What’s so good about the Tampa Two?

#1
T_man_J

T_man_J

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#1
The Tampa Two relies on outstanding play from the front four. These guys have to be two-gap players that can drive the offensive line back and allow the linebackers to make the tackles. Usually, this defense works okay in the NFL (against pro-style formations), but matching this defense against a spread will pose some issues:
1) The spread neutralizes the defensive push from the front four
2) The spread creates personnel mismatches

Next year, the game against the Gators will come down to personnel matchups. Since the mike LB in the Tampa Two is usually a 240-plus run-stopping monster, the mismatch will probably be Florida’s slot-receiver against our middle linebacker. The disadvantage for us is that our guys will still have to match-up (talent wise) while learning a new system; that can’t be good. To stop Florida, we will have to do more than defend. We will have to be willing to attack.

Recently, we had a chance to observe Monte’s tendencies in the Tampa Bay-San Diego match up. Currently, because of San Diego’s weak offensive line, they employ a spread-type offense (they try to win man-to-man match ups or exploit zone seams, with an emphasis on passing). Based on Tampa’s inability to effectively adjust to this type of offense, I predict that the Tampa Two-type defense will not be effective against Florida’s spread in the 2009 season.

Still, I am hoping for the best, but I am prepared to be patient for this new system to bear fruit. Go Vols!
 
#2
#2
If you think Tennessee is going to run the tampa 2 every single down of every single game you are gravely mistaken.
 
#3
#3
If you think Tennessee is going to run the tampa 2 every single down of every single game you are gravely mistaken.
 
#6
#6
Since you talked about defending the spread...Rich Rodriguez came up with an interesting defense at WVU, he built it to combat his spread offense.

It is a 3-3-5 stack. Now, most people hear 3-3-5 and immediately think "thats just the nickel, not worth wasting my time listening to, NEXT!" But it is actually pretty interesting. The way it is setup is there are 3 lineman, 3 LBs (obviously), 2 corners, and 3 safeties. One of the safeties plays deep in a kind of "cover 1" shell, basically playing centerfield. You obviously need a guy with good range, recovery speed, etc. The other 2 safeties play as "rovers," and you can move them up into the box to have a larger presence against the run, or you can line them up in man on WRs, or you can have them play shallow zones, or deep in a cover 3 look, whatever you want.

The reason Rich Rodriguez created this defense is because it does so many things out of its base shell and you don't have to rely on as many substitutions. And the reason this combatted his offense was because when he created his original spread, he based it off of using the 2 minute drill all game long and not using substitutions. 3-4 WR sets were his base formation and he just ran a no huddle out of that, and the defense couldn't sub like they wanted to.

Very interesting IMO.
 
#9
#9
sMi.Spite said:
Since you talked about defending the spread...Rich Rodriguez came up with an interesting defense at WVU, he built it to combat his spread offense.

It is a 3-3-5 stack. Now, most people hear 3-3-5 and immediately think "thats just the nickel, not worth wasting my time listening to, NEXT!" But it is actually pretty interesting. The way it is setup is there are 3 lineman, 3 LBs (obviously), 2 corners, and 3 safeties. One of the safeties plays deep in a kind of "cover 1" shell, basically playing centerfield. You obviously need a guy with good range, recovery speed, etc. The other 2 safeties play as "rovers," and you can move them up into the box to have a larger presence against the run, or you can line them up in man on WRs, or you can have them play shallow zones, or deep in a cover 3 look, whatever you want.

The reason Rich Rodriguez created this defense is because it does so many things out of its base shell and you don't have to rely on as many substitutions. And the reason this combatted his offense was because when he created his original spread, he based it off of using the 2 minute drill all game long and not using substitutions. 3-4 WR sets were his base formation and he just ran a no huddle out of that, and the defense couldn't sub like they wanted to.

Very interesting IMO.
Click to expand...


IMHO, the key to stopping the Florida Spread is to attack. Attack either the weak side with four defenders (two down linemen, one LB, and one defensive back) or attack the area vacated by an in-motion offensive player (with four defenders).

This scheme should leave one of our guys unaccounted for and free to attack Tebow. The objective is to limit Tebow to no more than three seconds to make his reads; if he has more time that, he will find a receiver regardless of the base formation employed.

The $64.00 question is, will our new DC we willing to bring this kind of heat. His tendencies indicate that he uses his down linemen to bring pressure and he mixes in zone and/or man-to-man coverages with the LB’s and secondary. If we come up with the linemen that can do this, great, but that will be a long shot.
 
#11
#11
T_man_J said:
This scheme should leave one of our guys unaccounted for and free to attack Tebow. The objective is to limit Tebow to no more than three seconds to make his reads; if he has more time that, he will find a receiver regardless of the base formation employed.

The $64.00 question is, will our new DC we willing to bring this kind of heat. His tendencies indicate that he uses his down linemen to bring pressure and he mixes in zone and/or man-to-man coverages with the LB’s and secondary. If we come up with the linemen that can do this, great, but that will be a long shot.
Click to expand...
Monte Kiffin is supposed to be one of the greatest defensive minds in the history of the NFL. If he can't realize that Florida's offense suffers when Tebow is put under great pressure then maybe we have hired the wrong DC.
 
#12
#12
Ohio Vol said:
Anyone want to define "spread" yet? Anyone?
Click to expand...

