Cover 1 FS reads question

COACH GALDRAPLAN,

I LIKE YOUR OPENING SENTENCE IN YOUR POST, A FACT THAT LOTS OF GUYS ARE OVERLOOKING THESE DAYS. THE FREE SAFTIES, IN ANY DEFENSE OR COVER SCHEME THAT I KNOW OF, MAIN JOB IS STILL TO HONOR DEEPEST THREAT. WITH TODAYS 30 DEFENSES, IT IS POPULAR TO TAKE THEM OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD IN A LOT OF SCENARIOS AND REPLACE THE TIME WORN TRADITION OF WHICH WE SPEAK, WITH RUN SUPPORT RESPONSIBILITY. IF YOU GUESS RIGHT AND THEY RUN IT, GOOD FOR YOU. BUT, IF YOU GUESS WRONG YOU ARE PUTTING YOURSELF IN A REAL BIND, IMO. ALTHOUGH I, PERSONALLY, DON'T AGREE WITH PLAYING YOUR CORNERS WITH OUTSIDE LEVERAGE BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE GOING TO FUNNEL THEM TO INSIDE HELP, THERE IS TOO MUCH GRASS BETWEEN THE RECEIVER AND DEFENDER, IMO. BUT, YOUR SYSTEM IS VERY SOUND TO ME AND IF YOU HAVE GOOD ATHLETES, YOU SHOULD BE SUCCESSFUL. HOW DID THE SEASON END UP FOR YOU?

COACH EASTON

Hi Coach Easton,

I also do not like playing the corners with outside leverage, however, the HC was very worried about playing the fade route. I taught our corners to play with both inside and outside leverage, as well as press technique (Iowa State type, playing over the top of the receiver, not trailing the receiver as bump and run is commonly taught). Most of the time in Cover 1, we ended up playing press or inside technique. I really stressed that the LB with coverage of the TE was to play with outside leverage to funnel the TE post, where the amount of grass for the TE to run to is a lot less.

Anyway, our corners made improvements by leaps and bounds this year. We ran mostly zone at the start of the year because I was of the opinion that they couldn't cover their grandmothers. However, as the season went on, we became a mostly Cover 1 team because we worked on it every single day in pre-practice and during special teams with anyone not on that team. The biggest problem I had with my secondary this year was in run support. I had one guy who understood he was doing his job by turning a play back into the linebackers, while the other one just seemed to collapse under anybody bigger than a WR. He also used to try and go inside of a stalk blocker and wound up giving the sideline far too often.

I also like the age old idea of keeping the FS deep middle and taking away the deepest threat. However, from time to time, I do like to throw in a FS blitz. I teach my FS to key the interior three lineman and the drop of the QB all together. It can be a tough read, but it comes with practice. The level of the linemen's helmets helps and while looking throug the heads of the linemen, you can seee how deep the qb is getting. If he's going 3 step- look for slants coming to the middle, 5 step- look for deep ins or possibly posts, 7 step- get the hell out of dodge b/c it's coming deep. If he's going deeper than 7 step, it's a screeen, but hopefully the LBs and line will have that read. His main job is to be deep and help over the top on all deep routes. Secondary job is to help on coverage of the #2 receiver, b/c it will probably be a LB covering him.