Toasted in Mid-Field

[keis1]

Can anyone out there help with this??

I typically run the 4-3 defense. I can stop the running game pretty well. Once I get the opponent to about 3rd and 17, he drops back and kills me with passes to the middle of the field. Now it's like 4th and 1 or 4th and 2 so all my good D, on the previous downs have gone down the drain. Can anyone tell me a good defense to I should use to stop getting killed in the middle of the field??

Thanks guys!

[moosewillis]

what coverage are you calling with 3rd and 17? if you are staying in a base cover 2 the the middle of the field Should be wide open psat the lb's. what routes ishe hitting you with? Is it a deep in, crossing, slot post, TE post or RB fly up the middle?

[keis1]

I usually pick 4-3 Normal Cover 3.

I normally get killed on slants and posts on 3rd and long situations.

[moosewillis]

cover 3 in the 4-3 defense leaves the hash marks vulnerable, the flats are covered as are the corner routes, deep middle is covered as well, if you think about it most teams employ a dime defense in long down situations, putting more speed in the defense while sacrificing short to medium runs as well as short to medium passes. Dollar normal CB dogs is a nice blitz to send him puttin some speed guys off the edges to put some pressure on the QB, it opens up for a hot route if he reads it so you should be controlling a safety or the mlb and get to that spot asap. It may work once or twice, you may be able to throw in 2 man under and press your CB's to make him think you are bringing the dogs to mix it up a bit. If you run the same defense in tht situation time and time again of course he is going to find something that works. A lot of it depends on what set he is running out of as well.

[Gweetz69]

cover 3 can get smashed over the middle all day with at least 3 wr, i prefer bunch. but if u see that formation why are u picking 4-3...? Pick dime, man em up. WHy would you need to defend flats when there are other places downfield that coverage should be. So drop everybody back and dont defend flats, use purple and blue zones... And screw the blue flats on long situations.

[oiler76]

try backing off your db's.

[monsterBEN]

how bout a cover 3 and switch the 2 guys running to the flats to purple zones.

[jurr8080]

On third and 17, you have no business running a base defense. Try dollar quarters with a spy. Take control of the MLB and drop him to the middle. Take the safeties and cov. audible them to the corners to defend the bomb. You've got the deep ball covered up. Fan out your d-ends (R stick up).