Bringing Pressure: Cover 2 and 3 Strong Side Simulated Pressures

When we discuss blitzes and pressures in football, I like to break them down into the following categories:

• 5 man pressures with 6 cover people- cover 2, cover 4 , cover 3 , 6 and 8

• 4 man simulated pressures- A LB or DB blitzes and a defensive end drops into coverage

• 6 man pressures- 2 under 3 deep or 3 match principles

This article takes a look at 4 man simulated pressures from strong side. This is a package that involves bringing a LB as a 4th rusher and dropping a defensive lineman into zone coverage. It's a term used to bring a 2nd level defender yet drop a defensive lineman to replace him at the next level. The nice thing about it is you can bring the defender and still have all your coverage responsibilities taken care of with 7 players playing zone concepts on the back end. As an offense you have to account for any of the front 7 and on the hash a CB coming in pressure.

We will look closely at some 4-2-5 pressures. The ones in this article looks at bringing the sam and mike and how these pressures can be utilized.

Example #1 Baylor Aranda and Roberts

Front:4-2 Coverage: 2 Pressure:Mac

The first one we will look at is a cover 2, 4 man pressure with the mike on the blitz.  The DE to the boundary drops and plays the curl as the will LB plays the middle hook. The Mike is on the pressure to the field. The DT to the boundary is the contain rusher.

Mike blitzes de usually drops opposite. 

De drops to the weak side opposite the pressure, with the DT becoming the contain rusher.

Example #2 Penn State Diaz

Front 4-2 Base Pressure Strike Coverage 2 Buzz(DE Flat)

The coverage is a 2 buzz rotation with the CB being a deep 1/2 defender to the boundary. You can run this with the buzz rtoation because of the condensed set.

Diaz Clip #2

Example #4 Baylor Aranda

Front: 4-2 Pressure: Sam (Strike) Coverage: Cover 2

Sam Pressure
Baylor is in a 4-2 Front. They bring the sam and play the de to the boundary as a curl defender. The LB's play it with mike pushing to the curl and will pushing to the hook.

Sam blitzes de drops opposite to the flat. 

You can see the mike pushing to the curl and the will pushing to the hook.