Quote:So I've been thinking about this more and more since I'm really just a football nerd with some spare time on my hands in the evening. One formation that I think most every team ran this year was what I refer to as a "tight bunch" formation with three WRs to one side. I was wondering how a 3-4 would align against it. Also, I think it just shows that most Defenses are in Nickel more often than not anyway. I'll diagram it below:

 

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">----------------------------Q--R

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> 

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">----------Z
------H------------------------------

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">--------------Y----T--G--C--G--T---------------------X

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> 

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">To me, this alignment poses problems for teams (else, why would practically every team run it? Duh!) in that you are in a pass heavy set but you are also unbalanced to one side as you have 5.5 players to one side of the Center not counting Q. Also, I put 'H' on the side as a team with a quality Tight End would want him there to help with a double team if the call allowed for a run play to the heavy side. So with a 3-4, how do you align versus this? Im'ma give it a shot...

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> 

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">----------------------------Q--R

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> 

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">----------Z------H------------------------------

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">--------------Y----T--G--C--G--T---------------------X

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">--------------------5-----1-------3---50

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">-------------60--------20----20

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">--Cl----------------Cn---------------------------------Cr

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> 

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">----------------------------S

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> 

<p style="font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We line up with the 50 down on the LOS in order to set the edge on the weak side. Cr is in Man coverage on X as S has to play towards the strong side of the formation. My problem is what does the 5 do? I show him head up on the T, but I don't think that's a good idea.

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<p style="font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Does he play outside the Tackle and leave that G-T gap unmanned? I think that an astute QB would call a run to that spot as soon as he saw the 5 outside as it would allow an easy double team on 5 and let the G lead up to the 20. Does he play inside and try to fight off the G-T double team?

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<p style="font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">More than anything else, I think that this formation requires that both 1 and 5 to be absolute studs since they'll both need to demand double teams and I'm not so sure I see those guys on this roster.