How to Defend the Spread

Simple, according to Navy defensive coordinator Buddy Green. Get your fastest eleven guys on the field, make sure that they can tackle, and don't make scheme too complicated. Have a gander from a recent interview I conducted with coach Green for GoMids.com...

AN: Everyone seems to be talking about 'the spread' offense - whether it is in the zone-read model or the idea of a five-wide, 'Air-Raid' offense that someone like Hal Mumme developed. Do you find yourself constantly adapting to the way you scheme your defenses? BG: Yea, I think the trend and what we have seen, both last year and the last four or five years, is that teams do exactly what you said...They spread you out, they try to make you play in space. Teams will try to get the one on one match up in space, and it may not be all the vertical game. It may be the underneath game, where they get the ball to receivers quick and try to see if your speed can match up with their speed underneath. That is what makes it tough because it puts a lot of pressure on linebackers. But the second thing is that when you have a mobile quarterback that can put pressure on you with the threat of quarterback powers, quarterback isos, quarterback draws, the zone read...I mean with the added pressure of running the football then it becomes tough on [the defense] and the underneath guys. It just puts a lot of pressure on guys underneath to play run but at the same time be able to match up on receivers who can run 4.3 or 4.4 and catch balls underneath in space. It just makes it hard.

For more from my interview with coach Green, check back at GoMids.com in the coming weeks.