How to fix your team’s biggest problem

Are your Linebackers Playing Too Slow? Get the Quick Fix Now!

Subject: How to fix your team’s biggest problem
Date: September 17, 2026

It’s that time of year. Championships are won and lost here.

Seasons are made, or seasons stay broken.

The in-season adjustments you make now determine the outcome. They’ll have a massive impact on what happens when the weather turns colder.

In this week’s Chalk Talk Q&A exclusively for JDFB Premium Coaching Systems members, one coach asked the simple question:

“How do I get the overhang safeties to play force better?”

Seems simple enough. But (as he said when he sent the question) there’s a lot more to it.

Here’s 3 tips for fixing this problem that you can apply to ANY weakness your team is showing right now:

Identify the big problem to solve. Be specific. In this example, you need to look for more than they’re running the ball outside on us. Are the overhangs getting blocked? Creating a vertical seam? Getting outrun to the edge by faster ball carriers?

Look for the levers. Alignment, Stance, Keys or Assignment? Throw communication in there too (especially for the Offensive Line). If they are losing force, can you widen them out? Square of the stance? Focus on the Key Read in your Umbrella Drill? Find a lever, then pull it. Make it the focus of your practice plans this week.

Use Game Film Analysis. This coach was already a Platinum member, so it’s a no-brainer. Platinum coaches send in their film and our staff watches it. We help you find the right levers, fast. It’s like having another expert coach on your staff. They often see the problem on the very first snap of the very first game. This is the fastest path to playing even better football.

Don’t get frustrated if everything isn’t going the way you planned. This is the fun part of coaching. It’s what makes you a good football coach.

Identify the big problem. Find the simplest solution.

And if you need another set of outside eyes to get there faster? Join JDFB Platinum:

Join JDFB Premium Coaching Systems now >>

~ Joe Daniel

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