Most of it is oriented toward a TCU / Gary Patterson 4-2-5, which is an interesting system. The heart of the 4-2-5 system is aligning properly, "aligning to win" ;TCU takes that a step further and allows the front six to align toward the running strength, and the backs to align to the passing strength, for the most part completely independent of one another. You can find adjustments to the run at http://runcodhit.blogspot.com/2010/07/4-2-5-alignments-part-ii.html, and you can find passing alignments at http://runcodhit.blogspot.com/2010/07/4-2-5-alignments-part-i.html. It boils down to this for the front six :
- Defensive line techniques, weak to strong are 9, 1, 3, 9, just like an over front. TCU also has a "power" call which puts the 1-technique into a 3-technique.
- Both linebackers are aligned in 30 techniques in base set. When the defense shifts into a eight-man box, the weak safety moves into the box, the weak backer goes heads-up over center, and the strong backer moves into the strong B-gap.
- Versus a 4x1 set, the strong backer moves outside the box to guard the innermost receiver or be the wall coverage, and the weak backer goes heads-up over the center.
That's it. The defensive line needs to be able to get into an over front to either side, or into a 9-3-3-9 alignment, and the linebackers have only some very basic alignments. So I made the following set of shifts for the D-line :
- Base = over front to the side of the playcall
- Left = over front, strong left
- Right = over front, strong right
- Up = 9-3-3-9 "power" alignment
- Down = pinched line
[Note : when I say right, I mean "screen right" or "controller right," not the "ROLB" kind of right.]
I made this set for the backers :
- Base = each LB in a 30 technique
- Left = scoot left
- Right = scoot right
- Up = WB over center, SB outside the box strong
- Down = LB move closer to LOS and into B-gaps
The left and right audibles are the same, whichever way the play is called. This way, the line and the backers can adjust to meet any set without flipping the play. The advantage of this is that the playcall is always toward the passing strength of the formation, which is necessary because passing alignments are more tricky to program. Without getting into too much detail (you can find it at the RUNCODHIT link above,) there are three necessary alignments :
- Versus a pro set, the weak safety eight yards high outside the tackle box, the free safety high over the 1-technique, and the strong safety on the line outside the tight end to play run force or SCIF coverage
- "Scoot", a run-heavy front with the weak safety moving into the box stacked over the weak OT, the backers shifting strong, the free safety over the 1-technique, and the strong safety playing force
- Versus spread sets, the weak and free safeties about ten yards deep (weak safety a little deeper) and the strong safety moved into the slot at just about LB depth
Obviously TCU has a more complicated set of alignments based on field and boundary sides, wide receiver splits, etc. But we need to simplify that, because the DB's only have two true shifts, loose and tight, because one shift is a blitz and one shift is shadow. So, the set of shifts I created is a reasonable simplification, and anyway Madden will fix some of that when the backs shadow receivers. Here's the set of shifts for backs :
- Base = versus pro
- Up = versus spread
- Down = scoot
- Left = blitz, with both outside safeties into the box, free safety closing down, and LB's pinching
Now here's the trick : I am making my plays as though the passing strength is to the right every time. This means that you may have to flip the play to align to passing or running strength, then audible your D-line and backs into the proper alignment. The basic idea is to figure out which side you need to have the strong safety - on very heavy running sets this will be the run strength, but otherwise will be the passing strength - then fix his alignment, then get everything else taken care of. My progression is :
- Identify the running and passing strength. Flip the play if it needs to be flipped.
- Shift the backs to get them into proper coverage
- Shift the D-line to put them in position for run support
- Shift the linebackers if necessary
- Some examples :
- Offense comes out in I-form pro (21 personnel, I-form with TE to right and a WR to either side) : don't change anything, the base alignment of the defense is made to target this formation.
- Offense comes out in I-form pro, but moves the TE across the formation : flip the play.
- Offense comes out in I-form pro, but moves a WR from the right to the left, shifting into I-form twins : the passing strength has changed, so you have to flip the play. Shift the backs up into a spread set so the safety over the slot can cover more effectively. Notice that your D-line has shifted into an over front to the left (because the play is flipped) and shift them right into an over front to the right, because the run strength of the formation is still to the right.
- Offense comes out in I-form pro, but shifts into a five-wide set, three receivers to the left and two receivers to the right : passing strength has changed to the left, so flip the play. Shift the backs up into a spread alignment.
- Offense comes out in I-form pro, but shifts into a five-wide set, one receiver to the left and four receivers to the right : passing strength is the same. Shift the backs up into a spread alignment. Shift the linebackers up to move the strong backer out of the box.
- Offense comes out in a two-TE or a heavy-strong running formation, with the running strength to the left : flip the play to realign to the running strength. Shift the backs down to get the weak safety into the box. Shift the backers to the left, toward the running strength. You could think about pinching your D-Line, or moving them into a power alignment.
There aren't many plays yet in the playbook because I have only just gotten the alignments the way I like them. All the same, let me know how it works!
