All22 Analysis - Coverages & Concepts

Drive concept
- Vertical stretch to hook/curl zone defenders; Drag route can win versus man coverage
- Effective against: Cover 3, Cover 2 Man, Cover 2 Zone
- Progression: Drag - Square In (Low - High); 5 step timing


The Hook defender gains depth to cover the Square In. This opens up the Drag.




The Square In route will continue running if it's man coverage, or will sit in a quiet area if it's zone.

Levels concept
- Vertical stretch to hook/curl zone defenders
- Effective against: Cover 1, Cover 2 Zone, Tampa 2
- Progression: Low - High; 5 step timing

The intermediate (inside) In route runs at a depth behind the LB level. The outside In route, runs at the LB level.


The Hook zone defender gains depth to cover the inside route. This opens up an area for the red route to work.
If the stretched defender was at the red dot, then the correct throw would be to the yellow route.


versus Tampa2

Sucker concept
- Vertical stretch to hook/curl zone defender
- Effective against: Cover 3, Cover 2 Zone, Tampa 2
- Progression: In - Curl (High to Low); 5 step timing

The Curl is used to 'suck' the coverage towards it and open up the area behind for the In route to work.


The Curl draws the attention of the Hook zone defender.
If the defender was at the red dot, then the correct throw would be to the Curl.

vs Tampa 2


The Curl is run directly at the stretched defender to intentionally draw attention.

Shallow Cross concept
- Vertical stretch to hook/curl zone defenders; Drag route can win versus man coverage
- Effective against: Cover 3, Cover 1, Cover 2 Man
- Progression: Drag - Square In (Low to High); 5 step timing

Similar to Drive concept, but the routes come from opposite sides of the formation. The Drag route flashes in front of the LB level defenders. The Square In route is run at a depth behind the LB level.


The Drag draws the attention of the underneath zone defenders. The Crossing route settles into a quiet area.
If the underneath zone defenders gained depth to cover the Cross (red dot), then the correct throw would be to the Drag.


versus Cover6

Smash concept
- Vertical stretch to sideline zone defender; Corner route can win versus man coverage
- Effective against: Cover 2 Zone, Cover 1
- Progression: Corner - Curl (High to Low); 5+ step timing


The sideline defender sinks in depth to cover the Corner route. The correct throw is to the Curl.
If the stretched defender came forward to the red dot to cover the Curl, then the Corner route would be open.



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Versus Cover 1, the Corner route can win if it has outside leverage on the CB.


With only a cover 1 safety in the middle of the field, and the Curl route preventing the CB from sinking in depth, the Corner route has a lot of room to work.

Sail concept
- Vertical stretch to sideline zone defender
- Effective against: Cover 3, Cover 2 Zone, Fire Zone
- Progression: Go - Sail - Flat (High to Low); 5+ step timing

The Go route is designed to remove the deep zone defender in order to isolate the intermediate (Sail) and short (Flat) routes against the curl/flat defender.


The stretched defender gains depth and takes away the Sail. The correct throw is to the Flat.
If the stretched defender was at the red dot, then the correct throw is to the Sail.

versus Cover3

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vs Cover3


The stretched defender covers the flat - Sail route open.

Inverted Smash

- Vertical stretch to sideline zone defender
- Effective against: Cover 2 Zone, Tampa 2, Cover 3
- Progression: Corner - Flat (High to Low); 5 step timing

The outside WR runs the Corner, and the slot WR runs a Flat route. This reverses the roles from the Smash concept to stretch the sideline zone defender.


The stretched defender turns his hips to shade towards the Corner. The correct throw is to the Flat.
If the vertically stretched defender was at the red dot, then the correct throw would be to the Corner.

vs Tampa 2

Fade-Out (Z concept)

- Vertical stretch to sideline zone defender
- Effective against: Cover 2 Zone, Cover 1, Quarters
- Progression: Fade - Out; 3/5 step timing

This is called the 'Z' concept in Mike Holmgren's playbook. Will be called "Fade-Out" in reference to the route combination.
A very versatile route combination where the Fade (Go route) can be targeted to beat Cover 2 zone, or as a back shoulder throw to beat man coverage. The Fade also acts as a clearing route for the Out route to work.
The Fade must get an outside release to turn his CB's back to the play. The Out needs to win outside leverage.


Versus Quarters, the Out route gets behind the curl/flat defender, and breaks in front of the safety. Fade clears the area.

vs Cover 6 (Quarters side)

If versus Cover 2: Target the Fade that attacks the "honey hole" - the area behind a Cover 2 Zone CB, in front of the Cover 2 safety. If the CB sinks to take away the Fade, then the Out route becomes open in front of the CB.
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Versus Cover 1: Fade can be targeted if the matchup is favorable, or it can act as a clearing route.


With the outside CB's back turned, the Out route has room to work.

vs Cover 1

Mills concept
- Vertical stretch to deep zone defender
- Effective against: Cover 2 Zone, Quarters, Cover 1
- Progression: Post - Deep In (High to Low); 7 step timing

vs Cover6 (Quarters on Mills side)


Key defender breaks on the Dig route, opening the Post.
If defender was near red cross, then target would be the Dig.



The Deep In route usually breaks before the Post in order to bait the safety forward (vertical stretch) and allow the Post to threaten.

Mills vs Cover1

Pin concept
- Vertical stretch on deep zone defender (safety)
- Effective against: Cover 1, Quarters, Cover 2 Zone
- Progression: Post - Deep In (High - Low); 7 step timing

Called "Pin" because of the route combination (Post + In). The deep In route, run behind the LB level, is designed to draw up the safety on that side of the field, then have the Post attack the area behind the stretched safety.





The defense is in some odd cover 0, so there is no safety to stretch on this play.
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This is a Post + Deep Curl combination where the stretch applied to the safety is like that of the Pin concept.

Speedo (Z cross) concept
- Vertical stretch to sideline zone defenders
- Effective against: Cover 2 Zone, Tampa 2, Cover 3
- Progression: Go to Crosser to Flat (High to Low)

Texas concept
- Vertical stretch to Hook zone defender
- Effective against: Tampa 2, Cover 2 Zone, Cover 2 Man, Cover 1 Blitz
- Progression: Angle - Out; 5 step timing

Red creates space for yellow to work.


Against man coverage, the red route clears the blue defender from the area.


vs Cover2 Man

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