Insights on the 3-3-5 Defense

[jtwoody1]

Long time lurker here. I am a former high school football coach who is now in administration. I ran my own 3-3-5 playbook with outstanding success at the high school level. Here are some insights that I thought the board may appreciate:

-The 3-3-5 is adaptable and can easily shift from a 3 man line to a 4 man line.

-The SAM backer is your heavy, and he can drop down as a DE with the 3 other lineman shifting.

-The DE's typically are divided as "rush" and "anchor" ends. The anchor end is on the strong side, and slides down to DT when the Sam drops down. This pushes the rush end out to a 5 technique.

-Looking at tape of Arnett, he loves to make this shift.

-The traditional 3-3-5 look is a stack, meaning that the 3 linebackers are stacked directly over the DL. DL are aligned in the 0 and 4 techniques, meaning that they are head-up on the center and tackles. Between the six players, they are responsible for six gaps. For example, the DT takes the right A gap and the Mike takes the left A gap. Mike has to be very stout against the inside run. Same goes for the OLB stacked over the ends...they crisscross the gaps on either side of the OT they are aligned over.

-In the stack, both SS typically are in a 3x3 alignment...3 yards outside of the tackle or tight end, 3 yards off the line of scrimmage. This allows them to drop in to a variety of coverages, blitz, or handle outside run responsibilities. These dudes need to be stout AND cover.

-Corners typically drop into a 3 shell or man-1, much like the Seahawks do.

-It is a misconception that the 3-3-5 is weak against the run. There are essentially 5 athletes at the LOS behind 3 big DL to do the tackling. An opposing coach said to me after a shutout, "it's impossible to run with all those damn linebackers in there".

-The weakspots in the 3-3-5 are typically in the seams...behind the Sam/Will and between the CB and FS. Additionally, the SS can get burned in man coverage if they meet a challenging matchup. They aren't corners, but sometimes they're asked to cover slot receivers and TE's in man. We also had challenges with trap plays. The aggressive nature of this penetrating defense allows the offense to execute some good traps. Players just need to be disciplined during run fits.

-Looking at Arnett's tape, he doesn't stick with the base stack all that often. He likes to bring heat and he rolls a second safety back to help his FS. I would expect to see some two-deep coverage out of him, which I never ran from this system. He appears to be much more creative than I was with this scheme.

I am happy to answer any questions if you have them.

Go to hell OM

[bigplayslay]

Who will be the hybrid LB/S you think? Marcus Murphy is the first name that comes to mind.

[PMDawg]

-The weakspots in the 3-3-5 are typically in the seams...behind the Sam/Will and between the CB and FS. Additionally, the SS can get burned in man coverage if they meet a challenging matchup. They aren't corners, but sometimes they're asked to cover slot receivers and TE's in man.

This is a bit troublesome. Being in the SEC, most teams we play will be able to throw a "challenging matchup" at us. Additionally, we have struggled for years at covering the seams, seemingly no matter who has been coaching our defense.

Thanks for the info though. Very insightful.

[jtwoody1]

Who will be the hybrid LB/S you think? Marcus Murphy is the first name that comes to mind.

Honestly, Brian Cole would have been the prototype for the position. Nickoe Whitley would have fit like a glove as well. Think that type of player. Yeah, MM would be a good candidate.

He could use about 10 lbs of bulk tho. He'll need to deal with pulling guards if they're in a stack. Depending on the defensive call, he'll either be required to contain the outside or crash the puller and spill the play to the outside. Either way, hell need some strength.

[ShotgunDawg]

Long time lurker here. I am a former high school football coach who is now in administration. I ran my own 3-3-5 playbook with outstanding success at the high school level. Here are some insights that I thought the board may appreciate:

-The 3-3-5 is adaptable and can easily shift from a 3 man line to a 4 man line.

-The SAM backer is your heavy, and he can drop down as a DE with the 3 other lineman shifting.

-The DE's typically are divided as "rush" and "anchor" ends. The anchor end is on the strong side, and slides down to DT when the Sam drops down. This pushes the rush end out to a 5 technique.

-Looking at tape of Arnett, he loves to make this shift.

-The traditional 3-3-5 look is a stack, meaning that the 3 linebackers are stacked directly over the DL. DL are aligned in the 0 and 4 techniques, meaning that they are head-up on the center and tackles. Between the six players, they are responsible for six gaps. For example, the DT takes the right A gap and the Mike takes the left A gap. Mike has to be very stout against the inside run. Same goes for the OLB stacked over the ends...they crisscross the gaps on either side of the OT they are aligned over.

-In the stack, both SS typically are in a 3x3 alignment...3 yards outside of the tackle or tight end, 3 yards off the line of scrimmage. This allows them to drop in to a variety of coverages, blitz, or handle outside run responsibilities. These dudes need to be stout AND cover.

-Corners typically drop into a 3 shell or man-1, much like the Seahawks do.

-It is a misconception that the 3-3-5 is weak against the run. There are essentially 5 athletes at the LOS behind 3 big DL to do the tackling. An opposing coach said to me after a shutout, "it's impossible to run with all those damn linebackers in there".

-The weakspots in the 3-3-5 are typically in the seams...behind the Sam/Will and between the CB and FS. Additionally, the SS can get burned in man coverage if they meet a challenging matchup. They aren't corners, but sometimes they're asked to cover slot receivers and TE's in man. We also had challenges with trap plays. The aggressive nature of this penetrating defense allows the offense to execute some good traps. Players just need to be disciplined during run fits.

