Help vs Cover 2 Zones

[rhombic21]

Can somebody point in the direction of some literature as to how teams beat Cover 2 zone in real life. Last year it was pretty easy - you just flood one side of the zone with an out, a corner, and a streak. This year that doesn't work because the freaking short corner (no matter who he is) has an AMAZING ability to play both the short route and still provide underneath support on the deep corner. And if you try to hit the post route over the middle between the Safeties, the MLB (who also has an AMAZING abililty to cover both short crossing routes/hitches and the deep posts) more times than not will force you to overthrow it, or will drill the WR as he makes a catch.

I'm trying to run a spread type offense, and for the life of me, I can't figure out how to beat Cover 2 Zone, especially in long yardage type situations (3rd and 7+) where the underneath stuff really isn't a viable threat.

I looked at Bronco's suggestions, and they are very good ones, but I still am not having the success that I would really like to see. It seems like it takes GREAT protection, a nearly PERFECT throw, with PERFECT TIMING, and a wideout who can take a hit and hold onto the ball for it to really work. Plus, if you run into somebody who manually controls the FS or MLB (as I suspect people would do after you hit them a few times with it), it seems like they would be in pretty good position to make a manual play on the ball. I'm having a terrible time getting anybody "open" against Cover 2 zones, especially against teams that have talented Safeties which can cover a lot of ground, and battle my WR on a deep ball. I was practicing against OU's defense, and really couldn't find ONE play that worked well enough for me to feel comfortable calling in in the game.

Also, the hitches and curls on this game appear to be useless. 9 times out of 10, the QB either throws it right at the defense, the defender jumps the route, or the WR/TE turns the wrong way. That's not even considering the drops that occur because your guy gets hit almost immediately by the swarming zone defense. The inability to hit guys sitting in a void in the defense via a hitch or curl route really hinders your ability to attack the max cover zone defenses, which have some GAPING holes in the intermediate portion of the field, particularly between the MLB and the OLB's.

I really think that EA hasn't made a whole lot of improvements to the zone defense AI, they've just made defenders react like Superhuman All Americans, and seem to have altered some of the pass routes so that they don't attack zone nearly as well.

But on the off chance that I'm just going about it all wrong, I'd love to see how teams attack the Buc Style Cover 2 zone defense (which is what they employ on NCAA) in real life, so that I can try that.

[mad_bomber]

One of the ways I attack cover 2 is using the "Texas" concept of the west coast offense. It was designed by Mike Holmgren when he was with the Packers as a way of attacking Tampa Bay's cover 2 scheme where they would drop the middle linebacker to the deep middle of the field. Basically I send an inside receiver down the deep middle (usually tightend) to force the middle linebacker to favor him. I then have one of my backs angle out of the backfield over the middle where the middle linebacker vacated. I've noticed the defense doesn't jump this route as quickly as they do some others. It's been quite helpful for me.

Texas (http://users2.ev1.net/~jamrtm/texasconfinal.html)

[seanmac]

Great find, bomber. I've been using that concept out of an Ace spread package with ASU and having great success online. Putting the slot receiver in motion and then running the back in behind is very high percentage, and if the guy manually takes over the safety to bite on the halfback, you can go over the top to the slot receiver.

[Bronco]

One of the ways I attack cover 2 is using the "Texas" concept of the west coast offense. It was designed by Mike Holmgren when he was with the Packers as a way of attacking Tampa Bay's cover 2 scheme where they would drop the middle linebacker to the deep middle of the field. Basically I send an inside receiver down the deep middle (usually tightend) to force the middle linebacker to favor him. I then have one of my backs angle out of the backfield over the middle where the middle linebacker vacated. I've noticed the defense doesn't jump this route as quickly as they do some others. It's been quite helpful for me.

Texas (http://users2.ev1.net/~jamrtm/texasconfinal.html)Bomber, good call. Texas is good for Cover 2, definitely. I haven't really seen an accurate depiction of that exact play in NCAA, though after moving the TE to opposite side you can get the same flood concept.

Like Bomber was saying, this play is a HI/LO concept, with the main difference being that we're looking to exploit below Mike instead of above him.

Incidentally, "22 Texas" was developed by Walsh back in his early Frisco days, perhaps even in Cincinati with Brown. You'll recall that Dungy's 2 Buc philosophy is based on what the Steelers were doing during the Steel Curtain years. My guess is that Walsh and Brown developed this this route combination for the very same reason you mentioned with Holmgren - to exlploit the Mike dropping deep.

[FlaPride]

I have been experimenting with a technique similar to the flood concept except I attack the middle of the field underneath with the outside receiver.

with Shotgun Trips I run "Clear Out"

With this play the back goes out into the flat, The inside receiver R1 kind of slants out and runs to the deep middle, the X reciever runs a streak, and the outside receiver "O" runs a slight slant off the line and cuts back hard over the shallow middle. The R1 receiver holds the linbacker deep over the middle allowing you to hit the underneath slant for about 4 + yards depending if you hit him in stride. I also will hot route the outside rec to a slant if I can so he gets to the middle quicker in case of a blitz.

