46 Defense

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46 defense formation

The 46 Defense , also known as Eight in the Box , is a defense formation in American football . It was invented in the 1980s by football coach Buddy Ryan when he was defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears . The aim of the formation is to put the quarterback under pressure. In contrast to most other defense formations, such as the 4-3 Defense or the 3-4 Defense , the formation was not based on the number of players in a position, but on the number of the strong safety of the Bears, Doug Plank, named.

Lineup

The formation is based on the 4-3 Defense , so four defensive linemen and three linebackers are set up. In 46 Defense, the defensive line shifts to the weak side , so that the guard on the strong side (side with a tight end), the center and the guard on the weak side are each faced with a defensive tackle and the offensive tackle the weak side (usually a yard or two outside) is a defensive end . Alternatively, the guard of the strong side can be contrasted with a defensive end. The second offensive tackle (strong side) and the tight end each have a linebacker (the two outside linebackers) on the line of scrimmage . The weak-side linebacker, also called Charlie, is placed opposite the inner shoulder of the tight end and the strong-side linebacker, also called the jack, opposite the outer shoulder. The 46 Defense became the first defense formation to force the opposing offense to block one-on-one. In addition, a linebacker was placed in the second row and Strong Safety was brought forward, also in the second line of defense.

Importance for sport

In order to use the space that was freed up in defense with only three pass defenders, the teams began to replace the fullback , which was often set up in the 1980s, with a third wide receiver . This list of the offense prevailed, which is why the 46 Defense is rarely used in football. The main application of the 46 Defense is in goalline situations where the space to be covered is only very small.

The only defeat of the Bears in their 1985 championship season against the Miami Dolphins is considered to be an important contribution to this development . Miami's head coach Don Shula took advantage of the fact that the three defensive backs of the Bears constantly had to defend one-on-one, which left the Pro Bowl wide-receivers Nat Moore , Mark Duper and Mark Clayton free, and quarterback Dan Marino so quickly tossed to them that the Bears' 46 defense was regularly late.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Tim Layden: The Ryan Family Defense: How Buddy Ryan invented the 46.Sports Illustrated, June 28, 2016, accessed June 29, 2016 .
  2. ↑ Buddy Ryan's 46 Defense (1985 Bears). In: YouTube.com. National Football League, June 28, 2016, accessed June 29, 2016 .
  3. ^ A b Steven Ruiz: How Buddy Ryan and his 46 defense changed the NFL forever. June 28, 2016, accessed June 29, 2016 .
  4. ↑ Jene Bramel: Guide to NFL Defenses, Part 6: The 46 Defense. New York Times, September 11, 2010, archived from the original on June 29, 2016 ; accessed on June 29, 2016 .
  5. ↑ Hardy Evans: X's and O's: The 46 Defense, What it Was and Where it Went. August 10, 2010, accessed July 1, 2016 .
  6. ↑ Phil Perry: FLASHBACK: BELICHICK BREAKS DOWN LASTING IMPACT OF BUDDY RYAN'S '46' DEFENSE. In: csnne.com. June 28, 2016, accessed June 29, 2016 .
  7. ^ Paul M. Banks: Dan Marino explains how he beat the '85 Bears. In: chicagonow.com. August 23, 2013, accessed March 14, 2017 .