Tag Archives: over front

4-3 Defensive Line Play

4-3 Defensive Line Play Skills and Reads

The next part in the series is available here: 4-3 Defensive Line Drills.

Perhaps the most critical component of the 4-3 is the defensive line. As with any defense, if you can create pressure with your defensive linemen, your chances of success increase tremendously. At a clinic in Chicago, I had the pleasure of hearing Wisconsin’s DL coach, Charlie Partridge. Talk about a technician. Wisconsin’s DL is inspiring, and while this past season they had JJ Watt, they routinely have exceptional players.

  Wisconsin is, by definition, a 4-3 Over front defense. They like to…

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Miami Dolphins 4-3 Pt. 2

As mentioned in the first part of this series on the Miami 4-3 Defense, the short passing game in the West Coast Offense caused a great number of issues for the defenses. With a basic understanding of a couple of the fronts the 96 Dolphins 4-3 defense utilized, we shall go about understanding one of their coverages used to dominate the short passing game, “Cover 22″. It is detailed below. [Miami Base Cover 22]

(Sidenote: Click on the image to enlarge it. I would suggest opening it in a new window or tab.)

Cover 22 was is one of the first coverages listed…

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Miami Dolphins 4-3 Defense Pt. 1

Please Note: Part 2 of the Miami 4-3 Defense is Available, Click Here For It

Dear Readers,

Following the 80′s rage on the 3-4 and 46 defenses, offenses found ways to protect the passer and attack the opponent through the air with the spread of the “west coast offense” in the early to mid 90′s. In order to defeat opponents that used this offense which threw short, high percentage passes first in order to open up the running game, the Over 4-3 (or Miami 4-3) defense came about. This will begin a 3 part series on the defense,…

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