Defending spread and trips/split with 4-3

I would use cover 3 sparingly, if at all, against any one (or 0) back set. It is just not sound against 4 immediate vertical routes.

As for Cover 1, you can do a few different things:

..................F

C....W........M.....S.........$....C
............5..3....1....5
X............T.G.C.G.T.............Y
.....H............................Z
.....................Q..F

-M and S cover F out their way, drop to the #s if F goes away or blocks

-Send M or S, the other covers F man-to-man

-Send M and S, 5 tech. peels off to cover F if he releases to that side (OR you can send both LBs and have the FS pick up the back if he releases, this would put you in cover 0 if he does)

There are other little games you can play e.g. send $ off the edge, FS over the top, SC sits, SLB screams to the outside, WC and WLB are alone on the back-side. This is a trick that I like because the QB will often think the slot receiver (Z above) is uncovered and try to get him the ball quickly. If it is an out-breaking route, the SC should score, an in-breaking route, SLB should get there in time to make a play on the ball or at least level the WR.

As for motion to trips, $ or WLB just follows his man across the formation.

Phoenix High School, about half an hour north of Syracuse.
My Head Coach always says "don't defend against ghosts". Meaning that the team we play rarely sends four verticals. And even if they did, I did not plan on sitting in the cover three all day until they figured it out. I like the idea of the SS blitz. I had a mix of Cover 2 and man scheme like that in mind for some of the time. Where the FS and SS line up on #2 like they are in man and at the snap they bail out to the deep halves and then the CB lock up on #1's, and the Sam and Will charge the flats. Mike would cheat to the srtong side, but he would be resonsible for the lone RB. Any thoughts? More to add?

Ack27= We call that "nuts" stunt mike blast, and use it a lot. We also have Mike blast Twist where the two of them false step the blast, and then shoot their own gap. Plus anytime one of our backers steps out of the box for coverage purposes, We automatically crash our end (pinch). I get where you are coming from on the players just not getting the right info, but this is not just a varsity problem. It runs throughout all of our levels. Unfortunately most of our good athletes tend to be IEP students. We are not a big district, and the district as a whole cares more about its wrestiling team, and the marching band. So the kids come to us with barely any football knowledge. The young bucks such as myself are trying to change all that.

coaches,

Have a question for you guys: I have run a 5 wide empty 3 x 2 for 20 plus years. How are you feeling is the best way to defend it? I'll give you my rebuttal on each way you decide is best. Should be an interesting thread if you are interested in participating. The trend is to go more to the empty sets now with the spread guys and it could be beneficial to all to hear from an offensive perspective.

Coach Easton-TIGER ONE

HEY COACH SCOTT,

lOOKS LIKE IT IS WELL THOUGHT OUT, GOOD WORK! HERE IS HOW I WOULD REACT:

First off, anytime we see a single safety in the MOF we AUTOMATICALLY go to a 5 elgible receiver deep vertical pattern. You will be relying on your DL to get to my QB before he can deliver the long ball. I am counting 100% on my QB to move laterally and then reverse pivot or do whatever he has to do to avoid both bull rushing ends at the same time, break contain and throw on the dead run without having to stop, pull up and then throw. Also, on any deep vertical route our QB's are coached to throw the ball as soon as the DB's hips come abreast of the receiver or NEVER LATER THAN THE RECEIVER BEING ANY MORE THAN 20 YDS DOWN FIELD. AS HE IS BACK 7-8 YDS TO START WITH AND NOT THE USUAL 5 MOST HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS AND A LOT OF COLLEGE TEAMS TRY TO GET BY WITH, HE SHOULD HAVE RELEASED THE BALL IN PLENTY OF TIME TO TAKE IT DEEP. That is why it is imperative in my philosophy to sign, or in your case should you ever want to run a spread, that you train a center who can get the ball in the QB's hand in .003 of a second or less. HE MUST BE ABLE TO DO THIS 100% OF THE TIME NOT 9 OUT OF 10 TIMES AS THAT ONE BAD SNAP WILL KILL YOU IN A CLOSE BALL GAME. It All starts with our centers.

Thanks for your excellent and well thought out scheme.

Coach Easton-TIGER ONE

MORE ON YOUR DEFENSE AND HOW I WOULD ATTACK IT:

WE WOULD INFLUENCE YOUR FS BY RUNNING PATTERNS THAT WOULD HI-LOW HIM AND THEN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE HOLE BETWEEN HIM AND THE SHORT DROP OF THE MIKE. ALSO, FIND THAT A BASIC SMASH ROUTE (6 YD HITCH BY X AND A 7 ROUTE (CORNER BY THE # 2 RECEIVER ON THE TRIPS SIDE ) WORKS WELL BECAUSE HE CANT BE RIGHT. IF HE VACATES THE CENTERFIELD SPOT AND ROLLS TO THE CORNER ROUTE AND THE MOF BECOMES OPEN, ANY QB WORTH HIS SALT IS GOING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. OUR RECEIVERS (B&C) ARE READING THAT FS WAITING JUST FOR THAT TO HAPPEN SO THEY CAN SCOOT IN THERE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE! AS I HAVE SAID MY B AND C RECEIVERS HAVE SIGHT ADJUSTMENT PRIVILEGES AT ALL TIMES.

