Defending Shotgun Quads Trio - Four Verticals

[speedtrucker]

Quote: Originally Posted by HawaiianRush

Or any cover 4 play...

hot routes on a 4vert will eat up cover 4 for 10 yards a click, even drag routes that clear the LBs will be free and clear on cover 4.

[jarato]

Here's the playart

[PowerofRed25]

That is probably the toughest pass to defend in the game. First of all, I'd say get rid of that guy or that league. That is just garbage football and even if you could stop it, why would you want to play games like that? I've quit a number of leagues that I was doing well in just because it isn't fun to play Power I and then Quads.

Now as for trying to stop it, you have a couple options. The first is going Quarters Cover 2 (I think it is called MLB Spy). Manually play as the MLB and cover the inside vertical cross manually. At worst, the slot drag route is going to beat you but if you can tackle him immediately, you're talking a 4 yard gain. Not many people have the patience to go 4 yards a pass down the field and you get them when they take a risk.

I would personally go between that and a blitz off the edge. See if you can get him trying for a big play. All you really need to do is getting him behind the chains once and you'll take him off his game, take the drag route away and forces him to go deep. Most people that run this ignore the outside WR's because they are too scared to make the tough throw. Just try and take away enough options so you can defend what you want.

[llJAEll]

That play is straight cheese!! What you must do if you know 100% he is running this is

-play a cover 1
-slide the corner guarding the drag over to the left so he's already a step ahead of the drag
-do the same for the slant route or manually cover it(i like to manually cover it because users will see it as an opportunity to throw it still)
-put the hook zone on a qb spy if he has a scrambler.
-last but not least change you pass cover to conservative if you think he will try a bail out rocket catch..if not set it to aggresive.

The play will be LOCKED DOWN!! one route I'm sure he will NEVER AUDIBLE in that play is the actual slant route. so if he starts trying to hot route try and manually cover the guy you think he will hot route(probably the inside receiver)

It's a shame you have to do ALL of that to stop one play. Hope I helped. To stop is power running game try 4-4 zone blitz pinch line spread LB's and user the FS.