Safety Firezone Pressure

Cardinals are in Nickel personnel using an OLB body as the DE on the weak side on 1st & 10 vs. 11 personnel. The pressure is simple and straightforward.

The Rush:

DL is straight ahead with the down Safety aligned in the box pressuring the closed side C gap.

The Coverage:

3 Under 3 Deep Firezone

The Cowboy start in an empty formation with the RB aligned out wide. The off aligned Corners, Safety in the box, 1 high post Safety and motion adjustment all signal 4 man rush cover 3.

The Safety pressuring the closed side C gap makes the call sound vs. run game on 1st & 10. The pressure sures up the C gap, builds a 7 man box, and the two ILBs in the box for the open A & B gaps. The call has game against the pass as well.

The TE side Guard is in a bind. 

The OT is forced to set wide to the DE in the 9 technique. With the TE releasing the C gap disappears. The Guard has a 3 tech aligned in the B gap while the C gap Safety becomes a wide B gap rusher when the TE releases. The overload created in the B gap leads to 2 through the gap and the run through. 

Asking the Guard to set past the 3 tech DT and pick up the Safety is a tough ask. A wide set by the closed side Guard would put huge stress on the Center and opposite Guard to set to the 2 DT's in the interior of the OL. 

With the Guard setting the Safety in the wide B the Center can no longer vertical set as he did when the Guard handled the 3 tech. The Center would be forced to set wide and handle the DT in more space. The opposite Guard no longer would have the inside help from the vertical set Center and would need to pick up the DT with midline space created by the vacating Center.

The protection is a 5 man scat protection with the RB free releasing into a route. With the RB out there is no ability for the RB to scan to the Safety overload in the B gap.

The pressure is a nice 50/50 call with the ability to attack TE side run game and pressure the passer on 1st & 10. Good pressure concept on regular down & distance from Vance Joseph.