NFL Terminology: Defense

This article will focus on the defensive side of the ball. Those large men charged with stopping the other large men from getting into the endzone, whilst at the same time, trying to get into the opposition endzone themselves. Defenders have the unique ability to turn defense into attack by forcing turnovers through fumbles or interceptions, at which point there is on opportunity to take the ball back the other way, either to score a touchdown, or to improve the field position of the offense which is to come. The following are the positions that make up the defense, and their responsibilities within the team:

The man is practically bionic.

Defensive End/DE: Defensive ends are quick, powerful, flexible, and versatile. Their primary job is to get to the QB and bring him down for a "sack", or just strip the ball from his hands, however, they must also stop the RB on running plays by breaking through the O-Line. Generally all-around scary men, who you probably wouldn't want to run into in a darkened alley.

Big man can dance!

Defensive Tackle/DT: These men are HUGE. I'm talking 6'3"+ and at least 300lbs. Haloti Ngata of the Ravens, for example is 6'4" and 340lbs. I'm sure we can all agree that these men are behemoths. Their main job is to stop the run, plugging gaps between offensive linemen to get their hands on the RB. However, they are also very useful in pushing the O-Line back towards the quarterback on passing plays. Some of them also have moves, see left.


Outside Linebacker/OLB: Speed, size, strength. They're the three major words one would use to describe outside linebackers. There are two types of player at this position: run-stopping OLBs and pass-rushing OLBs. The pass rushers rush the passer (QB), and the run stoppers stop the run (RB). Fairly self-explanatory, really. They've also been known to drop into coverage when necessary so that they can prevent a first down with more players in coverage.

Ray Lewis: The Greatest.

Inside Linebacker/ILB: The captain of the defense, inside linebackers are normally shorter and lighter than their outside linebacker counteparts. Generally charged with telling people where to be, they're incredibly mentally agile, and physically very robust, making over 100 tackles a season. Indeed, to prove how versatile they are, here are Luke Kuechly's stats for last year: 156 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 interceptions and 7 pass deflections. Versatility of the highest order.


Cornerback/CB: Cornerbacks have the unenviable task of covering opposing receivers. They're supposed to be physical, but not too physical, otherwise they'll be penalised. At the same time, they're expected to be able to come in and stop the run. Primarily, though, they're on the field to get interceptions and stop the offense advancing the ball downfield.


Safety/FS/SS: Safeties are the last line of defense, and generally speaking, there are 2 on the field at any one time. Free Safeties are often better in coverage, racking up multiple interceptions each year. Meanwhile, Strong Safeties are the harder hitters, who come down and stop running backs should they get through the first two banks of defenders. Together, though, they are what teams rely on to stop opposing offenses from scoring.