Football knowledge havers... Can someone Explain cover 4?

[Fraggle145]

I always hear Stoops talking about playing cover 4... What is it or what does it mean in terms of coverage/weakness etc... Thanks

[stoops the eternal pimp]

In Cover 2 there are two deep safeties that divide the field into halves. If the secondary played Cover 3, three deep defenders would divide the deep responsibility on the field into thirds. If they played Cover 4, four deep defenders divide the deep zone into fourths.

[birddog]

finally. some real football talk. don't see that much around here anymore.

so in a cover 4 what are the linebackers responsibilities?

[drbrizzle]

Generally the outside LB's cover the flats looking for running backs coming out on bubble routes or swing passes and the middle linebacker is looking for the tight end in the middle of the field.

[MWC_Sooner]

so in a cover 4 what are the linebackers responsibilities?

seek and destroy. :texan:

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Stoops said the reason BU got the long score before half was because they checked into a cover 4, one safety checked into a cover 3 and you ended up with Reynolds running with a 4.3 guy

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Here is a complete breakdown:

Cover 4 looks for all intents and purposes as Cover 2. We will begin with the Linebackers. Will will drop to the curl unless there is a number 2 wide receiver. (Tight Ends do not count.) If there is a number 2 wide receiver, the Will Backer will wall the number 2 receiver to the outside. Mike Backer will wall the Tight End toward the outside. The Sam Backer is playing the Flat . They have to play run first. The difference is the corner and strong safety to the 2 receiver side. They show cover 2 but on the snap they play man to man on the wide receiver and Tight End. The Corner and Free Safety are still playing zone on the backside along with the Linebackers. The coner backside squats and keeps outside leverage. He is looking inside at the QB. If the ball is not in the air on the QB's third step, they immediately open and run to the deep out squeezing the passing lane. The FS is playing center Field keeping everybody in front. The advantage is by the Strong Safety playing the TE when he sees run, he will basically become a fourth linebacker and comes flying up for run support.

[birddog]

now that's what i'm talking about. good work, step.:)

[birddog]

Here is a complete breakdown:

Cover 4 looks for all intents and purposes as Cover 2. We will begin with the Linebackers. Will will drop to the curl unless there is a number 2 wide receiver. (Tight Ends do not count.) If there is a number 2 wide receiver, the Will Backer will wall the number 2 receiver to the outside. Mike Backer will wall the Tight End toward the outside. The Sam Backer is playing the Flat . They have to play run first. The difference is the corner and strong safety to the 2 receiver side. They show cover 2 but on the snap they play man to man on the wide receiver and Tight End. The Corner and Free Safety are still playing zone on the backside along with the Linebackers. The coner backside squats and keeps outside leverage. He is looking inside at the QB. If the ball is not in the air on the QB's third step, they immediately open and run to the deep out squeezing the passing lane. The FS is playing center Field keeping everybody in front. The advantage is by the Strong Safety playing the TE when he sees run, he will basically become a fourth linebacker and comes flying up for run support.

it's almost too easy. ;)

[stoops the eternal pimp]

it's almost too easy. ;)


2 + 2 man;)

[OU Adonis]

Good explanation of the Cover 4.

Here are the zones for the cover 2 and tampa 2.

Standard Cover 2

http://www.footballtimes.org/AdvHTML_Upload/43.gif

Cover 2 Buc (Tampa)

http://www.footballtimes.org/AdvHTML_Upload/tampa2.gif

[peanous]

Isn't that the one where they cover all eligible receivers except the tight end who is running completely wide open down the seam or sitting in a vacant area that is often times 10 to 15 yards wide?

[Ash]

So even this thread gets a troll?!?

At least this one is aptly named. :rolleyes:

Forget the n00bs. It's the endless supply of trolls that makes the football board suck.

[Dan Thompson]

Someone told me that was a type of poker!

[stoops the eternal pimp]

So even this thread gets a troll?!?

At least this one is aptly named. :rolleyes:

Forget the n00bs. It's the endless supply of trolls that makes the football board suck.

I know...felt kinda proud this thread was troll worthy...

[Ash]

I know...felt kinda proud this thread was troll worthy...

hahaha.

It's nice to see some nuts and bolts football posts.

[peanous]

its not legitimate football talk unless SuperNinjaPirate posts in it!

[Ash]

This message is hidden because peanous is on your ignore list.

zzzz

[1stTimeCaller]

http://multiple7manfront.com.hosting.domaindirect.com/images/protwinsCover4.gif

step, what we called cover 4 was 1/4 1/4 1/2. Cover 2 on the weak side with cover 8( 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4) on the strong side.

The safety on the strong side is the primary run support while the corner on the weak side is the primary run support.

I just re-read your post. We're talking about the same coverage.
If you have the athletes, covers 2,3,4 and 8 look the same at the snap.

[peanous]

Don't trust anything someone from Ardmore says!

