Cover 2 Man

Description

You've no doubt used a play with this same name under standard defensive formations like Dime. The idea here is the same, only with a total of seven defensive backs, and is also quite simple: play man coverage with every close defensive back, drop two safeties into deep zones and rely on just the front four to generate a pass rush. The Speed Quarter formation takes the basic Cover 2 Man play and makes it a bit faster, replacing the linebacker with a third safety who will usually have man coverage on the running back.

Cover 2 Man is best used on obvious passing downs like 3rd and 10 or more. It's simplicity is good if you find yourself being burned attempting fancy blitzes or complex coverage schemes.With two safeties in deep zone in addition to every eligible receiver man covered this play excels against the deep pass with at least two DBs covering deep throws almost a certainty. The only real weakness to watch out for is against scrambling quarterbacks, particularly if the offense comes out in an unbalanced formation like trips and drags the isolated receiver to the trips side to open one side of the field. A fairly weak pass rush and poor run stopping are also weaknesses, but with so many DBs in coverage you can afford to bump the receivers at the line, delaying their routes and giving the pass rush extra time to pressure the QB, while the play simply should not be used in running situations.

Player Assignments

See the Madden Playbook Guide for a description of these symbols.

Analysis

Pros:

• Simple and well balanced pass coverage that is safe and effective
• Seven DBs in pass coverage allows defenders to play tight, press coverage with confidence, disrupting timing and and allowing the relatively light pass rush extra time to break down the pocket
• All eligible receivers accounted for

Cons:

• No short zone defenders mean that unbalanced offensive formations can cause wide openings for QB scrambles
• Fairly weak pass rush