Coaching Football: Defending trips, 3x1 with man coverage concepts

 Defending 3x1 formation with man coverage Concepts 

3x1 pas concepts hav evolved in the NFL over the years. You see 3x1 bunch, 3x1 with three tight ends to a side and 3x1 out of 11 personnel. Only 2 teams in the NFL use 10 personnel more than 10 % of the time, the Bills at 17% and the Cardinals at 19%. 

What do you do as a defense. What do you try to take away? Do you play zone, man or combination coverage. Ive covered combo and zone coverage and now let's look at different ways to play man to man. 

One of the issues you see is the league has fallen in love with 11 personnel. 

In 2008, the league used 11 personnel 34% of the time. In 2020, that number has become 60% of the time. 

NFL teams are using different formations out of 11 and other personnel groupings which make it very difficult on defenses. Teams have adjusted as you see more nickel as base personnel with dime personnel on 3rd downs. You don't see too much traditional 3-4 and 4-3 times anymore vs those sets. 

So when you see 3x1 you will often see a tight end in that 3x1 strong formation or on the backside of 3x1. That has factored in to how teams defend it.

Lets look at the 3 variations you see

Man Coverages and concepts:

There are 3 basic man concepts:

A. cover 2man (3 or 4 man rush), cover 2 man with some type of robber variation(safety lurks and dives and plays the hole)

B. cover 1 with and without pressure out of nickel and dime 

C. cover 0 with pressure and with underneath defenders and 4 man pressures.

D. cover 1 bracket-Double the teams best wr

 2 man 

Down and Distance 3rd and 4. 

2 man hole(lurk concept)

Saints vs 49ers 

3rd and 4