The official definition is as follows:

The spread offense is an offensive scheme in American football and Canadian football that is used at every level of the game including the NFL, CFL, NCAA, NAIA, CIS, and high schools across America and Canada. The spread offense begins with a no-huddle approach with the quarterback in the shotgun formation much of the time. The fundamental nature of the spread offense involves spreading the field horizontally using 3, 4, and even 5-receiver sets (some implementations of the spread also feature wide splits between the offensive linemen). The object of the spread offense is to open up multiple vertical seams for both the running and passing game to exploit, as the defense is forced to spread itself thin across the field (a "horizontal stretch") to cover everyone.

My two cents is as follows:
Since most defenses are setup to account for the x, y, and z receiver, I would say that any formation that forces the defense to account for more receivers (delayed routes by the 2, 3, or 4 back could be considered a spread). The variation that Florida runs is usually four receivers with a hot receiver dragging out of the backfield; that leaves five receivers that have to be accounted for.
 
#13
#13
Ohio Vol said:
Anyone want to define "spread" yet? Anyone?
Click to expand...
I just put in a call to the Football Color Commentator Association of America. According to them, "spread" refers to every offense that is not the I-formation.

It is without a doubt the most overused term in all of football.
 
#14
#14
GAVol said:
I just put in a call to the Football Color Commentator Association of America. According to them, "spread" refers to every offense that is not the I-formation.

It is without a doubt the most overused term in all of football.
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Yeah, but what about the veer and wishbone? Can there be a spread set out of the straight T?
 
#15
#15
hmanvolfan said:
Yeah, but what about the veer and wishbone? Can there be a spread set out of the straight T?
Click to expand...

We could draw up a formation to spread out a defense using a Power-I. Any deviation from a 1 TE/2 WR look gets called "spread" nowadays. It's just the fashionable term right now.

The next thing we'll probably see is offenses varying the number and location of O-linemen from play to play.
 
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#16
#16
GAVol said:
We could draw up a formation to spread out a defense using a Power-I. Any deviation from a 1 TE/2 WR look gets called "spread" nowadays. It's just the fashionable term right now.

The next thing we'll probably see is offenses varying the number and location of O-linemen from play to play.
Click to expand...
There has to be five linemen or it's a penalty.
 
#17
#17
GAVol said:
We could draw up a formation to spread out a defense using a Power-I. Any deviation from a 1 TE/2 WR look gets called "spread" nowadays. It's just the fashionable term right now.

The next thing we'll probably see is offenses varying the number and location of O-linemen from play to play.
Click to expand...

It's already here, google the A-11 formation
 
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#19
#19
kptvol said:
I thought you could do whatever as long as you had 7 on the line of scrimmage.
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I was talking about the unbalanced line penalty being enforced because there wasn't five linemen on the line of scrimmage. Beyond that your statement is true (otherwise there couldn't be a five wide set). Again, five lineman must be covered on the line of scrimmage.
 
#20
#20
A-11 sorry
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#21
#21
hmanvolfan said:
There has to be five linemen or it's a penalty.
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All the rule says is that there have to be 7 players on the line of scrimmage and the guys on the ends are eligible receivers. You can split them as wide or bunch them up however you want to. There's nothing for instance that says you can't split a couple of linemen out wide and maybe line up an H-back a step off the LOS where a o-lineman would normally be in order to confuse the defense as to where the strength of the formation is.
 
#22
#22
VolTopper said:
It's already here, google the A-11 formation
Click to expand...
I've seen that before. That's taking it to the extreme, but it's sort of what I'm talking about. I think the more likely next step is for somebody to take Urban Meyer or Rich Rodriguez's offense and start experimenting with the line splits or even start putting TE/H-back types off the LOS in strange places.
 
#23
#23
The tampa 2 is a base defense. It depends on stong D line play. It also depends on good corner bump coverage for the three step drop. If a QB has time, it can it can be slowly picked apart , ala Peyton Manning, at his best. Other wise it allows good change up in blitz packages. The key is he D line, instead of gap coverage, it depends upon the d line to take the attck to the back field so the out side linebackers an cover the run and the MLB can either drop in coverage or hit the slant reciever. A version of it is used be many, many teams in the NFL and college. Played to perfection, the spread offensise used by Florida will NOT be effective. Look at the Auburn - Florida game two years ago. The D lines play negataled Florida's run game. Chavis used versions of it late in the season this year. It is a proven and great base defense tht can be tweaked to the offense it is defending. For those nay sayers ... how come the "spread offense" is not widely used in the NFL? Bottom line, it will come down to match up's, X's and O's ... Jimmy's and Joe's. But havng the inventor of the most widely used base defenses in football at UT, will be a good thing.
 
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#24
#24
VolTopper said:
It's already here, google the A-11 formation
Click to expand...


The A-11 takes advantage of the rules pertaining to scrimmage kick formation. These rules are different in NCAA I believe, or have just been changed. Rumor is, it will be changed for next season on the NFHS level, which may mean the death of the A-11.
 
#25
#25
GAVol said:
I just put in a call to the Football Color Commentator Association of America. According to them, "spread" refers to every offense that is not the I-formation.

It is without a doubt the most overused term in all of football.
Click to expand...

Sounds about right.

"Spread" is used about the same way that "scrappy" or "throwback" is used to describe someone who is both:
1) Undersized, and
2) White
 
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