EPISODE 3: PLAYING NOSE TACKLE ON PASS RUSHES IN A 3-4 DEFENSE

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At Big Dawg Football, we're all about making you a tactician in the trenches. Your progress is our success. On this episode of Big Dawg Trench Talk, we're going to open it up for trench question. This question comes from Big Dawg Christian Foltin. He asked a great question that a lot of nose tackles actually wrestle with. The question is, "what are the best pass rush moves for a nose tackle in a 3-4 defense?". All right, Big Dawg Foltin, great question. Now, let's talk trenches.

So, 3-4 defense. So, we're looking at three big dawgs in the trenches. You got your nose, who's in a zero technique. You have your defensive ends, that might be in a 4, which is head up over the tackle. Or they actually might be in a 5, which is outside shoulder of the offensive tackle. Depending on the Defensive Coordinator, he may line those guys up in a 4 or 5. Either way, you only have three defensive linemen and you have five offensive linemen. Now, it's supposed to be advantage offensive linemen, five against three. Three defensive linemen should never beat five offensive linemen. However, if you have three dawgs at d-line, those three dawgs will get to that quarterback and that's a fact Jack. So, let's look specifically at what Christian asks. He's saying, nose tackle. How can a nose tackle be successful in a situation he's in?

Well, what is he talking about? Right now, the challenge for a nose tackle in a 3-4 defense, assuming that the guards are uncovered, assuming that there's no blitz coming from the linebackers, assuming that there is no defensive end that's slanting or long sticking inside, assuming that those ends are rushing outside and that nose tackle has a two way go. Assuming that, there is a challenge. There is a challenge because you have a center and you have two guards there. You have potentially three guys blocking you. You are being tripled team and the job of those guards is to make sure that you do not as a nose tackle, actually rush up that "A" gap.

They have to close that off. There is no way that those guards and that center would ever or should ever allow a nose tackle to rush up the "A" gap. If anything, they'll close off the "A" and force that nose tackle towards the "B". The problem with that is that now if you're dealing with a quarterback that doesn't mind pulling that ball down and taking off, you're giving him a huge lane. So, as a nose guard taking the "B" gap like that, it's definitely not recommended unless again, there's a defensive end that's long sticking to the "A" or a linebacker actually rushing the opposite "A" or "B" gap. But, let's assume there's none of that. Defensive ends not coming inside, linebackers not blitzing of the opposite "A" or "B". It's just you Big Dawg, it's you. You're in the zero technique and you got three hogs, well I call them hogs.

You have three offensive linemen sitting there waiting on you to take either side and whichever way you go, you're getting triple team. That's the challenge for a nose tackle in a 3-4 defense on a pass rush. Well, here we go, Big Dawg. Here's your answer. There's always an answer. Always. Let me pull out my Big Dawg Bible and I'm going to turn to a chapter I call, The Art of Rushing for Nose Tackles. And, the proverb reads, "In the trenches, you don't get space. You create space." When the guards take away your space, take the center's place. Let me say it for you again Big Dawg, in case you ain't catch it. When the guards take away your space, take the center's place. What you talking about Big Dawg? Glad you asked. Let's flip sides for a second. The offensive guard's job is to make sure that he lends a helping hand.

He's got to lend a helping hand to a center. So, while he's punching and stepping to close off that "A" gap, he's punching with his inside arm and he's looking for work. He's looking to see if there is a backer or there's a defensive end coming across threatening his "B" gap. That's what he's doing. So, he's going to close off that "A" gap while he looks towards the "B". And if that nose tackle is threatening that "A" gap, he's going to put both hands on him and shut him down. That's his job. So, potentially what you have is, you have three guys closing off the "A" gap and forcing you to work laterally as opposed to working vertically. That's their job. You have three guys sitting there and they have taken away your "A". They have taken away your "A" and they're forcing you, potentially passing you on to each other, making sure you don't penetrate the "A".

They're taken away the "A"