Rotated Cover 2 Run Pressure

Navy in a 3-4 personnel odd front spaced running an America's blitz variation.

The Rush:

DL slanting away from the pressure with the OLB on a low track spill course and the ILB scraping over the top

The Coverage:

4 under 2 Deep Firezone Concept

Interesting coverage rotation using the weak side Safety to rotate to the strong side hook. The pressure is able to bounce the ball to the unblocked scrape ILB back stopped by the hook Safety inserting behind the pressure. The perimeter blocking isn't accounting for the back side safety in the play side alley. 

Nice 4 under 2 deep concept from Navy Defensive Coordinator Brian Newberry. 

Bear Front Cover 2 Zone Pressure

The 2014 Eagles are in 3-4 personnel on 2nd & 10. The front is in a bear spacing 3-0-3.

The Rush:

Both 3 techniques are pinching with the Nose looping out to weak side contain. The Sam is working inside with the Mike scraping blitzing outside to contain.

The Coverage:

Cloud cover 2 to the pressure with the Corner is the weak side deep 1/2

The 5 up bear front forces the OT into a 1 on 1 vs. the Sam with space created inside by the 3 technique on the pinch. The more athletic OLB turns the space into a quick pressure. 

The coverage disguises as a 1 high post defense pre-snap with a safety rotated down to the field. Post-snap the 2nd rotation happens to create a 2 high coverage. The Vertical-Hook players both do an excellent job of position maintenance on the #2 receivers. They stay inside and even denying the MOF and preventing inside cuts. All of their help is outside. This is a NO reroute technique. 

More good stuff from former Eagles Defensive Coordinator Billy Davis. 

Shotgun Counter Option

A counter option concept from New Mexico back in 2013. The Lobos are in shotgun two backs 21 personnel with a TE/Sniffer on the hip of the OT. 

This is a nice double option variation. The jab step by the hip blocker helps sell a block across the formation. The dive fake inside helps control the flow of LB's to the perimeter. This play has the ability to hit inside, off tackle, or all the way outside.

When the guard is able to kick the edge, the QB is able to attack the edge, get vertical, and run inside the kick out block.

When the guard is able to log the EMLOS the QB is able to attack the edge and keep the path off tackle. The pitch phase threatens the force defender helping widen the alley for the QB on the keep.

If the force player doesn't honor the pitch and widen, the option portion allows the offense to get wide outleveraging the defense.

When the edge aggressively attacks the QB the pitch happens more quickly but is again able to outleverage the defense wide and quick with lead blocking. 

Very effective counter option concept from New Mexico and former offensive coordinator Bob DeBesse (currently Georgia Southern).

This type of play is a great reason to carry double rotated cover 2 firezone. Here is an example from 3-4 personnel.

The safety rotation pre-snap shows the Safety down to the strong side showing a 4-4 spacing backed up by an expected 1 high coverage. Post-snap the coverage rotates again (double rotated) to a Cover 2 concept with the post safety rotating to the the strong side deep 1/2 and the corner playing the weak side deep 1/2.

The pressure allows the strong OLB to attack off the edge and spill the pulling guard. The fast pressure off the edge by the Safety should force the ball pitched quickly. The cloud corner is able to attack as the force player with leverage to attack the pitch. The perimeter blocking typically does not ID the pre-snap 1 high alignment of the defense as a cloud support. The unexpected nature of the support helps the Corner trigger and attack as the force player often defeating the block before the concept has been ID'd by the blockers as cloud support. 

Cover 2 Zone Pressure to Attack Duo

Here is a 5 man zone pressure using twists and back stopped by a cover 2 concept. San Diego State is in a 3-3-5 personnel. The spacing builds a bear front. 

The Rush:

Nose is in a knock back two gap technique vs. the Center. Both DE's are penetrating with both mugged up LB's looping outside.

