How To Fix The Run Defense & 2 Chronicles 20

The run defense is fixable and the solution isn’t even that complicated.

I studied every run play and cataloged what went wrong with the rush defense and I discovered three elemental concepts that will greatly improve, if not fix, the run defense. The first two are Set the edge, fill the assigned gap. It won’t always be easy, but it’s within reach.

For those of you who do not know, let me show you how defenses typically like to scheme to stop the run. You have A, B, & C gaps on both sides, And you can imagine that if you had a tight end then you might have a D gap. Although I rarely hear anyone refer to the C & D gaps by the letters. People usually just say edge or contain.

Now each defender is assigned a gap on every play and it may look something like this, of course this could change depending on the play, but any good defensive play will account for each of these gaps. The exceptions may be obvious passing situations like 3rd and long.

Now lets take a look at a few plays to see how the Cowboys set the edge. These first three plays are read options, which is where the QB is going to read a player that is intentionally unblocked and if the player commits to the running back the QB will keep the ball and if read players slow plays or commits to the QB or keep outside leverage the QB will give the ball to the running back.

This first play Parsons read man for Lemar, and he is the person responsible for outside contain. Parsons bites on the running back and totally loses his outside contain and actually touches the running back before he realizes he does not have the ball and thus Lemar is able to gain 12 yards.

Later in the drive we’ll see the same play, same read, same busted assignment where Parsons commits to the running back and allows for a walk in TD by Lemar.

Earlier in the drive though, the second run of the game we see Lawrence play this correctly. The option decision is reversed because Lawrence keeps outside leverage or contain and Derrick Henry runs up the middle for 2 yards. Much Better.

Now let’s talk about what happens when you don’t fill your gaps

3rd quarter 3rd and 1 Donovan Wilson flows into the middle of the line leaving his assignment wide open and as a result his teammate gets punched in the face and Henry goes for nearly 30 yards.

On this 2nd and 10 we see Kendricks do an excellent job filling his assigned gap. He flows with the play and then engages the block here and is able to quickly shed it and stop the Ravens for a 1 yard gain.

The Ravens blocked this Touchdown really well. First Mazi gets washed out but I got good news on him later in the video, but this is Overshowns gap and he is unable to close the space between the blockers so all it takes is one missed tackle by Donovan Wilson to allow this run to go all the way.

Bad tackling is a third thing that killed our rush defense this game, which is all about will and technique so we wont go into that. The good news is that it is also fixable.

And it didn’t really hit me until last night I was lying in bed that the reason he has so many opportunities is because the offense wants him to have so many opportunities.

They are targeting parsons in the run game. The good news is that if he actually stays disciplined he can be a good defensive end but they absolutely need to avoid putting him towards the interior of the line because he is too small and will get washed completely out of the play like he was here on the play that iced the game for the Ravens.

Alright I said I would talk about scripture and we are now to that point. Have you ever been in a situation where there were no good options. You were pretty much doomed from the start. That is what King Jehoshaphat is going through in 2nd Chronicles 20. He has heard that a great army is on its way and he knows he doesn’t have the power to stop them

So he goes to God and I love how he ends his prayer in vs 12

We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.

What a humble and genuine and helpless response.

In the end God tells them that they won’t even have to fight and that the battle is the Lords.

So what do they do? The Jews send the musicians to their front lines and God delivers them from their enemies.

I can’t promise that God will subdue your enemies without you doing a thing, but strum a harp or clash symbols, but I can say that the example Jehoshaphat displays is an excellent one for us.

May we go to God more often like Jehoshphat and tell the Lord, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.