Defending 3x1 formation with man coverage Concepts
3x1 pas concepts hav evolved in the NFL over the years. You see 3x1 bunch, 3x1 with three tight ends to a side and 3x1 out of 11 personnel. Only 2 teams in the NFL use 10 personnel more than 10 % of the time, the Bills at 17% and the Cardinals at 19%.
What do you do as a defense. What do you try to take away? Do you play zone, man or combination coverage. Ive covered combo and zone coverage and now let's look at different ways to play man to man.
One of the issues you see is the league has fallen in love with 11 personnel.
In 2008, the league used 11 personnel 34% of the time. In 2020, that number has become 60% of the time.
NFL teams are using different formations out of 11 and other personnel groupings which make it very difficult on defenses. Teams have adjusted as you see more nickel as base personnel with dime personnel on 3rd downs. You don't see too much traditional 3-4 and 4-3 times anymore vs those sets.
So when you see 3x1 you will often see a tight end in that 3x1 strong formation or on the backside of 3x1. That has factored in to how teams defend it.
Lets look at the 3 variations you see
Man Coverages and concepts:
There are 3 basic man concepts:
A. cover 2man (3 or 4 man rush), cover 2 man with some type of robber variation(safety lurks and dives and plays the hole)
B. cover 1 with and without pressure out of nickel and dime
C. cover 0 with pressure and with underneath defenders and 4 man pressures.
D. cover 1 bracket-Double the teams best wr
2 man
Down and Distance 3rd and 4.
the safety is playing off #3 to the the strong side.
3rd and 10 vs Chargers
Really this is man free but the cb and fs weak make this really interesting. The pats put the safety on #1 if he goes across, which he does and leave the cb weak to play crossers. Really an interesting concept.
The Patriots send the CB down to play the crosser. The safety takes #1 and the CB passes the route off. He then plays the crosser coming back the other way.
They get the sack but the nice exchange between the CB and safety helps with the coverage.
Steelers run man free with using the free safety as a rat. They end up getting a huge interception for a pick 6. Great changeup by the Steelers and great read by the free safety.
Heres is the big 3rd and 6 vs the Bucs that the Rams sealed the game with. Bucs run 4 vests and Brady gets fooled as he sees the hole defender
Man free
Steelers run a game with the 2 ilb and nose, play man free out of dime. The safety has the rb now.
Man free with pressure odd front
Rams vs WFT
Rams run a 4 man simulated pressure with man free. They use the defensive end as an underneath rat defender. They combo on the inside 2 wr.
front odd 3-2
pressure concept: overload concept to attack slide protection
In this situation the Jets anticipate a slide and put the RB in limbo with 2 rushers attacking him. One inside and one outside. They actually send three LB's and the first one does a great job occupying the RB vs the Falcons 4 man slide. Great design and ability to take advantage of the RB. You can see the Mike and the safety playing #2 and 3 in the passing game. Safety has outside leverage and mike does a good job on the #3 wr.
Jets vs. Saints
Falcons vs. Saints
The falcons bring a nice 5 man pressures vs the Saints. The Saints try to hit the down and out but it is incomplete.
Man free without Pressure with 1 rat underneath defenders 1 on rb.
Ravens go man to man with 2 rat defenders, (underneath help), result inc pass
Everything covered no place to go with the ball. They wanted to hit the rb off the mesh concept,
Coaching points: pick routes but the Ravens are smart and just put the lb way outside. Look at the underneath rat defenders playing the crossing mesh routes on both sides. Great defense
3 man rush man free 2 rat defenders and free safety
Patriots run this coverage concept vs the Chiefs on a few occasions. Andy Reid comes out and dictates coverage by putting Helaire out on the perimeter and motioning him back in. Cover 1 so he runs the crossing route. The Pats collision Kelce with a def lineman.
Andy Reid runs Hill on the crossing route but look how shallow it is. The depth of the route makes the safety question whether he should jump it or not. Really puts the safety in limbo. Hill usually runs much deeper crossing routes. The safety underneath is expecting help on the crosser. They hit it for 18 yards
Example #2 vs the Chiefs
Here is the collision concept as the Pats love to disrupt the under routes.
You really see the emphasis of the patriots defense to not allow the first read. They collision both the back and Kelce in the #1 wr slot to the boundary. The Chiefs love to run mesh/pick routes for the back in this set. Patriots do a great job defending it. Also, you see the man single coverage with Hill. Good route design up top as the free safety has a long way to run.
Here the Steelers play man free with 2 lbs playing the rb and te. They blitz engage once they see their men block you fill add in.
Cover 0Man with 6 man pressure
Here the Patriots bring 6 as they overlap one side. The olb has peel rules if the rb releases.
Cover 0 with rat defenders underneath.
Cardinals come out in 3x1 back weak. Here the Dolphins run the concept vs the Cardinals. They are playing straight man over the top with lb as rat defenders underneath. watch the olb drop into passing lanes. They get the good pressure.
Syracuse runs a nice 5 man pressure with cover o and 2 rat defenders spying the back
Man free with bracket concept on the best wr.
Super Bowl 2018
On 3rd and 9 they try to force it to Woods who is getting doubled vertically by the Free safety and the CB. Nice design as everyone is covered down field. The nice game inside gets home and forces a bad throw.
Here's another example of them bracketing woods and playing straight up with everyone else. They played this on numerous times and it was a major reason they were successful in the super bowl.
Patriots play bracket coverage vs Robert Woods in the Super Bowl. They play man on everybody else with free safety help. Nice design and concept from Coach Belichick.
On 3rd and 9 they try to force it to Woods who is getting doubled vertically by the Free safety and the CB. Nice design as everyone is covered down field. The nice game inside gets home and forces a bad throw.
Here are just some of the man coverages you see in the NFL. I hope you enjoyed this article.
