Free Safety vs Strong Safety

Some do. Some guys make the transition. In reality, there doesn't have to be any difference between the safeties, or between safeties and corners.

Problem is, most safeties don't have to play man coverage anymore, it's more the idea of playing in space and getting to the ball. That's a lot like the difference, if you want to go that route, between a detective and a policeman.
So you look to guys who can get to the ball, has more range.


>>What do you do under cover 2 when the offense brings in a third or fourth wide out?

Nothing. You adjust with personnel, naturally, but in the end a Nickel Cover 2 is no different than a base C2. You still have two safeties deep, and five (or four, depending on a blitz call) in shorter zones. If the second receiver in breaks deep you adjust somewhat, or rather the person reading the 2nd in does so.

 

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The corner playing on the strong side (assuming, of course, that the SS is the 8th), if he's got a split of more than 7 yards, can be read as a possible C2 deep half, since the S can cover under.
If you want to get more exotic, some colleges do play a buzz technique under the backside corner, and rotate the FS over for a cover two look. C3 is obviously more prevalent, but it's not the only option.

 

If the SS makes up the 8th man in the box you are not running a true 8 man front. For example, if it's a 4-3 or a 5-2 team and the SS is in the box for run support the team is playing some type of man free scheme, cover 3 invert, or straight cover 3. Sure, you can play some other coverage besides 1 and 3 in a true 8 man front, but it takes substitutions of personel and a change in your base defenses philosophy.

 

Most teams can adjust to this via scouting the offense, therefore, a personnel adjustment is not always necessary. To say "nothing" will be done in terms of the offense bringing a third or fourth wide out is not entirely correct. Most defensive teams will adjust the defense and play some variation of cover 2 such as cover 2 shell, cover 2 read, cover 2 man, or cover 2 sink. Also, the defense will also begin to bump Lb'ers out of the box for extra pass support in the curl/flat areas. This is what some like to refer to sometimes as a nickle back. In HS football, we simply bump a LB out instead of bringing in the nickleback.

 

>>If the SS makes up the 8th man in the box you are not running a true 8 man front.

Theoretically not, but nonetheless most teams now play that player as if he's a defensive back playing up, as do pretty much all college teams and obviously the pro teams. Very few defenses, even at the HS level, consider that player a linebacker anymore. At the most they call it some variated name like Rover, Falcon, etc. Only the 6-2 stack fronts that were more common more than 30 years ago really didn't adapt.

>>For example, if it's a 4-3 or a 5-2 team and the SS is in the box for run support the team is playing some type of man free scheme, cover 3 invert, or straight cover 3.

Generally, but not necessarily. That's the initial read, yes. Most teams are that obvious. But again, it's not necessarily true. Cover two is very possible in that situation, and it's been played that way by teams that play more cover 2.
The only thing not possible is the series under the umbrella of cover 4.
Honestly though, at the HS level that you're most likely acquainted, the QBs don't do that much reading anyway, so most teams don't disguise that much.

 

>>Most teams can adjust to this via scouting the offense, therefore, a personnel adjustment is not always necessary. To say "nothing" will be done in terms of the offense bringing a third or fourth wide out is not entirely correct.

He's asking about the guts of cover two in relation to 3 WR or more. That's what I answered, in relation to. I'm not sure what you're trying to suggest but I don't think you and I are on the same page.


>>Also, the defense will also begin to bump Lb'ers out of the box for extra pass support in the curl/flat areas. This is what some like to refer to sometimes as a nickle back.

Wow. Are they illiterate? to most people a "nickelback" is a third corner. Which is the standard name for such a player. If I had a linebacker opposite a split player I'd still call him a linebacker.


>>In HS football, we simply bump a LB out instead of bringing in the nickleback

Naturally, since that's the adjustment in the base D for most defenses. The idea of bringing a safety up for that purpose, never made sense, but it can be done as well, obviously.

 

Perhaps you are right, we may not be on the same page. All I am saying is that teams that run an 8 man front have made a steadfast commitment to stop the run. Utilizing cover 2, therefore, is not a priority for a team hell bent on stopping the run. That's all I was saying.

 

Hey Hulka stay in the football threads I am liking you better

 

Totally agree. C3 and C1/man free are natural with 8 man.




Anyway, that's an aside. In the ideal of cover 2, Thelt, whether it's nickel personnel, or dime (assuming it's dime alignments with the nickel look - dime lined up in the box), the same basic ideals apply. Two safeties deep, five underneath defenders. Just changes the personnel that's standing in said zone (this is also why a lot of C2 teams go C3 with nickel).

 

Right on!

My favorite, or should I say the defense that throws me fits, is Cover 2 Man. From an quarterback/offensive perspective, it looks like traditional cover 2 and you make your reads accordingly. However, when everybody underneath mans up it's a bummer with 2 safeties playing deep halves. It often forces QB's to make bad reads, throw picks, and force balls into coverage. As a HS coach, we teach our QB's to read the coverage. When they read the coverage they automatically know where the dead spots (or holes) in the defense will be. Cover 2 Man screws up more passing games than any other coverage I've seen. I don't know why more teams at the HS level don't use it. Well, actually I do. Most HS football teams in NC run an 8 man front.