How to Coach Defensive Ends

Center your coaching on speed and agility with defensive ends. Depending on what sort of defense the coaching staff wants to build, pass rushing is one of the most interesting and spectacular areas of defensive end play. Speed, rather than brute strength, is the key here. Most offensive tackles will be larger than the defensive end, so there is a need for finesse. One major area of concern should be the "loop" motion of the end. In this case, the end wants to go around the offensive tackle and rush the quarterback from the side or rear. This forces the quarterback to move forward, where the tackles will be waiting. It is unnerving for a quarterback to be in this position. The basic drills should revolve around speed, especially in keeping the inside shoulder against the offensive tackle, and the outside shoulder facing the sidelines, ideally moving at an angle to the quarterback's rear side.

Train your ends to stop the outside run. Containment is the other area of defensive end expertise. Runs, sneaks and sweeps to the outside come within range of the defensive end and linebackers. Without speed on the end, major running gains can be realized. In this case, strength counts as slightly more important than in pass rushing. For these situations, dealing with pulling guards (that is, guards that pull out of their positions to lead the charge to the outside) and double teaming is important. In these cases, guards, big fullbacks and tackles will be ganging up on a fast defensive end. The "rip" technique is important here, and consists of the end pressing the inside shoulder between the two blockers, then "re-squaring" with the runner. This is a challenging technique that takes time to master. Double team drills are important here.

Teach both the 2- and 3-point stances to all your defensive ends. The 2-point stance is about speed and getting outside as quickly as possible. Here, there will be no hand on the ground, but both feet on the ground and both hands facing outward, with the knees bent. This permits the end to react quickly to the play and get outside. The 2-point stance is clearly useful when the offensive tackle is bigger and stronger than the end. The 3-point stance is about power, to lunge at the tackle to stop middle runs and, in some cases, rushing the passer. This is used when your defensive end is strong and big and can go head to head with a tackle without ending up on the ground. In these cases, reaction and strength drills are essential.