-Looking at Arnett's tape, he doesn't stick with the base stack all that often. He likes to bring heat and he rolls a second safety back to help his FS. I would expect to see some two-deep coverage out of him, which I never ran from this system. He appears to be much more creative than I was with this scheme.

I am happy to answer any questions if you have them.

Go to hell OM

This was fantastic.

Do you think we have the personnel currently on the roster to run this? And if so, who would play which positions in your opinion?

[ShotgunDawg]

Honestly, Brian Cole would have been the prototype for the position. Nickoe Whitley would have fit like a glove as well. Think that type of player. Yeah, MM would be a good candidate.

He could use about 10 lbs of bulk tho. He'll need to deal with pulling guards if they're in a stack. Depending on the defensive call, he'll either be required to contain the outside or crash the puller and spill the play to the outside. Either way, hell need some strength.

Fred Peters may be the guy.

I thought he really stepped up in the bowl game. Looked fast & hit hard.

[BhamDawg205]

Thanks for the info... Ran it at multiple Pop Warner levels ages 6-12. I was always at a disadvantage talent wise. Nice equalizer.

[Coursesuper]

Long time lurker here. I am a former high school football coach who is now in administration. I ran my own 3-3-5 playbook with outstanding success at the high school level. Here are some insights that I thought the board may appreciate:

-The 3-3-5 is adaptable and can easily shift from a 3 man line to a 4 man line.

-The SAM backer is your heavy, and he can drop down as a DE with the 3 other lineman shifting.

-The DE's typically are divided as "rush" and "anchor" ends. The anchor end is on the strong side, and slides down to DT when the Sam drops down. This pushes the rush end out to a 5 technique.

-Looking at tape of Arnett, he loves to make this shift.

-The traditional 3-3-5 look is a stack, meaning that the 3 linebackers are stacked directly over the DL. DL are aligned in the 0 and 4 techniques, meaning that they are head-up on the center and tackles. Between the six players, they are responsible for six gaps. For example, the DT takes the right A gap and the Mike takes the left A gap. Mike has to be very stout against the inside run. Same goes for the OLB stacked over the ends...they crisscross the gaps on either side of the OT they are aligned over.

-In the stack, both SS typically are in a 3x3 alignment...3 yards outside of the tackle or tight end, 3 yards off the line of scrimmage. This allows them to drop in to a variety of coverages, blitz, or handle outside run responsibilities. These dudes need to be stout AND cover.

-Corners typically drop into a 3 shell or man-1, much like the Seahawks do.

-It is a misconception that the 3-3-5 is weak against the run. There are essentially 5 athletes at the LOS behind 3 big DL to do the tackling. An opposing coach said to me after a shutout, "it's impossible to run with all those damn linebackers in there".

-The weakspots in the 3-3-5 are typically in the seams...behind the Sam/Will and between the CB and FS. Additionally, the SS can get burned in man coverage if they meet a challenging matchup. They aren't corners, but sometimes they're asked to cover slot receivers and TE's in man. We also had challenges with trap plays. The aggressive nature of this penetrating defense allows the offense to execute some good traps. Players just need to be disciplined during run fits.

-Looking at Arnett's tape, he doesn't stick with the base stack all that often. He likes to bring heat and he rolls a second safety back to help his FS. I would expect to see some two-deep coverage out of him, which I never ran from this system. He appears to be much more creative than I was with this scheme.

I am happy to answer any questions if you have them.

Go to hell OM

He's going to have to be very creative on the back end. Going to have to play combo coverages and hide it well. We are going to have to cover some of the best players in the country out of the slot in the SEC West.

[BhamDawg205]

Honestly, Brian Cole would have been the prototype for the position. Nickoe Whitley would have fit like a glove as well. Think that type of player. Yeah, MM would be a good candidate.

He could use about 10 lbs of bulk tho. He'll need to deal with pulling guards if they're in a stack. Depending on the defensive call, he'll either be required to contain the outside or crash the puller and spill the play to the outside. Either way, hell need some strength.

Matthew Wells would be for me. He had the speed and football IQ. I think Murphy can fit that mold after watching play in HS. If it translates to college, he'll be a beast.

[defiantdog]

Honestly, Brian Cole would have been the prototype for the position. Nickoe Whitley would have fit like a glove as well. Think that type of player. Yeah, MM would be a good candidate.

He could use about 10 lbs of bulk tho. He'll need to deal with pulling guards if they're in a stack. Depending on the defensive call, he'll either be required to contain the outside or crash the puller and spill the play to the outside. Either way, hell need some strength.

Jamal Peters would have been made for this position.

[jtwoody1]

He's going to have to be very creative on the back end. Going to have to play combo coverages and hide it well. We are going to have to cover some of the best players in the country out of the slot in the SEC West.

This is an excellent point, and I think it's an argument for playing zone coverage. One of the benefits of this system is that you can run some crazy zone coverages that QB's have a very hard time dissecting. I would prefer to be a zone blitz team if I'm running a 3-3-5. That should neutralize some of those crappy matchups.

[Political Hack]

What I don't understand is how people don't realize that a 3-3-5 is essentially a 4-2-5 and a 4-3 all at the same time. If you have the right personnel to play the hybrid DE/OLB & OLB/SS spots, it's perfect.

[Coursesuper]

This is an excellent point, and I think it's an argument for playing zone coverage. One of the benefits of this system is that you can run some crazy zone coverages that QB's have a very hard time dissecting. I would prefer to be a zone blitz team if I'm running a 3-3-5. That should neutralize some of those crappy matchups.

Exactly, got to help out and keep the other guys guessing. Going to win some and lose some but at the end of the game just need to find a way to win more of those match ups than we lose.

[BhamDawg205]

Double... ED acting quirky