⚡ CFB Dashboard

One of the main reasons you see modern defenses “losing the edge” more often is because they’re often using their DEs to solve a math problem. Saban was a big pioneer of it. Basically in order to have everything “gapped out” in the run game you have to do one of 2 things: 1) Have more defenders in the run fit than the offense has blockers. This is pretty simple. The problem here is it hurts you vs the pass and RPO stuff. 2) Have a defender (usually a DL) play “2 gaps”. The old school way to do it was a head up nose guard that could play both A gaps. These days people are asking a DE to do it. He lines up in a 5 tech (outside of the tackle or C Gap), but can peak his head inside of that block and actually play B gap as the play develops. His initial movement is C gap, but is suppose to handle B gap later in the play as the ball arrives there. The theory is that even if the ball bounces outside of him, it takes time. Now your secondary has time to pursue and hopefully make the tackle for a 2-4 yard gain. The downside of this theory is that the “2 gap” player needs to be pretty good to be able to play that technique well. Of course that’s all theory. Football isn’t played on a white board. Who you have trying to execute those techniques is really important. If you can’t defeat blocks and tackle once you get there, none of it matters.