We will look at some of the different ways NFL team play man free coverage.
There are several ways NFL teams play the coverage and the rules that they have.
2. Man free with a 5 man rush ilb blitzing
3. Man free with a 5 man rush as the sam blitzing
Let's first look at it from a 4-2-5 or 4-3 point of view
1. Man free with a 4 man rush No blitz.
This allows the 2 lbs to be underneath help players with 1 player responsible for the running back should he releases
Here is what it looks like from an odd front. Ravens love to bring 4 man pressures with 3 rushers to one side.
2. Man free with a 5 man rush- You are blitzing 1 of the 2 lb's with the other lb responsible for the rb. The Texans are notorious for bringing 2 off the edge especially when Romeo was calling the shots .
Coverage rules 3-2 dime look
Here's another example
3. 4-2-5 , 5 man pressure with the Sam coming off the edge
The Steelers and Saints are notorious for this. The steelers and Saints love this pressure. They bring the sam lb.
This is a very popular blitz you will see vs 11/12 personnel. Not the best vs 10 because it puts your weak lb in a bind. It also is good on early downs because it puts you in man to man which may help vs rpo/screen game etc.
Coverage rules
4. 6 man pressure with de having peel rules.
You will see some double a or b gap pressures out of both 4-2 and dime 3-2 looks.
Cb #1
sam #2 strong
SS #3 strong or middle 1/3 vs 2x2
5. Lurk/hole Concept
The lurk or hole concept starts as as 2 man look with one safety diving to the hole to take away crossing routes rather than stay over the top as a deep half player.
Bucs ran man free lurk/robber concept vs the Saints in the playoffs.
#1 passes off the wr to the safety and takes crosser to the single wr side. The cb will stop after he passes it off and stay in the curl area to look for a crosser coming back the other way.
They disrupt the crossing routes by getting a LB underneath. Tough to run mesh as the LB makes Hill #10 reroute on the mesh concept.
Hill has to go all the way around him to avoid the contact.
Dolphins vs Chiefs
Odd package. Penny front with 3 LB
Dolphins are in an odd front. They send 5 with the olb and mike blitzing. The Olb to the side of the back has peel rules. Nice design on 3rd and 6 and they get the sack.
They bring the mike right about the middle against Mahomes.
They get good pressure on the play
Good coverage down field and no place to go with the football.
2020
Texans vs Patriots
The Texans are in dime and bring both safeties off the edge on a key 3rd and 4 late in the Patriots game. Up 27-20 with a minute to go, they bring 2 edge pressures on 3rd and 4th down to seal the game.
They blitz the edge as the safety walks up late
The free rusher is in the qb grill as he throws with 2 off the edge.The RB goes left and the safety comes clean as he comes late.
Watt makes a great play below.
On the next play 4th and 4 with a minute to go, they run 2 off the edge again and get home. The safety to the 1 wr side comes clean, the rb steps into the a gap rather than picking up the blitzing safety. protection issue there. They end up sealing the game and winning 27-20
This time they get him off t he other side as the Patriots go 7 man protection. The RB doesn't see the edge rusher and they sack Newton.
Nice design and changeup from the previous play.
Also, they get a 3rd and 12 and 49ers are driving.
They run the load front and the 49ers put their tight end on Jordan, the Saints best rusher.The matchup forces pressure and a quick throw. They drop Jenkins the safety who was showing as a rat defender. Davis picks up rb m/m
Great design and get the 1x1 matchup they want.
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| 94 best rusher vs tight end |
The Houston Texans Double edge pressure
3rd and 6. force mayfield to throw the vertical to the outside on a very windy day. Incomplete 4th down.
3rd and 4 they play man free with 2 rats and they get off the field. Lbs do a nice job comboing the rb
man free pressures vs the Cleveland Browns
The first blitz is a 3 man pressure vs empty.
They play man free with 2 underneath rat defenders.
