CFL For Dummies: Part Three

By: Anthony Urciuoli

Part One of our feature took a more general look at the skill sets that coaches in the Canadian Football League are seeking.

Part Two went deeper, breaking down the offensive unit by position. In doing so, I stressed the importance of the offense in a three-down football league.

If you’ve read the first two articles, you might not think the Canadian game fields a defense at all. On the contrary, there is a defensive unit on every team and the defense is actually very intriguing. The only advantage for the D is that there are three downs and twelve men on the field, clogging up the big field as much as possible. But the biggest disadvantage to any defense is that there is no rule that restricts the amount of receivers in motion. What does this mean? The offense can spread out six receivers; fifteen yards behind the line and have them all take a running start towards the line before the ball is snapped. While it’s uncommon for teams to have all six receivers in motion at the same time, it’s still legal. And it still puts the defensive backs at a big disadvantage where the best way to defend at times is to give enough cushion where the receiver can’t run right by you.

Another way to counter a passing attack in the CFL is to play a zone defense, rather then straight up man-to-man. The theory behind a zone in this situation is to make the quarterback read the defense and make him have to think a little longer before throwing the ball. If the defense is not playing a complete zone, ideally the QB needs to figure out which receiver is in man coverage. All around the league coaches give the same message to receivers who are still learning the game. If you’re in man coverage, always assume you’re getting the ball.

Former defensive end Greg Marshall has been coaching the defense in some capacity since 2000. He has done so with Edmonton, Ottawa, Winnipeg and now Hamilton as the Tiger-Cats defensive coordinator. He says that the criteria coaches look for in a defensive back, are more then just the speed to keep up with the receivers in space.

“You need defensive backs that have good hips. They have to be able to change direction quickly and close in space,” explained Marshal. “Because it’s tough to keep up with every receiver, they have to be able to take away the big play. That means being sure tacklers which would eliminate any yards after the catch.”

This is why a lot of defensive backs are in the CFL because they couldn’t make the more lucrative NFL. It’s more often not a knock on their skill, but rather their size. The average size of a receiver is much greater in the National Football League and teams want a little more size in their defensive backs. This, of course, is the Canadian Football League’s gain. The league needs guys who can run, and with smaller receivers in the CFL, size often times does not become an issue.

Here is the basic conversion chart when translating the defensive positions in the Canadian game versus the American game:

There are exceptions to the chart on occasion but not often. Greg Marshall talked about the benefits of having linebackers who have played as defensive backs.

“Linebackers need to be less balky in this league because they have to be able to move, run in space, drop into coverage and catch the speedy running backs. They also have to be able to get up field and put pressure on the quarterback when they’re asked to, so mobility is a must.”

Speaking of putting pressure on the quarterback, it’s the defensive line’s greatest priority. Stuffing the run is definitely needed but more often then not, the line will be in pass rushing mode. So it was no secret that Greg Marshall pointed to mobility as a priority for a defensive line.

“Especially at the defensive end position,” Marshal continued. “These guys really have to be strong enough to shed their blocks and quick enough to put pressure on the QB. The quarterbacks in this league will find an open receiver if they’re not hurried enough. The big guys in the middle [of the line] need to be mobile as well, but they have to be able to take on blocks so speed isn’t as important as it is for the [defensive] ends.”

Cameron Wake, Rashad Jeanty and Tim Cheatwood were all successful defensive ends in the Canadian Football League that were converted to linebackers in the NFL, due to their speed and pass rushing ability.

Well that puts a close to our feature. Any further questions can be emailed to Anthony.Urciuoli@rci.rogers.com

We hope you’re a little less of a dummy now.

Related Posts

• CFL for Dummies, Part 1
• CFL for Dummies: Part Two
• Will Favre Return to the Vikings?
• BETWEEN THE STRIPES: with Anthony Urciuoli
• Week 9 Starts with BC
• THE SIDELINE