When the subject of "D" comes up in football, players, coaches, announcers and fans are referring to defense. Legendary Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant is often credited with putting the importance of defense in perspective. "Offense sells tickets, defense wins championships," Bryant said. It became the basis for his coaching philosophy and has been adopted by a high percentage of successful coaches.
4-3
The most common defense used at all levels of football is the 4-3 setup. In this type of formation, the defense will use four defensive linemen, three linebackers and four defensive backs. This defense is considered to be useful against a balanced offense that runs the ball effectively and can also throw it fairly well. A balanced offense in the modern game of football will throw the ball about 55 to 60 percent of the time and run it 40 to 45 percent.
3-4
Many offensive teams throw the ball more than 60 percent of the time. To combat this type of attack, defenses go to a 3-4 setup. By using three defensive linemen and four linebackers, the defense has the ability to drop more players into coverage and also disguise its pass rush. This type of defense is harder for the quarterback to analyze at the line of scrimmage and can lead to more interceptions. However, the 3-4 can be more vulnerable against running plays.
Blitzing Defense
Some defenses are built with the idea of putting constant pressure on opposing quarterbacks. When you can harass the opposing quarterback before he gets rid of the ball, you can stop the offense from moving the ball and putting points on the scoreboard. Defenses do this by blitzing the quarterback. This is done by sending a linebacker or defensive back, who would normally cover a receiver, into the backfield. This often takes the blockers and quarterback by surprise.
Top Defensive Players
The top defensive players in the game's history have been some of football's all-time greats. Hall of Fame middle linebacker Dick Butkus was one of the hardest hitting players in football history while playing for the Chicago Bears from 1965 through 1973. Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants had superior speed and blitzing ability throughout his Hall of Fame career from 1981 through 1993. Ronnie Lott was a physical and smart defensive back who earned a spot in the Hall of Fame while playing primarily for the San Francisco 49ers in a career that lasted from 1981 through 1994.
References
- "Play Football the NFL Way"; Tom Bass; 1991
- "Inside the Helmet"; Peter King; 1993
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