The Coverage:

4 under 2 deep zone coverage

The usage of mugged up LB's on the guards creates problems for Duo. The goal of duo is double teams and creating LOS movement. Here the unbalanced side double on the DE can't stay on vs. the mugged up LB. The double team elects to stay on the DE which leaves the looper free. The result is the TE is forced to block the looping Sam LB. With the TE occupied the offense has no blocker for the Mike who is bumped out to the unbalanced formation. 

If the OL had abandoned the double team and blocked the twist, the TE would have been free for the Mike. This is where the usage of cover 2 and corner support vs. the run comes into play. The WR cracks the safety, which is a great scheme against quarters coverage where the safety will be triggering down hill against the run. Here however the crack block is wasted on a deep 1/2 safety allowing the cloud corner to trigger the run. If the OL and TE had blocked the box the ball would have bounced out to the unblocked corner. 

Nice usage of mugged up LB's, twist games, and cloud run support to attack the run. Good stuff from Zach Arnett, Rocky Long, and the Aztec defense.

Vikings Pressure Package

Here is an interesting concept from the Minnesota Vikings defense and head coach Mike Zimmer. Minnesota manipulates the pass protection by bluffing double A gap pressure from a Nickel personnel. 

The Vikings show a front with both DT's in 3 techniques which leaves both A gaps open. The Mike and Will linebackers are both walked up into the A gaps. This is a common pressure look from 4 man front teams. This alignment forces the offense into six 1 on 1 match ups in pass protection. The RB is responsible for 1 of the walked ILB's while the OL handles the 4 DL and other walked ILB. 

 Minnesota then brings a DB off the edge to the side of the back. The RB has a dual read 1(Mike) to 2(Safety) from inside to outside. If both rushers came in the pressure the QB would need to throw hot. In principle if only one of the threats rushed the RB should be able to block the 6th pass rusher and the protection is intact.

 In practice the pick up is very difficult for the back when only the safety rushes and the ILB does not. The RB is forced to aggressively step up to the walked LB. The RB wants to initiate contact with the LB close to the L.O.S. to avoid being knocked back into the QB and altering the launch point of the QB's throw. The RB doesn't know the ILB isn't rushing. It is very difficult for the RB once he has stepped up to see the Safety is blitzing and even more difficult to actually redirect out to the edge rusher and make a block. The result is an unblocked edge rushing safety.

Here the Vikings are running the concept backed up by a 2 read coverage concept. Minnesota shows 1 ILB walked up which puts the protection in an even more difficult predicament. 

 With the Mike showing and the Will off the ball, the Lions check the protection pre-snap to allow the Center to block the most immediate threat (the walked up Mike). This forces the RB to scan across the formation to the opposite A gap if the Will rushes.

When the Will walks up late the RB is forced to block his most inside threat. The Mike drops out into coverage, leaving the Center blocking no one. There are only two options for the offense. The 1st is the OL pushes the protection out when the Mike drops. This option forces the Center out to a 3 tech, the Guard out to a DE, and the OT out to the Safety off the edge. The likelihood of this happening is slim to none. This isn't a hot read (offense has 6 blockers for 6 rushers) but it should lead to the QB getting rid of the ball quickly. Which leads to option #2, the QB gets the throw off before the pressure gets home. The LB and DE dropping to the seams make throwing short inside throws very difficult. This forces the QB to hold on to the ball. 

Here is another example.

The pressure concept is the same only with a 3 under 3 deep coverage concept to handle the 3x1 formation. The RB steps up so hard to the L.O.S. he never even sees the rush off the edge.

This isn't a new wrinkle in Coach Zimmer's playbook. 

Here are the Bengals running the same concept back in 2013 during Coach Zimmer's last season as the Cincinnati Defensive Coordinator. Again backed up by 3 under 3 deep zone coverage.

The Vikings also do a nice job of bluffing this pressure concept.

The Vikings bluff the double A gap with the threat of a safety pressure off the edge. The Safety bails out and the coverage in man under 2 deep. The LB on the RB who releases into the route peels off and plays man coverage. The LB on the RB who blocks adds to the pass rush (green dog technique) and becomes the 5th rusher. 

