Nick Saban was an utter failure as an NFL coach, but teams have been running to Tuscaloosa to get advice from the king of college football on how to stop the read option according to Pro Football Talk.
Saban was on ESPN earlier and spoke about his many visitors.
“Several NFL coaches have come to visit this year to say, ‘How do you stop these guys?’ Because they’re not accustomed to seeing that,” Saban said.
Saban and his Crimson Tide defenses turn fad offenses into mush. Saban’s 3-4 multiple scheme defense is predicated on pressuring an offense and not just being good at one facet.
“That’s a pass-rush oriented league,” Saban said. “People getting up the field to pass rush is what it’s all about because of the type of quarterbacks — the Tom Bradys of the world, Drew Brees, that’s what you’ve got to stop. You’ve got to put pressure on the quarterback. Well, that’s just what you don’t want to do against [read-option quarterbacks]. You have to play on the line of scrimmage just like old option football.”
Saban explained why defense struggle to deal with the 49ers and their version of the read option.
“I think the teams that do a really good job like the 49ers, they do it from multiple formation looks, so they make more defensive players have to understand how to do it, and I think that’s the biggest challenge that they have right now,” Saban said.
Nick Saban knows defense.