position, but in poor form (facing the sidelines instead of the LOS - susceptible to cutback).

I have not seen enough of Boyd to form any sort of opinion. Nor have I seen Aaron Harris.

Also, you will see the MLB in our scheme crowding the LOS, or choosing a gap. I'm not saying this was the case, but many times this can indicate the Defensive Coordinator's lack of confidence in the MLB's reading abilities.

These are just my opinions, but I would like to hear more. Questions are appreciated, too.
 
What a good thread, thanks for this.

It seems to me that more and more these days teams are putting another SS on the field and calling him a linebacker.

I guess this is partly due to "spin down" theories and partly in response to the contemporary spread offenses today's defenses are responding to.
 
in hs we ran a 5-2 and I learned the hard way
when you make your reads-- play to the out-side ( sweep) --look for a wr to crackback
so you fight off a guard and the reward is a crackback from a wr going full speed trying to take your head off
the coach said the only way to deal with crackbacks was to see it coming early and run right thru him and he won't be so eager next time
I don't see a lot of them in college games--not sure why, maybe size differences at that level, blocking rules or just not watching close enough?
 
Coach,

Agreed. The CU II game in Irving is a lesson in how a MLB should NOT "scrape." Time after time, I saw those shoulders turned perpendicular to the LoS, and Gurode or another CU OL riding or sealing DD right out of the hole.

What I've seen of Boyd in practices and scrimmages indicates that he is much more fundamentally sound than his talented predecessor.
 
Last year, we didn't really play a true 4-3...most of the time. The primary difference is that we "mug" the MLB: we play him up on the line and let him play a gap. When we do that, it does two things.

1) It means that our defensive tackles are pretty much playing one gap.

2) Our MLB becomes a glorified lineman with a gap responsibility.

When we do this, we increase the responsibilities on the other two linebackers, and we also make it tougher on the tackles. Since there is no mlb, our outside linebackers are on a tighter leash...they need to be able to make some inside plays too. That in turn increases the pressure on the defensive end. They cannot rush balls-out...they must also contain the play.

So the price is freedom for the ends and to some degree the two outside linebackers...but it really creates additional disruption. Harris is not the ideal person to mug play-in and play-out...his strength is in making reads and getting there quickly, with attitude.
 
bat,

one clarification. Bringing the MLB up makes it easier for the DT's, they are responsible for one gap rather than having to shade or pickup the center to protect the MLB.

There was a good thread on this earlier in the spring. In addition (as TexasFootball pointed out in that thread), we also use a SAM rover... which is likely to continue this year. This weakside defensive end on an island (no outside support) and the weakside linebacker has to read the play (avoid possible free blockers) and work as a stop valve (only true LB on the field). In other words, it allows us to pressure and disrupt up the middle and contain the play outside. Part of the reason we can get away with the sceme is that we have great talent at defensive end and weakside linebacker, and we have safeties that give good run support (see CU II).

If Lee Jackson is able to shed blocks well (remains to be seen), we may bring him back and use more stunting. Additionally, we may see less mugging in the future (hard to say) with different personnel. That being said, I think that Reed understands and executes this defense very well. He seems to take on blocks well and does a good job shooting gaps and disrupting the action of the play. As someone else stated, he is very fundalmentally sound.

Sometime in the future it would be nice to see a more traditional 4-3. Can you imagine Derrick Johnson, Aaron Harris, Michael Williams and Rufus Harris (from safety) against the run if they were allowed to work in space? Monsterous hits.

Anyhow, for the time being I think bringing the middle linebacker up can do some good things and Reed seems like he will work well in this system.
 
I don't know if the coverage question asked earlier was fully explained.

The coverage by the LB's is determined by four things...

1. The offensive set. The more receivers there are, the more likely the LBs will factor into pass coverage.

2. The defensive alignment or stunts - Obviously, if a LB is involved in a stunt, he will not be involved in pass coverage. Also, the MLB will have less pass coverage responsibility than the Sam, who (depending on the offensive set) may or may not have more coverage responsibility than the Will. If the offense is in a 1 TE 3 backs in the backfield, the Sam may have more coverage responsibility (TE seam route, hot route, and disrupting first part of drag). If the offense is using twin receivers or multiple receivers, the chances are good that the Will will have some sort of coverage responsibility. (If you play a man defense like UT does a lot, someone has to pick up the extra receivers offenses are sending out.)

Stunts by our LBs, which are frequent, also play a big part in the coverage responsibilities. If a stunt by an LB occurs when we are playing zone, the area needed to be covered by the other LBs might shift or widen.

3. The coverage scheme used by the DBs. Man is a bit easier to remember responsibility, but it is also the riskiest. Some zones leave certain areas uncovered by the DBs that have to be covered by the LBs. In a 3 deep coverage, the weakside flats is usually the responsibility of the Will.

However, a cover 2 defense might call for the LBs to drop "hook to curl". Meaning they drop to the hook zone (the area where a slot/receiver might end up after a hook pattern) and widen to the curl area.

4. The individual talents of the players. Some LBs are great rushers/blitzers/runstoppers than cover guys. You won't ask them to do as much in coverage if it is worth having them on the field for other purposes.

Also, someone mentioned the "spindown" effect. You really are getting multiple DB sets with hybrid LB/SS types these days. It is due to the evolution of the game to speed and the proliferation of multiple receiver sets. A 235 lb. LB can't easily cover a 210 lb. WR with 4.4 speed lined up in the slot. Instead of having multiple personnel changes as the offense changes personnel (OK, Speed guys, get out there! They just put in their speed team!), Defensive Coordinators have made their life easier by finding jacks of all trades.