Good stuff from the Vikings Defense. 

Eagles Cover 2 Zone Dog

Here is a cover 2 zone dog run by the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this season.

The Rush:
Tackle - Work B gap to Contain 
Nose - Slant Opposite A
End - Long Stick to A gap
SS - Contain
Will - Scrape


The Coverage:
Corner & End - Flat
Sam & Mike - Hook
FS & Corner - Deep 1/2 

The Eagles show a 1 high safety coverage with a safety rotated down over the #2 WR. The expectation is the Eagles have to stay in a 1 high coverage unless they rotate a safety back deep. Instead Philly uses a corner in the role of a Deep 1/2 player.

The protection has the numbers to pick up the pressure.

The protection has two (OT & RB) vs. 2 (Will & SS) but loses both match ups. The OT is badly out athleted by the rushing DB. An OL forced to kick set out to a DB in open space is a match up the that favors the defense. On the inside the RB is forced to pick up the rushing LB. A LB on a full speed straight line run to the QB vs. a RB in pass protection is another match up that favors the defense. 

It is easy to say the offense should have simply had the OT sit for the Will and sent the RB wide to the SS. Both seem like better match ups for the offense. The issue is the RB is initially threatened by 2 rush threats as his dual read is the Mike & Will. If the Mike rushed the B gap the RB would have needed to block him. Likewise when the Will rushed B. It is very difficult to expect the RB to dual read the Mike to Will and adjust to the SS in the rush. Also A DB rotated over a slot receiver was not a likely rush threat. 

The usage of a DB in the rush and the alignment of the LB's in a 4-3 core created bad match ups for the protection. The coverage violates pre-snap expectations forcing the QB to make a post-snap read and buying time for the rushers to win. Good stuff from Eagles Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz.

Alabama Cover 2 Zone Pressure vs. Empty

Here is an effective pressure concept Alabama used vs. LSU. 

Alabama is in a 6 DB Dime personnel with 2 stand up DE's (OLB types).

The Rush:
End - Up the field to Contain
Tackle - Slant inside
Nose - Loop to Contain
Nickel - B gap pressure

The Coverage:
Corners - Flat
SS & FS - Show 1 High Safety rotate to Deep 1/2
Dime - Zone to #2 Strong
Mike - Zone to #3
End - Zone to #2 Weak 

The initial alignment by Alabama dictates the protection.

The LSU pass protection has 5 blockers for the 5 most dangerous rushers. Pre-snap the immediate gap threats represent the 5 most dangerous rushers.

The RG is forced into being manned up on the DT and blocking him on the inside move. The RG doesn't know the Center, LG, LT will be freed when the Mike and DE drop into coverage. The deep pass set of the RT against the speed rushing DE creates the clean B gap run for the Nickel. By the time the OL could process what is happening the Nickel is in the face of the QB.

Interesting Cover 2 Zone Pressure

Here is an interesting Cover 2 zone pressure concept from Green Bay Packers Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers.

The pressure is from a 3-2-6 personnel package. In old playbook material Coach Capers called this personnel Dollar Personnel which is a variation of a dime personnel grouping.

Initially the Packers represent 2 walked up rushing LB's and a possible rush from the Dime. The coverage is showing a 2 high safety shell.

The expected blitz pick up for the offense is for the OL to block the immediate gap threats and the RB to scan across the formation to pick up the possible Dime rush threat. With the defense presenting no 4th rush threat from the weak side the RB is free to scan to the strong side. During the cadence the defense shifts.

The pressure the Packers actually brought defies the initial expectations of the offense.

