Limiting a Great Receiving threat in 12/21 Personnel

12/21 personnel groupings present a number of stresses to a defense. The obvious threat is run heavy structures using big personnel with a TE/FB creating extra gaps in the run fit. Heavier personnels often induce loaded boxes and 8 man front structures from a defense to handle the run game. Those loaded box defenses can also create single coverage for a star WR. This can lead to offenses using those heavy personnels/sets to attempt to isolate their best WR creating passing opportunities off max pro, play action, quick game, or RPO concepts. These personnel groupings also allow for a variety of 6,7,8 man pass protections. What is the solution in regular down & distance situations? How do we stop the run while controlling the star receiving threat? Here is a solution from the 3-4 spaced defense using quarters and halves coverage principles. Putting a cloud on the star WR can be a really inexpensive solution to mitigate some risk.

The coverage concept combines two coverages: Stuff and Roll. Stuff is a 1/4 1/4 1/2 concept while Roll is a double rotated Cover 2 concept. 

The point is an activated OLB as the 4th rusher. The Mike will make a Rome/London call to activate an OLB. We are going to activate the OLB to the side of the star WR. 

Vs. 21

Against a pro set if the star WR is to the defensive right the ILB will make a Rome call to set the point. The point OLB becomes part of the charge. The coverage will play Stuff coverage against a formation with the star WR as a single X. Stuff means half tool to the point and a quarter tool away from the point. Structurally this allows the defense to be sound numerically in the box vs. the run while putting a cover 2 concept on the star WR to disrupt passing concepts. Here the quarter Safety must trigger to become the 8th fitter in the box when the TE blocks.

When the star WR is strong the LB again will set the point to the star. Here London is the call with the star aligned to the defensive left. London activates the left OLB into the charge. The coverage will be Roll. The coverage shows as cover 3 rotated to the point with a Safety down and a Safety in the post. Showing a middle of the field closed look helps dissuade the offense from attacking the middle of field based on pre-snap coverage presentation. At the snap the post aligned safety rolls the coverage to a cover 2 concept strong with an inverted cover 2 concept weak. When the TE blocks the vertical hook down Safety become the 8th fitter for the run. Again this concept gives the defense an 8 man front spacing vs. the run with a cloud on the best WR. 

Against a single width twins formation the coverage again rolls. This again builds the 8 man front. The Corner to the nub will align at 8 yards in the C gap if the TE blocks the Corner will trigger to become the 8th fitter. The coverage still places a cloud on the outside WR, if the star is outside we have a cloud on him. If the star WR is in the slot the coverage has a Safety playing the vertical hook. The VH matches the #2 vertical and inside with safety help in the deep half. With a safety rolled down into the VH drop we feel we can match up with a WR. If the #2 is out the cloud corner will be squatting in the flat. Overall with the star outside or in the slot the coverage can help deny that player the ball while still building the 8 man box.

Vs. 12

Against a 2x2 ace formation the point will gain be to the star. The coverage is stuff with a half tool to the point and quarter tool away. The quarter safety helps build the 8 man box while the cloud helps deny the star.

 Against a 3x1 nub set the coverage is again Roll. The coverage rolls against any single width formation. The coverage denies the star outside or in the slot similarly to the previous twins example. The ILB does have the TE vertical to the strong side in a match so that's a matchup we are always mindful of in this concept.

A backside wing is treated like a single width formation and we will Roll all single width. The coverage again plays like the previous single width sets. This time the LB to the wing must be mindful of the VH responsibility against vertical passing concepts from the 2 TE side. The nub side Corner is again the 8th fitter. 

With the star as the single X the coverage is Stuff. Half tool to the point with a quarter tool away. Here there are 3 receiving threats to the quarters side. That means the tool needed must be a quarter tool for 3 receivers. In this example the quarter tool is a mini 2 concept with the outside WR manned by the Corner. Inside the OLB/ILB/Safety are playing a 3 over 2 coverage on the 2 TEs. The Safety in the mini concept strong must trigger when the TE's block to add the 8th fitter in the run game.

With the star aligned strong in the formation the coverage Rolls. The Safety shows post alignment rolling at the snap. The point ILB must be ready to match 3 vertical. The VH Safety is again the 8th run fitter then the TE's block in the this concept.

Putting a cloud on a good WR in heavy personnel can be an inexpensive way to both be good vs. the run and deny the biggest receiving threat. Much of the coverage concept is built from coverage tools that most defenses already have in the their toolbox. 

Inverted Cover 2 Sim Pressure

The Eagles bringing sim pressures using an inverted cover 2 coverage concept.

Philly is in Nickel personnel on 2nd & 8 vs. 11 personnel.

