Coaching Football Defense:Man free concepts and variations from a 4-2-5 structure

There are different ways to play man free coverage at the NFL Level. This article will look at the variations you can play man free from a 4-2-5 defense. I’ve used numerous concepts from 4 and 5 man pressures, with add in rushers on both scenarios. That means if your man blocks add in to the rush. Ive also gone the other way and sent only 3 and used a few rat defenders, or even spied with a 3 man rush and played man free. This article will look at some variations

In the NFL and college football you will play some of the following concepts:

1.Traditional Man Free Rat

Traditional man free rat is a 4 man rush with the LB opposite the RB helping underneath. If the RB stays in the other LB will do this as well.

The Sam LB has #2 n the bottom of the screen The FS has #2 weak. The SS has deep 1/3. The LB takes the RB as he releases.

The LB sits reads the QB and helps on the slant. He almost picks it off. Nice job of man free rat. The other LB picks up the RB. Nice defense by the Seahawks.

2. Man free with a 5 man rush Sam on #2 strong safety blitzing

You can run with 5 man rush with the other 5 players in coverage with 1 person as a free safety. The question becomes whether you are comfortable with your sam LB on #2. If you are not diagram B you can change the Sam to be the blitzer and safety on #2. The difference is

One way to do it is to send the SS or FS and play the Sam on #2. This allows the ILB to combo the rb and the TE. This is great vs 11 personnel when teams have a tendency to keep the TE in the box. It also helps you disguise your coverages.
I did an article with Coach Sawvel at Wyoming and he uses this concept.

Diagram A

Diagram B(If you want to send the sam instead)

The next example is man free and the Free Safety blitzing the other way. Man free with the free safety blitzing. The LB’s still combo the TE and RB and the SS becomes the deep 1/3 player.

Pre snap, looks the same as above but the free safety creeps up and blitzes. Mike can cheat his alignment as needed of TE is his way. Can make a pirate Call which puts the Tackle in the A gap, to allow him to be in better position to play the tight end.

3. Man free lurk from a 2 high

The Broncos run 2 man lurk, Here’s how lurk works. In this concept, it starts as a cover 2 shell look. On the snap one of the safeties rob the middle of the field and the other as a deep 1/3 player. Usually vs bunch it will be the safety opposite the trips side playing the middle hole area.

Some examples of lurk from a 2 high look where one of the safeties tries to rob the middle of the field You want to use this coverage to take away some of the in breaking routes.