The Rush:
Ends - Up and under to an inside rush lane
T- Middle Rush
Nickle - Contain Rush
SS - Roll down to Contain Rush

The Coverage:
Corners - Flat
Dime - Pop the top to the Deep 1/2
FS - Weak side Deep 1/2
Backers - Zone dropping to #2 & #3 strong side

The shift by the defense created confusion for the protection. The RG's eyes shift inside as the LB shifts from walked up outside to being aligned in the core. The Guard set inside because he is looking inside. Once the RG set inside the protection had serious problems. The RT is forced to stay locked on the DE which allows the SS to come free off the edge. The RB thought he was scanning initially so he continues to scan. The timing of the pressure prevents the RB from seeing, processing, and adjusting to the threat of the SS.

 The coverage also defies expectation. If the QB tires to attack a perceived weak side 1 on 1 match up in coverage there is actually a 2 on 1 concept. Traditional thinking is that if a defense is in a 2 high safety shell and rotates a safety down the coverage MUST be a 1 high coverage. The Packers break that rule. The FS rotating also indicates a 1 high safety but the FS isn't rotating to the deep middle and is instead rotating to a deep 1/2. The flat defending corner to the strong side is also a surprise and forces the QB to double clutch the throw to the strong side flat buying time for the the pressure.

This pressure could be easily run from a traditional 3-4 personnel set.

What the pressure loses is the manipulation of the protection and the disguise of the coverage. Many OL's & RB's can process and pick up this basic pressure. Many QB's can understand this coverage concept. Creative ways to make basic pressure concepts very difficult to pick up is what makes the NFL pressure schemes so effective.

4-2-5 Run Blitz vs. Zone Run

When I am thinking about pressure vs. the run game, my #1 goal is negatives. Negative yardage runs kill drives. The offense wants to be on schedule: 1st &10, 2nd & Med, 3rd & Short, and Repeat. Negatives get the offense into 2nd and 3rd and Long and off-schedule. No offense wants to operate from off-schedule. A pressure that creates negatives or the threat of that pressure affects the offense forcing the offense to react. The #2 goal is to create a game state where the pressure or threat of pressure limits what the offense is willing to call. Bottom line we want:

#1 Negative Plays
#2 Offensive Limitation

There is more than one strategy for creating negative plays. This post focuses on the strategy of attacking a specific blocking scheme. In this case the scheme being attacked is inside zone.

Defense by the Numbers

Here the offense is running split zone. The offense has 3 blockers for the play side 3 defenders and 3 blockers for the away side 3 defenders. The core is blocked in the diagram.

If the SS is pressuring off the edge, the offense has a numerical problem. 

The defense is now presenting a 4th threat play side who is not blocked at the point of attack. This creates the potential for a negative yardage play.

The offense can ask the split #2 WR to block the blitzing SS. This is a difficult block. The angle of the block pushes the blitzer into the play. If the SS does a good job with his alignment, timing, and blitz path, the blitz should be disruptive. The pressure doesn't have to be create a TFL by the SS to be a success. If the SS can simply force the RB to change direction in the backfield the chances of a negative play go up. 

If the WR is unable to make the block, one solution for the offense is to reduce the split of the WR. Moving him closer to the core.  

This solution can give the WR a good angle to block the SS. Bringing the WR inside also creates challenges for the offense:

• Anytime the offense brings another body into the core the defense is able to bring one more too. In this case the FS become a 5th defender to the play side. 
• The slot WR is now in the core. Many slot receivers do not want to go mix it up in the core. If we can get the offense into a place where they are using their personnel in a sub-optimal role that is a success.
• The change in the WR's alignment can tip the play.
• The new alignment can affect the spacing and timing of pass routes the offense wants to run. 
• The altered alignment may also create problems for other run blocking schemes the offense wanted to run from their original alignment. If we can get an offense into a choice between running split zone and running those other plays, we are creating the offensive limitation we want. 

The offense could opt to change personnel.

Using a TE instead of a WR allows the offense to have the alignment they want to pick up the SS pressure. 20 personnel may be their best personnel grouping. If the slot WR was one of their best 11 then getting him off the field is a success for the defense. Now the offensive limitation is based on what can the offense run from 21 personnel. What plays from 20 personnel are no longer available?

