章 18: 018 Ready to go at it with great eagerness
Unlike the offensive group, the defensive group needs to cover the entire field, so their teamwork is even more crucial—both specialized and comprehensive.
Thus, the structure of the defensive group is a bit clearer and can be simply divided into four lines, spreading across the field layer by layer from near to far.
The first line, the defensive line.
As the name suggests, corresponding to the offensive line, they stand at the very front of the team. Their task is very simple: break through the offensive line and stop the quarterback.
It may be interference or it may be applying pressure, but the best case is a sack, which is wrestling the quarterback to the ground to end the offensive play right there.
The second line, the linemen.
They stand behind the defensive line, two to three steps back, divided into inside and outside linemen according to their positions, with two main tasks.
One is to defend against short passes.
The other is to defend against running plays.
In other words, according to the official tactical manual, "lineman vs running back" is the standard matchup.
Of course, the actual game may see many variations.
In the tactical systems of the NFL and NCAA, there are two defensive systems: "4-3" and "3-4".
"4-3" means four defensive linemen paired with three linemen, focusing more on pocket pressure, hence the defensive line has two defensive ends and two defensive tackles.
"3-4" has three defensive linemen paired with four linemen, focusing more on defending the short pass area, with the defensive line featuring one defensive tackle and two defensive ends. Here, the defensive tackle is the sole point of attack, hence also known as the spearhead.
Both defensive systems have their pros and cons; their success depends entirely on the coaching level.
The University of Alabama employs the "3-4" tactic.
The third line, the cornerbacks.
They are like wings, each positioned at the edges of the defensive line near the sidelines; their specific positions are not fixed and are generally adjusted according to the wide receiver.
From here, it can be seen that their task is to tie up the wide receivers, covering short and intermediate pass areas; but occasionally, they also need to match up with the tight end and running back.
The fourth line, the safeties.
They stand behind the team's main camp, the last line of defense, but unlike the goalkeeper in soccer, they can move freely in the backfield, ready to fill in any gaps.
Depending on the focus of their duties, the safeties are divided into free safety and strong safety.
The free safety is more agile, the strong safety is sturdier, so the strong safety is like half a lineman, responsible for backing up against the tight end and running back; the free safety is more flexible and mobile. A top free safety can cover different positions on the team, completing the defensive line.
Overall, all teams now employ two cornerbacks and two safeties, but whether the safeties are a complete set with one free safety and one strong safety depends on the coach.
The most direct example was yesterday's tryout.
Allen, the defensive end, his task was to defend against the running back and rush the quarterback.
Foster, the lineman.
Humphrey, the cornerback.
Jackson, the safety, he is a free safety.
Four players, each representing one of the four lines of the defensive group, lined up from near to far.
Generally, the running back is stopped at Allen's position or at most gets to Foster's position; both Humphrey and Jackson are not good at dealing with running backs.
But unexpectedly, they completely underestimated Li Wei's personal abilities, especially his agility, causing Allen to miss tackles repeatedly, not only allowing two fifty-yard touchdowns in a row but also, on the third attempt, despite being tackled, Li Wei still forcibly pushed forward ten yards.
No wonder that when they arrived at the training field today, one by one, they looked at Li Wei as if they were seeing Godzilla.
Actually, if we simplify things a bit, we can look at the Defensive group in two areas —
Frontfield; Backfield.
The frontfield is manned by the Defensive line and the lineman; the backfield, by the Cornerbacks and Safeties.
As for how to arrange, coordinate, and connect, this is the moment that tests a coach's ability. The complexity of defensive tactics is no less than that of offense.
All of this makes Football a sport with a unique charm.
In other team sports, one often sees individual heroism, where one person's strength can turn the tide and overturn the situation, like a world-saving hero arriving on a Rainbow Cloud, but this is very rare in football. When it does occur, it's still backed by the power of the whole team.
From his past life to this one, Li Wei had always fought alone, wrestling with himself and constantly challenging his limits. But now things were different.
It was refreshing and special, a completely new challenge.
For Li Wei, it was much like a Lego toy.
One layer. Then another layer.
One piece. Then another piece.
First, deconstruct the offense and defense into scattered pieces, understand the role and duty of each piece, and then put them back together again.
In a Football game, everything is interconnected.
If one only focuses on oneself and fails to see the bigger tactical picture, one often falls into the dilemma of "not seeing the true nature of Mount Lu", hitting wall after wall without knowing why, thus unable to solve the problem.
Of course, seeing the bigger picture doesn't necessarily mean the problem will be solved, but at least it means one won't be trapped in a vicious cycle.
Initially, Li Wei thought he would just come to work and clock in, but now he had changed his mind. It was as if he had received a complex Rubik's cube. Restoring it to its original state was fun, but nowhere near as fascinating as exploring the principles to reveal the mystery, which made Li Wei eager to start.
This spring was getting interesting.
Bang!
Another loud noise, Allen embraced Jacobs and took him down hard with a scissor-takedown move, just like in a video game.
Li Wei licked his lips, as if he could sense the scent of blood, "Wait, why did the pocket collapse so quickly this time?"
Clark caught Li Wei's slightly upturned mouth corner and the excitement in his eyes, blinking: Is this guy a vampire?
"Fifth substitute?" Li Wei called out, receiving no response.
It was then that Clark snapped back to reality, took a deep breath, "Oh, because of the blitz. The Defensive group chose to blitz."
"Blitz?" Li Wei savored the word carefully—
The lineman, who should be waiting for the running back or a short pass, took the initiative to move forward, converging with the Defensive line, and using their numerical superiority to forcefully breach through, causing the offensive line's Pocket to collapse directly. Hertz was like a lamb surrounded by wolves, with no chance at all.
In haste, Hertz hurriedly threw the football to Jacobs, trying to avoid being sacked.
But Allen read the play, relaunched from his spot, and gave Jacobs no escape as he intercepted him fully, ending that offensive drive.
"Heh, interesting." Li Wei showed a smile.
It seems that the Defensive group isn't entirely passive; they could also lay out plans and take the initiative. This is a clear difference between Football and sports like soccer or basketball.
In soccer and basketball, the defense is often in a passive situation, with their goal/basket on the other side of the field, needing to cross halfcourt again to attack; but in a Football game, defense can mount an "offensive" right from their position, turning passivity into activity, and even score—
Yes, the Defensive group can score too, and this is what makes the turn-based territorial game so interesting.
Seeing Li Wei's smile, Clark shivered and gulped nervously: there's something a little off about you.
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