Cover 2 devalues corners because really all they do is play from the line to 10-15 yards back they play their zone. They have to be able to tackle well and play the flats and screens and stuff like that....

Really the pressure is on the safeties because if the WR is running deep it's their job to pick up the WR deep and cover him 1-1.

we should go to the flex 4 as our base defense

cover 2 puts alot less pressure on the qb because there ususally aren't many reads. Out of most D's cover 2 probably blitz the least and aren't really disguesed.

You got it.

The idea is to keep absolutely everything in front of you. No big plays.

It's a defense ideal for shutting down big-time QBs. Manning fell pretty badly to it in the playoffs, it neutered Bulger, and bankrupted Alex Smith and Matt Leinart of ideas.

If the QB is hungry for that big play, he'll throw right into the teeth of your defense downfield. Your CBs are to cover a smaller zone in the flats out on the sides, usually not very far down the field, and the safeties are each covering half of the field. The LBs are shutting down medium-range pass routes. Manning got 3 INTs because he couldn't keep his hand out of the cookie jar and kept going for those deep tosses.

If the QB adjusts properly, like Marc Bulger did, he'll settle for the "check down" receiver, which is the guy you keep near him in case he doesn't have anybody else to throw to. It's usually the RB or FB out of the backfield, no further than 5 yards down the road. And that's where it helps to (a.) have tenacious DEs (Hali and Allen) who'll try to chase those guys down, and (b.) super quick LBs (DJ, Harris, Edwards) to stop the guy before any major gain is had.

It's renouned as a "bend but don't break" defense.

Sort of. The MLB is responsible for the deep middle of the field. He has to be fast and quick enough to get down the field at the snap.

Here is a diagram. It places less emphasis on elite cornerback talent because they don't have to match up one-on-one with stud WRs.

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/443/cover2ps3.jpg

i like the 3-4 the best because it invovles putting the largest man possible right up front to set the tempo. I just can imagine when it was designed some guy was like "Well yeah? I got this fat guy and i am going to put him here! WHat are you going to do about that!"

This is what we normally use, right?

http://z.about.com/d/football/1/8/h/1/fig11.jpg

And that illustrates why if you have a bad line this defense sucks......if you have to blitz guys a reciever will basically run into a wide open hole on the field.

That's just showing a standard 4-3 defensive aligment. 4 linemen, three linebackers and 4 defensive backs. It's not illustrating their assignments.

But yes, we use a 4-3. The 3-4 is for mad scientists with ridiculous talent everywhere.

God i love mad scientests

because we always run zone we ususally don't shift much when the other team goes in motion. We might swing the will up alittle bit thats about it

Okay, so, if Herm likes the Cover 2, we need two strong safeties and two good CB's. Do we have that? HE seemed to take care of the line pretty well with the draft. And who is our MLB now that Mitchell is gone?

Our corners are overpaid for the scheme really.........

You don't need two good CBs...you just need two decent ones that can tackle and are relatively smart.

But yes, good to great safeties are a must, they have to cover lots of ground. Hopefully we have those with Pollard and Page (both rookies last year).

Our MLB is Napoleon Harris, who is much more suited for the C2 than Kawika was. He's taller, faster and quicker. We signed him in free agency. He was actually drafted by the Raiders and was part of the Randy Moss trade.

nate harris.. I will get my scoutting book out to see what notes I have on him... Ok here it is "really fast big black guy" There you go!