We’ve discussed the importance of run fits on defense and nowhere is this more important than when defending inside zone. Because inside zone is designed to attack three gaps with the Bang/Bounce/Bend read (A gap, C gap, B gap), the defense needs to ensure their run fits cover all of those gaps. Running inside zone is the opportunity to run in a straight line down the field, so stopping this simple play is at the core of defense. Hitting your run fits as a defense is how you shut down inside zone.
Defending Inside Zone – Run Fits
The defense is in a 4-2-5 alignment against an offense in 11 personnel. The strongside Edge has the strong C gap. MLB is responsible for the strong B gap. 1-tech attacks the strong A gap, if he anchor against the center and guard, all the better. 3-tech is two-gapping. He is responsible for controlling the right guard and covering the weak A gap and B gap. Weak edge is responsible for the weakside C gap. WLB plays inside out, watching both the weak A gap and B gap. He is reading the play of the 3-tech and the RB before he comes downhill to make the tackle in the gap.
Defending Inside Zone – Execution
Strongside edge is DeMarvin Leal and 1-tech is McKinnley Jackson. Jayden Peevy is the 3-tech and Michael Clemons is the weakside edge. Aaron Hansford is at MLB and Andre White is at WLB. Before the snap, the boundary slot goes in motion. When the slot hits the tackle, the ball is snapped. At the snap, the TE goes from left to right across the formation in Slice motion, showing split zone. The QB fakes the hand-off to the slot for the end-around and then hands the ball to the RB. The pre-snap motion and slice motion are eye candy to distract from the fact that this is inside zone.
Leal attacks strongside C gap so the Bounce read to that side is shut off. McKinnley Jackson takes on a double-team from the C and LG, so the Bang read there is closed. Aaron Hansford slow plays the B gap, so there is nowhere to run on the strong side. Peevy faces a double-team from the RG and RT but anchors down. Clemons is left unblocked. Clemons sees the slice motion from the TE and pinches down to close the C gap. Peevy in the B gap and Clemons in the C gap mean both gaps are closed. Richardson reads inside-out, he is responsible for anything outside Clemons.
The RB takes the hand-off, sees A and B are closed, tries to go C gap and is buried by Clemons. Inside zone is stopped for a gain of 2 yards on 3rd and 7 setting up the 4th down.
