In many schemes a safety or corner may be positioned close enough to the run box to give backside cutback help to a linebacker. In our scheme the defender would call “bonus” to the near linebacker. When a 32 technique gets that call, he now transitions to 31 technique knowing that any cutback will be taken by the bonus defensive back and he can run or fast flow backside (see figures 11.19 and 11.20). B2 B3 E N E6103/Tepper/fig11.19/483100/alw/r2 C B2 B3 E N E6103/Tepper/fig11.20/483101/alw/r2
141
12
Even many in the profession would not notice the difference between 31 tech- nique and 32 technique before the snap. It would take video study to determine the subtle variation between the two.
The frontside responsibilities are identical, but the backside obligation involves a free gap. The 31 technique linebacker cannot favor his frontside 3 gap and react slowly to his backside duty. He is on a teeter-totter balancing himself between two equal gap responsibilities. Refer to figure 10.2.
This is a shuffle technique with flow toward the linebacker just like 32 tech- nique but with a scrape to the away 1 gap on a play backside. This two-gap technique requires a quick read of flow and clean footwork.
Alignment
Because of the balancing act between the two gaps, we align the 31 linebacker with just a slight outside position over the offensive guard. His inside foot splits the stance of this lineman, so the defender can maintain outside leverage on frontside blocks yet cross the guard’s face on run action away. We ask the 31 technique to align 4 yards deep off the football.
Keys
This is most often a back-read technique because it employs a fast-flow line- backer. Backfield keys permit flow without much hesitation. The gray guard blocks (refer to chapter 11) make guard keys less suitable for this style but can be used with an experienced 32 technique linebacker who uses 31 technique occasionally with a bonus call. Terrence Jackson, who played on 2011’s Team USA gold medal squad, was particularly good at keying guards.
ReAds
The frontside back reads for 31 technique are identical to those presented for back keys for 32 linebackers in figures 11.14, 11.15, and 11.16. There is abso- lutely no difference except that the 32 technique aligns with decidedly more width before the snap.
With flow away, however, the 31 technique changes radically. Instead of using a controlled shuffle, staying behind the ball at all costs, the 31 linebacker moves quickly, as though his hair were on fire. His backside footwork is measured and must be clean and consistent.
With flow away, the 31 linebacker steps laterally with his inside foot and then crosses over with his outside foot, pointing it at the far 1 gap, for which he is responsible. This is the first time we have advocated a crossover in the heavy-contact zone. The crossover is necessary to cross the face of the near guard as a cut-off block (see figure 12.1) or the center versus a scoop. The 31 linebacker rips his outside shoulder through the guard or center using the same-side foot as his strong base.
As the linebacker scrapes toward the far 1 gap, he must read whether the gap is open or closed. When the gap is attacked by the offense and open, the linebacker must square up and press the open seam to make the play (see figure 12.1).
With flow away and the far 1 gap closed, the linebacker should square up and play inside-out on the ball. He should be prepared to shuffle and press to either side of the closed gap (see figure 12.2).
When the flow away is an outside threat, teach the linebacker to pursue, staying inside the ball without pressing into the away 1 gap. The backside linebacker now
N B1 B2 T Closed E E6103/Tepper/fig12.2/483103/alw/r1-pulled N B1 B2 T Open E6103/Tepper/fig12.1/483102/alw/r1-pulled
FiguRe 12.1 B1 scrapes to the open 1
31 Technique 143
can alley pursue (discussed in chapter 4) to maintain proper leverage on the ball carrier (see figure 12.3).
When the backfield action shows pass, the 31 linebacker responds to his zone or man duties within the scheme. Finding a suitable pass key on run down and distances is difficult in fast- flow execution. The 31 defender is less likely to be as active in coverage as the 32 linebacker. The fast-flow linebacker is obviously more vulnerable to mis- direction because he must move so quickly to reach his far gap and the ball may be countering back to his frontside responsibility.
31 Responsibilities
The linebacker is responsible for the immediate 3 gap and then playing inside- out on the ball with run action toward him. With option toward the linebacker, he must check the dive when the 3 gap is open. When the gap is closed, he should slide outside and defend the quarterback-to-pitch phase. With flow away, he should check the far 1 gap, then pursue inside-out on the ball carrier.
Adjustments
• Keys can vary, but most 31 techniques are trained with back reads. Line reads are possible but much more difficult with gray blocks.
• Against small splits, the 31 linebacker can deepen just like his 32 coun- terpart. With huge offensive line splits, however, the 31 technique has limited ability to crowd the line of scrimmage because on flow away he must be able to scrape to his backside 1 gap. The added width and his moving toward the line present him with a poor scrape angle that is too horizontal.