Coaches Scoop

  Photo Courtesy of Gavin Liddell - Denver Broncos By Nate McCray The Denver Broncos are not a defense you beat with isolated brilliance, or one perfectly dialed-up call. They are a defense you beat with discipline, structure, and sustained strain. Under Vance Joseph, Denver has built an aggressive, disguise-heavy system designed to force hesitation, distort run fits, and pressure quarterbacks into reactionary football. The trap is clear: chase ghosts, hold the ball, abandon patience. That approach plays directly into their hands. The antidote is clarity. The teams that consistently stress Denver are the ones that dictate leverage, control pace, and force defenders to declare early. This is not about trickery; it is about sequencing. Motion to remove disguise. Runs to force rotation. Pass concepts layered to punish aggressive fits. When executed with conviction, Denver’s structure begins to bend, then crack. Joseph’s defenses are built on controlled chaos. Multiple fronts, 4–...

  Photo Courtesy of Brevin Townsell - Los Angeles Rams By Nate McCray The Los Angeles Rams defense under defensive coordinator, Chris Shula is not built on overwhelming individual dominance, it is built on movement, disguise, and forced hesitation. The structure is designed to distort offensive reads, muddy run fits, and pressure quarterbacks into indecision by changing the picture late. For unprepared offenses, that hesitation is deadly. For disciplined, intentional offenses, it becomes exploitable. This is not a defense that collapses because of one explosive play. It bends only after its rules are stressed, its leverage manipulated, and its pursuit turned against itself. The Rams want offenses to react. The answer is to dictate. Shula’s system leans heavily on hybrid fronts, Mint/Tite alignments, 4–2–5 variations, and occasional Bear looks, paired with simulated pressures and zone-match coverages behind it. The Rams prioritize post-snap movement over static dominance, using ...