EPISODE 6: BE PROACTIVE IN YOUR PRE-SNAP ON YOUR PASS RUSH

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I used to hear a pastor say, “Only if I knew then what I know now, ha!” That's what I'm saying. If I would have known then what I know now, Big Dawg, they would have been in more trouble than what they already was in. I'm telling you.

So, one of the most common questions I get, I get this question all the time, and the question is, Coach, what is the best pass rush move I can do? What is that pass rush move that's going to guarantee me a sack coach? What's that move? Coach, I need that secret sauce. I need to crack the code. What is it coach? I know you know it. What's that pass rush move that's going to get me where I want to go? Sack City, what is it?

Well Big Dawg I got your answer, but I'm just warning you, this answer is going to be a little unorthodox. It's not going to be your traditional answer. It may not be what you want to hear. But if you want hear, here it go.

What if the answer is not just in that pass rush move itself? In other words, there's more to it than just the move. There is an element that we are missing when we focus so much on what move to do and how to do the move but we give no attention to where. We talk a lot about what move to do. We even go into depths as to how to do the move, which is important, but we are missing the where.

Okay, hear me out. The problem is not just in your pass rush move, but it is also in the fact that you don't move before your pass rush. Big Dawg listen to me. You keep doing the same move from the same spot over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. I think there's a deeper metaphor than that? Yeah episode six; be proactive in your pre-snap. Pastor hit it for me one time.

I'm just telling the truth. Big Dawg, you can't keep doing the same move from the same spot. You out there looking like a broken record, broken record, broken record. What I'm saying is, you're too predictable Big Dawg. That offensive lineman knows exactly what you're going to do because you keep doing it from the same spot.

Let's flip sides for a second. Let's say you're the offensive lineman. Matter fact, let's say you're the offensive guard and you're a three technique. Let me help you out with something.

Most of the time a good offensive lineman knows your assignment because he sees your alignment. A good offensive lineman knows the importance of foot leverage. He wants to try to get that knee, his knee, in your crouch as soon as possible. Most linemen will say, “I'm just trying to cover him up.” Or, “I'm trying to get on top of his line.”

Well how does a good offensive lineman know what your line is? In other words, how does a good offensive lineman know where you're going to go? How does he know that?

Well he knows that because he’s looking at your alignment. He's looking at your alignment, your line. Where you're lined up most of the time is the line you're going to take. If you're lined up in a tight three, if that is your alignment, then that's the line you are going to travel. So if I'm an offensive guard, and it's an example, I can look at your alignment and I can tell what line you're going to rush on, predictable.

Let's take it a step further. If you have your man hand stance down, again, what would a good offensive guard know you're going to do? Well most of the time if you have been taught the proper me mechanics, you are going to step with your back foot and you are going to step to your hand.

So, if I see that you are in a tight three with your man hand stance down, as an offensive guard I know you're going to step to your hand. So therefore, if I'm an offensive guard, I know your line because I'm looking at your alignment. So if I can just get on top of your line and get in front of your hand, I'll know that I'm going to cover you up because you're going to step in front of your hand. I know that. I'm a good offensive lineman.

Come on, think and flip sides with me for a second. My daddy used to always tell me, “Son, if you want to keep from being robbed, think like a thief.” Well Big Dawg, if you want to keep from being blocked, think like an offensive lineman. Think with me for a second. Think, think, think!

I have had coaches come to me and say, “Coach, when I'm training my defensive lineman, I teach them to put that same hand down every time. And my defensive ends every time they rush off the edge in the two-point stance, I'll have them put the same foot up.”

Okay. Well if they have the same foot up, most the time they're going to take the same step. And if they're in the same stance, most of the time they're going to take the same step. At what point do we ever adjust our alignment or our