[lilvato33]

Soooo, who's on first and whats on second?:D

[Jmorales22]

I just watched it again and Reynolds wasn't the one on the deep one just before half. It's hard to tell who has the responsibility there but my guess is it was DJ wolfe. The LB (Baker) was in a short zone with his eye on the qb, he let the guy run past him likely because he knew he had safety help. DJ was paying attention to the two WR on the left side of the field who both had defenders accounting for them and let the guy run right by him.

Reynolds gave up the one score Baylor got in the 2nd half.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

http://multiple7manfront.com.hosting.domaindirect.com/images/protwinsCover4.gif

step, what we called cover 4 was 1/4 1/4 1/2. Cover 2 on the weak side with cover 8( 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4) on the strong side.

The safety on the strong side is the primary run support while the corner on the weak side is the primary run support.

I just re-read your post. We're talking about the same coverage.
If you have the athletes, covers 2,3,4 and 8 look the same at the snap.


I think thats makes the cover 2 successful still at the college level. it can be a little difficult to figure out which the defense is going to be running because they line up similar.

But your starting to see the NFL teams are evolving into more Cover 3 than 2, which irrates me when the talking heads still talk about the C2. Indy switched to more of a cover 3 last season and are still referred to as a cover 2 team

[Fraggle145]

Thanks for the good posts! I knew about cover 2... just couldnt quite grasp the cover 4.

[Ground_Attack]

Good explanation of the Cover 4.

Here are the zones for the cover 2 and tampa 2.

Standard Cover 2

http://www.footballtimes.org/AdvHTML_Upload/43.gif

Cover 2 Buc (Tampa)

http://www.footballtimes.org/AdvHTML_Upload/tampa2.gif

I believe the offense in the Standard Cover 2 diagram is lined up in an illegal formation. That makes it easy on the defense. We should run more Cover 2

[drbrizzle]

So even this thread gets a troll?!?

At least this one is aptly named. :rolleyes:

Forget the n00bs. It's the endless supply of trolls that makes the football board suck.

Everyone was a noob at some point. Having 16,000 posts does not automatically qualify you as a bigger Sooner fan. It just means you wasted more of your life on a website.

[Fraggle145]

Everyone was a noob at some point. Having 16,000 posts does not automatically qualify you as a bigger Sooner fan. It just means you wasted more of your life on a website.

We already have 80,000 friggin threads about being a n00b vs. a newb... please do not turn this in to one of those. :mad: A hint would be to use the search function.

[OU Adonis]

But your starting to see the NFL teams are evolving into more Cover 3 than 2, which irrates me when the talking heads still talk about the C2. Indy switched to more of a cover 3 last season and are still referred to as a cover 2 team

Lets not confuse a Cover 2 Tampa (Or buc) to a Cover 3. A lot of teams run a cover 2 Tampa now, not a Cover 3. Indy uses a cover 2 tampa.

[insuranceman_22]

Nice thread fella's, I knew cover 2 and was pretty much right on the tampa, but cover 4 .... I had no clue. Thanks.

[47straight]

What does "wall" mean?

"the Will Backer will wall the number 2 receiver to the outside"

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Lets not confuse a Cover 2 Tampa (Or buc) to a Cover 3. A lot of teams run a cover 2 Tampa now, not a Cover 3. Indy uses a cover 2 tampa.

Actually Indy runs very little Cover 2 Tampa anymore to help against the run



"I don't know where all the Cover 2 stuff came from," Nick Harper said. "It's some kind of media creation, a myth, because we've played more Cover 3 than anything else."

By playing more three-deep coverages, and mixing in some man-to-man looks, the Colts can align Sanders closer to the line of scrimmage, an eighth defender "in the box," to help with run support.

[VMG]

Here is a complete breakdown:

Cover 4 looks for all intents and purposes as Cover 2. We will begin with the Linebackers. Will will drop to the curl unless there is a number 2 wide receiver. (Tight Ends do not count.) If there is a number 2 wide receiver, the Will Backer will wall the number 2 receiver to the outside. Mike Backer will wall the Tight End toward the outside. The Sam Backer is playing the Flat . They have to play run first. The difference is the corner and strong safety to the 2 receiver side. They show cover 2 but on the snap they play man to man on the wide receiver and Tight End. The Corner and Free Safety are still playing zone on the backside along with the Linebackers. The coner backside squats and keeps outside leverage. He is looking inside at the QB. If the ball is not in the air on the QB's third step, they immediately open and run to the deep out squeezing the passing lane. The FS is playing center Field keeping everybody in front. The advantage is by the Strong Safety playing the TE when he sees run, he will basically become a fourth linebacker and comes flying up for run support.

Great write-up STEP...

...and that's just one coverage scheme against two nominal formations. Back when I walked to practice through 17 miles of blowing snow in bare feet we played 7 different base coverages. I'd be curious to know how many they play today.