LBs on backs

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I used to play I lot of Cover 2 Man versus teams that had a high tendency to throw the ball in certain situations. I also felt it was a good coverage for our defense against offenses that had us outmatched based on athletic ability. Why? Because the technique that we taught our underneath defenders, man to man, was a "hip and trail" technique that allowed the receivers to beat them vertical since our underneath defender knew they had help over the top - Cover 2 scheme. In teaching the hip and trail technique, we emphasized patience after the pass read, allowing the receivers to come to them. Our underneath defenders maintained inside leverage and did not allow the receiver to beat them across their face to the inside. Once the receivers climbed vertical to the defenders depth, we coached the defenders to hip and trail the receivers about a yard and a half behind and an arms distance off of the receivers inside hip. The 1 1/2 yard trail distance allows the defender ample time to react to any inside or outside break and puts the defender into the passing lane after the break. If the receiver continued to climb vertical, based on the game plan, our defenders knew when to try and close the 1 1/2 yard gap by catching up and playing the recivers eyes and hands. In other words, when the receivers route was declared vertical - close the gap. One week it might be 12 yards, if the deepest route ever broken off after film evaluation was 12 yards. Other weeks it might have been 22 yards because that team might have had a tendency to run deep comeback routes at 22 yards. When closeing the gap coach the players to keep their feet on the ground, focus on the receivers eyes, and, when the receivers hands go up, place the defenders inside hand between the receivers hands. NEVER LOOK BACK until the defender is comfortably running with the receiver and can feel the recivers hip with the back of his outside hand. When breaking up the pass with the inside hand, ensure the tackle with the outside hand simulatneous with contact with the inside hand.