NY Jets Cover 2 variations

 In the NFL there are 2 versions of cover 2. The first one is a 2 read concept which you will see a lot vs 2 x2 formations. Both the cb and safety will read the route of #2 and it will dictate how they play the coverage. The mike defender will play the hook at 8-10 yards. This is a good coverage vs 2x2 but teams like to check out of it vs 3x1 or have the mike carry #3 vertical in that situation if they want to keep cover 2 as the coverage. 

The other version is to play a true Tampa 2 where the mike defender will run vertically with any route down the middle of the field. You will see the Mike linebacker get great depth and not allow a player to run down the field vertically. This coverage is used vs 2x2 or 3x1 formations in the NFL. 

Now, lets look at the 2 coaches of the Jets who were both coordinators last year. Saleh likes to play some variations of cover 3 as his base but will run some cover 2 at times. He doesn't run a ton of it but here's how he plays it. 

First, Robert Saleh plays more of a 2 read style with cover 2.  In the first example the WFT comes out in 2x2 and runs jet motion, fakes it and tries to throw the ball over the middle. They take the check down route for 6 yards. Defensively you can see the 2 read as the mike plays it at around 8 yards.

Heres the 2nd example of 2 read.  They play it vs WFT who comes out in 12 personnel. The WFT goes max protection and runs a 2 man pattern to the twins side. You can see the 2 read element as the 

Vs 3x1 or empty 3x2 Saleh will have the Mike linebacker run with #3 vertical. Here you see it vs empty as Fred Warner, a great cover linebacker makes a nice play on the Cardinals Dan Arnold running vertical down the seem. You can see that the coverage is Tampa 2. Tampa just means the mike will run with any vertical route by #3. This is the adjustment he will make to 3x1 empty. 

Jeff Ulbrich, the new Jets defensive coordinator likes to play true Tampa cover 2 with the Mike running vertical on #3. He also likes to play this coverage quite a bit and went more with it as the year progressed. Here's an example vs the Falcons. The down and distance is 1st and 10. They show cover 3 to the bunch but then drop and play Tampa 2 from it. Look at the depth the mike linebacker gets as the middle hook defender.

On 3rd and 5 they give a cover 3 look pre-snap and shift to a cover 2 coverage vs the Panthers who come out in empty. 

Excellent disguise by the Falcons as they go cover 2 with a middle hook and shallow cross defender in the middle of the field. The mike does a nice job with #3 going vertical and the underneath linebackers do a good job passing off the underneath shallow cross route.

You can see the excellent job the linebackers do passing off the underneath routes conceptually.

The Chiefs come out in condensed set with 2 wr to each side. We consider this 2x2 and the Falcons check to cover 2 vs it. The down and distance is 2nd and 8 and the Chiefs go play action and hit Hill coming across to the flat. 

As you can see, there are some similarities and differences between Ulbrich and Saleh but how they like to play cover 2 is different.Im curious to see how much cover 2 they play or if they utilize more cover 3 principles and 1/4, 1/4 half as the base zone coverage.  Moving forward, I'm sure they will put together a great defense that will be exciting to watch.