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46 Formation

The 46 defense (also known as the "46") is an American football defensive formation popularized by Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan who later became head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals. The formation is comprised of four down-lineman, three linebackers, and four defensive backs.

The name "46" originally came from the jersey number of Doug Plank, who was a starting safety for the Bears when Ryan originally developed the defense, and typically played in that formation as a surrogate linebacker. It also refers to the idea that the cornerbacks often play bump and run coverage and blitz, acting almost like two extra linebackers.

The "46" was an innovative defense with a unique defensive front; the line was shifted dramatically to the weak side (opposite the Tight End), with both Offensive Guards and the Center "covered" by the Left Defensive End and both Defensive Tackles. This front forced offenses to immediately account for the defenders directly lined up in front of them, making it considerably harder to execute blocking assignments such as pulling, trapping, and in general, pass protection. Moreover, the Right Defensive End would align outside of the Left Offensive Tackle, leaving him "on an island" when trying to block him.

Another key feature of the "46" is that both outside linebackers play on the same side of the formation. The linebackers line up behind the linemen two or three yards from the line of scrimmage. The primary tactic is to rush five to eight players on each play, either to get to the quarterback quickly or disrupt running plays.

The formation was very effective in the 1980s NFL because it often eliminated a team's running game and forced them to throw the ball. This was difficult for many teams at the time because most offensive passing games centered around the play action pass.

Currently, the "46" is rarely used in modern professional and college football due to the emergence of the West Coast Offense, popularized by San Francisco 49ers head coach Bill Walsh, and other offensive schemes that rely on short, timed passes from formations that use multiple receivers. A major weakness of the "46" is that too many defensive players line up near the line of scrimmage to blitz, leaving areas wide open for receivers to catch passes. Also, the short, timed passes are thrown before the players blitzing have a chance to reach the quarterback. Another problem is that most teams do not have enough impact players to run the "46" as effectively as the 1980s Bears did.

In Super Bowl XX, the Bears coincidentally scored "46" points in their victory against the New England Patriots.

The ideas of the "46" defense are more often used in the modern game by bringing a fourth defensive back (usually the strong safety) up closer to the line of scrimmage. This is done without the radical shift in formation seen in the "46" defense.

• Glossary of American football