Robber Coverage: Corners in Deep 1/2 or Man?

Thanks Coach Easton, I had a feeling that would be your position on the matter. Do you play robber out of your 4-4 / 4-2-5 or do you play mostly 1 and 0?

What if you did NOT have favorable match-ups? Woud you still play man? Why or Why not? and if not what would you run (vs. traditional 21 personel) ?

My situation is this: my corners are also my QB and best WR. I would like to get them off the field some so we can actually coach them during a game. These two kids played robber in deep 1/2s last year purely on instinct. Neither are great tacklers or great man to man guys but they could ball hawk (combined for 7 picks). We have other kids that are good athletes who I believe could LEARN to cover man to man if we committed to that and drilled it everyday but they definately are NOT our best players. We will be outmatched at times if we committed to man.

Coach Mountjoy, If you read this could you please send me your 4-2-5 Robber adjustments? I would like to study how you do it with your corners manned up.

Also if anyone plays this coverage in 1/2s I would be interested in talking because I can't say I think we coached it all that well (we read the AFM article from Marvin Sanders and followed his rules). But like I said before we basically took our two best guys, told them to stay deep and try to get picks.

niekampb@fr.noacsc.org

Thanks

Indian 1,

We will switch up, but mostly stick with 0 and cover #1. If the matchups aren't favorable on a given night, we wil play cover #2 or one of our hibrid coverages we have where we will play man on one side, zone on the other, etc. We have some 16 coverages, and usually will use at least 9 of them on game night. We use everything from the old sky and cloud, to cover 0, just depends on what we are seeing that night.

Coach Easton-TIGER ONE

Zone coverage and put as many in the box as possible. Make them beat you throwing the ball short. Stop their ability to run the football and don't give up the big play. This is what works in Ohio since so many teams still ground and pound. Stop the run all all costs and play zone behind it.

Just my opinion.

We tried to play it 1/2's at first but we changed to man for exactly the reason you mentioned - to simplify the assignment for the CB's (and because the quick game was tougher to defend in zone tech).

However, it has been mentioned that Robber is really best versus two backs and, to be thorough, I should mention that we don't like to go man-free when we get one back formations, even though that might be the most natural adjustment when we're basing our CB tech on man in Robber vs. two backs. What we do is run hybrids/combinations. Basically, if there are 2+ receivers detached (outside the OLB's normal 2x4 alignment) the CB to that side and the FS will convert to deep zone technique. The opposite corner may or may not be applying man technique, depending upon whehter he has 1 or more receiver detached.

Also, the CB's apply Robber technique if the #1 is a TE inside the OLB. The FS applies Robber tech to the #2 receiver to the passing strength as long as there are not 2+ detached receivers to EITHER side.

Finally, in Robber we teach all four of our LB's to always use zone techniques - again for simplicity's sake. Everyone always worries the 4-vertical threat out of 2x2. It's a legitimate concern but we're talking about our most basic adjustments out of G-Robber so we just try to get re-routes on the #2 receivers and play 3-deep. We'd mix in our 2-safety look variations if we were going to see a lot of 2x2.

Doing it this way gives us the man/zone concepts that we prefer for each situation with only ONE coverage call. A downside is that it does require that you rep the CB's on multiple techniques but you probably have to do this anyway to some degree. Another advantage is that the man tech is better for us on the goal line. There are a couple of extra rules/coaching points for spread formations in red zone coverage but versus two backs the OLB's being in zone tech with their eyes on the ball can help in the flats and with bootlegs.

Hope this helps.

YO BILL,

GREAT POST. I'M IN PERFECT AGREEMENT WITH YOUR ASSESMENT. MY ONLY CONTENTION ABOUT PLAYING "OFF MAN" IS WITH AN ACCOMPLISHED QB WHO KNOWS HOW TO HIT THE QUICK SLANT BEFORE THE RECEIVER GETS TO THE OSLB AND IN FRONT OF THE CB, (THE TEAM THAT PLAYS IT THAT WAY IS GOING TO GIVE UP A COMPLETION MOST OF THE TIME ON THAT ROUTE).

Coach Easton-TIGER ONE

Coach Mountjoy makes a great point about man-free (Cover 1). To be clear, we often like Cover 1 (both off and press) for coverage purposes but we seem to always run across a couple of problems when we run it:

1. Even teams that spread us often want to run the ball 1st. Our OLB's aren't involved with run support the way we like - partly because they typically have to remove from the box further and partly because of where their eyes are. They always seem to play run better when in zone technique. We might be able to do a better job of coaching technique to rectify or at least help this though?

2. Our OLB personnel most times are more LB-type kids and less DB-types and they have trouble running with good #2 WR's. For that matter, we are usually outmatched athletically with our DB's. Despite this, Cover 1 is still very effective for us at times.

For us, we are an 8-man front team FIRST but we have really grown to like our 2-deep package very much vs. spread teams and we'll even go to an Okie package with 3-4-4 personnel if pass is the major concern. Our 2-deep variant basically works-out to be a 4-3 and gives us several coverage options but allows us to stay with zone and robber concepts if we want to with little-to-no new teaching.