The Rush: 

Nickel and Will off the edge with both DE's pinching inside

The Coverage:

Invert Cover 2

The 5 underneath zone droppers space to deny all the short routes. The sim pressure forces the OT to redirect from the DE on the inside move to the full speed pressure Will on the edge. The protection can account for the pressure but the degree of difficultly for the the OT is greatly increased vs. a base 4 man pass rush. The sim also forces the RB to stay in to account for the Nickel off the edge. The resource exchange is a big win for the defense. 6 pass protectors vs. 4 rushers still resulting in quick pressure.

Eagles in Nickel personnel on 2nd & 11 vs. 11 personnel. The front stems down to a bear front spacing during the cadence.

The Rush: 

DT on the Center in a bull rush with both 3 techniques rushing the the B gaps. The Mike is pressuring through the A gap.

The Coverage:

Invert Cover 2

The underneath 5 droppers make for tight window on all the short quick throws. The front covers all the OL forcing them to go 5-0. All 5 OL are manned up. The Mike gets the immediate run through on the RB in the A gap. This is an advantage of using sim pressures. Base 4 man pass rushes cannot typically isolate a RB in protection. Quick pressure on a RB in the A gap is also in the QB's face affecting the ability to step into a throw and affects the QB's mechanic. Not all pressure is about sacks.

Nice sim pressure designs from Eagles Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz.

Defending Sail Route in Cover 2

Nice example of the Seahawks in a base personnel Cover 2 concept against an 11 personnel bunch zone naked sail route.

Seattle is in a over front spacing with the weak side DE reduced to a 4i alignment. The Will LB is walked on the LOS in a 9 technique but is still responsible for the hook drop in the cover 2 coverage concept.

The Panthers are attempting to attack the coverage with a weak side sail concept. The X receiver is running to take the top off the coverage by challenging the deep 1/2 safety. The Y off runs a cutter path behind the LOS selling the action of a block on the back side edge in a split zone concept but ultimately is running the flat route. The point of the bunch is running a deep over. The goal is to attack the flat defending corner with the flat route. By threatening the flat player off of the run action the goal is to get the flat player to stay low while forcing the flat defender to get width to avoid be out leveraged. If the Corner is low and wide the deep over route has open space behind the Corner in the flat and underneath the stretched deep Safety.

The weak Corner does an excellent job following his reroute on X of hinging open. He opens his hips at a 45 degree angle inside pointing his hips and shoulders toward the MOF. His allows him to again depth & width to the sail. His body position also allows him to see the deep over and to adjust his path to pick up the route. His body position additionally creates vision to the QB to allow him to break late to a throw underneath. The Mike LB does a good job opening to get under the crosser forcing the route to keep running allowing the sail technique corner to take the route over.

Good coaching a execution from Ken Norton.

Disguising Coverage to Attack RPO

The Chiefs are in a 4-2-5 nickel personnel. The initial formation is 2x2 with KC showing a low safety weak side indicating a 1 high coverage either a cover 3 variant or Cover 1.

When the motion takes the formation to 3x1 there is no man coverage adjustment. The LB's bump and the weak safety walks into the box. The offense has a clear indication the defense is in a version of cover 3 weak. 

The Chiefs rolled down the weak safety into the box building a 6 vs. 5 box advantage for the defense. Based on that look the run is into an unfavorable look and the ball should go to the screen. 

SF is expecting the Corner to the screen to be slower to secure any screen & go as the deep 1/3 player. That leaves 2 blockers including a TE for two low defenders (Nickel & Mike). The numbers say to throw the screen until KC changes the math post-snap with a cover 2 concept.

The weak side safety pops the top to play the half while the post safety rotates to the strong half. To the bunch the defense is able to aggressively trigger the corner as force. Even if the corner had not made a great play the defense now has 3 low defenders for two blockers.

Great execution from the Chiefs to create a TFL on the screen. The plan here from Steve Spagnuolo and the understanding by the Chiefs players is great stuff. KC manipulated the looks with pre-snap disguise to force the ball to the screen and changed the math post-snap to kill the play off. 

Defending Smash with Cover 2

We teach multiple variations of cover 2 concept. Here is one example of a split field coverage deep half tool we play and film of us working and correcting our technique vs. a smash route concept in practice.

The Corner is a flat player, the ILB is a V2, and the Safety is a Deep 1/2.

Against a Smash concept:

In this half tool we do not ask the corner to sink for the corner route. We have other half tools that ask the corner to hinge and sink and midpoint on Smash to help deny the 7 route by the #2. In this concept we want to deny the route of #1 with the Corner. Some coverage concepts play deep to short others are more aggressive denial coverages, this half tool is a denial coverage.

The vertical release of the #2 is going to be body positioned by the V2 LB. The LB is not looking to reroute. Being too aggressive is a good way to get beat across face and allow the route where there is no help in the MOF. The V2 dropper's help is outside and deep.

The Safety is looking to get to a position with outside leverage of #2 because his help is inside from the V2 dropper. With the Corner not using a sink technique to help, any outside throw is the safety's responsibility.

Here is a practice rep from a half line pass drill. The Corner sits on the stop route by #1. The V2 LB opens in body position to carry the vertical with inside leverage. The Safety pedals for depth but does not react to the outside route stem of the TE gaining width. 

The Safety has NO help outside, his goal is to be able to deny the outside breaks and squeeze inside breaks back to the V2 LB. Once the break happens the Safety is badly outleveraged leading to an easy throw and catch into the open space outside. Also horrible job by us as an organization clearing the sideline, those hand shields are a rolled ankle or worse waiting to happen.

Here is a 2nd rep from 2 weeks later from the same group of defenders.

The Corner and V2 LB are very similar in technique to the first rep but the Safety has dramatically corrected his footwork. Now with the hard outside stem by #2 the Safety weaves for width. We work weave in our individual time practice time this rep is a good example of our indy footwork showing up in a group drill. Notice it isn't a requirement to stay outside #2 only to have the ability to break on the outside routes. Not a good job blocking by the LB or corner. The intended WR must be our first block on an interception. Much better job keeping the sideline cleared of equipment, every detail every time.

Overload Cover 2 Pressure

The Browns are in Nickel personnel with Rush LB bodies. The spacing is an odd front with both Rush LB's on the same side. 

The Rush:

4 man rush with the 2 DT's on long sticks. Off the edge the inside DB is up the field with the outside rusher working up an under.

The Coverage:

The pre-snap presentation is a 1 high middle of the field closed. Post snap the coverage rotates to a 5 under 2 deep with the weak side using an inverted cover 2 concept. The OLB is in the flat and the corner is in the deep 1/2.

The Browns present 8 possible rushers near the LOS pre-snap. Ultimately the rush is an overloaded 4 man pass rush with a 7 man drop. The pressure side 5 tech makes life difficult for the opposite guard. The guard is reacting to the nose looping to contain and sets outside first. Forcing an OL to set and redirect increases the degree of difficulty. Creative pressure design from Gregg Williams.  

Michigan Pressure

Really interesting and effective pressure concept from Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown. The Wolverines are in a 3-3 nickel personnel package.

The Rush:
The front slides the 3 down linemen to the strong side and has all 3 LB's walked up to the weak side. The Mike is initially in a 3 point stance. 

The effect is a 4 man version of America's Blitz. The Will wraps around to the fill the role of the inside rusher in the America's blitz concept. Because the defense bluffs the weak side overload the protection doesn't identify the concept as America's blitz and pass it off. The RB is forced into a really difficult block, scanning all the way back across the formation to pick up the Will as he wraps around. 

The Coverage:
Strong side is a soft cover 2 and weak side is a hard cover 2. 

Good stuff from the Michigan defense!

Playing Cover 2 in a 4-4 Defense

In a base 4-4 personnel with 4 down linemen and 4 linebackers the natural thought process is to play 1 high safety coverages like Cover 3, Cover 1, or Robber.  

In the above example the Sam and Will outside linebackers are guys with true linebacker skill sets. It is completely impractical to have either of those players play a deep 1/2 safety technique. One solution is to use the Will LB in the role of the a cover 2 corner by walking him out over #1 and playing the Corner in the role of the deep 1/2 safety off the hash.

This solution can make sense for all the personnel involved. The Corner may not be a physical beat 'em up player and may be better suited to play the deep 1/2. Especially if the Corner is typically playing a deep 1/3 or man.  The Will may be the better choice for being physical and re-routing the #1 receiver. The Will already practices being a flat dropper in other coverages. Keeping the run support structure similar is another factor. The Will is typically the force player in most 4-4 defensive structures. By widening him out to the role of "corner" the Will is still the force player. 

The defense could also choose to play a 1/4 1/4 1/2 concept this way.

By having a tag word to align the Will out of over the #1 receiver weak the defense can also build a natural disguise package with other base calls it is already running.

The defense can show the FS and Corner deep on the hashes with the Will walked out on #1. At the snap the coverage can easily roll to a base Cover 3 concept.

The defense can also easily walk the Safety down off the hash and roll the corner to deep 1/2 and play a Robber coverage concept.

Basic pressures now have a naturally added change up element as well.

A standard 4-4 outside linebacker zone dog can easily function like a corner dog.