Thursday, December 30, 2010

3 Receiver Hook Drop

Previous posts discussed the Seam technique in Dick Lebeau's Cover 3 Fire Zone coverage and provided a video clip. This post will continue the fire zone coverage series and will focus on the the 3 Receiver Hook (3RH) drop. The 3 underneath coverage consists of Seam/3 Receiver Hook/Seam. The 3RH can be a dropping defensive lineman, linebacker, or inverting safety. Regardless of who is the 3RH the technique remains the same. The following is Lebeau's explanation of the 3RH from the 2002 Cincinnati Bengals Playbook.

One page 144 Lebeau defines the 3RH drop.

3 RECEIVER HOOK - HOOK PLAYER WORKS TO SIDE OF 3RD RELEASER INTO PATTERN. ZONE OFF THE 3 INSIDE RECEIVERS WITH SEAM PLAYERS. 10 YARD DEPTH RULE.

BE ALERT FOR FAST CROSSERS THREE RECEIVER HOOK WILL DELIVER FAST CROSSERS TO NEXT DEFENDER (YOU MAY TAKE THE CROSSER ALL THE WAY). 3 RECEIVER HOOK PLAYER WILL NEVER STRETCH THE VERTICAL ROUTES.

Based on the rules and diagrams in the playbook here is my analysis of the 3RH drop.

If #3 Blocks:
  • Drop with Depth (Max of 10 yards) over the #3 receiver. Be aware of the check release.
  • Be ready for fast crossers and in routes being delivered by the Seams droppers.
  • Have your head on a swivel and listen for communication from the Seam players.

If #3 goes vertical:
  • Carry vertical do not stretch with vertical route.
  • Be alert for fast crosser from #2 and be ready to carry and deliver(Look for reduced splits)

If #3 goes out:
  • Communicate out cut to Seam player
  • Expand an find the first inside breaking route.
  • You may have to carry and deliver a fast crosser from #1 or #2.
  • Be alert of the slash/flat combo (Look for reduced splits)


If #3 releases across the formation:
  • Carry and Deliver the crosser to the Seam Player






4 comments:

  1. I noticed that the Lebleau playbook says the 3H player "may take the crosser all the way". So looking at the last diagram (#2 crosser), if the 2S player on the left is covering #2 vertical, then there is no one to deliver the crossing route. So I guess the 3H player in that case must cut the crosser and take him all the way?

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  2. That is how I envision the 3RH being played. It seems unrealistic to have the Seam player come off of #2 vertical after carrying him to jump a crosser from the opposite side when the 3RH should be able to pick him up and carry him across.

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  3. So if you get the NCAA route, one #2 WR running drag/crossing route and the other side #2 WR running a dig at 10-12 yards. The 3H player needs to drop for depth to get under the dig and the Seam player needs to eye up the drag/crossing route?

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  4. You got it. The 3RH player would get depth and be under the dig. The seam player to the dig should squeeze the dig to the 3RH player and be ready for a crosser. The seam player to the drag should carry and deliver the crosser to the 3RH player and be ready for a crosser coming back.

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