BUT...it always comes down to whether or not we can stop them in the box. If we can't stop the run we'll stay in a 4-4 front with a 3-spoke secondary and mix our coverages more between 1, 1-press, 3, or we'll even run a 3-press where the OLB's press #2 then drop to the flat. We'll mix in a bail and a late walk-up technique in too. We prefer to master these concepts BEFORE we go to teaching our 2-deep stuff.

We have not had run support problems in Cover 1. In fact - a Cover 1 with the F/S using SOME "Robber" principles is great vs the Flexbone (for example). I don't KNOW of a better RUNNING attack than the Flexbone (even tho I do NOT use it).

We also can (with EASE) adjust our base 4-2-5 into Cover 2 with no problem vs 2x2 sets. Vs. a 3x1 set it (4-2-5/Cover 2) actually becomes a 4-3 simply by sliding 3 LBers only (8 other guys stay where they are - SIMPLE).

OLBers in this package (no matter WHAT you call them) MUST be S/S types!

If there are QUESTIONS about the above - PHONE me at 804-740-4479 (Va.) up to 9 PM/EDT!

Our DB's HARDLY MOVE AT ALL until the QB has cleared the 3 step drop (we get there when the BALL does on hitches , quick outs, & slants). We just pick our feet up & "creep" (a slow walk) back until QB clears the 3 step drop. Being that deep gives us time to read the 3 step game before retreating on intermediate & deep routes.

Here is the way we explain it:

OFF MAN COVERAGE (CORNERS)

ALIGN: 9 YDS OFF WR. OUTSIDE FOOT 1 YD. INSIDE WR’S INSIDE FOOT. STAY INSIDE THE WR ALL OVER THE FIELD!

READ: QB: DON’T MOVE UNTIL QB GOES BEYOND 3 STEP DROP. AFTER THE 3rd STEP – RIVET EYES ON WR AND ACCELERATE YOUR BACKPEDAL. BREAK HARD AND ANGLE THRU UPFIELD SHOULDER. VS “PLUS” ROUTES (HITCH & UP, ETC.) – COLLISION THE SECOND BREAK AND RUN WITH HIM.

C.P. BREAKING UP THE DEEP PASS:

A) IF NOT IN CONTROL (HE HAS YOU BEAT DEEP) RUN AND CATCH HIM – DON’T LOOK FOR THE BALL – USE HANDS TO STRIP.
B) IF IN CONTROL (HIP TO HIP) – CAN LOOK FOR THE BALL. “LOOK AND LEAN” TECHNIQUE.


“REAL MEN PLAY MAN”!!!!!!!


Delaware is playing for the 1-AA National title this weekend. Nick Rapone (DC at Delaware) is the EXPERT at teaching the techniques above. His DB DVD set is a MUST for DB coaches. 6 DVD's for close to $100.

In response to another post above - a 4-2-5 - the OLBers in todays football are S/S & Nickle Back types.

DB is 9 yds off a WR off the ball & 8 yds off a WR on the ball, so he is only 8 yds off the LOS, & MOST "off man" teams play him 7-8, but since we do not MOVE back at the snap (other than to just begin to pck our feet up & "creep" back), we can handle this type of pass (QB 1 step & throw diagonal slant to WR). If he SEES the QB take 1 step & the WR slant - he ATTACKS upfield shoulder of WR IMMEDIATELY (interception point = generally 6 yds in front of the receiver's path) & there is a hell of a collision. Remember - he only has to come up a few yds (& has NOT backpedalled at all)! REMEMBER - we ALSO "B&R"!

The CB is initially reading the QB. NO cross over = 1 step drop. 1 crossover = 3 step drop. 2 cross overs = 5 step drop. Using this technique - you can DRIVE UP on 1 & 3 step drops by the QB, & still be able to keep a cushion deep for 5 or 7 step drop passes.

This technique is NOW being widely used in College & Pro ball & is being taught by VA TECH, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS, etc. (to mention only a FEW teams that use it). Some play perfectly still untill the QB clears the 3 step drop, while others start to creep back slowly until he clears the 3 stap drop. I'll send it to you, Jerry.

Coach Mountjoy,

I really like the way you are teaching your CB's. It seems simple, which is usually first in our list of priorities. I plan on looking at the videos you mentioned too.

In regard to our OLB's - they are those 'tweener-types (OLB/SS) that you mention. I guess what I'm really saying is that our guys are often slower and less athletic than our opponents but they are the guys we need to play because they are usually the better tacklers and toughest players we have.

Also, a question: if you don't mind sharing, what is the alignment and technique of your OLB's verus a #2 WR in Cover 1?

JOHNNY RINGO,

We align rolled up hard with inside leverage straight across the board from our 4-2-5, with the FS setting in the middle of the field.

Coach Easton-TIGER ONE

I like 1 against flexbone. The # 2 recievers are tight to the formation so the OLBs are outside them looking in. The thing that I don't like about cover 1 is a true shotgun zone option team. They will have their # 2's wide so the OLBs would play inside them looking out at their man.

What technique can you play with those OLBs to make sure you don't completely lose them for run support in a situation like that? Can you have them play man the way Bill does with his corners?

I really like the simplicity of cover 1 for adjustments to robber but I don't want my OLBs getting run off because with our schedule if we don't force teams to throw the ball, they won't.