Firezone Coverage vs. Action Passes

This post is continuing the coaching points for 3 under 3 deep Firezone coverage. These coaching points come from the 2003 Kentucky playbook of defensive coordinator Mike Archer. 

Firezone vs. Boot

• Corner to the action - Cover all of #1 out or vertical
• Seam player to action - First to the flat
• 3RH - Find and cover the crosser
• Seam player away from the action - Throwback. Alert or the running back or crossers coming back 
• Corner away from the action - Cover all of #1 vertical
• Post Safety - Alert for the deepest crossing route

Zombie 

Call alerting Safety and Backside Corner #1 strong is in a crack alignment. 

Vs. flow pass, FS will rob dig if TE crosses and backside corner will drive to the post

Flow Pass = Play Action pass with both backs to the TE and the TE running a crossing route

Against a play action flow pass with a crack alignment of of #1 the defense will make a Zombie call pre-snap.

When the #1 receiver strong goes in crack motion the Corners and Post Safety must communicate with a "Zombie" call.

The Zombie call allows the the Post Safety to rob the dig. If the 3RH player is fooled by the play action fake the defense is still able to cover the levels route from the offense. The Zombie call tells the backside corner to overlap to the middle of the field and double cover the post with the other corner when #1 on his side runs a dig.

The defense would make the same Zombie call vs. a #1 aligned in a reduced split crack alignment.

Here the offense aligns with #1 in a reduced split. The defense makes a Zombie call to alert the Corners and Safety of the reduction of splits. The post safety robs the dig when the TE runs the crossing route. The Corner overlaps when his #1 runs the dig and double covers the post.

Zombie can be a good solution in a 3 deep coverage concept to handle play action and cover the levels route combination. 

Firezone Coverage Seam Technique Coaching Points

Long time Pittsburgh Steeler Defensive Coordinator Dick Lebeau (currently with the Tennessee Titans) is known for his firezone pressure package. Coach Lebeau’s 3 under 3 deep firezone coverage concept has been the topic of multiple posts on Blitzology in the past. This post is a continuation of those same concepts. The following information is from the 2003 Kentucky Defensive Playbook. The defensive coordinator was Mike Archer. Before his time at Kentucky, Coach Archer served as the linebacker coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1996-2002. With Coach Archer coming from the Lebeau coaching tree much of the firezone terminology and techniques are similar.

This post focuses on the Seam Drop. Coaching points for this drop from Coach Lebeau were covered previously on Blitzology (Here).

The Seam technique from Coach Archer follows many of the same coaching points.

The basic structure of the 3 under 3 deep coverage is:

3 Under

Seam

3 Receiver Hook

Seam

3 Deep

FZ 1/3 Corner

Lean Post Safety

FZ 1/3 Corner

The diagram shows in the simplest form the responsibilities of the Seam player. If the #2 receiver runs:

Outside = Match

Vertical = Carry

Inside = Deliver

Coach Archer defines the Seam drop in the playbook. 

Seam Drop – Played in 3 underneath 3 Deep zones. Align inside or outside of the #2 receiver. Match-Carry-Deliver the deepest and outside of #2 or #3. Vs. a removed #2 with over split between he and #3 align inside and drop inside the #2 receiver and work to his outside shoulder – maintain vision and break. 

The seam player aligns 1-2 yards inside of #2 and 6 yards deep vs. a wide split between #2 and #3.

Coach Archer goes on to define Match-Carry-Deliver

• Match #2 / #3 outside leverage on any flat release. 
• Carry #2 / #3 outside in vs. any vertical route. 
• Deliver #2 / #3 outside in on any inside release until forced to come off with either a call or another eligible crosses your face from the inside out

Here are some example diagrams.

Carry - Cover the deepest / outside of #2 /#3

The Seam player is working from inside to the outside shoulder of the vertical release of #2. The Seam player will only collision the #2 outside in and never inside out. All of the Seam player's help is inside from the 3RH and the Lean Post Safety.

Leverage with width and vision

The Seam player drops with width and then squeezing inside.

Match = Leverage first to the flat of #2 / #3

The Seam player is playing with depth over the first to the flat (#3). This should keep the Seam player in the window of any route by #1.

Against two releases in the same direction play deep to shallow.

By keeping depth over the first to the flat the Seam player is still in body position to play deep to shallow on the #2 and #3.

 Deliver #2 inside until another color crosses your face outside.

Match & Carry
Match the first to the flat of #2 / #3
Carry any flat and up

Vs. Flood = Lock #2

Flood = 3 Receivers releasing into routes to the weak side of the formation

Lock – Puts a defensive player “locked” on a receiver regardless of receiver’s release 

If the #3 receiver is releasing away from the Seam player the Seam player locks on the  #2 receiver and covers him man to man.

Against any D area motion the Seam player locks the #2