If I told you there was a Blitz out there that was IMPOSSIBLE for the Offence to block, would you be interested?
If you’re thinking that sounds too good to be true, you’d be right. No blitz is perfect, and like any play in football there are pros and cons — risks and rewards — when it comes to sending Plus One pressure. But at certain times, and in certain places, this type of play can be effective.
The Concept
As it’s name suggests, the goal here is to send one more Blitzer than the Offence has Blockers. So if the Offence is blocking with six, you send seven. If the Offence is blocking with seven, you send eight. Simple as that.
Since we’re talking about Pass Protection, you have probably already guessed that Plus One pressure is often used in Passing situations. The goal here is to get after the Quarterback. If you get caught in this play against a Run, you could be in trouble. There is basically no “Second Level” in the Box, so one open crease for the Running Back could result in a big play for the Offence. At the same time, all this pressure could also result in a tackle for a loss. It’s a high risk/reward proposition.
Coverage
Since this play calls for a large number of Blitzers, the Coverage on the back end will be Cover 0 Man. You will often see Coverage players using extra depth on these plays. They know the QB will need to get rid of the ball quickly, so the goal here is to react FORWARD and break on the throw.
Great tackling is key. A missed tackle on this play could go a long way.
Pressure
The pressure on this play needs to be immediate, so all Blitzers will line up right at the line of scrimmage. Sometimes you’ll see all of the Blitzers, even the big Defensive Tackles, up in a two-point stance.
Someone will end up being the “Free Rusher”, depending on how the Offence chooses to protect. In the clip below, we see five Blockers and six Blitzers. The Offence chooses to slide towards the QB’s backside, leaving the Free Rusher to come to the face of the QB.
Offensive Answers
This type of play has been kicking around the Canadian football circles for quite some time now. As such, Offensive coordinators across the country do a great job of scheming some “beaters” to handle this play.
- Leak the eligibles. Since some blockers are also eligible Receivers, Offences will sometimes leak the RB or TE on a quick pass versus “Plus One”. The Defensive answer to this should be to “Peel”, which means to cut off your Blitz to go cover the eligible. This is sometimes easier said than done.
- Add-in extra blockers. Adding in a slot Receiver is another good way to slow this down. On paper, the Defender covering the added Receiver should now Blitz. This means you still have “Plus One” Blitzers, but that last Blitzer is now coming from very far away, buying some time for the QB.
- Check to a Run Play. As I stated earlier, the Defence is at risk here versus a Run, especially when there are moving Gaps.
Protectors
Just to be sure the Defence is the last to hold the proverbial chalk here, there are also answers to the beaters. The common tactic is to be ready to SHOW Plus One pressure before dropping out into Coverage. This is to say, you line everyone up at the line as if you’re sending Plus One, and you hope the Offence makes one of their Plus One “Checks”. Then at the Snap most of the potential Blitzers drop off into a heavy Coverage scheme.
The game within the game.
Jon Svec is the author of the e-book Canadian Football Chalk Talk: Defensive Basics.
Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
IG: @jonsvecx
Twitter: @jonsvecx