The Football Coaching Podcast with Joe Daniel We Get Killed by the Screen Game
Dec 4, 2025
Discover the powerful tactics to defend against the elusive screen game. Learn effective drills like the screen retrace to enhance your team's reaction. Understand the critical responsibilities of players in countering screens and why weekly practice is crucial. Treat screen plays like runs for better defensive fits. Gain insights on integrating screens into offensive strategies and cross-training blitzers for enhanced defense. Wrap up with key takeaways on mastering screen defense.
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Drill Screen Retrace Weekly
- Teach and drill the screen retrace every week once installed so defensive linemen and blitzers learn to follow released linemen instead of chasing the QB.
- Prioritize the defensive line not biting on screens so unblocked defenders remain to make tackles.
Use Your Existing Defense
- Defend screens from your current base scheme by teaching key reads and fits, not by changing fronts or coverages.
- Train blitzers to act like defensive linemen when they engage blockers so they can screen retrace too.
Think Of Screens As Runs
- Treat screens as runs because the catch happens behind the line of scrimmage and apply your run-fit logic to them.
- Combine run fits with consistent block-destruct techniques so defenders can get through or around blockers.