Defending the Screen Pass

Aug 07, 2024

Ah, Screen Passes.

They can hurt you.

But with great technique you can limit the damage.

Here are some thoughts.

Situation

Those Offensive coaches are tricky.

Traditional wisdom says you will only see Screen Passes in sure passing situations.

But these days you’ll also see them on a 1st and 10, a 2nd and 3, whatever.

Your opponent will likely have some sort of tendency for when they like to throw Screen Passes.

The Defensive Linemen and Linebackers should be alert to this.

But be careful.

If everyone is yelling “Watch the SCREEN!!” on every single play, it will begin to lose its meaning.

In Man Coverage, the Running Back is often covered by a Linebacker.

Obviously, it’s ideal for that Linebacker to make the play on a Running Back Screen.

To get there, the Linebacker will likely need to defeat a block in space.

The Linebacker has the advantage here.

An Offensive Lineman would rather battle you in close quarters versus out in the open field.

It often works best to WIN WITH SPEED in these situations.

Avoid the block if you can, stack it, and get back on your path.

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These can be more challenging.

In Zone Coverage, Linebackers want to get depth.

Ideally, however, you will “sniff out” the Screen when you see all those Offensive Linemen leaking downfield.

When this happens, retrace your steps and work towards the ball.

Again, you’ll want to WIN WITH SPEED whenever possible.

Here are a few clips of Linebackers defending Screen Passes.

Defensive Linemen play a huge part in this too.

If they can recognize what the Offensive Linemen are doing, they can help make the play.

PURSUIT is key.

It’s up to the entire defensive unit to work together and limit these potentially dangerous Screen Passes.

All the best,

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx

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