Double Eagle Flex Defense

http://football-defense.com presents the double eagle flex defense. Double eagle flex is a different type of defense than what you've probably seen most of the time watching on TV or ever run before of your team.
Double eagle flex is a defense also known as the Desert Swarm defense that was developed with Arizona, with Dick Tomey as the coach. Desert swarm was a different, kind of revolutionary defense that turned around the program in Arizona in early 1990.
What we've got is based off of a 4-3 defense somewhat, with just a few changes. On the strong side you can see the similarity to the 4-3 or 4-2-5 defense - where you get a tackle in a strong 3 technique and the Defensive End is set, could be more of like 4-4 or 4-2-5, inside shade of the tight End.
The strong safety is always going to be your overhang player; we are just going to adjust here. He's going to be three by three off of the end man on the line scrimmage, the tight End in this case. If you were to get the two receivers you would split the difference there, if you got three you'll walk out to split 2 and 3. So you can use him to deal with different types of formation.
The Mike linebacker is in a 30 technique. He's going to be five yards off the ball, outside shade of the guard so you can step behind of the tackle just like you would be in a 4-2-5. He is going to have responsibilities for that A gap. You can also scrape over the top if it would be some sort of a power play outside. You got your box player or strong safety to fleet off the edge.
Now things start to change on the weak side. We're going to have the tilted nose tilted at the neck of that center. He is attacking to that center neck every single play. There's no way you can still double team because there's no way their guard can overtake you. The center can't walk in on weak side run plays.
This is going to be very effective in enforcing different example of this offense. Now you got your flex player, okay, I want to put down the Will, but put whatever player you want down there. The flex player is going to be reading through this Guard. So he reads to this Guard if two yards off the line of scrimmage in an outside shade on this guard. If read and guard blocks down he's coming now he's trying to block down the box player he's going to come on now. He gets to blocks he's going to squeeze that block back to A gap there control B gap there so where's your B gap player. If he reads flow away take flow away from him. He gets to flow away, breaking over the top - so you're going to get an extra player to flow side with your flex player. There's no way the center can back block in there, he's going to be go straight over top. It's a very different look to the offense line. Your edge player is going to be outside and he's going to a ghost 9 where our tight end would be - he's very loose. He's tilted. Play all those like he would play with a safety over here so if you're coming from if you're are coming from a 4-2-5 you may use your defensive ends right here and your weak safety out here and then your two inside backers. Second inside backer play very similar to the Mike. He's gap sound over here.
If he's throwing the ball - you got cover three shell behind it you, or could also play man coverage with it and use your strong safety as your adjuster.
Now double eagle flex, if something added to your package, is the change up front it is a simple thing to teach because it is very obvious for the read for the scan right here we're still here with their two inside linebackers.
Hope that you can learn how you can use the double eagle flex or the desert swarm in your defense. Please come over to footballdefense.com for more on different defenses and different things that you can do there and also download the free e-book that we have there Defensive Installation Manual and help you decide what's the best defense, front, coverage, or blitzing for you, your staff, your team or your schedule. That is all free from us anytime. Thank you for watching!

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• Double Eagle flex
• defense
• desert swarm
• footballdefense.com

[FantasticF00tballer]

The only thing that doesn't make sense is why it would be impossible to double team the nose tackle? Also why would you want to avoid the nose being doubled? It seems advantageous for him to tie up two guys while the others make plays. Overall an excellent scheme though. I wish it had caught on in the NFL.

[Joe4372]

@FantasticF00tballer If they double team the Nose, the Flex player either has a free run at B Gap, or can scrap over freely. Unlike a LB at 5 yards, its hard to get into a double and then come off to him. I guess the idea is that if your nose is good enough to demand a double team (which is definitely what we all want), then if they can only block him with one guy he should be able to run free. Cool defense though, we've never officially run it but it is an idea for the bag of tricks.

[FantasticF00tballer]

@Joe4372

It definitely worked for the wildcats in the early 90s. The defense seems to provide the advantages of 5 defensive linemen and 3 linebackers without sacrificing the strong safety. The line provides a Tampa-2 front 4, which means you could run that if you backed up both safeties only it would stop the run better, or you can go standard 8 in the box and do 46 stunts while having 4-4 pursuit to the ball. It is almost like the defense is playing with 12 men. Thanks for the reply!

[Joe4372]

@FantasticF00tballer Never thought of pairing the Tampa 2 with it, that's something to play with as well. Agreed with the 46 / 4-4 look - if you look at it, the defense is the same as a 4-4 with the weak side DE moved inside of the Tackle,right? But it's amazing how that little twist of backing that flex backer 2 yards off the ball changes everything - he is much more difficult to find. Arizona wrecked the mighty Hurricanes with this front in the early '90s, if I remember right, Desert Swarm!

[phenomphan202]

burbank destroyed us with that because we didnt adjust :/