Coverage for Trips Open from college 4-3

Jason- One I like is to go to quarter, quarter (ss and corner) half. It is like cover 2 but you don't have to really have 2 men deep playing halves. The weak corner better be a good cover man no matter what you play. Matt

Hot Texas Coach,

Does this mean that on the trips side, the CB is responsible for both the one and two going vertical, with the understanding that the SS will reroute #2?

With this coverage, how would you defend: #1 on a skinny post, #2 out and up (wheel down sideline), and #3 running an inside seam route across the FS's face?

Is this sound, have CB play third, SS align inside of #2 and work to #1 and cover him man to man, have the OLB align inside of #3 and work to #2 and cover him M/M, have the Mike work to #3 and cover him M/M witht he FS depp middle and the Will working backside for the the slant...the only weakness would be the the RB swinging to the trips side but we could ralley to that. WHat are your thoughts on this?

Thanks and God Bless, Jason

Bornn

Being a quarters team, I sometimes like to keep our quarters concept versus 3x1. In this case we will have our weakside CB stem to an inside alignment and play #1 versus all routes accept the drag. The weakside saftey will stem to an alignment where he can get over top of any vertical route by #3 strong. If #3 disappears underneath he will play back to #1 weak, however, I have found it to be more realistic to explain that he will become a deep middle player. If #1 weak runs a post he will be there for help - the CB will play #1 on all other routes to the outside. The strongside safety plays quarters, or pattern reads #2 strong. If #2 strong runs verticle - match up on him. If #2 strong disappears underneath - play inside of #1 strong - drive on the curl and turn and run with the post. The strong side CB will play outside leverage on #1 strong and M/M him on all routes accept the drag. Out of our 4-3 alignment, the SLB will play C/F - we vary the leverage upon which he works off of #2 depending on the game plan and what we are getting throughout the courseof the game. The MLB wiill open to the tripss side andf play H/C. The WLB will play H/C, however, since there is only 1 receiver to his side (WR) he will check slant (#1) to crosser (backside).

This is not all we do, but it is 1 way to adjust - or in our case, stay with our base coverage principles.