46 Defense

Pronounced forty-six (not four-six), the 46 defense overloads the weak side of the offense and brings up the strong safety as if he were a fourth linebacker.

It is played out of a base 4-3. The strong-side LB joins the weak-side LB. The SS fills the area vacated by the Sam LB. In variants, the LBs remain in more traditional positions while a DB overloads the weak side. Depending on the play, anywhere from five to eight players blitz the QB. The massive blitzes also disrupt running plays.

Short, timed passes and multiple receiver sets are effective in stopping the 46. QBs who tend to get rattled, however, are doomed.

The name of the 46 defense does not come from the alignment of linemen and linebackers as with the 4-3 or 3-4. It is named after the jersey number of the Chicago Bears' strong safety when Buddy Ryan implemented the scheme.