The initial quote for this journey would be way too easy: “Offense sells tickets, defense wins games”. That’s John Madden at his peak of his unmatchable football understanding. Anyways, is it really that simple? Although the legendary coach and commentator never failed to amaze the audience by unveiling the not-so-hidden truths of the game, maybe in this case he even undersized the concept. If we think about some almost mythical formations of the past, such as the ‘85 Chicago Bears or 2000’s Baltimore Ravens, then we would rather pick another loud motto: “Offense wins games, defense wins championships”, by coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. And whenever defense does that, it leaves a strong mark in fans memory. But, let’s face it, where does it all start? Who establishes the primary contact with the offense after the snap? Here’s the story about one of the most unsung set of players in football: the defensive line.
What is a defensive line
The defensive line is the counterpart of the other team’s offensive line, and they both fight over controlling the line of scrimmage. In particular, defensive linemen are primarily in charge of gap control, namely, to close all those spaces between the offensive linemen in order to block the runs and to demolish the pass protection. Gaps are usually classified as follows:
A-Gap: The area between the Center and Guard (on both sides of the line). Protecting the A gaps is most important, as the A gaps are the shortest path to the end zone.
B-Gap: The area between the Guard and Tackle (on both sides of the line).
C- Gap: The area between the Tackle and Tight End (on both sides of the line).
D-Gap: The area outside of the Tight End.
The defensive line is therefore the first element of pressure on the offense, being responsible for not allowing easy choices and therefore big plays after the snap.
Skills Required
Size: arguably, defensive linemen are some of the most muscular and massive players on the field. They’re requested to set up a real wall in opposition to offensive linemen and even to obstruct the quarterback's vision beyond the scrimmage.
Strength: post-snap matchups, with equally sized opponents, are not a joke. Defensive linemen must go toe-to-toe with offensive linemen with all their physicality and to express the highest block-breaking power in any action.
Speed: powerful doesn’t mean slow nor stationary. A good amount of mobility is indispensable to pass through the offensive line and possibly get your hands on the quarterback, but also to cover possible outside runs.
Presence: competitiveness, aggressiveness, charisma, and pure instinct are exactly what it takes to successfully pull off such an intricate job. No defensive lineman can be ignored on the field.
Key Responsibilities
Gap Responsibility: As already said, any defensive lineman is the owner of a gap, and closing it is the key to prevent the offensive counterpart from gaining easy yards. Keeping a steady position, almost like an immovable object, is the number one duty for all the defensive linemen.
Stopping the Run: The linemen must take on the blockers, guard the gaps, and then tackle the running back if he tries to get through one of their gaps. Most importantly, the defensive line teams up with the linebackers on run defense. They try to push back the offensive line and keep them from blocking the linebackers, allowing the latter to fill in the gaps and make tackles on the running backs.
Rushing the Passer: that’s where the fun begins. When the quarterback drops back to pass, the defensive linemen rush the passer, possibly as quickly as they can, with the important purpose of enabling the cornerbacks and the safety to cover their receivers. It is also a perfect example of complementary and highly coordinated action: while the tackles try to push back the middle of the offensive line and collapse the pocket, attacking from the inside, the defensive ends often try to use their higher speed to get around the outside and blitz the quarterback.
Positions on the field
Defensive linemen positions and names vary according to the pre-snap formation. Commonly, 4-3 defense and 3-4 defense are used by most of the teams, that means defensive coordinators can decide to employ four or three defensive linemen. In particular:
The 4-3 Defense
The 4-3 defense has four defensive linemen and three linebackers. The Defensive line positions are:
Defensive Tackle: There are two defensive tackles, whose primary task is to cover the inside part of the line and guard the A and B gaps. These guys are generally the biggest players on the defense, because they are literally asked to dive into the core of the post-snap battle.
Defensive End: defensive ends play on the tackles sides and are supposed to get around the outside of the offensive line and into the backfield. They keep the runners from getting around the edge, and they put pressure on the quarterback. In general, they are more physically and tactically versatile than Defensive Tackles, so it’s no surprise that many defensive ends would be effective also as linebackers and vice versa.
The 3-4 Defense
The 3-4 defense has three defensive linemen and four linebackers. In this defense the Defensive line positions are:
Nose Tackle (NT): The nose tackle plays in the center of the defensive line. He is one of the biggest and strongest players on the team, somehow comparable to the center in the offensive line. He almost finds himself in a one-on-two situation after every snap, since he must have an eye on both the center and one of the guards and possibly keep them from getting out to block the linebackers.
Defensive Tackle (DT): On each side of the nose tackle is a defensive tackle who uses his size and power to contain the offensive tackles and make sure that the running back doesn’t get through on either side.
Of course, a 3-4 defense is more exigent to defensive linemen, since they are possibly outnumbered by offensive linemen but have to offer an adequate protection to linebackers anyways.
Famous Defensive Linemen
The Steel Curtain: in the 1970’s, there was no kid in Pittsburgh – probably not even in the whole US – who didn’t fantasize about the Steel Curtain when thinking about a defensive line. Yes, they were that relevant. Dwight White, Ernie Holmes, L.C. Greenwood and “Mean” Joe Green still resonate today as the real backbone of the Pittsburg dynasty. In 1976, after an initial 1-4 record, Steelers defense turned the tide dramatically, allowing just 2 touchdowns and 3.1 average points in the remaining nine games. Simply unbreakable.
Reggie White: even his nickname – the Master of Defense- would be enough to explain his importance in the history of this game, since there’s never been – and hardly will ever be – such a dominant force again. White took down opposing quarterbacks 198 times in 15 seasons – mostly played with Philadelphia and Greenbay, placing him second in NFL history. He was equally impressive shutting down the run, amassing 1,112 tackles during his Hall of Fame career. He’s gone, but he will never be forgotten.
Bruce Smith: He is the NFL’s all-time sack leader with 200, he holds the NFL record for most seasons with double-digit sacks (13) and he is also a two-time Defensive Player of the year (1990 and 1996). Those numbers become even more impressive when you consider that Smith spent most of his career playing in a 3-4 scheme, which is not traditionally pitched to produce high sack numbers for the defensive end position. Smith, anyways, is still recognized as the ultimate king of one-on-one encounters with the quarterbacks of that era. A nineteen-year season career of pure terror.
TOP DEFENSIVE LINEMEN IN IFL
Claudio Nicola (Rhinos Milano): the veteran is back home. After a long and proficient experience with Seamen Milano, culminating in a participation to IFL 2023, Defensive End Claudio Nicola brought his experience and charisma to the black-and-orange team. The result of that? Up to Week 9, Milano Rhinos are the first team in league for total sacks (18 in total, 128 lost yards) and Nicola co-leads the rank for individual sacks too (7 in total, average 1.0 per game, 49 lost yards). Beyond statistics, he is just an epitome of a defensive leader.
Davide Vuolo (Varese Skorpions): Varese's season has greatly exceeded the expectations so far, and a big contribution came from Defensive End Davide Vuolo, who, up to Week 9, is the first in the league in the tackles for loss rank (1.7 average loss of yards per game) and third for sacks (0.7 per game). A living proof of a very effective Defensive End, both in run defense and pass rushing.
Giacomo Insom (Guelfi Firenze): another top-level Defensive End who’s contributing to the great defensive performance of Guelfi Firenze, Giacomo Insom is back in IFL with the purple jersey, after one year in EFL with Seamen Milano. Insom is a pivotal element in pass defense but also seems to have a natural inclination for big plays, being the second in the league for forced fumbles (2 in total, 0.3 average per game). An explosive resource for an explosive defense.
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