When coaches talk about a defense's ability to "reach the second level," they are usually describing the chess match between offensive blockers and the defensive front.
Linebackers must "scrape" laterally. This involves reading the play and moving horizontally to avoid the climbing blockers, keeping themselves "clean" to make a play on the ball carrier. 4. Why It Matters 3 : Defense and Reaching Second Level
Defensive tackles (often called "space eaters") take on double teams. Their job isn't necessarily to make the tackle, but to keep offensive linemen busy so they cannot "climb" to the linebackers. When coaches talk about a defense's ability to
To prevent the offense from reaching and neutralizing the second level, defenses focus on two main tactics: defenses focus on two main tactics: