Football Fundamentals: Cover 4 Front Seven Leverage

We previously talked about Cover 4's various coverages, which allow defenses to change their appearance and how they respond to the trajectory while playing, which is basically the same as the original. This time around, I'll take a step back from what happened after the snap and see how the defense can benefit from a pre-snap pose. They are: leverage and depth. This allows you to fend off some of the attacker's strengths while maintaining your archetype. This article focuses on the seven forward positions and what they can do to take advantage of the hedging program.




line of defense
I won't go into details here as this has already been discussed . The point here is that you can play around with some techniques, especially with your DL, to help your LB adjust its leverage. Let's focus on the clock and cage modifications that drive the ED rather than the abusive EMOL.

In each of these cases, he put DE in it so that it could penetrate the space within the EMOL more easily. This is useful for the following reasons:

1. However, given the location of the OLB, ED is likely to be responsible for the gap; If you push it, it will get there faster and without giving the barrier a chance to close it. It also puts OLB in a better position to fulfill its fitness and scope responsibilities.
2. Identifies offensive player shots, making it easier for defensive players to read running/passing conflicts. When the EMOL is free, the OLB knows that it is progressing to bind the edge. When the TE falls vertically, they know how to run their coverage sequence (depending on whether TE is #2 or #1), when the EMOL stops, the OLB knows it's running on their outer shoulders. Basically, it looks simple: touch the outer shoulder EMOL for a race fit.
3. It is very difficult for EMOL to create second level screens and therefore run/pass conflicts are hard to sell in play because the ED is oriented upwards and inwardly sloped. Which makes it difficult for EMOL to obtain an internal copy.

The drawback here is that overtime or TE has clean throws against the OLB which means the LB has to be strong at the point of attack and not hold back. In this case, you must rely on your DE to stay focused on your target and as an OLB stabilizer, scratch the game from the inside out.
Let's see how it works

backside
We'll look at five OLB positions that can play defense: Inside, Stack, Loose, Top, and Split. The interior is aligned in the defensive EMOL. Stack is stacked in EMOL. Loose has an outer color on EMOL. Apex will split the attacking EMOL and the next attacking player equally. The split is played within the split receiver shoulder, and the closer the receiver is to the configuration, the more the impact is matched to the outer shoulder.

in
From a 4-3 perspective above, the inside is the standard OLB position. He stands on top of his space and stands between him and QB with his offensive switch (usually OG). This position certainly helps the defense to deal with deep training and can be performed against pro or double formations. The key to the latter case is that security needs to understand their LB location.

Against a pair of twins, the Safety might want to play close to the LOS but more shaded on the receiver's inner shoulders. You're still reading n.2 as normal, but you should be able to accommodate fast exits because OLB won't be able to exit quickly. The degree to which you play against LOS depends on your game plan and the capabilities of the vault. The OLB can't be redirected to the bottom, so it's likely just a man-to-man cover on the outside. If security isn't great, you might want to play around a bit and move it around depending on how your LOS receiver looks. However, he blames himself for more running/passing disputes at other LB sites because security knows his eye has to be on a number. 2 in the whole game (and can't get into it that often). in the backcourt) and the OLB knows to run first and doesn't have to worry too much about getting out fast until the ball is thrown.

The main benefit of such a spread is that it makes it extremely difficult for attacks to cross the road, especially in shallow lands. There is a lot of clutter in the box, but OLB is in a position to clog inside easily. This allows the security to read all of the shallow interior spaces and move quickly to fill the doorway in a racing game.

Let's look at some graphs:

Note, however, that with any outing style, especially when an OLB is underway, you won't be able to go out to defend the ground. So security has to play consistently and jump quickly on whatever comes out. The security advantage here is that he doesn't rely so much on run/pass conflicts, and his eyes are always on second.

The advantage of this deep mode for WILL is that it blocks any escape route from #2. SAM in this case #2 moves to its side (when RB is less than Y-TE, it becomes RB #2 and follows SAM), but this leaves two LB to block All inner track dividers and the entire tone split into two outer sections and eliminate midline space while providing a security assist at the top.

pile
Stacks are not much different. The main advantages are twofold: it is difficult for the candidate to achieve the OLB cleanly and the OLB and DE can play gap responsibilities or even require the OLB to implement the appropriate DE depending on how it is liquidated.

It also brings the LB firing a little closer to the outside, but not too much. This gives you more chance of a flat spin compared to the standard deep poses. It can also help against the TE because it is in a head-on position at the time of the snap and it is not always possible to come out clean, especially in off-field action where the TE threatens to flatten the PA.

The stack doesn't hold transactions much differently than I would expect based on the lineup.

However, it allows the defense to play some responsible play in the gaps, forcing attackers to quickly adjust their blocking patterns on the fly.

