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9 Lessons We Learned From the NFL's BEST Defenses
Last season marked the third-straight year in which a team driven by its defense won the Super Bowl. What can the success of last year's Seahawks—not to mention the Texans, Eagles, Vikings and Broncos—teach us about the NFL in 2026? Cody Alexander from Match Quarters joins Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen to share the lessons learned from last season's best defenses on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.
0:00 Welcome to the show
1:44 Run defense
2:56 Run defense on first down
18:46 Edge-linebacker hybrid
27:10 Base defense
28:52 Nickel defense
37:30 Zone coverage
44:20 Weaponizing dime
49:18 Blitz efficiency
57:36 Split-field coverages
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