The Ravens' Defense? Great!

But Is It Better Than Buddy Ryan's Famed 46?

Though the 2001 Baltimore Ravens may beg to differ, many of our defensive pundits maintain that the Chicago Bears defense of 1985-86 was the best ever in the NFL.

A statistical comparison of the two defenses reveals that the Ravens topped the Bears in points allowed and yards per rush attempt categories, while the Bears defense allowed only four points per game and allowed no points defensively in the Super Bowl.

The Bears allowed only 3.3 points per game with two shutouts during their Super Bowl run.

The biggest difference between these two great defenses was the QB sack total. The Ravens finished with 35 sacks, which was 22nd in percentage of sacks per play, while the Bears ranked first with 64. The sack-happy Bears set the NFL record for sacks in 1984 with 72.

The Ravens defense didn't blitz much and preferred zone coverages. The Bears had a more aggressive mind-set with more blitzes and man coverage.

Buddy Ryan's famed 46 defense had its genesis in the double-eagle package coached by Greasy Neale in the 1940s and '50s, and a lot of pro, college, and high school teams are still using parts of the 46 with great effect.

In fact, both the Ravens and the Giants used it during Super Bowl XXXV.

The 46 defense is rooted in a base five-man rush with a 3-on-3 ratio in the middle.

Four other defenders are strategically placed as blitz threats, with three of them routinely aligned within five yards of the football, which serves to disguise their intentions. Check Diag. 1.

The goal of the Bear blitz is to get a free runner at the QB. The defense seeks to achieve this by blitzing the protection -- by attacking the line splits, inexperienced players, and pass-protection schemes. In tailoring a blitz, the coach first must answer a series of questions.

How and whom do the uncovered tackles block?

How does the offense use the tight end and running backs?

Does the offense use a hot scheme and if so, what type?

What is the preferred depth of the QB's drop -- 3, 5, or 7 yards?

Strong Outside Linebacker Blitz, Diag. 2

The outside LB aligns on the tight end -- in great position to stunt. On the snap, he rushes the C gap or folds to A gap if the offense fan protects. The free safety assumes coverage on the tight end.

Both inside LBs are in great position to join the rush. The defensive coordinator can choose to send one or both. Both can be sent into different gaps or blitzed into the same gap. The latter has proven very effective.

Once the decision has been made on whom you want to blitz and where to send him, you must know how to cover up for him. In our scheme, we can cover up with the free safety or use a blitz pickup concept wherein our edge rushers, Will (W) and Stud (ST), assume coverage on a back.

A blitz pickup scheme will allow the free safety to become a deep middle or hole player. The defense can take it a step farther by stunting both LBs and covering the most dangerous back with the free safety and having the blitz pick up the lesser threat.

Linebacker Stunts

Either the Strong Safety ($) or Sam (S) can be stunted into either A gap, with either FS, ST, or W covering up.

Diag. 3 shows an $ Stunt with the FS assuming coverage, and Diag. 4, an $ Stunt with a blitz pickup principle.

A blitz pickup scheme allows the FS to be a hole player, with S being designated as the blitzer and covered up the same way.

Two linebacker stunts are shown in Diags. 5 and 6.

Both linebackers are in separate gaps with blitz pickup on both sides. Both the strong safety ($) and Sam (S) are blitzing. They can be sent to separate gaps with blitz pickup on both sides.

Diag. 6: Both LBs blitz in the same gap with blitz pickup.

Diag. 7: Two LBs stunt, with the free safety on the most dangerous receiver and blitz on the least dangerous.

The free safety is in great position to stunt either A gap. The nose must be schemed to align in the offside A gap.

In many cases, the free safety is not accounted for in pass protection schemes. If he times up the stunt correctly, he will be unblocked and have a free run at the QB.

Diag. 8: Free safety stunts strong A gap.

Diag. 9: Free safety stunts weak A gap.

As the reader may discern, the 46 Bear system is very flexible and multiple. One article cannot do justice to any aspect of the 46 defense. Coaches who desire more information may refer to my book, Footballs' Attacking 46 Bears Defense, published by Harding Press. The book includes other blitz coverages, base coverages, line games, and positional techniques and drills to implement the defense.