Keys and read for safety in quarters?

Coach,

If it's a cover 4 that's run like Washington State Univ., then the easiest way to exploit is with Playaction. The corners are going to be locked in man to man coverage and the LB's are going to be keying on the backs so they have to respect the run fake. The safeties are run support first so they shouldn't drop into coverage until they know it's a pass. You can stretch the D Horizontally and Vertically out a simple Pro Rt or Pro Lt. The easiest thing we did was to run an ISO pass to the TE side. Have the FL line up wide and run a "Take Route" which is a combination of a skinny post & a fade. He presses the CB's outside shoulder then breaks inside on the skinny post. The FL has to keep the CB on his outside hip. Once into the skinny post he will dip back over the top of the CB (like a fade) to put him into a trail position. (Speed is key for this route). Underneath that route you will send the TE into a short corner pattern (no deeper than 15 yds and break to the sideline). Underneath him you have a FB in the flats. SE is running a deep Dig on the backside.

Our second PA Pass is based off the Power in I backs. Line up in I Pro Rt and have the SE & FL lined up in tight splits. We will fake the power to the right. The QB will have to have his eyes ready after he executes the fake because it could be a quick throw if he's being pressured from the backside. The SE will Run a skinny post to stretch the FS. The TE will run a drag under the LB's and the FL will run a Dig at about 10 yds depth. FL has to stay under the Safeties and over the LB's. Our experience has been that the TE is wide open 9 times out of ten. The LB's are so focused on the run that they let the TE release pretty easily.

One other way to exploit cover 4 is to get to the flats. (LB's on RB's) Or run shallow crossing routes but you have to have at least 1 WR stretching the safeties.


Coach Ruiz
Dinuba HS
Dinuba CA