The Best Strategy Using the 4-2-5 Defense

The 4-2-5 defense is the same thing as the 4-4 defense. We're not going to have real changes except for what we will be calling the two outside linebackers. We're calling them the Strong Safety and the Weak Safety. Otherwise, there is no real difference between the 4-2-5 and the 4-4 defense.

We're going to have a Tackle on the Strong Side in a Strong 3-Technique. We're going to have an End at the 7, shaded inside the Tight End. You will technically look strong enough if you've got a very good End.

The Mike Linebacker will be in a 30-Technique outside shade of the Guard, 5 yards off the ball. This is where we will play an A-gap. The Strong Safety should be 3x3 off the End Man on the Line of Scrimmage. He's our box player so he'll run. We need to make sure that he's going to force the play back to the inside.

We're going to have a Tackle in a 1-Technique in the Weak Side who's going to handle the A-gap. Will Linebacker is going to be in a 30-Technique outside shade of the Guard. He will handle the B-gap on his side. We can let Will run a 4-2-5 if we shift the two Tackles over to give Mike a little more responsibility, depending on the types of players that we have.

Our End should be at 50 outside shade of the Weak Side. He will be the one to handle the A-gap. It's a great spot to put somebody who is a great athlete and then let him go. He must be someone who can really run and knows how to put pressure on a passer.

The box player on the Weak Side is the Weak Safety. The 4-2-5 defense is an 8-man front. This means that we should be running a Cover 3 Shell behind it as our base. Running a one high, a man coverage, or a Cover 3 are all going to fit well with 4-2-5.

A Cover 2 or a Quarters Coverage can be worked with 4-2-5 but it is not structurally setup for that. The simplest thing to do is to run a Cover 3. You could still adjust to all the formations when you get your doubles and your trips.

You need to teach the Weak Safety how to collision and carry a #2 receiver. You have to teach the Cornerback how to split two receivers running verticals in his zone.

Those are the techniques you could teach since you'll have to teach a whole lot of the Linemen. You're going to have to work with the simple basics of the 4-2-5 defense.

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