Defending the spread offense with the 3-5-3/3-3-5 Thomas Cousins coachcousins@yahoo.com

What teams running the spread try to do. Get us to remove linebackers from the box and lose gap integrity. Rub or mesh our DBS when we are in man. Find holes in our zone coverage. Get us thinking pass and bust us with the run. Pick up our blitzes and give their QB time to throw. Reduce outside pressure by making our OLBS cover receivers. coachcousins@yahoo.com

What we try to do to teams running the spread. Force the QB to throw under distress. Maintain gap integrity. Confuse the QB by disguising and changing coverages. Force the QB to try and find the holes in our zone coverage. Shut down the run by maintaining gap integrity, and in turn making the offense one dimensional. coachcousins@yahoo.com

Our beliefs: We feel that we can dictate to the offense what they can and cannot run. We do not want to be counter punchers, we want the offense to stay off balance. We want the offense waiting to see what we are going to do next. We want to send as much pressure as possible. We will void zones in zone coverage. coachcousins@yahoo.com

Vocabulary Sky- tells us that we are showing cover 3, but rolling to cover 4 with the whip and free safety. Will ILB has hook/curl/flats weak Banjo- when an OLB is called on to blitz but is responsible for a player in man coverage. The OLB will call “banjo” to either tell the free safety to take his man or banjo the blitz to the inside linebacker to perform. Cover 1- man free coverage. We are man underneath and our free safety is playing centerfield. Cover 4- true quarters coverage. Cover 3- three deep zone coverage Man- true man to man coverage. Cat- tells the will linebacker to slide out to 4x4 Sam and Will- our two inside linebackers Stud and Whip- our two outside linebackers coachcousins@yahoo.com

Cover 3 Cover Man Cover 1 Cover 3 sky Cover 4 Coverages Cover 3 Cover Man Cover 1 Cover 3 sky Cover 4 coachcousins@yahoo.com

Cover 3 T N T WP W M S ST C FS C coachcousins@yahoo.com

Cover Man Corners have #1 Whip has # 2 Free has #2 strong, #3 weak T N T WP W M S ST C FS C Corners have #1 Whip has # 2 Free has #2 strong, #3 weak Stud has #3 strong coachcousins@yahoo.com

Cover 1 (man free) Corners have #1 Whip has # 2 Free has #3 either way T N T WP W M S ST C FS C Corners have #1 Whip has # 2 Free has #3 either way Stud has #2 strong coachcousins@yahoo.com

Cover 3 (sky) T N T WP W M S ST C FS C “Sky” tell us that we are going to show cover three and on the snap roll to cover 4 (quarters) Free safety will slide to the strong hash Whip will sprint to the weak hash. coachcousins@yahoo.com

Cover 4 (Quarters) T N T W M S ST C WP FS C In cover 4 Mike will not rush, he will settle in the middle of the field. Whip will move back as a true safety. Will will play weak hook/ curl to flats. coachcousins@yahoo.com

“Cat” Cover 4 T N T W M S ST C WP FS C Cat will tell the will to line up 4x4. It will be the only time we remove a ILB from the box. Mike will not go. coachcousins@yahoo.com

Formation adjustments against the spread. coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread W/TE option 1.- stay in 3 T N T WP W M S ST C FS C coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread W/TE option 2.- check to 1(man free) T N T WP W M S ST C FS C Free safety cover 1 rules: # 3 either side- #2 if banjo coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread W/TE option 3.- check to man T N T WP W M S ST C FS C Free safety man rules: #2 strong, #3 weak. coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread W/TE option 4.- roll to 4 (sky) T N T WP W M S ST C FS C “Sky” tells us that we are showing cover 3, but rolling to cover 4 with the whip and free safety. Will ILB has hook/curl/flats weak. coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread W/TE option 5.- check to “cat” cover 4 T N T W M S ST C WP FS C “Cat” tells the will linebacker to slide out to 4x4 coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread trips W/TE option 1.- stay in 3 T N T WP W M S ST C FS C coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread trips W/TE option 2.- check man T N T WP W M S ST C FS C coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread trio W/TE option 1.- stay 3 T N T WP W M S ST C FS C coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread trio W/TE option 2.- roll to sky(4) T N T WP W M S ST C FS C coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread trio W/TE option 3.- 1 (man free) T N T WP W M S ST C FS C coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread trips open option 1.- stay in 3 T N T WP W M S ST C FS C coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread trips open option 2.- roll to sky (4) T N T WP W M S ST C FS C coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread trips open option 3.- 1 (man free) T N T WP W M S ST C FS C coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread double twins option 1.- stay in 3 T N T WP W M S ST C FS C coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread double twins option 2.- check 1 (man free) T N T WP W M S ST C FS C coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread double twins option 3.- check to “cat” cover 4 T N T W M S ST C WP FS C coachcousins@yahoo.com

Defending empty sets coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread empty pro trips option 1.- check to “cat” cover 4 T N T W M S ST C WP FS C coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread empty trips twins option 1.- check to “cat” cover 4 T N T W M S ST C WP FS C coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread empty quads option 1.- check to “cat” cover 4 T N T W M S ST C WP FS C We will bump our coverage to the quads to even out our numbers coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread moose option 1.- stay in 3 T N T WP W M S ST C FS C coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread moose option 2.- check cover 1(man free) T N T WP W M S ST C FS C In cover 1- the OLBS will tighten up to 1x4 off the TE coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread moose-trio option 1.- stay in 3 T N T WP W M S ST C FS C coachcousins@yahoo.com

Shotgun spread moose-trio option 2.- check cover 1(man free) T N T WP W M S ST C FS C In cover 1- the OLBS will tighten up to 1x4 off the TE coachcousins@yahoo.com

Motion adjustments When in doubt, check to cover 3 and play football. Cover 4(quarters) is our “oh crap” coverage. coachcousins@yahoo.com

Defending the run Zone Sweep Trap Lead Power coachcousins@yahoo.com

Defending the zone T N T WP W M S ST C FS C Will- Read- scoop/flow away- Fit- backside a gap Mike- Read- base/double team- flow strong- Fit under chip by tackle if possible- playside a gap Sam- Read- base/ double team- flow inside- Fit- step to outside of double team- refit under because of flow. Stud- Read- down- flow to- Fit- run feet of TE d gap. Force play inside. Whip- Read- scoop- flow away- Fit- hold and fold. coachcousins@yahoo.com

Defending the sweep T N T WP W M S ST C FS C Will- Read- scoop/flow away- Fit- backside a gap Mike- Read- reach- flow strong- Fit- under pulling guard playside b gap - Sam- Reach- flow outside- Fit- playside c gap- under pulling guard- down by TE. Stud- Read- fan- flow to- Fit- beat te up the field . Force play inside. Whip- Read- scoop- flow away- Fit- hold and fold. coachcousins@yahoo.com

Defending the trap T N T WP W M S ST C FS C Will- Read- scoop/flow away- Fit- backside a gap Mike- Read- base/double team- flow strong- Fit under chip by tackle if possible- playside b gap Sam- Read- down- flow inside- Fit- rip under down block by TE- Stud- Read- down- flow to- Fit- run feet of TE d gap. Force play inside. Whip- Read- scoop- flow away- Fit- hold and fold. coachcousins@yahoo.com

Defending the lead T N T WP W M S ST C FS C Will- Read- scoop/flow away- Fit- backside a gap Mike- Read- base/double team- flow strong- Fit under chip by tackle if possible- playside b gap Sam- Read- fan- flow inside- Fit- fill open window now. Take on fullback with outside arm and make ball bounce Stud- Read- fan- flow to- Fit- beat TE upfield. Force play inside. Whip- Read- scoop- flow away- Fit- hold and fold. coachcousins@yahoo.com

Defending the power T N T WP W M S ST C FS C Will- Read- scoop/flow away- Fit- backside a gap Mike- Read- base/double team- flow strong- Fit under chip by tackle if possible- playside b gap Sam- Read- base/ double team- flow outside- Fit- rip under chip by tackle-playside c gap Stud- Read- down- flow to- Fit- run feet of TE d gap. Force play inside. Whip- Read- scoop- flow away- Fit- hold and fold. coachcousins@yahoo.com

Blitzes we like to use 3 to the weak side T N T WP W M S ST C FS C Slant strong dog weak coachcousins@yahoo.com

Blitzes we like to use 3 to the weak side T N T WP W M S ST C FS C Slant weak dog weak coachcousins@yahoo.com

Blitzes we like to use 3 to the weak side T N T WP W M S ST C FS C Slant strong will A whip fire coachcousins@yahoo.com

Blitzes we like to use 3 to the weak side T N T WP W M S ST C FS C out dog weak coachcousins@yahoo.com

Blitzes we like to use 3 to the strong side T N T WP W M S ST C FS C Pinch dog strong coachcousins@yahoo.com

Blitzes we like to use 3 to the strong side T N T WP W M S ST C FS C slant weak mike go stud fire coachcousins@yahoo.com

Blitzes we like to use 4 to the strong side T N T WP W M S ST C FS C Pinch dog strong stud fire coachcousins@yahoo.com

Blitzes we like to use 4 to the strong side T N T WP W M S ST C FS C slant strong sam go stud fire coachcousins@yahoo.com

Closing We work very hard on not getting outflanked by formations. We work formation adjustments, motion adjustment, and checks everyday. As you can see, our adjustments are very simple usually only one or two people move. coachcousins@yahoo.com