[FlaPride]

another thing I have done is switched to "Classic View" that has made a huge difference. I can see a lot more of whats going on.
I did this after I got intercepted by the CB that I couldn't see. On classic it is much easier to pick him up. IMO. this game seems to be about timing. 3 steps and throw, etc.

[kbell97]

I am using that technique to FLA Pride, I am finding delay routes by hbs are also good, while the defensive players drop deep the hbs route in blue ( Im sure ya know this) is delayed. I have been using these concepts and the four seem concept, and occasionally hit a post over the middle, you would think the deep middle would be open more often, even with the " buc lb or lb's" being occupied, you really have to have a well timed throw. Nickel, 3-3-5 cover 2 zones are hard for me to hit on a post.

[rhombic21]

I've had some success beating it short, which was never really the problem because it's designed to give up short stuff over the middle. My problem is figuring out a way to beat it in 3 and 8+. It seems like it's nearly IMPOSSIBLE to extend a drive if I don't make decent yards on first or second down. I'm getting guys open down the seam between the MLB and one of the S by sending three of four guys deep, with an underneath route to keep the LB and Dimeback from completely dropping deep. But I can't seem to get the pass completed, because the QB routinely overthrows it and the Safety intercepts it or knocks it down. Any tips on figuring out how to throw that pass effectively? The guy is open, and there's a definite window to fit the ball in, I just can't get him to complete it.

[kbell97]

Here are some plays I had success in the lab against a nickel cover 2 zone. I ran them both default.

Shotgun Normal
TE Delay - as the linebackers drop deep the Tight End sneeks out on a delay, and I hit him on a dump pass for at least a 5 yard gain.

Corners - the split end runs a short drag or an under, the sl1 runs a corner route, the TE runs a corner, and the flanker runs a post route. I wait for the slit end running across the field in his drag, as soon as the LB starts to follow it opens up just enough space in the middle of the field to hit the post route. I am finding post routes by one of the outside receivers and a route to occupy the middle backers works better for me. Now this play totally gets screwed up if the drag gets jammed off his route or the flanker get jammed trying to run the post, so I either try and dump it off eventually to the drag route or tuck it in and run, if these routes get jammed by DB's.

[rhombic21]

I've been fooling around in practice mode, and I've found a concept that really seems to work well. First you need to send mulitiple WR's on one side of the field deep. Ideally, one WR is running either a fade or a streak, and the other is running a seam route up the middle. The fly/fade holds the SS over on his half, forcing the FS to shade over on the seam. Try to send one or two guys into the short middle, on hooks or delay patterns. These guys are primarily dump off guys incase you get pressure, but sometimes against manual defenders, if you hit the delay route a couple times, you can force them to sit short with the MLB. The real key here though, is the primary reciever. I have found that Post-Corner (double move, where the WR fakes the post, then cuts back out on a corner), can really burn Cover 2 deep down that sideline, especially if there's an underneath route holding that CB short. The post fake holds the FS near the middle of the field (along with the seam pattern), and also has a dual effect of giving the Dimeback/LB that he has "passed the WR off" to the next zone, which causes him to work his way back up the field, or hold at his current position, rather than following the WR, as you see him do on a normal corner route. I've been practicing against LSU's defense, and am consistently getting 25-35 yards against Nickel Cover 2 zone. The play I'm using right now is SG 2B Slot Strike, but I imagine that ANY play which follows these concepts would work just as well. The key is that you MUST have your feet set (and therefore your line must provide good protection, because the routes take awhile to develop), and that you have to lead the WR to the sideline (away from that sinking LB or dimeback), into the gap between the CB and the FS. Once you get the timing and velocity down, you can beat Cover 2 consistently. It's definitely worth a look in practice.

EDIT: Hitch and goes seem to have a similar effect on the defense. The hitch fake holds the CB short, and causes the FS/SS to focus on the seam up the middle, leaving a sizable window to throw into if you time it right (ie throw it almost as soon as the WR turns back upfield).

[kbell97]

I will have to try this out Rhombic. I have a freind who I play against who plays nothing but cover 2 zones, man, and blitzes, and always spys with the middle backer, he mainly plays out of the nickel. I am alway looking for plays in the formations I like to use against him, practicing them in the lab. When he blitzes which is usally a NB blitz he still spies the middle, never switching to the blitzing NB. I like your concept and try it tonight. Last year when I played him I killed him with the flood routes from the shotgun trips, and deep post plays. I am not sure if he will use the 3-3-5 or 4-2-5 cover 2's, I have yet to play him.