Running Power to Attack the 46 Defense

The 46 Defense, also known as the Bear front, is a tough defense to run against. Covering up both guards and the center limits your ability to use double teams to get that strong vertical push up front.

But you have to run on it. By running the ball effectively, you can open up your passing game against the 46 defense.

Several players have dual responsibilities on both the run game and the pass. You want to exploit that.

If Power is one of your base run plays, you need to be able to run it against anything. The adjustment we make for the Bear Front is to have no double teams. Not ideal. But it works.

The blocking rules up front are always based on the Guard. When the Guard is covered, we know e will have the Guard and Tackle double, unless the Guard and Center are both covered, in that case, we make a call to down block everyone.

The next question is what to do on the Tight End. Do you down block the 7 and kick out the 9? Or handle the 9 with the TE and kick out the 7 with the back.

It depends. How the 7-tech is playing? Can he be influenced by a TE chipping him, then turn out in the 9 tech? Then use the TE to chip and turn out the 9 tech.

Or does he play more like a 5 technique? Squeezing and spilling. If he comes down hard when the Tackle down blocks, then down block him with the Tight End.

The key to running power against the Bear front is to prevent penetration. If you’ve made a good evaluation of the way they are playing on the Tight End, and your puller is able to get through cleanly, Power can be a great play against the 46 Defense.

Once you do that, you can open up the rest of the playbook.

Want to learn more about the Power and it’s complimentary plays? I’ve put together an exclusive video series on the Power, Counter and Power Pass. You can get instant access at no charge: click here to get those videos.