How to Coach an NFL Defense

Review the work of other coaches in order to create your defensive game plan. Magazines like "American Football Monthly" have coaches write about a trend in defensive coaching or a specific formation that works in certain situations. See the Resources section below for a link. These magazines are relatively inexpensive and you can review them throughout your career.

Prepare your linebackers and defensive backs to handle the ball with the tip drill. In the tip drill, have two players run towards the passer about 5 yards from each other, one right behind the other. When the ball is thrown, the first player jumps and tips the ball upward and the trailing player tries to catch it for an interception.

Establish a regular rotation of defensive linemen during each game to keep your front line fresh. Most NFL teams have linemen who specialize in pass rushing or run stopping situations. A fresh defensive line helps your linebackers and secondary swarm for tackles at the line of scrimmage. Don't rotate too much because it will make it harder for your starters to get into a rhythm. As long as they look fresh out there, keep them in.

Get your defense ready for no-huddle offenses by running 2-minute drills in practice. The 2-minute drill typically involves the opposing quarterback calling plays at the line of scrimmage without resorting to a huddle. Defensive players get used to the pace of the no-huddle offense and get comfortable lining up without their own huddle.

Utilize film sessions to coach your defense on specific plays in the upcoming game. Your defensive assistants can point out an opposing offense's successful plays while you coach your players on ways to prevent big gains. Make sure the defensive backs have a good understanding of what routes the receivers like to run and what formations they run them from. Linebackers and linemen should pay attention to if/when the opponents like to run traps, screen and counters. If a defensive tackle gets through the offensive line untouched, his first instinct should be to look for the screen and not run after the quarterback 15 yards down the field and see the ball get dumped off right over his head.

Work with your middle linebacker, the leader of the front seven (linemen and linebackers) on developing efficient play calls each week. The trend in the NFL is to utilize wrist bands with a list of plays and corresponding signals. Your middle linebacker can look over at the sidelines, read your signal and relay the play to the rest of the defense. The same thing goes for the strong safety, who's the leader of the secondary.

Practice timing on blitzes and stunts during practice each week. You should focus on blitz timing from the secondary because of the distance covered by corner backs and safeties. Mix in a lot of fake blitzes from the linebackers to keep the opposing quarterback guessing.

Practice goal line stands in full pads. The few yards before the end zone is where you build the character of your team. Nothing builds momentum as shutting down an offense three times inches from the goal line and making them settle for a field goal. Bring out the big heavies and stack them on the line of scrimmage and get them ready for some smash mouth football.