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Techniques for \'Effective\' Cover 2

by: Tim Cooper
Defensive Backs Coach, Miami University (OH)
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The topic of this article is on playing ‘effective’ Cover 2 techniques. We need to first look at what our idea of effective means. This is crucial in how you teach the LBs and DBs to play their techniques, especially the corners. I truly believe you have to make a decision on what you want Cover 2 to do for you. Do you want to run Cover 2 to help in the pass game or to stop the run? To play effective Cover 2, I believe you need to emphasize one or the other. You can do both; however, you need to have a starting point that is considered your ‘base’ way of playing the technique. You can always add ‘change ups’ or ‘tags’ to change the technique. For us at Miami we think of effective Cover 2 as forcing the offense to throw to the underneath zones where we can pursue up and tackle the ball carrier for a very short gain.

Because of this philosophy effective Cover 2 at Miami is preventing the deep pass. Our base technique that we teach our corners is taught with this goal of preventing the deep pass in mind. We can ‘change up’ our base Cover 2 technique (give it another coverage name or tag) to tell the corner that he must now be a run support player first. Understand that this is a change up to our base Cover 2 and not something we do every time. The corner must be able to change his mindset and execute his primary objective when changing his technique. In order to play effective Cover 2 it must be one or the other: to defend against run or defend against the pass first.

The two techniques for the corners are the ‘funnel’ technique (this is our base technique) and ‘slice’ technique (our change up). Funnel technique is a pass first and run second mentality; slice technique is run first and pass second. Both techniques are named after the primary responsibility. By playing two techniques and giving the corner a primary responsibility, we are putting him in a situation to be successful and play fast. In funnel technique the corner’s primary responsibility is to funnel the receiver inside, flip his hips open and sink to his landmark. We play everything from deep to short; our goal is to prevent the deep pass. The corner’s eyes start on the wide receiver then go back to the QB once the receiver has been funneled inside. It is important for his eyes to eventually get to the QB and to read his QB indicators (front shoulder and off-hand). The corner should never get fooled on a play action pass fake because funnel technique is telling the corner to think pass first and be a secondary, or late, run support player.

Slice technique tells the corner to get into a run first mentality. He will do this by keying the end man on the line of scrimmage for a run or pass read. If he reads a ‘low’ hat, indicating run, then he must ‘slice’ under the receiver attacking the play outside-in. If a ‘high’ hat shows, indicating a pass, then he must get his eyes back on the receiver and disrupt the release. Ultimately, we still would like the corner to force the receiver inside; however, this does not always happen when playing slice technique. It is important to emphasize disrupting the receiver, as opposed to funneling the receiver inside when playing slice technique. With the corner’s eyes inside, not on the wide receiver, a good play action pass fake may give the corner a false read causing him to give the receiver a free release with no disruption. If this happens we tell the corner once he recognizes pass to sink immediately. He needs to sink with depth getting into a position to read his QB indicators.

The safeties are aware of the changes in techniques by the corners. To keep it simple for the safeties they play the same technique each and every time. They are the guys that are going to prevent the deep pass and make plays for you in Cover 2. Their technique needs to be simple and one they can perfect. By perfecting the technique they can avoid falling victim to ‘paralysis by analysis.’ In other words the safeties need to be able to play fast and react based on the receivers’ release and the QB indicators. The deep 1/2 technique that we teach starts with the safeties opening up to the #l receiver on their side of the field and taking a ‘quick read.’ The purpose of the quick read is to see what kind of release the receiver was able to get on the corner while working to their landmark. The landmark I give the safety is 14 yards deep and two yards outside the hash. If the safety reads an outside release by the receiver he must ‘travel’ past his landmark, putting him further outside the hash. If he reads an inside release (the corner was able to funnel him) then he can settle, pedal and read his QB indicators. This allows for the technique by the corners to change, again allowing the safeties to play one consistent technique that they can perfect and play fast. So much or what the safety needs to do in a deep 1/2 technique has to do with reacting (to receivers or the QB) so you do not want him thinking about a bunch of different keys. The simpler the technique the better he will become at playing a deep 1/2 and the more plays he will make.

Here are some of our drills:

Corner Drills

Mirror Dodge (See Diagram 1) - The purpose is to get the defensive back to move his feet, laterally, to cut-off any outside release.

Diagram 1-Mirror Dodge Drill

Funnel Technique Drill (See Diagram 2) - The purpose is to train the defensive back to ‘funnel-flip and expand’ to his landmark. Once this is mastered it is good to add in QB indicators so the defensive back gets a feel for the difference between a deep throw and one underneath. He must learn to play deep to short with multiple routes in his zone.

Diagram 2-Funnel Technique Drill

Slice Technique Drill (See Diagram 3) - This teaches the defensive back to read the end man on the line of scrimmage for run or pass. We are keying the end man on the line of scrimmage for a ‘low hat’ (run read) or ‘high hat’ (pass read).

Diagram 3-Slice Technique Drill

Safety Drills

1/2 Technique Drill (See Diagram 4) - Initially we are working on just getting the safety to open and run to his landmark, settling down (squaring up) and pedaling.

Diagram 4- 1/2 Technique Drill

Once the safety has gotten a feel for getting to the landmark and back into a pedal, add a receiver release into the drill. Just have another person release either inside or outside a cone, or bag, to give the safety a read. When the safety opens to take a ‘quick read’ the release will help the safety with either ‘traveling’ past his landmark or settling and pedaling on his landmark. The last thing to do is add QB indicators and have the safety break on the QB after making all of his Cover 2 progressions.






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