46 Formation

The 46 defense (also known as the "46") is an American football defensive formation popularized by Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan who later became head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals. The formation is comprised of four down-lineman, three linebackers, and four defensive backs. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (871x297, 10 KB) Created by Jason R Remy (Jayron32) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (871x297, 10 KB) Created by Jason R Remy (Jayron32) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... A Formation in American football refers to the position players line up in before the start of a play from scrimmage. ... City Chicago, Illinois Other nicknames Da Bears, The Monsters of the Midway Team colors Navy Blue, Orange and White Head Coach Lovie Smith Owner Virginia Halas McCaskey Chairman Michael McCaskey General manager Jerry Angelo Fight song Bear Down, Chicago Bears Mascot Staley Da Bear League/Conference affiliations Independent (1919) National... Buddy Ryan (born James David Ryan on February 17, 1934) is a former American football coach. ... City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Team colors Midnight Green, Black, White, and Silver Head Coach Andy Reid Owner Jeffrey Lurie General manager Tom Heckert Fight song Fly, Eagles Fly Mascot Swoop League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1933–present) Eastern Division (1933-1949) American Conference (1950-1952) Eastern Conference (1953-1969) Capitol... City Glendale, Arizona Other nicknames The Cards, The Birds, Big Red Team colors Cardinal Red, Black, and White Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt Owner William V. Bidwill General manager Rod Graves Mascot Big Red League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1920–present) Western Division (1933-1949) American Conference (1950-1952) Eastern... For other uses of the term, please see the Lineman article. ... A linebacker is a position in American and Canadian football. ... Defensive back (DB) is a player in American football whose role is primarily pass coverage; that is, the defensive back will stay near a receiver and try to deflect or intercept any passes thrown to him. ...

The name "46" originally came from the jersey number of Doug Plank, who was a starting safety for the Bears when Ryan originally developed the defense, and typically played in that formation as a surrogate linebacker. It also refers to the idea that the cornerbacks often play bump and run coverage and blitz, acting almost like two extra linebackers. Douglas Walter Plank (born March 4, 1953 in Greensburg, Pennsylvania) is a former American football safety in the NFL. He spent his entire eight year career with the Chicago Bears. ... A cornerback (also referred to as a corner) is a position in American and Canadian football, more broadly classified as a defensive back. ... Bump and run coverage is a strategy often used by defensive backs in American Football in which a defensive player will line up directly in front of a wide receiver and try to bump them with their arms in order to disrupt their intended route. ... In American football, a blitz is a defensive maneuver in which one or more linebackers or defensive backs, who normally remain behind the line of scrimmage during a play, are instead sent across the line to the opponents side in order to try to tackle the quarterback. ...

History

The "46" was an innovative defense with a unique defensive front; the line was shifted dramatically to the weak side (opposite the Tight End), with both Offensive Guards and the Center "covered" by the Left Defensive End and both Defensive Tackles. This front forced offenses to immediately account for the defenders directly lined up in front of them, making it considerably harder to execute blocking assignments such as pulling, trapping, and in general, pass protection. Moreover, the Right Defensive End would align outside of the Left Offensive Tackle, leaving him "on an island" when trying to block him.

Another key feature of the "46" is that both outside linebackers play on the same side of the formation. The linebackers line up behind the linemen two or three yards from the line of scrimmage. The primary tactic is to rush five to eight players on each play, either to get to the quarterback quickly or disrupt running plays. In American and Canadian football the line of scrimmage is the imaginary transverse line crossing the football field across its narrower dimension, which passes through the last position of the football, after the end of the most recent play and following the assessment of any penalty yards. ...

The formation was very effective in the 1980s NFL because it often eliminated a team's running game and forced them to throw the ball. This was difficult for many teams at the time because most offensive passing games centered around the play action pass. NFL logo For other uses of the abbreviation NFL, see NFL (disambiguation). ... A play action pass is a type of American football play. ...

Currently, the "46" is rarely used in modern professional and college football due to the emergence of the West Coast Offense, popularized by San Francisco 49ers head coach Bill Walsh, and other offensive schemes that rely on short, timed passes from formations that use multiple receivers. A major weakness of the "46" is that too many defensive players line up near the line of scrimmage to blitz, leaving areas wide open for receivers to catch passes. Also, the short, timed passes are thrown before the players blitzing have a chance to reach the quarterback. Another problem is that most teams do not have enough impact players to run the "46" as effectively as the 1980s Bears did. A college football game between Colorado State University and the Air Force Academy. ... In American football, the term West Coast Offense is used to describe two similar but separate offensive strategic systems of play. ... City San Francisco, California Other nicknames Niners, The Red And Gold, Bay Bombers Team colors Cardinal red, metallic gold and black Head Coach Mike Nolan Owner Denise DeBartolo York and John York General manager none Mascot Sourdough Sam League/Conference affiliations All-America Football Conference (1946-1949) Western Division (1946... Bill Walsh (born November 30, 1931) is a former American football head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and Stanford University. ...

In Super Bowl XX, the Bears coincidentally scored "46" points in their victory against the New England Patriots. Date January 26, 1986 Stadium Louisiana Superdome City New Orleans, Louisiana MVP Richard Dent, Defensive end Favorite Bears by 10 National anthem Wynton Marsalis Coin toss Bart Starr representing previous Super Bowl MVPs Referee Red Cashion Halftime show Up with People presents Beat of the Future Attendance 73,818 TV... City Foxborough, Massachusetts Other nicknames The Pats Team colors Nautical Blue, New Century Silver, Red, and White Head Coach Bill Belichick Owner Robert Kraft General manager Bill Belichick Mascot Pat Patriot League/Conference affiliations American Football League (1960–69) Eastern Division (1960–69) National Football League (1970–present) American Football...

The ideas of the "46" defense are more often used in the modern game by bringing a fourth defensive back (usually the strong safety) up closer to the line of scrimmage. This is done without the radical shift in formation seen in the "46" defense. Defensive back (DB) is a player in American football whose role is primarily pass coverage; that is, the defensive back will stay near a receiver and try to deflect or intercept any passes thrown to him. ...

See also

• Glossary of American football