What are some to beat cover three | Jerry Campbell Football (2024)

Topic was passes vs Cover 3.

Vs Cover 3:
1. Hitch
2. 4 Verticals (go to either INSIDE Receiver off W/S)
3. Curl/Flat (Use Flat & Up, or AKA "wheel", to inside receiver if CB follows Curl inside - BIG play)

5 WIDE 3 X 2 = 5 VERTICALS (MOF OPEN, PUT SOMEBODY IN IT!)
= hITCH
= CURL/FLAT TO BACKSIDE JUST AS BILL OUTLINES

Coach Easton

Darin- GOOD concept! Appreciate it very much.

The old "FSU" teams used to tell the flat receiver (Y) on curl/flat) that when he reached a point 4-5 yds deep on top of the WR's ORIGINAL align, to automatically turn up (wheel). We have been having him (upon reaching that POINT) hook up & show his numbers to the QB ("FLAT/HOOK"). We have been "tagging" the flat AND up (wheel).

Your concept is very interesting!

The night we won the 1994 AFL SUper Bowl, we were trailing 7-0 when I called 1 Rip- Y 70 Z 455. 70 = flat route at 5 yds. 55 = 7 yd. curl by the z (our #4 back) simple single read by the QB on the SS, if he jumps the TE off the line, hit the curl behind him. If he waggles back to sit on the curl get the Y the ball right now. My QB pumped the y, the corner bit and came up and in and the SS squatted for just an instant. Meanwhile the QB pumps the z and the Y hooks it up and finds himself all alone. QB hits him at about 18 yds. with a perfect strike and when they tackled him we had picked up 63 yds, that had us on there 4 yd. line and goal to go. Faked 30 dive, basketball pitched it to the RB and he scampered in unmolested for the TD. Went on to win 20-14 after coming in a 14 point underdog and playing a previously undefeated (15-0) team for the Championship. We had gone in at 13-2. How sweet it was!!!

Coach Easton

Thanks Bill, I am definitely putting that new wrinkle in. I do it a little differently, I use the Dig at 10 and teach the Wide guy to throttle in space between the drop coverage and the slot wheel, but now he will read it and sit down if the Corner flies out. It should set up some nice pitch and catch for the QB with two options. Before we just lost that receiver to coverage doing the same thing you were talking about.

JC, great story, I know those wins are so meaningful for you. I am sure you have many more in your future. thanks for sharing that with us!

Here's a variation of the curl that we run, and have had great success with it:

Trips vs. cover 3: #3 runs a protection route at opposite shoulder of the safety, # 2 runs a wheel route and continues up the sideline if he can beat corner, or he sits down at 10-12 yards if corner is playing over top of him. #1 reads the FS and runs a post if the FS jumps the protection route by #3. If FS takes away # 1's post, we curl it up. The corner and FS can't be right.

Bill - you talk about the possibility of 5 deep out of 3x2.

Curl-Flat

"Flood" or "Choice" (#3 on Out/Choice)

"Flood" or "Choice" (#2 on Choice)

Compliments ("Tags") to Flood/Choice routes when Inside LB's are bailing hard to hook/curl :

A Wheel (#2 "wheels" back inside under LB)

Z Wheel (#3 "wheels" back inside under LB)