The 2nd diagrams shows a sim pressure bringing the lb and dropping the olb to the bottom of the screen. It's a 4 man pressure.
down and distance: 3rd and 2 and the Browns run a good play to get Beckham open. He just drops it.
The Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have 2 they seem to like more than others.
The first send the sam and play man free. They send the same b or c gap and the coverage doesn't change.
5 clips of the Steelers playing man free and blitzing the sam linebacker out of the 4-2-5 defense
Steelers vs Browns
Blitz: Strike C man free
Here the Steelers run it vs 12 personnel with trips to the strength. Get great pressure. Love the fact the Steelers do what they do and don't check their blitzes based on formation. Great call here vs 12 personnel
Steelers 2nd concept variation that they run often is to send the will lb and play man free. The Mike and Sam will combo the #3 te if the tight end is tight and rb. If wide 3 like below they won't combo. no need to.
SS is on # 2 and the cb is on #1
The Steelers will send the will linebacker and play man free as well. They combo if it is there are 2 wr on the weak side with the mike linebacker and the free. Safety. The will rushes b gap in the game vs the Texans.
Rule #1 if tight end releases inside the mike will take him and the free has the rb
Rule #2 if the tight end releases outside the free safety will take him and the mike has the rb.
Steelers vs Browns
Steelers man free (free safety as the rat defender) Rat vs Man Free
Here they 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.
The Indianapolis Colts
The Colts seem to run this pressure because Patterson is lined up in the backfield and not the best blocker in protection.. So he will be releasing or in a mismatch taking the blitzing lb or defensive end.The bears free release him so no one blocks the defensive end. Great Scheme vs the Bears.
The Colts variation, the Colts send both ILB in this situation and put their defensive end on the tight end. The Bears are in 12 personnel but they split Graham out as the #2 wr. Patterson is in the backfield/
The rules are as follows:
CB #1
LDE takes the Tight End.
Sam LB #2 strong
Mike LB Blitz
Will LB
FS #2 weak rb (patterson)
PATRIOTS VS CHIEFS
2 CLIPS ARE BELOW
The Patriots play the most man free in the league. In their dime package they run it.
CLIP #1 -SO MANY GOOD THINGS THE PATRIOTS DO ON THIS PLAY
Here they take the safety and put him on the rb but do a great job collisioning the tight end with their defensive tackle acting as a rat player. A RAT player is a player looking to help with crossers who doesn't have a man in in man free coverage
Coaching Points-
down and distance 3rd and 5: Many route concepts going to the back in the chiefs offense or crossing mesh routes. DISRUPT THE TIMING! AWESOME JOB BY THE PATS.
They collision the running back with the defensive end and the tight end with the dt. They were not letting Mahomes go to his first read the rb.
PLUS THEY HAVE 2 PLAYERS ASSIGNED TO THEM IN MAN.
TYREEK HILL IS SINGLE SIDE-LIKE I MENTIONED IN MY CHARGERS POST-TAKE YOUR CHANCES WITH TYREEK HILL ON THE OUTSIDE IN MAN COVERAGE. HE HAS A TOUGH TIME GETTING VERTICAL WHEN YOU PLAY HIM PHYSICAL AT THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE.
CB #1 man. Sam #2 man. Nickel #3 man. weak cb #1 free safety #2
CLIP #2
KNOW WHERE HILL IS- HE IS IN THE SLOT SO THE COVERAGE RULES CHANGE. AUTO ALERT CALL TO THE FREE SAFETY FOR THE DEEP CROSSER.
they play some rats underneath and double Hill with the safety. Pass the crosser off concept. Its man free but the free safety is playing the deep crosser and the sam will have hill m/m unless he runs a deep crossing route.
The Detroit Lions 5 man pressures
Coverage: man free
Blitz: Mug A cross dog . Pressure causes Minshaw to scramble.
Right ILB on the RB. Looks like 6 rushers but really 5 with IlB 58 on the rb.
