Anyone willing to help me out with Passes vs Zone Blitzes?

[NastyQueDawg]

I really, really need some help on passing vs Zones and Zone Blitzes. I use the Baltimore Ravens Offensive Playbook. If any one can help me I'd greatly appreciate it. Would like to deal with PLAYS out of this playbook that would help me convert 3rd and med.-long situations. Also getting ball up field as well. Thanks in advance. ( Head Commishioner of a helluva league and willing to waive league fee to join. Jets are only team that may be open soon.)

[ChristtheKing]

Nasty... I'll pm you.

[NastyQueDawg]

My name on AOL IM is OLDSKOOLQUE or Yahoo IM I'm nupsiq_2000. Thanks in advance.

[lynch1000s]

My name on AOL IM is OLDSKOOLQUE or Yahoo IM I'm nupsiq_2000. Thanks in advance.

Zone blitzes are almost always cover 3, and they almost always leave some if not both of the flats open.

So hitting the flats, drags, passes over the middle, etc all work against this defense.

[EscoDiesel]

I personally like the max protect (7 men in protection) play action on zome blitzes as long as you dont drop back too deep you shouldnt get sacked. Send 1 of the WR on a streak or a wheel (this is your home run threat) and the other on a slant or a drag to the middle (this is your outlet). Safties and Corners playing zone usually like to bite on the PA, from that point if you have the deep ball chuck it up there, if the deep ball is covered, throw the underneath route.

[NastyQueDawg]

I personally like the max protect (7 men in protection) play action on zome blitzes as long as you dont drop back too deep you shouldnt get sacked. Send 1 of the WR on a streak or a wheel (this is your home run threat) and the other on a slant or a drag to the middle (this is your outlet). Safties and Corners playing zone usually like to bite on the PA, from that point if you have the deep ball chuck it up there, if the deep ball is covered, throw the underneath route.

Okay....just what (7) do you keep in for extra protection?

[EscoDiesel]

Lt, Lg, C, Rg, Rt, Te, Fb

[firecoachhester]

I dont know if the Ravens playbook has any of these plays, but short slants out of I or Strong/Weak I is a good play. Your WRs run slants and both backs leak out into the flats. Against a zone blitz they will usually play more deep coverage so someone underneath is open. Make sure to get the ball out of your hands quickly too

[NastyQueDawg]

I dont know if the Ravens playbook has any of these plays, but short slants out of I or Strong/Weak I is a good play. Your WRs run slants and both backs leak out into the flats. Against a zone blitz they will usually play more deep coverage so someone underneath is open. Make sure to get the ball out of your hands quickly too

So u saying the backs out of the backfield are open in those plays? How many yards do u usually gain?

[Titans 4 LIFE]

the stop n go route (usually out of I-form or shotgun 2RB) will kill a cover 3 type zone blitz, especially with a pump fake. or you can just come out in I form, both WRs running a streak, your TE on a post and both RBs blocking, lob it to a WR.

[firecoachhester]

So u saying the backs out of the backfield are open in those plays? How many yards do u usually gain?

5-10 yards almost every time. Read one of the slants first, if its not open then check down to one of your backs.

[ICreate]

1.Run the ball against zone. 2. Take what you get, (flats, outs, curls, etc.) you want to make them pay for calling that play. Capitalize on the defense's weakness.
3.Burn them with the long ball and use Play Action (this is why you should run often).

[TNT713]

To beat zone blitzes, it's best to understand WHY they work... In the beginning of a game most players don't know what the offense's hot reads are. So they blitz early to find out:

1) Will you crumble under pressure
2) If you beat the blitz, where do you go with the ball

The defense blitzes to find out where you go with the ball when the heat is on. Once they know, they can bring the same LB action but change up the D-Line actions. If you read the LB blitzing, and go to the TE, a zone blitz can drop a DE into the passing lane if the offense isn't careful. Likewise, if it's a quick pass to a back in the flats, dropping a DE to the flats can disrupt the play...

SO... The best way to prevent a blitzing team from going to the zone blitz is to GO DEEP AGAINST BLITZES. Once you establish that your blitz read is DOWNFIELD, zone blitzes become ineffective. They only work well when the hot read is a short pass.

I don't recommend the advice someone gave regarding going to the backs in the flats... IMO, it's much to easy to setup a zone blitz that covers the flats for it to be a rule of thumb...

I recommend that you go deep EARLY against all blitzes. Even if the passes aren't completed, it stretches the field and keeps the defense from being able to go to a zone blitz scheme. Once the 2nd Qtr starts, those short hot reads may be safer, but if you see the D go to a zone blitz... START GOING DEEP AGAIN.

It's the best way to back them out of it...

Later

[WVUBOYZ]

Fades Kill Zones...they Come Out In Any Zone Hit The Fade They Will Come Out...u Hit It Just Right Easy 6.... Try It And See What Happen.....i Love Playing Someone That Love To Play Zone.....i Hate Playing Zone Easy To Get Beat Long.....

[benasty2em]

The first thing to do is learn your protection schemes. Example shift protection left, make FB block right. There are different ways to pick up the blizt, and also there are differnt ways you will need to drop your qb back to take advantage of this. Another way is to fllod the blitzing side.Players are mucj less likely to have zone schemes on the blitzing side, simply becuz most blitzes(not all) require somone to engage someone so the blizer comes free. Or they are sending more to an area then you can block.Example 3wr sets with hb going to the side with 2 wr's kills under smoke. Personnaly i agree with the last post MAKE THEM PAY. GO Deep. A fade, post combination will kill most zone blitzes. Seem routes kill most blitzes periond whether zone or man. Compression formations kill zone blitzes. There is not a lot of room for blitzers to run free. And with the multiple routes on one side of the ball, it is hard to zone blitz. Also find you a couple of plays that really doesnt need modification. If you can quick hike the defense it doesnt give them time to set up. If I can set all my defenses up like I want to before snap, they can be lovely. But alot of times someone will snap the ball before an adjustment is made, and something is wide open. Or even worse, I accidently commit, and you know the rest.

[NastyQueDawg]

The first thing to do is learn your protection schemes. Example shift protection left, make FB block right. There are different ways to pick up the blizt, and also there are differnt ways you will need to drop your qb back to take advantage of this. Another way is to fllod the blitzing side.Players are mucj less likely to have zone schemes on the blitzing side, simply becuz most blitzes(not all) require somone to engage someone so the blizer comes free. Or they are sending more to an area then you can block.Example 3wr sets with hb going to the side with 2 wr's kills under smoke. Personnaly i agree with the last post MAKE THEM PAY. GO Deep. A fade, post combination will kill most zone blitzes. Seem routes kill most blitzes periond whether zone or man. Compression formations kill zone blitzes. There is not a lot of room for blitzers to run free. And with the multiple routes on one side of the ball, it is hard to zone blitz. Also find you a couple of plays that really doesnt need modification. If you can quick hike the defense it doesnt give them time to set up. If I can set all my defenses up like I want to before snap, they can be lovely. But alot of times someone will snap the ball before an adjustment is made, and something is wide open. Or even worse, I accidently commit, and you know the rest.

Good Stuff benasty!