Talk:Tampa 2

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[edit] Cover 2

Actually, Cover 2 is not about covering deep 1/3's. It is about covering deep halves.

The term Cover 2 means two deep. Your term in your article states that cover 2 has three people covering deep thirds. That would be cover 3.

Anytime you hear a coverage called with a number,typically the number in the coverage is how many cover deep.

As you read this submission, I will refer to pass receivers as the #1, #2, and #3 receivers. All that means is that the #1 receiver is the receiver closest to the sideline and #2 is the next receiver in. Usually the Wide Receiver is a #1 receiver. The Tight End to the strong side of the formation is #2 and the near running back to the weak side of the formation is also #2. The next receiver is the #3 receiver. The identifacation of #3 will be determined by his release into his pass pattern. So therefore, there will be 3 receivers to one side and two to the other. If #3 releases in the middle, then he will be counted as a strong side #3.

Corners: Have flats, that's right. They absolutely have to disrupt the #1 receiver's release in order to give the safties time to key the #2 receiver in case they have to cover the #1 receiver.

Safties: Have Deep 1/2's. One safety covers one 1/2 of the field while the other safety covers the other half. They will often drop keying the #2 receiver. If the #2 receiver releases deep, they are responsible for deep/seam area. If they release out, they will look up #1 receiver running a deep route or seam. Also with #2 releasing out or in, you will find the #1 receiver running a curl, dig, short crossing route providing the deep help to the LB's playing underneath.

Middle Linebacker (MLB): Has middle hole (not midle/deep 1/3) Same as the safties, he will drop and key #2. If #2 runs across or runs a hook, he as him. If the #2 releases Deep middle whole, he will chuck him and run with him only for about 10 yards. The #2 receiver may out run the MLB, but the #2 receiver will run into double coverage with safety help over top. If the #2 receiver releases out, the MLB will look up #3 running a short route.

Outside Linebackers (often reffered to as "Sam" and "Will"): They will drop to curl/seam area keying the #1 receiver. If #1 runs a curl, he has him. If #1 runs into the seam, he will chuck him and disrupt #1's route. They will also disrupt #1 if they run a dig/crossing route due to how #1 will run the route around 12-15 yards and that is the depth of the drop by the Outside Linebacker. If the #1 runs deep, They find #2 running an out (there they will throwing into double coverage with the corner)or #2 will be running a short hook/option route or possibly a crosser (where they will have help from the MLB because his #2 key has him taking #2 when he releases inside).

The weakness of cover 2: Three-four receivers running deep. You can exploit the middle of the field if you got a receiver running deep and the Tight End running a deep route right at the safety. Another wealness of cover 2 is what they call the smash concept: Tight End runs a "post corner" or "flag" route (they're the same thing) and the receiver runs a deep out. This puts your safety in a bind because the OLB usually will have a hard time covering a fast wide out when he rakes an outside release and the safety then has to play middle man, He has two deep routes to cover. You will often see many football teams attack cover 2 with with these pass patterns. They also have many more pass route combintions they use and that would be too much to list.