What is the 46 defense Good For?
The 46, even in its infancy, had two primary goals: One, stop the run. Eight in the box (four linemen, three linebackers, one safety) will do that. Two was to position the defense to bring more pressure on the quarterback than the offense can block.
What is a 4-4 defense used for?
Originally seen as a passing defense against the spread, modern versions of the 4-4 are attacking defenses stocked with multiple blitz packages that can easily be concealed and altered. The modern defense is based on speed, athleticism and intelligence rather than on size and strength.
How does the 46 defense line up in football?
Doug Plank, the strong safety for whom the defense was named (his jersey number was 46), played as a hybrid safety-linebacker. He lined up directly in front of the weak-side tackle and a couple yards back. The free safety lines up 12 yards back and over the weak-side guard. The corners line up on their receivers.
What is the Bears 46 defense?
It was the defense of the dominant 1985 Bears team. The defense has its basis in the 5-2 Double Eagle front and is easy to adapt from the 4-3 Defense. You can use elements of it no matter what playbook you run, but it probably won’t be a true 46 Defense unless you commit.
What is the difference between a 46 and a 4-3 defense?
Compared to a 4-3 base defense, the 46 dramatically shifts the defensive line to the weak side (the opposite end from the offense’s tight end ), with both guards and the center “covered” by the left defensive end and both defensive tackles.
Why did Jim Ryan make the 46?
He designed the 46 to essentially be an ultra-aggressive version of the 4-3 defense. The defense started off as a simple blitz package, but by 1981, it was Chicago’s base defense. By 1985, Ryan had finished tweaking and perfecting his brainchild, and by then it was nearly unstoppable.