If the SAM is stacked, it will be difficult for him to carry the Y-TE from the inside, so MIKE WILL KILL Y-TE and SAM will continue to attack the outer shoulder of the Y-TE. So when Y blocks that MIKE (eg Power-O) that automatically brings the SAM into the hole; If Y tries to exit, it corrects DE and maintains the correct gap (if DE is closed, it stays outside, if DE is open, it stays inside).

overseas
This is often associated with cage or jam technology, but not always. If so, you can check out the benefits and concerns above. But if DE is always on the outside, it has a slightly different front and bottom.

On the other hand, it can be sensitive to internal running, especially when MIKE is having a hard time filling up quickly. However, it is very effective against games and scenarios that take place abroad. Teams looking to unblock OT or TE on the spin screen or tunnel screen will now have to play slower development screen games, as these must be unblocked outside before the OLB is unblocked. This gives the OLB time to read, interact and play with the ball. Likewise, you can overload the edge and prevent attackers from picking you up and trapping you inside. They are basically forced to play fouls between tackles if they want to run the ball.

Here you can see that stick in #2 allows Will to get back into play and allows the upper security to assist.

summit
Now we go a step further and divide the difference between offensive EMOL and post-receivers. It is also often associated with cage and jam technique, but not always (particularly if the offense is committed on a larger stick, such as 11 sticks when two LBs alone can explain all the difference).

However, the main benefit of this lineup lies in the scrolling game. This puts the OLB in a position to cover the floor with a rapid overhang while still blocking any internal ventilation. Likewise, it can even allow redirection when the receiver enters the interior for the first time. Even with bubble screens and the like, an OLB can get to the point of attack faster and continue playing from the inside out without having to start from inside the box.

All external playbacks force receivers to think OLB with screens because they can force players. This allows for safety play on the inner shoulder of No. 2 Take into account the gaps outside it. This track filling technology can significantly overload the secondary and jams are difficult to bypass.

However, most of them still allow free exit from the hatch. This emphasizes the run/pass conflict where safety lies. OLB is a bit of a scrolling game, which is a nice aspect of positioning, but it adds to the run/scroll conflicts for LB. And security.

split, rip
The common attitude obviously took OLB out of the running game a bit. Having said that, security is often more involved because they have a responsibility to fill in the gap at #2 (OLB has responsibilities outside of #2). However, due to MIKE streaming, security does not need to be as responsive as other systems.

Security can also start a little in the future. Because OLB is well positioned to maintain the flat/curved plane of the field. However, it cannot be set to prevent internal versions; Each internal release must be countered by changing the path and then looking for another threat to replace the free receiver (as in case #2 blocks the internal gap or RB performs the swing path; OLB follows no internal release). This means that MIKE now has the responsibility to block cross roads, but recipients have more room to adjust their paths, allowing them to easily evade MIKE and swipe cleanly.

The biggest advantage of this is that OLB can forward any vertical path. This forces the receiver to define their intentions and puts far less security in run/pass conflicts. It also reduces routing time, giving the security more time to respond and position itself properly on recipients who will have trouble getting in and out of the break.

In addition, this mode greatly hinders the operation of the screen, especially bubble screens. The OLB is organized in such a way that it can meet the number 2 and follow it on every mission abroad. Besides, impose everything. Whereas the inner position (inside, back, and out) divides the plane in several ways, and the peak position divides the plane into three (outer end, middle end, and outer edge); Separate mode only fills the playing field, forcing objects to pass inside, and works against tight or sparse formations.

conclusion
The point here is that you can make tweaks on the frontend to help with the backend. Play OLB in stacking boxes with 7 defenders and force the attackers to pass the ball. Likewise, it reduces the running/passing conflicts that safety often encounters in Cover 4 layouts because it is known to be responsible for passing play at all times and can allow players in the box to focus more on running care. It also blocks the midfield, forcing attacks to play from flat ground.

At the other end of the spectrum, the split mode allows the OLB to prevent the release of loose slots. This slows the game down a bit and provides a safe time to read, react and make informed decisions when playing with playtime from an offensive perspective (OLBs can crash knowing they have more support). It also forces strikers to play in the middle of the field, which many modern strikers do not like. This reduces space and reduces the basic principle of violation: use field width.

Then there is the first place. Apex is basically trying to take advantage of everything. Segmentation of teams allows OLB to be part of the movement and execution. This increases the number of passes and ends the game if executed correctly. The difficulty is that more and more players are involved in play/pass conflicts, including OLB and security. But if they diagnose their keys correctly, there's nothing they can't remember.

Splitting this random formation forces attacks into a guessing game. You stack squares and the focus should be on outside play. You split the OLB and the focus should be inward again. It adapts to the higher position and the focus should be on creating run/pass conflicts. But the constant change of these positions forces the offensive line to constantly change what they want to do, and prevents them from increasing the speed or perhaps taking their favorite game from them in certain situations. It's about defense that controls what an attack can do, and if you can do it defensively, you're one step ahead of your opponent.