Hope this helps.


Pass coverage is much harder and complicated to understand and communicate.
 
It is hard to see the total stunt on TV without replay. However, I will do my best.

Most all of these stunts will be in our defensive playbook, and we will use them to varying degrees. Some we may use more than others, but there are only so many things the front 7 can do.

Basics
1. Slant - The whole defensive line will slant to one side (stunts can be to the strong side, the weakside, toward the short side of the field, to the wide side, etc.) When the DTs slant, they will shoot a gap, but may not be aiming for deep penetration. They may just want to slant to where they are right behind the offensive linemen, in a position to still shuffle and make tackles. If they slant strong, they will slant into the gap between the linemen toward the strength of the offensive side (the TE side, the two receiver side, etc.) The LBs may take a shuffle step away from the slant direction at the snap of the ball to help protect what has now become the weakside.

2. Fire stunt - Any LB can run a fire stunt. It is nothing more than the LB shooting a gap on or after the snap of the ball.

3. X Stunt/Loop stunt - Usually run by two DL. With LBs, the premise is the same. Either the outside guy (DE) will slam into the gap to his inside trying to occupy two blockers (the guy assigned to blocking him and the guy whose area he has just invaded) while the inside guy (DT) lets the outside guy go in front of him, then loops around and blitzes through the hole left by the offensive linemen who has vacated his area following the outside guy, or the inside guy slams outside first followed by the outside guy looping in. (I hope that made sense.) This is not a great stunt versus a quick hitting run. Therefore, it is primarily used in pass rush situations. This can be run between the two DT's, at DT and a DE, an OLB and a DE, and a MLB and a DT. Very versatile.

4. Pinch stunt - run by a unit (Left DT, DE, and LOLB). The DT and DE will slam the inside gap on the snap of the ball, while the OLB takes a shuffle step to the outside on the snap of the ball to protect more against the outside since the DE won't have much responsibility.

5. OLB stunt - I've heard called Blast, Strike and Whip (for Sam and Will), among other things. The OLB cheats out and up to the line, and comes on a direct pass rush (or deep as the deepest back) on the snap of the ball.

6. Pistol stunt - the OLB or Rover or SS comes through an inside gap on the snap of the ball. Much like a fire, but used more by outside guys coming in than outside guys going straight ahead through a gap. You will see this stunt in the Nebraska game this year, because it is a hard stunt for option teams to account for. It screws up responsibilities. For the most part, you will see more defensive stunts and games against Nebraska than anyone, IMO. Indecision kills there offense. That is, if they are still reading any of the options.

Each coach has other stunts that they feel are their own. Most stunts are some form or combination of the ones above (if I haven't left something out.).

You may also hear a term called a delayed stunt...this can be a post-read stunt by a LB. For example...

"DJ, your read is the nearest back. If the nearest back shows pass, pin your ears back and go. If the near back goes away, pursue as deep as the deepest back. If he comes toward you, step up to meet him. If he flares, you have him."

OR

A true delayed blitz is when the LB is not at the LOS showing his stunt but is playing off the line. The OL man up and pass blocking, and may lock on too much, allowing a LB to have a free lane to the QB.

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks for the tutorial coach. Just FYI, we had a Husker poster a couple of weeks back that said NU wasn't running a true triple option anymore. He said that what was normally the first option (hand to diving FB or keep) is called presnap. Anyway, I was wondering if the stunt you described as confusing for an option offense would still be disruptive if the only read the QB is making is pitch or keep.
 
coachkiss, great stuff. Thanks.

Regarding the option -- I've always heard that "the way to defend the option (or was it just a triple option?) is for every defender to take a man and stay with him". This seems somewhat counter to the stunting approach you're advocating against Nebraska. Was I mistaken before?
 
The pistol stunt I described would be very effective against the pitch vs. keep read. It is an exchange of responsibilities between the Rover/OLB/SS (who usually has pitch responsibility in cov. 3) and the man who normally has QB responsibility. The QB sees the man normally responsible for him widening with pitch, so he decides to keep and turn up. Then he is met by the SS/OLB/Rover, who he didn't see coming. This can also be used to disrupt the dive/keep read, against teams who still use this (I don't know of any in D1). It works well against the midline option (which is one of Nebraska's bread and butter), because the QB turns up behind the tackle usually.

The best way to defend the option is for every player to have a responsibility. What makes it dangerous is that if one man fails his assignment, it can be devastating. However, the speed in college football these days is allowing DTs to not only play the dive, but still reverse field and make a play on the QB or even the pitch. LBs have the speed to play dive, keep, and pitch. It makes it tough on an offense to run the option. However, it can be successful at the HS level, where athletes aren't as quick across the board.

Imagine yourself as a HS DE...

1st play - you get double teamed by the TE and Wing.
2nd play - instead of getting double teamed, they blow past you, and you get blocked out by a pulling guard.
3rd play - no one blocks you and the fullback screams past you with the look of the ball in his belly.
4th play - the QB is coming right at you and fakes a pitch that you bite on. The QB tucks and turns upfield while you stand there.

Good HS option teams have the ability to run plays that give the DT, LB, and DE a completely different look every play. It is hard to focus on your assignment, when you don't know if you are going to be double-teamed by two mammoth OL, not blocked at all, or sideswiped by a pulling guard.
 
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