Cover 3 Sim Pressure vs Empty

The Ravens are in Nickel personnel with OLB bodies at DE vs. 12 personnel empty on 2nd & Long.

The Rush:

The front is spaced like an even front in over G. The Mike walks up running a twist game with the DT. The 2i DT is looping to contain opposite the pressure.

The Coverage:

Sting Concept - Sting is a 3 under 3 deep firezone with a 4th dropper as the free/bonus dropper. The end result is a 4 under 3 deep 3 buzz like coverage.

Here is another example of Sting vs. Empty from the Rex Ryan/Mike Pettine. 

The OL is in a 5 man protection. The usage of the DT in a G helps influence the Center. The Center is looking to give the guard help with an inside shaded DL. When the Mike walks up the defense has 3 rushers overloading 2 blockers. The Center is forced to redirect to a full speed inside LB. The T/G do a nice job squeezing inside to take the most inside threats. The G loses his 1on1 but the T/G do a nice job of taking the 2 most inside threats and leaving the widest rusher. The QB drifts away from the unblocked rusher to give the protection a chance. 

Without knowing the call the coverage is difficult to tell. I think it is Sting because of other sim pressure concepts the Ravens have run as well as the coaching tree Wink Martindale comes from. However, this could also be 3 buzz with 2 Curl-Flat and 2 hook droppers.

Why differentiate between sting and 3 buzz? Playing a sting concept allows the defense to maintain it's firezone coverage principles when bringing 4 instead of 5. The Ravens bring 5 and play fire zone regularly. A concept like sting can help eliminate complexity. It can be easier on players to stay this is fire zone with a free/bonus dropper when rushing 4 instead of a different coverage like 3 Buzz. The 5th rusher is simply replaced by the free/bonus dropper in Sting to create the 4 under 3 deep coverage.

Nice job creating pressure with a non-traditional 4 man pass rush from the Ravens and Wink Martindale.