Defending the Triple Option with a Double Eagle (5-3-3 or 5-2-4)
Without any context as to how BVG may choose to defend the Navy triple option with his personnel, it is a fun exercise to postulate some options that he may (or may not) employ on Saturday. As a matter of personal preference, my philosophical belief is that a defense must take a certain option away from the offense. There is no better way to take the midline option/FB dive play away than the Double Eagle Defense. Also known as the “Bear” or “TNT” defense, the Double Eagle employs not one, but two DTs (3-Techniques) playing either directly over the Guards, or shaded to the B-Gaps with a NG (0-Technique) playing in between them, directly over the Center. Here is the 5-3 model:
This defense is so effective at taking away the A/B-Gap plays that the current Godfather of the triple option, Paul Johnson, instructs his QBs to automatically check out of midline plays and attack the perimeter or off-tackle when the defense shows this alignment. This approach would be particularly effective for ND with our current personnel. In such a framework, I would propose that the starting DTs (3Ts) would be Day/Rochell in this particular defense backed up by a pool which includes Utupo/Matuska/Hounshell. At 0T we’d still see Jones as the likely starter backed up by Cage/Matuska. The pile of humanity that this approach would create in the A/B-Gaps would virtually guarantee that Navy has no success with the FB dive.
In this defense, the ND DEs would play 7T outside of the Navy OTs and have the initial “force” responsibility which should include knocking the QB’s teeth in and “force” the pitch. ND has numerous options at DE in this defense including Okwara/Trumbetti/Blankenship/Hill/Councell.
Another advantage of playing the 5-3 alignment is that the MLB in this defense is literally covered Guard-Center-Guard making it virtually impossible to get an interior OL to the second level to block him. This incredible freedom of movement allows the MLB to act not only as a safety valve on the midline plays, but also makes him the secondary “cleanup” on the QB keep and the pitch-man if the DE or OLB misses his assignment. While Joe Schmidt is the base MLB, the responsibilities of the MLB in the Double Eagle make Jaylon Smith custom-made to play this unique position. The other two OLBs have responsibility for the pitch-man, backed up by the CBs and the one and only Safety on the field. In this defense, the SAM LBs (Tranquill *I hope*/Onwaulu/Turner would align to the field to take away the pitch-man and the MIKE (Schmidt/Morgan) would align to the boundary for a pitch-man in that direction.
The Double Eagle is uniquely suited for getting a triple option offense “off-schedule” by creating negative, and zero yardage plays. This defensive alignment also forces the triple option offense to call plays that they are not comfortable with or necessarily adept at running such as play-action or drop-back passes. With only three DBs (CB/FS/CB) the 5-3 Double Eagle cannot be considered strong against the pass. However, the level of concern with this weakness depends on how much you really believe that Navy can keep pace with ND’s offense if Reynolds has to throw 20+ passes during the game.
There is also a 5-2 model for the Double Eagle as well. With ND’s interior DL, I still find it extremely unlikely that Navy would have any success with the midline option/FB dive even without the MLB. In a 5-2 framework, the Safeties become critical in their role as “alley” players against the pitch-man as the free-roaming MLB no longer exists. My hope would be that those Safeties don’t align 10-12 yards off the LOS like a certain recently-departed DC seemed to prefer! Here is an example of the 5-2 alignment:
In either the 5-3 or 5-2 Double Eagle defense there also remains a level of susceptibility to anything off-tackle. Should Navy have success with this approach, there are a variety of slants, pre-snap shifts, and even blitzes which can neutralize that approach as well. The bottom line is that there are a variety of defenses which can be successful against the triple option and the Double Eagle is one of them. Come Saturday, it may not even matter what approach BVG chooses if the ND offense gets rolling and gets up early by 14+ points.
