Slowing Down The Pound

[uscweezee]

I play in an online league and my defense is usually solid enough to win games. Recently, I went up against a guy who played with Detroit and he killed me with Kevin Jones running up the gut. I crash my line down, he still would pick up 6-8 yards a carry. I pinched my line with the crash down, then he would go with the counter run, knowing I was keying on the inside runs. Of course he was basing his running plays on what he saw with my defensive front. So my question is, what is a good way to disguise your D to slow down the inside running game without giving it away? I use the Ravens D.

[Five_O_Five]

I think the key is to position your players around before the snap. Also try blitzing your LBS from hitting the Linebacker shift button and either left, right, up, or down. Usually I'll try moving my line or stunting them to the strong side, and dare the guy to run the other way. You have to set up your defense so that you say, "Im taking away your deep pass and playaction pass on this play." Or "Im taking away the run and bring a heavy blitz."

[ZestyChicken]

Holy crap. You can't stop the run with the Ravens???

That's depressing. I have quite a bit of trouble with the run too, but I play the Cowboys and their front 7 sucks.

Have you tried the 4-6? That defense rocks the run.

[CONCEDE]

The Ravens should be able to stop the run. If he's attacking both inside and outside try the 4-6 Bear. This will do 2 things.

1. If you blitz one of your ILB's it should help with the inside runs.

2. You have an extra man on the line which makes it more difficult for him to hit the corner on the counters. Also, if you control one of the DE's (especially suggs) you can blow up field to kill the counter or crash down to try to help with the inside run.

[uscweezee]

Holy crap. You can't stop the run with the Ravens???

That's depressing. I have quite a bit of trouble with the run too, but I play the Cowboys and their front 7 sucks.

Have you tried the 4-6? That defense rocks the run.


Let me clarify, I use the Ravens D playbook, which has the 46 formation. When I lined up in the 46, he'd just bullet streak with Roy Williams. I give dude credit, he would take what I was giving him, but he was controlling the game with the inside run and it was frustrating getting worked like that. Sorta like what the Colts did to the Bears in the Super Bowl

[ZestyChicken]

Let me clarify, I use the Ravens D playbook, which has the 46 formation. When I lined up in the 46, he'd just bullet streak with Roy Williams. I give dude credit, he would take what I was giving him, but he was controlling the game with the inside run and it was frustrating getting worked like that. Sorta like what the Colts did to the Bears in the Super Bowl

Doesn't pressing stop the bullet streak? Zone too - no?

[49ersruleyea]

I have trouble with a similar situation. I feel like I have to give up one of my linebackers or a DB by blitzing to neutralize the run which makes sense. Sometimes though if they're good at recognizing blitzes, they audible out into a pass play and either do the bullet pass or dump it to the HB in the flats. It's tough, you just have to pick your poison. When it's like that I usually end up winning by having a shootout and who gets the ball last usually wins. People who drive down the field with the pound game have to be content with 2-4 yard gains. I just feel at some point if you use like a 46 defense and focus on closing the inside run (inside blitz) and make him run out, he'll have a series where he'll lose yardage and then you know for sure he'll probably look for a pass play.

[uscweezee]

Doesn't pressing stop the bullet streak? Zone too - no?

Actually using zone is worse against the bullet streak, especially if the player knows how to undercut the route between the corner and the safety. Once the WR gets off the press, the DB is beat. Plus you can hot route to a fade route to make the press less effective. True, the DB's will bump the WR, but not enough to stop a 10-15 yard pass.