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How to Break Specific Defenses

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Old 11-24-2008, 09:52 AM   #1
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How to Break Specific Defenses

I thought I'd start a thread on breaking specific defenses to get some discussion going on it. The reason I'm doing this is to help everyone (including myself) have a wider range of plays to go to when they KNOW their opponents coverage, or strongly believe it.

Let's start with 2 soft. I'd like to hear some opinions on how to directly break this coverage particularly when the ILB is hot routed to the deep middle of the field. For arguments sake lets say he is a legend so his coverage is above average.

My best guess on breaking this is throws to the flats accompanied by short routes by the WR taking up the CB zones. VERY deep posts are a possibility but can be tough with limited talent at WR. If you run a corner route chances are you'll need a streak right beside it to clear out the safety. This can be tricky because sometimes your WR will run by the CB and the CB will freeze, but that isn't a guarantee. This may have to do with the DB's being shaded outside (they won't freeze in that case).

Another idea is to hot route 5 yard in to the TE. Because the ILB is playing deep middle, throwing a 5 yard in could yield a 10 yard play fairly regularly. This route could be paired with a seam route by a slot WR, FB, or HB or deep posts by the WR to accompany the LB's and S even more. Flood plays should work, but they take time to develop.

I'll expand on this thread later. If anyone feels like contributing through questions or comments please do! Hope this helps and gets people itchin' to play.
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Old 11-24-2008, 10:31 AM   #2
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Re: How to Break Specific Defenses

Great idea for a thread!

On cover 2 soft, you can attack the CB and the OLB with slants, depending on their skill. If you're working generics, you can run the 90 slant play out of the I form and just make sure you read the OLB right. Sometimes they'll make a good, wide drop, and sometimes they won't.

The TE will be open as well. The hot route to the deep middle will have the ILB in drop mode when your TE makes his break, so a timely throw should lead to a completion.

The in route is also good for the TE. When he's at his break, the ILB should still be dropping, so as long as it's a good throw there should be some easy yards there.

The corner route will work if you're not battling a legend safety. I take shots at this coverage using the corner route, and while it doesn't always work, it can be effective.

Square ins of the 5 yard variety by the WR can also work, provided you wait for them to clear the OLB's zone and break into the MLB's zone, which will have been vacated in favor of a deeper zone.

There's also the 90 FB flat play that has the strong side receiver running an in and the FB going to the flat. That's an easy read. Either the WR beats the CB on the in and you throw to him just after the break and before he gets to the OLB's zone, or the CB plays the WR and you throw to the FB in the flat before the CB disengages. It's not a huge yardage play, but you can get 5-7 if t works right.

A 50 all streaks from the strong or weak I will also challenge the zone, as the safeties can't cover the WRs and the streaking FB on one side and TE on the other. You just have to find the breakdown on this one and hope one of your guys gets a step.
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Old 11-24-2008, 10:42 AM   #3
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Re: How to Break Specific Defenses

Damn Creatine, I'm glad our game had that error yesterday because I felt like **** and you were making it any better lol. If I see you on today we can try to run one again.
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Old 11-24-2008, 02:12 PM   #4
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Re: How to Break Specific Defenses

Ha! Yeah Pappy that's my '95 Steelers team for "Americas Game League". If I score with them it puts my opponent through a lot of misery as they have to deal with that suffocating defense which is easily the best I've ever created.

Trojan I really like the all streaks option to break some zone defenses. I may have to call that time to time when kids are sitting in short zones and locking me down. I try to avoid slants and drags against cover 2's as I feel I have to really thread the needle. Some in's do work, and the ones coming from WR can take time to develop with generics which can pose a problem. I've had people run a lot of cover 2 soft with success against me.

My next coverage is:

Cover 3 strong/weak

In this coverage the safeties roll to a side of the field and 1 CB takes the last deep third. This almost gives a hybrid cover 2/3 look to the field.

Posts are a very common way to attack cover 3's. Usually posts can be most easily completed to the side the S is rolling to, but in cover 3 strong/weak it is different. Against this coverage you want to run your post route the same direction as the rolling-away safety. This is because on the other side of the field BOTH safeties are rolling to that direction which leaves the strongside safety in a cover 3 strong/weak locking down that exact spot where posts usually go. This makes this throw a bit harder. Corner routes to attack that short zone are not that effective either. Crosses across the middle of the field can work as the zones are looser in a cover 3. A flood call to the weakside of this zone will leave you with multiple recievers open, but can be difficult to complete sometimes as usually this is the short side of the field.

If you KNOW this coverage is being called to the wide side of the field/strong side of formation, one solid option is to throw a quick out to the weak side of the coverage and turn it upfield for ideally a quick 10 yards. Also, throw it to the flats to the weakside of the zone. TE drags/wr crosses to the weakside of the zone also work well. you'll be isolating that lone linebacker on that side of the zone and he should be easy to throw around.

Basically it can be viewed as simple as getting players running routes to the weakside of the zone to attack it as there are simply less players covering over there.
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Old 11-24-2008, 02:25 PM   #5
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Re: How to Break Specific Defenses

Yeah, Creatine, I think the best way to challenge the short zones is to take shots down the field and force the defense either to man up or to move to cover 3 and 4 looks, which open up the short and intermediate routes.

In addition to the 50 streaks, you can also call the play that has one receiver releasing to the outside and running a streak, the other running a post, and the TE running a deep out. Against a cover 2, you can complete that streak route so long as your timing is right and the safety over the top isn't a legend with good range. If the CB is shaded outside, the route won't work, but I've gotten lots of guys on that one. You can also pump to the TE at the break and try to hit the post if the safety bites. But the safer throw is the streak.

Again, this is a great thread--we should really try to get a robust discussion going on this one, but people are going to have to be willing to share their secrets .
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Old 11-24-2008, 02:34 PM   #6
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Re: How to Break Specific Defenses

My solution to any defense is simple: run the football. Find success running the ball and then you make the defense adapt to you, instead of you trying to adapt to what the defense is throwing at you.

Have success running the ball and that will open up the passing game.
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Old 11-24-2008, 06:56 PM   #7
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Re: How to Break Specific Defenses

This is a difficult throw, and there arent too many qbs outside of the gold tier that I will attempt it with, but in cover 2, there will be a gap between the safety and corner where you can hit the WR on a streak.

Max pass, and under throw the ball. DO NOT lead him into the safety.
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Old 11-24-2008, 07:11 PM   #8
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Re: How to Break Specific Defenses

It is a tight throw, to be sure, and you've gotta have the right combo on offense and know what the defensive guys are capable of.

Jaws just broke down an attack of the cover 2, which had the TE running a short slant and the WR on the strong side running a square in. If the LB jumps the TE, then the WR will be open. If he maintains his spacing, the TE will be open.

Good breakdown, but man, I can't stand to hear Jaws speak, lol.
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