How to Adjust Your Stunts When People Are Rolling Out
The Texas four-man stunt is INSANE. You should be running it. But here's what happens — good players figure it out fast. They snap the ball and immediately run outside. Your stunt gets them pressure but they just roll out before it hits.
That's where stunt contain adjustments come in. You keep the pressure but take away their escape routes. Two main ways to do this: Texas two-man with contain and Tom two-man stunts.
Both let you stunt AND contain. No more easy rollouts. No more free escapes to the outside. You're forcing them to stay in the pocket where your pressure actually matters.
Key insight: You wouldn't run these all game. You rotate between Texas four-man, two-man stunts with contain, and Tom stunts. Keeps the QB user guessing. They can't process what you're doing fast enough to make good reads.
When to Use Texas Two-Man Stunt
Use this when someone's rolling out a lot from the side opposite their strong hand.
Example: Jennings is right-handed. Most players roll him out to the right side. That's your cue.
Setup process:
- Call left peex two-man
- Add contain — right bumper, left bumper
Now you're getting a stunt AND containing. If they try to instantly roll out — they can't. You have contain right there.
The left side still has a stunt happening. Doesn't come free like the four-man stunt, but it's not as devastating. Trade-off: less pressure for more control.
Pro tip: You can set this up at the play call screen too. Hold down the play call you're choosing and scroll down to it.
How Tom Two-Man Stunts Work
Tom stunts are defensive tackle stunts. Different concept entirely.
You get both left Tom two-man and right Tom two-man.
What happens:
- DT tackles stunt around each other
- Both ends are containing
Reality check — Tom two-man isn't nearly as good as Texas four-man. None of these stunts look great in practice mode either.
But stunts in general get better pressure than standard pass rushes. Especially when you have fast guys stunting.
What Makes Stunts Actually Work
Personnel matters HUGE:
Bad stunters vs good stunters — you ALWAYS want people who are fast and slim body types at the stunting positions.
Practice mode makes these look worse than they actually are. In real games, fast guys stunting cause way more problems.
Why the rotation strategy works:
- Limits how fast they can process your defense
- Limits how fast they make reads
- Limits what they do with their QB
- Keeps them on their toes
That's a HUGE advantage for us on defense.
How to Execute the Contain Adjustments
Texas Two-Man Setup:
- Pre-snap: Call left peex two-man
- Add contain: Right bumper + left bumper
- Result: Stunt pressure + rollout prevention
Tom Stunt Setup:
- Choose left Tom or right Tom based on their tendencies
- Both ends automatically contain
- DTs handle interior pressure
In-game rotation: Start with Texas four-man. When they start rolling out consistently, switch to two-man with contain. Mix in Tom stunts to keep them guessing.
What Counters These Adjustments
Quick game beats everything. If they're getting the ball out in under 2.5 seconds, your stunts won't matter.
Inside runs can also hurt — especially if you're stunting your interior guys. Tom stunts are more vulnerable here.
Your counter to their counters: Don't stunt every play. Use it situationally. Third downs. Obvious passing situations. When they're expecting a standard rush.
Common Mistakes with Stunt Contain
Running stunts with slow players. Speed kills on stunts. Check your personnel.
Stunting every single play. These work because they're unexpected. Overuse them and smart players will adjust.
Not containing both sides. If you only contain one side, they'll just roll the other way.
Judging effectiveness in practice mode. These look way worse in practice than they actually perform in real games.
The goal isn't to get a sack every time. The goal is to limit their options and force tougher decisions. Mission accomplished.