63 Defense: Tampa Cover 2 &

Zone Coverage ConceptsZone Coverage Concepts

Jack Gregory© 2011

All Rights Reserved

For more information see www.gregorydoublewing.com

Or email me at coachgregory@live.com

History of the Tampa Cover 2

• The "Tampa 2" is a defensive strategy that was

popularized by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

football team in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

• It was designed by then head coach Tony Dungy, • It was designed by then head coach Tony Dungy,

defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, and then

linebackers coach Lovie Smith. Dungy first

learned the Cover 2 while playing for the Steelers

in the late 70s and eventually developed this new

form of the Cover 2 in Tampa.

How it Works

• The Tampa 2 scheme relies heavily on extremely speedy defensive players and a hard

hitting secondary that loves to gang tackle. Further, the Tampa 2 expects everyone to

tackle in the run game; the safeties, the cornerbacks, and everyone in between.

• The Tampa 2 is run out of the usual 4-3 defense, but every player is responsible for his

own gap up on the line and drops a middle linebacker into deeper coverage. The design

behind the Tampa 2 was to stop the West Coast Offense that became popular and was

spreading around the league. spreading around the league.

• In a standard 43 defense, the middle LB stays underneath the safeties and covers short

underneath routes and helps in run defense. In the Tampa 2, the middle LB is

expected to drop into deep coverage in the middle essentially converting a Cover 2 into

a Cover 3. This protects against the deep pass very well and changes the assignments.

Every player is now responsible for less field, and the deep routes are covered better.

Only the other two LBs and the two CBs have to cover slightly more ground.

• Below is the standard 43 Cover 2 defense. The safeties are responsible for 1/2 of the

field deep. The corners and linebackers are each responsible for about 1/5 of the field

in the shorter distances. This poses a problem, see the next figure.

The Cover 2 4-3 Defense

Tampa Cover 2 4-3 Defense

How it Works Part 2

• The Tampa 2 coverage scheme attempts to plug up the soft spots in the usual Cover 2. The Tampa 2 emphasizes speed and a quick pass-rush. While the normal Cover 2 has each LB and CB covering about 1/5 of the field, as you saw above, and the safeties covering 1/2 the field deep, the Tampa 2 pulls the middle LB into a middle deep zone coverage as well, making it a a Cover 3.

• What this does is allows the safeties to have to cover less ground, • What this does is allows the safeties to have to cover less ground, so they can cover the traditional soft zone past the corners more effectively.

• Since the middle LB drops into coverage, the other two LBs and CBs each have to cover about 1/4 of the field. Speed at every position is extremely important, because the LBs have to cover more ground than LBs are used to covering.

Exposing the Tampa Cover 2

• A team with a strong running game or a great play-action game can seriously stress the Tampa 2 defensive scheme. If the safety has to stop and think for a split second about a run, the soft spots behind the CBs have opened up again. The Tampa 2 was designed to work against teams that ran a West Coast Offense. Short passes, lots of zone exploitation, and the deep posts, corners, flags, and outs. West Coast Offense. Short passes, lots of zone exploitation, and the deep posts, corners, flags, and outs.

• The Tampa 2 was successful against the West Coast Offense, because West Coast teams don't run as much as they pass. Hence, the Tampa 2 made more sense. The newer types of West Coast Offenses being used by teams like the Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons, and Carolina Panthers take full advantage of the run game and play very well against Tampa's defense.

Why We Use It

• It is the cornerstone of what we do.

• It allows us to play aggressive defense against the run and get a eleven hats on the ball.

• It deceives defenses into seeing false secondary coverage; DE not dropping when they don’t have a coverage; DE not dropping when they don’t have a quick pass key and MIKE not dropping into the deep zone when seeing run.

• It allows us to be aggressive at the LOS and compress the backfield while not giving up the deep pass.

• It easily converts from COVER 2 to COVER 3 against a drop set – three and four verticals.

How it is Modified

• We take the CB’s and move them inside to the DE spot (really rush/read 34 OLB) to provide our FORCE into the backfield and make the defense a spill & kill defense. Six defenders at the LOS against the run instead of four (43).

• We take the Safeties and make them inverted cornerbacks allowing us to defend the deep vertical outs. We now have two primary pass defenders instead of four as most youth based offenses are run first.

The conversion from a 4 man front to a 6 man front with force/pressure • The conversion from a 4 man front to a 6 man front with force/pressure ends gives us the ability to effectively attack the running game.

• It allows us to easily convert into a passing defense against pass oriented teams and spread offenses.

• We use a mix of interior calls (front six) to apply additional pressure or coverage depending on the offenses ability (STACK/RED/SPREAD/QUARTERS/ZULU/PRESS/DEPRESS).

Dealing With the Space on the Field

Vertical Out Vertical Middle Vertical Out

Interior EdgeEdgePerimeter Perimeter

The 63 DefenseTC2: S become 63 CB

Inverted Cover 2

TC2: Mike is

our 63 Mike

TC2: CB become

63 DE (OLB)

As a base the DL are one gap

players (slanting front)

The 63 Defense

Not Stack Not Stack

Only if neededOnly if needed

Face the Play

• The defensive end and any defender outside of the defensive end will align in a FTP/Tilted stance.

• We face the ball when we are on the perimeter or in the deep outside vertical because we read the QB while we watch the receivers move.

• We defend our field and then ball when it goes into the air.

• Field is not athletic, not fast, not taller. • Field is not athletic, not fast, not taller.

• You rotate as you drop towards the deepest receiver threat in your zone responsibility.

• BSCB and BSLB slow their rotation to check for BCR.

• FTP allows us to get everyone to the ball. If run every defender checks to make sure there is no threat of ball in their area (BCR/PAP) and they flow to the ball. If pass they drop and when the ball is released everyone goes to the ball.

Red Call – Zone Drop & RotationNotice rotation

Not Stack Not Stack

Only if neededOnly if needed

Red Call – Zone Drop & Rotation

Against a Rollout

Not Stack Not Stack

Only if neededOnly if needed

Red Call – Zone Drop & Rotation

Against a SwingNotice rotation

Not Stack Not Stack

Only if neededOnly if needed

Notes on Zone Coverage

• The quicker a player is the faster he will break on the ball.

• The faster a player is the less time it take takes to cover field to get to the ball.

• CB’s can be smaller in size but must make up the size with good athleticism, quickness, a

knack for finding the ball.

• CB’s must play in vertical space (speed + quickness)

• OLB’s must play in lateral space (quickness + lateral movement)

• MIKE must do both well.• MIKE must do both well.

• The value of a player who can locate the ball and get his hands on it is important in the

secondary. If you find a player that can do that you have consider him a legit corner.

• DE’s must play in lateral space (quickness + lateral movement)

• Having players in the HOURGLASS that can play multiple positions (CB that can play DE, MIKE,

and OLB) gives you more options.

• PRESS/DEPRESS call the OLB and DE must be able to move reasonably well in vertical space.

• Figure out if a receiver is a vertical threat, lateral threat (possession), or both.

• Find out if the QB throws to a receiver or not. If he doesn’t that defender can become a

pressure player at times.

Questions/Comments?Questions/Comments?