Coach Easton-TIGER ONE

YO DEAC,

The discussion is how you would cover my version of the 3 x 2, not how to defend that Ga Southern baloney you know so well. Hehehehe, just kidding. I really like that part about having a bass tournament at half time, I know for sure this is one head coach who would probably be late for the start of the second half!!! Where most coaches play golf, me and George Seifert like to fish!!! How is your son's team looking?

Coach Easton-TIGER ONE

My part on offense was how I was going to defend 3 x 2...KEEP THE BALL AWAY FROM YOU!

Coach Easton,

In response to your response:

....................F

......W...........M.........S...$
C.........5....2.....2....5............C
Y............T.G.C.G.T...............X
.....C........................B....A
....................Q

As a change up, I might send the trips side 5 tech as usual, have the twins side 5 tech take an inside charge, MLB curl to flat, come up on QB if he runs, FS deep half to twins side, everyone else man.

The idea would be to flush the QB to the twins side and encourage him to throw to that side, into the teeth of the coverage. If he threw back to the trips side, at least it would be a longer more difficult throw. Also, the inside charge by the twins side 5 tech. might be effective if the OT has been blocking an outside charge most of the time.

Obviously, you could not do this too often but what do you think of it as a change up to the base?

-Scott

RE: Defending spread and trips/split with 4-3

SUGGESTION: Either rush a bunch (vs a great passer - because you CAN'T give him time), or, cover with a bunch (vs a poor passer - encourage him to throw the "pick" into coverage).

The "middle of the road" pass/rush ratio approach will get you beat BECAUSE you will never seem to have quite enough pressure, OR, quite enough coverage. YOU CAN'T HAVE BOTH AT THE SAME TIME!

Jerry - I KNOW you have the solutions worked out well in advance (& from what you have shared with me they are GOOD), but did you see the Heisman Trophy winner (Ohio St) become a "deer in the headlights" vs Florida's blitz? I believe what Phil Simms says is true - "ALL QB's make more & greater mistakes when hurried as opposed to when they are not".

To me - the way to being max pressure one time, & have max coverage the next is to make them look the SAME via disquise.

Bill Walsh used to say that he needed to spend TWICE as much practice time VS. "max pressure" that the % of times they used it. For example: If a team brought "max pressure" 20% of the time - Walsh would spend 40% of his practice time preparing for it. He also said that practically NO ONE in the NFL brought "max pressure" twice in a row, so that is EXACTLY WHAT HE WOULD DO!

Your thinking (as always) is super!

Don't know if he still does it or not, but when I had some kids play defense at Va Tech (for Beamer) - they CHECKED to max blitz almost 100% of the time vs Empty. The CALL was "Silver". I seldom saw anyone hurt them with Empty.

If you ever saw his COVERAGE SHEETS - it SHOWS "Silver" as their adjustment from most of their coverages vs no back sets.

I am a head coach and offensive cooordinator but this is what we do vs. empty





.......................S......................S
.....C..................................................C
.......... W...........M.............S
............E.......T.......B.....A
X.....Z...QT.QG.C.SG.ST...HB...S.........X

......................QB................

Mix up quarters and cover 2 on the three WR side.
Corner and W on the two WR side are man to man.
Mix up a few blitzes with the S and M backer. EXP. B slant to A Gap and M blitz B gap.
Mike drops hook to curl in cover two on trips side and S blitzes C Gap.
Safety in the middle reads 3 to 2 on trips side and picks up vertical route.
Then we would go to our other front.



........S...........................S

C..........................................C.
.....................M......................
...........W..................S.............
......................A.......................
............E.........T..........B............
X............QT.G.C.G.ST...............Y
...........Z>...................HB.....S
......................QB.........

Mix up Tampa 2 and Quarters trying to bring outside pressure as much as possible.
Overload one side with pressure from the T, A, B, S, or the T, E,A,W.
We have had good success vs. empty in these defenses. We have been able to collision vertical/crossing routes and been prepared for screens. By giving the QB different looks as far as coverage and pressure we have created enough turnovers and big plays to secure victories every time we faced empty the past two years.

I guess it would have to be settled on the field. I like zone because it allows our LB's and DB's to play very physical. WR's do not release without getting re-routed. On paper there are always holes but we pride ourselves on preperation and making everything we do look very similar. Our zone coverage in essence is a man coverage because we read routes and never guard grass. Once a guy comes into our area we get hands on him and lock on.