Pass Defense-Different Coverage Concepts on Defending Trips Formations
There are several ways to play defense vs trips. Man concepts, zone and combination coverage. Combination allows you to play zone on one side and man on the other. This is just simply a combination of zone and man principles.
This post deals with teams that play combination coverage, man on 1 or 2 players and zone on the rest. This can be done on the outside with man coverage on 1 player and a cover 3 or 2 concept the other way or by what I call weasel, man on an inside wr and then playing zone on everyone else.
You can also play man to man on 1 of the outside or both outside players with a read concept on #2 and #3.
Here are some of the examples:
The first 2 I really like, One is vs bunch and the other is vs wide trips.
Super Bowl Bunch Defense
The Chiefs get bunch 3x1. They play man on the point man and 3 over 2 on the #1 and #3 wr in the bunch. To the 1 wr side they play man to man. This clearly put the point man on the #2 WR. On the backside they played man with the CB and LB on the #1 WR and the RB with deep help over the top.
The #2 WR goes inside and the Sam goes with him. That leaves 3 over 2 on the #1 and #3 WR in the bunch set. They lock up the backside with tough man coverage on #1 and the RB with safety help over the top.
3 over 2 as the CB takes the outside route with the inside route being defended by the LB and the safety.
Film
Special Coverage Variations
Special is an excellent concept!
#1 is played man to man to the trips side. The Sam and safety read #2 and #3. The safety will take 2 or 3 vertically. You can play cover 2 or man to the 1 wr.
South Carolina plays a few of these concepts. They play cover 2 in the 2 clips and film below vs trips and vs Empty.
#1
South Carolina
On the backside they play cover 2
Here’s special with a lock on the backside.
Utah Variation (Special with Quarters)
They play special to the trips side but quarters to the single side.
They also have OLB playing the flat and the mike playing the hook:
Wash State tries to hit the slant with #1 and because its man on #1 they defend it. Good coverage by the cb.
Good coverage downfield as you can see the safety sitting on the deeper out pattern.
film analysis to go with above clips:
Another example is Jim Leonhard at Wisconsin. He plays cover 2 away from the 3x1 side.
2 Clips of his version is below.
The Chiefs run this cloud concept vs the Dolphins in the 2023 playoffs. They push the 2 LB to the 3x1 side and play 5 over 3 with the CB as a flat defender. This allows them to play man on Hill to the single side with help over the top.
Marshall runs the concept below,
They check the coverage based on motion. The Sam sits outside and waits for 2 or 3 outside. The SS deep takes 3 vertical. The CB locks on #1 to the trips side.
Weasel Concepts
Weasel is a term I use to play 1 wr in man with everyone else in zone. I consider this a situation where you cover a slot man to man.
Cover 2 Weasel
Jimmy Lake Washington Defense with Pete Kwiatowski
2nd and 5 vs Hawaii
They bring a 3 man pressure play man on #2 and cover 2 with everyone else. Confuse Hawaii, no place to go with the ball and force qb to scramble and throw an incomplete.
Its man on the outside wr to the field. Zone with everyone else. Rotates to cover 2
Film Clip
Cover 4 man on the backside or cone in Saban’s world.
Baylor runs cover 4 to the trips side and man to the 1 wr side.
In the first example they bring 5 man pressure.
In the 2nd they lock to the backside of 3x1 .
To the field quarters
to the boundary safety is deep 1/2 with LB playing seam curl.
These are some trips combination coverages you can add to your football defense. I hope you enjoyed this article.