Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
LB Dogs out of the 4-3 Odd Base personnel is a five man pressure package that sends both linebackers on delayed dog blitzes through the interior gaps while the defensive line crashes downhill in their rush lanes. The diagram shows the two off ball linebackers stemming forward and attacking the A and B gaps to collapse the pocket quickly, with the defensive line executing straight downhill rush lanes rather than looping or contain rushes. This is a man pressure blitz designed to win with numbers up front and force a quick or errant throw, so the primary read is simply getting immediate penetration through the interior gaps before the quarterback can climb the pocket or get through his first read.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify the running back alignment and protection scheme, if the back is releasing on a route instead of blocking you have a numbers advantage up front. Watch for offenses shifting to max protect or adding a sixth blocker, that alignment tells you to check out of this blitz since the interior gaps will be clogged. This pressure beats quick game and West Coast style concepts that rely on the quarterback getting the ball out in rhythm, since the dog blitz collapses the pocket before those routes can separate. Screens and RPOs with quick bubble or now routes to the flat will gash this blitz badly, so key on receiver alignment and any unbalanced formation that suggests a screen tag. Post-snap, track whether the offensive line slides protection toward your blitzing linebackers, if they identify the dog stunt early and pick it up cleanly, abandon this call for a few series and mix in coverage snaps to keep the quarterback guessing.
Usage Tips
Call this on early downs or short yardage passing situations where you expect a quick dropback rather than empty or shotgun spread max protect looks that can pick up extra rushers. Check the offensive personnel and protection pre-snap, if you see six or seven blockers stay home this blitz loses value fast. User control one of the dog blitzing linebackers to time your gap shoot with the snap count and avoid getting picked off by a puller or chip block from the running back. Pair this with Cover 3 Sky or Cover 1 Robber Press from the same Odd set so quarterbacks cannot key blitz off your shell, since both disguise the extra rusher behind a single high or a robber look. Save LB Dogs for third and medium or third and short when offenses are more likely to run quick game concepts that this interior pressure disrupts before routes develop. Avoid calling it into empty formations or against mobile quarterbacks who can escape the pocket, since the coverage behind this blitz is thin and built to win fast.
