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This article takes a look at some variations of cover 2 with a hole defender from a 3 safety look. I took a look at some college teams that like to play with 3 safeties in base and nickel personnel. Teams are starting to play cover 2 and use the 3rd safety as a middle of the field defender playing the hole or deep hook and running with 3 vertically.
The 2nd part looks at 5 man cover 2 pressures from the 3 safety look.
You see the 3 safety look often with teams that play 3 man fronts. San Diego State and Iowa State being 2. Utah will play it at times. All 3 have been top 20 defenses over the past few years and here are some reasons why.
Also, playing with 6 dbs in the game gives you more speed and coverage variations. It really slows down some of these air raid teams and gives them difficulty with some of their passing concepts. You are a little more suceptible to the run but how many are disciplined enough to run the ball consistently.
Here's traditional cover 2 from a 2 safety look.
The problem is the mike is always in retreat mode and many teams will work off him at the NFL level. They run their bender routes opposite him and often times will run a wr deep with a dig behind it. It is very tough for a mike linebacker to play it.
Here the Falcons run cover 2 vs the Lions. The Falcons mike is retreating the whole time which really makes it tough for him.
The Lions in 3x1 have #3 run the crossing route with 2 running the post with #1 running the dig.
Example #2
Heres another popular concept 4 verts. The 4 verts turns into bender routes vs cover 2. The qb will usually throw the bender off the mike. So if the mike opens one way, throw the bender to the other side. Now if you play the coverage from a 3 safety look, its a tougher read for the qb and easier to play from a defensive standpoint.
cover 2
As you can see below the qb reads the bender off the drop of the mike lb.
The Mike opens to the right which opens the bender route up top.
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| nice completion Here's another cover 2 bender concept  The WR are taught to read this. |
The mike doesn't get enough depth which opens up the window. Again the bender route vs cover 2 2ith the mike trying to get depth. |
As you can see it's tough on the mike as he is always working underneath and is in backpedal mode. Now with a 3 safety look, a more athletic defensive player can read it from depth and it makes it a harder read and throw.
These issues led to the innovation of the 3 safety defense. So here you have the variation of the 3 safety look now being run which causes some issues in the middle of the field for the shallow cross, mesh, dover and 4 vert concepts. It allows a more athletic defender to play that middel hook area at times.
Here is the clip of the above pressure
San Diego State
SDSU likes to play a bunch of cover 2. They use the 3rd safety as a curl defender or hook defender depending if its 2x2 or 3x1 and who they want to rush. The safety vs 3x1 will be a hook defender who will carry 3 vertical.
Below is both examples
3rd and 2
Here they send 5 and use the 3rd safety as a curl defender because the offense comes out in 2x2 formation.
San Diego State cover 2 vs 3x1 formations.
The saafety often plays the middle hook area
Here's another 3x1 variation: Here you see the middle safety carrying 3 vertical. The middle safety has a rule of carry 3 vertically or playing middle hook.
Here's another example in 2019:
You can see the middle hook safety jumps #3 vertical. They do an excellent job with the deep half safety getting over the top but using the safety as the extra defender in the middle of the field really helps
The middle safety plays hook and has 3 vertical. Other than that it's cover 2 with everyone else.
The safety runs with 3 vertically and the deep 1/2 safety helps as well.
In the next example,
2nd and 2 in the red zone
San Diego sends the Mike and the 3rd safety drops down to play the hook. He plays off the mike and plays the run as SD runs a game with the nose and the end.
The safety comes free and makes the play.
Safety adds in nicely off the running back
Again in the run game.
There are certain fits in the run game. It often depends on whether your ends are 4i b gap players. In the example below, it looks like Utah has the de in 4i and the middle safety is responsible for c gap.
A and B gap are covered so the middle safety can fill off the RB. Nice design as the ball gets spilled to him by design.
Utah safety does a nice job filling off the RB.
Utah run fit film
Utah runs it vs cover 2 with a 3 man rush on 1st down. Wash State is 2x2 and the back is strong. The mike opens to the side of the rb. Since it's 2x2 their is no carry so the 3rd safety just plays the deep middle hook.
Here is the film with the clip
film analysis
4 man corner pressure
vs 3x1 back weak, just bring the cb.
Iowa State brings the cb off the edge. Rotate to cover 2 with the pressure.
Film with it!
5 man pressure
Iowa State 5 man pressure
3x1 back strong, they bring the will and the cb
On 1st and 10 Oklahoma goes 3x1 strong and Iowa State runs a 5 man pressure with cover 2. They disguise it pre snap as it looks like man. The safety over #3 ends up being a half player. The Mike runs with 3 vertical and because the back is strong, he can play off #3. The cb to the boundary knows his only threat is #1.
Good design on the play but ends up being a completion as the safety mistimes his jump.
3rd and 16
Iowa State goes to a 3 man 1/4, 1/4 half look but use the 3rd safety as a middle hook defender. This time he doesn't run with 3 vertically but probably should have based on the down and distance. Another good scheme defensively as they force pressure and get qb to scramble.
2nd and 10
cover 2/ from a cover 3 disguise. looks like they are going cover 3 from the 3 3 stack but shift into a cover 2 with the sam coming off the edge. Middle safety comes down to play the curl and the weak safety plays deep 1/2
Oklahoma runs jet and the flood concept and high lows the flat defender.
The flat defender sinks under the deep out so they throw the swing to the rb.
Here are some film clips to go with it.
Utah version:
On 3rd and 15 Utah plays a soft cover 2 hole look. They use the safety in the middle of the field and take away all vertical routes and windows. They dare Washington state to check it down.
The left cb does an excellent job sinking and knowing where the sticks are.
Here are the clips that go with it:
Michigan State
5 man pressure from Michigan State with the cb and will vs 2x2
These are some examples of cover 2 and different variations from a 3 safety defense. Please check my blog for other posts. Here Michigan State brings the CB and will LB(Dime LB)
I added this diagram of Michigan state out of an odd look. They bring the cb from the odd look and 5 man pressure and play cover 2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mqqAjB3tCU
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Michigan State Cover 2
5 man pressures
Michigan State runs the cowboy and will stunt vs Ohio State. Here Michigan State brings the CB and will LB(Dime LB) and play cover 2.
Michigan state out of an odd look. They bring the cb from the odd look and 5 man pressure and play cover 2.
