A Defender's Look At Man Defense

Man-to-man coverage in the NFL has taken a back seat lately because of the emergence of the Tampa 2 defense and zone-blitzing schemes. But as pressure defense becomes popular again, man-to-man defense is going to make a comeback.

The Pre-Snap Read

As a defender is the NFL, you can gain an advantage by knowing and understanding how a wide receiver’s pre-snap alignment affects the route he’s going to run. This is gained in film study throughout the week leading up to the game, and it’s something that every good defender must know to succeed at the NFL level.

Pro defensive backs look at the football field like grid, using the numbers and the hash marks as landmarks.  Where a receiver aligns as it pertains to the field is the first thing a good defensive back looks at once he leaves the huddle.

Aligned outside the numbers? OK, you can expect an inside release and an inside breaking route — such as a slant, an underneath crossing route or a dig route (square in). You know this as a defender because there isn’t enough room outside the numbers for a receiver to work with, so you can align to the inside and prepare for a route that breaks back into the field — toward the football, and a shorter throw for the quarterback. T.O. made a living doing this in Philly.

Aligned inside of the numbers? Well, you can expect something that’s going to come back across the field, as is always expected with a reduced split. Remember, he’s aligned inside the numbers for a reason, as offenses use the landmarks on the field as much as the defense does. That receiver is most likely going to run underneath the linebackers, and that equals a long run for the defender. Think of Anquan Boldin and the Cardinals. Get the ball to the receiver on the run with field to work with.

Obviously, there are instances when offenses break their tendencies, but most often, if you study the film, you know exactly what they’re going to do before the ball is snapped.

But that doesn’t mean you’re going to stop it — which I hardly ever did.

The Release

To put this into words, we’re going to say that the receiver is aligned in a normal split on the outside edge of the numbers so we can talk about the release and what it means to the route.

An outside release by the wide receiver usually equals only three routes — the fade, the comeback and the hitch. That’s it, because as a defender, you always use the sideline as your friend. Bump him at the line on an outside release toward the sideline and these three routes are all he has.

Now, an inside release can mean plenty of things. Most of the time, it’s going to equal some sort of inside breaking route, but if so, how many? The slant, the dig, the post, and the hardest to defend — the 7-route (flag route). On this route, the receiver will release inside the defender, go vertical up the field, and then break outside toward the corner. As a defender, you’re on his outside hip waiting for him to break inside on the post or the dig, and then the receiver fakes inside and breaks to the outside at a 45-degree angle.

In any form of man-to-man, the receiver is not only running away from you but also running away from the safety in the middle of the field. I can’t tell you how many times I chased after receivers on the 7-route — and begged for an overthrow. The problem on an inside release is that the defender cheats underneath to the receiver to take away the dig, and then he’s suddenly gone — running the other direction -- and panic sets in.

The Route Rules

Next time you watch an NFL game, look to see where the receivers break their routes. I guarantee every break happens between the 12-15 yard mark. It’s how pro receivers are taught to run their routes every day in practice and in the film room. On any vertical release, you can expect any of these routes I just mentioned to break at 12-15 yards.

Why is this so important? For starters, if a receiver is still at top-end speed at 15 yards, you probably should turn your hips and start running, because he’s not coming back. Once a receiver breaks that 12-15 yard mark, he’s running straight down the field — and probably getting the ball if you’re still waiting for him to break to the post. And more importantly, following these rules will allow you to prevent any double move.

I’m always shocked when guys get beat on double moves (trust me, I was one of them). Randy Moss has made a living running double moves on the outside of the formation, but in theory, he shouldn’t get away with it.

Why? Because all double moves take place at the eight-yard mark — and no route in the playbook breaks at eight yards. Sure, there are hitches, but those break at five yards. If a receiver stutters his feet at eight yards, the only thing he’s going to do is make the defender stop his feet so he can streak down the side of the field, catch the ball, dance in the end zone and strike up the band.

That’s not a situation you want to be in as a defensive player.

The Bottom Line

The most important rule in the NFL when it comes to man-to-man — and this can apply at any level — is to watch your man. Keep your eyes on his hips, because a receiver can’t make a move without turning his hips.

Too many times, guys in this league are looking into the backfield, and that’s the worst thing you can do. Staring at the quarterback slows down your break out of your pedal, and it allows your man to gain separation.

My defensive backs coach in Washington, Steve Jackson, always put it best when we were caught looking at the quarterback on tape: “I don’t know why he didn’t throw it to you because you were wide open.”

In fact, I was, but I was wearing a different color jersey and my man was running the other way. Fun times, folks.

I always write about technique, and although this is a short version of playing man-to-man, it works. Lining up over the top of Randy Moss or Larry Fitzgerald isn’t an easy task. Usually, against guys like that, technique and film study is the only chance you have.

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