The offense may be committed to staying in 20 personnel and running twins from their normal split. In that case the offense can elect to use the FB on the pressuring SS. Running lead zone instead of split zone gives the offense a 4th play side blocker for the 4th defender. 

The offense must now find a way to control the backside DE who is unblocked. One solution is to run or fake naked/keeper concepts with the QB. The philosophy is to slow the DE down from chasing as he pauses to check the QB. 

One major problem develops for the offense on naked and keeper. What if the defense isn't blitzing the SS. If the defense is inverting the WS, the DE can chase flat down the LOS. The WS is outside for the QB. If the ball is handed off, the chasing DE has a great chance to create a negative. If the QB is running a naked or keeper, the WS is unblocked and has a chance to create a negative. 

Another offensive strategy is to use orbit or reverse motion to control the back side of the play. 

The FB can block the blitzer and the motion can help hold the back side DE.

The offense however, has the same issue as before with a weak side inverting safety. The End can chase and create negatives vs. the zone run. The WS is unblocked for the possible reverse. 

The same issue exist when teams transitioned from 2 back to 1 back under center.

If the offense doesn't have a blocker for the pressuring SS, the defense can create negative plays.

If the offense has a 4th blocker to the strong side, they can block the SS. The challenge is the same as in 2 back, how to control the backside DE and WS. 

That brings us to zone read schemes. One of the most common 1 back solutions to control the back side of zone is for the QB to read the DE.  

The offense can read the weak side DE and block any threat of a weak side #4. The offense still has the issue of how to block the pressuring SS. This is where the defense has to capitalize on the biggest weakness of zone read schemes. It is an option, the defense controls where the ball goes. In this case the defense wants the ball handed off into the difficult to block SS pressure.

When the offense is aligned with a 4th blocker to the zone, they can block the SS. Here the defense wants to force the ball to get pulled by the QB. The inverting WS will be there to make the play. 

Bottom line is the numbers dictate who an offense can or cannot block. The offensive formation dictates the numbers. How do we design pressure to attack zone schemes? With blitz the formation concepts. 

Here is an example:

This is a 5 man zone dog concept rushing either the SS or WS.

Vs. 2x2

Against a 2x2 the offense has a numerical problem with a SS pressure. 

The Rush:
SS - Outside Rush
End - Play into the B gap
Tackle - Head up 2 alignment, slant away from pressure
Nose - Head up 2 alignment, slant away from pressure
End - Stay square and force give on zone read

The Coverage:
Corners - Tight 1/3
WS - Rotate to MOF
FS -Seam
Will - Slingshot to Seam
Mike - Plug alignment, A gap vs. run/3RH drop vs. pass

Putting the DT's in 2's and the alignments of the Mike and Will are critical to the success of the of the pressure.

Putting the Tackle and Nose in head up 2 techniques forces the OL to combo. The OL doesn't know where the 2's will go post snap so the zone scheme must combo them. The Will aligns in the box to get the OT and OG to set their zone combo to him. Once the QB is late in his cadence the Will can slingshot out of the box to the seam drop. The Mike takes a plug alignment at 2 yards from the LOS. His normal alignment is 4 1/2 or 5 yards deep. The Plug alignment forces zone combos by the OL to turn into 1 on 1 blocks very quickly. 

If the Will leaves the box too quickly the offense can set their zone blocking to the Mike and rushing SS. The offense can use the #2 weak receiver to block the Will. The Will holding his alignment in the box as long as possible prevents this from happening. 

The Mike's plug alignment is important to attacking the play as well. When the Center and Guard set their combo, we want the Center to be forced to be aggressive to the Tackle. If the Center takes an aggressive lateral step to the Tackle, it is difficult for the Center to redirect to the Mike who is filling the A gap. The plug alignment puts the Mike in a position to fill very quickly. Asking a Center to snap the ball, aggressively zone to the Tackle, and redirect is asking a lot of any player. The Mike's fill in the A gap is critical to stopping the RB from winding back away from the pressure of the SS.

