Stopping the Rocket Sweep

[boogerred]

I have seen many teams running it and haven't seen many stop it. What would you do if you were facing a team than runs the rocket sweep?

[madpolecat]

I have been told that a pair of really good 5-2 defensive ends can shut down the rocket sweep, butt cold.

[boogerred]

AJ Hawk and Lawrence Taylor may be able to play 5-2 end and stop it, but that is only if they are bailing out - which will leave the off-tackle area wide open. Can you say drive off-tackle hit?

[madpolecat]

Do you mean the rocket sweep or the jet sweep?

Maybe this could clear up the confusion:

http://www.doublewingonline.com/article ... Series.pdf

Take a look at the second page of the document. This is in contrast to the JET SWEEP, in which the QB hands the ball to the sprinting back.

[boogerred]

I thought rocket, jet and buck sweep were all the same.

[falconflyer]

No

[Winchell]

The key to stopping any sweep(rocket, jet, buck or otherwise) is to be clear on who contain is. Typically, in an odd front, the d-end is responsible for contain. In an even front, the olb is usually responsible. Whoever has contain responsibility must take on the lead blocker with the inside arm and keep the outside arm free. This forces the play back inside to the force players. Typically, these include the inside backers and free or strong safety. What the contain man cannot do is 1. let himself get "hooked" to the inside and allow the sweep outside. or 2. Get too far up field and open up a huge gap off tackle. The force man must make contact at the line of scrimmage with whoever the lead blocker is and sit "butt- deep" on the line.

****Note***** This is completely unauthorized advice. Any coach implementing the teachings written herein may be subject to long, gashing jaunts up the field. The poster is in no way liable for such result.

[boogerred]

With the rocket sweep, it is impossible for the DE to contain it and play the off tackle.

[Winchell]

Why

[madpolecat]

I guess the question would be this: Can you position your defensive end in a way that he can both 1) contain the ballcarrier, who is expected to be running full speed when he takes the pitch out at the TE area and also 2) keep that off-tackle area from opening up like the Red Sea because of bailing out to work the sweep.

Many teams have been sucessful running the FB off-tackle back underneath the rocket motion as well as midline option (in cases where the defense decides to move extra help out past the 5-tech.)

Navy also runs the tackle-trap back away from the rocket motion.

There are myriad ways to deal with those who overload against the rocket sweep.

[Winchell]

Stopping any sweep must be a joint effort by, not only your d-end or OLB, but your free or strong safety, corner and pursuit from the inside as well. No sweep can be stopped by the contain man alone. Look, we could debate how to stop plays all day long. As far as I know, every play is designed to score. Also, every defensive scheme is designed to take away certain things. The great thing about the game is that what is coached during the week is either executed on friday night or it is not. Or, maybe it is executed, but the player doing the executing just isn't talented or gritty enough to get the job done.

[boogerred]

For a defense end to have a chance at stopping the rocket, he is going to have to be playing a "ghost 9-technique" ( heck maybe even a 10 or 11 technique) and then he is going to have to bail and leave the off tackle open.

[Winchell]

Good sound d-end technique does not require a player to account for plays off tackle. He must only not open up too big of a gap for the tackle, backer and free or strong to account for.

[boogerred]

But to stop the rocket, the end has to bail out, which will leave a hole.

[madpolecat]

Have seen it taught that the DE actually has the off-tackle responsibility, as well as the contain. Is that common?

[wrestlefan]

jimmy's and joe's mean a whole lot more than the x's and o's


give me better athletes and i will shut your sweep down period...

give you some stud backs that my ends and olb cant deal with and they will run forever

[Winchell]

Agreed wrestlefan.

[Winchell]

Have seen it taught that the DE actually has the off-tackle responsibility, as well as the contain. Is that common?

He'd better be a Grade-A stud!

Seriously though, many that I have been around teach the d-end to make contact with the man across from him(tight end or wing) and squeeze to the off tackle gap sitting butt deep and keeping the outside arm free. Many times, the d-end either doesn't jam and allows a free release or turns inside exposing his chest for the long trap.

[madpolecat]

wrestlefan wrote:

jimmy's and joe's mean a whole lot more than the x's and o's

give me better athletes and i will shut your sweep down period...

fair enough, but then again there would be no reason to talk about or interest in talking about any of this if it was always about the "jimmy's and joe's."

winchell:

I know that in the clinics/reading/tapes I have seen on the rocketsweep, the offensive coaches are saying "don't block anybody inside the 5-tech, because they can't stop the play."
With the WB taking that pitch out behind the TE at full speed, it would seem that one would need an OLB to cover the sweep and a DE to cover the off-tackle.

How can a DE playing in a conventional position hope to start from a cold stop and catch that WB? The angles and momentum are designed to favor the runner over the DE. It seems to me that one has to dedicate two guys the stopping both the off-tackle and the rocket.

If the DE leans outside against the threat of the sweep, he will be easily kicked out by the nearside pulling guard.

What change would one have to make to the strategy to give the kid even a slight chance of being successful at DE against the rocket look?

[Winchell]

No change. Like I said before, the D-end should play his normal tech. He must, if he is contain, step with his left foot first to ensure a proper outside/in angle. He must rely on the corner for additional outside support. They tell you not to block anyone inside the 5 tech because they cannot make the play on the sweep. They can, however, make the play on a cut back if the d-end/olb and corner do what they are supposed to do and force the play to turn in. I have noticed that many teams have been playing the 3-5 look to get more speed on the field against a team that runs the rocket exclusively. They allow their players to play in space to make it more difficult for backside guards and/or frontside tackles to locate them on the run.