If the the back side Guard tries to zone off to the pressing Mike, the Nose has a great chance to redirect and make a play. The Mike's plug alignment allows him to to fill quickly. The quick fill forces the guard to go fast. If the Guard is too fast the OT may not be able to take control of the Nose. The Nose is able to redirect and pressure the RB, if the RB is winding back away from the pressuring SS. 

If the offense is running the zone the other direction from 2x2:

When the zone is being run away from the pressure the alignment of the Mike and Will are still important. The technique of playing into the B gap by the DE also comes into play.

The offense sets their zone combos up to the Mike and Will.  The End takes a 45 degree step to the the hip of the OT. If the OT was blocking him, the End would cross face and play into the B gap. In this case as the End takes his 45 degree step the OT is zoning to the Tackle. The End will stay on his 45 degree track and chase behind the LOS. The End plays into the B gap from behind the line. This creates a 2 off the edge allowing the End to chase down the RB and the SS to pressure the QB. 

As the play unfolds the Center and OT are forced to chase LB's who are difficult to zone block. The OT attempts to zone to the Tackle and up to the Mike. The Mike is able to quickly attack the run from his plug alignment. The Center is trying to combo the Nose to the Will. The Will is working out of the box to the seam technique. The end result is the Tackle and Mike attacking the midline and forcing the RB to cut back into the chasing End if the ball is handed off. The hand off should not happen as the read for the QB is to pull the ball. The pull should be directly into the pressuring SS for a negative play.

Against a 3x1 the offense has the numbers to block the SS pressure.

The pressure converts to a WS pressure vs. 3x1. The offense can block a SS pressure but now has numerical issues to the weak side of the play. 

The Rush:
WS - Outside Rush
End - Play into the B gap
Nose - Head up 2 alignment, slant away from pressure
Tackle - Head up 2 alignment, slant away from pressure
End - Stay square and force give on zone read

The Coverage:
Corners - Tight 1/3
FS - Rotate to MOF
SS -Seam
Mike - Slingshot to 3RH
Will - Plug alignment, A gap vs. run/Seam drop vs. pass

The effects of the DT's aligned in 2 techniques, the slingshot, and plug alignment backer are all still in place. The ball is handed off into an unblocked WS off the edge.

Against zone to the trips the End and WS create the 2 off the edge effect creating a good opportunity to create a negative run.

Offenses understand what they can and cannot block. For some the answer is to get into a 2 back split gun with the ability to create a 3x1 or 2x2 from the same formation.

The lead blocker can block a SS pressure. In this situation the defense wants to be in a WS pressure. The issue is the offense can just as easily be running to the weak side.

Now the offense can block the WS pressure. The defense would prefer to have 2 off the edge in a SS pressure in this case.

In 2 back formations the offense has trouble with SS pressure unless they block strong. If they over commit strong they are vulnerable to the WS inverting weak. Our solution is to present both looks at once by using 4 under 2 deep coverage concept.

The Rush:
SS - Outside Rush
End - Play into the B gap
Tackle - Head up 2 alignment, slant away from pressure
Nose - Head up 2 alignment, slant away from pressure
End - Stay square and force give on zone read

The Coverage:
Corner - Squat Flat, Force
WS - Align or rotatate Down, C-F
FS -1/2
Mike - Slingshot to Hook
Will - Plug alignment, A gap vs. run/Hook drop vs. pass

We could also elect to play the coverage as a quarters variation. This coverage concept is some times called 2 read or Palms coverage.

In either case we are able to present the offense with both a SS pressure and an inverted WS. Going to a 4 under 2 deep coverage is possible because the offense is only presenting 3 vertical threats instead of four. 

Understanding the defensive numbers can help create negatives when calling pressures to attack the run. Negatives plays result in offensive limitation. We want to make them play left handed. Well planned pressure can help us do that. 

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