Cover 7 - Backside Coverages

In our previous article we discussed Cover 7 to a 2 WR set. In this article we’ll discuss backside coverages to the single. Typically, we install three different coverages(four if you count straight Man by the corner). The three we install every year are Sky, Cone, and Cut. Why do we call them that? Because some coach way better than me named them a long time ago. Let’s get into it!

Sky

• Corner: Meg on #1 (Man Everywhere he Goes)

• Free Safety: Creep down to 7 yards; Coverage rule is 2 to the Flat

The first thing we always install is Sky to the backside in Cover 7. Why? Because Sky is the simplest to install and lets us be aggressive in the run game, especially on early downs.  

For this example we’ve called Clamp/Palms/2-Read and the backside tag is Sky. This tells the Free Safety (FS) to sky down to 7 yards from the line of scrimmage (LOS). We used to sky the FS to LB depth, but with the rise of the glance RPO, we leave the FS at 7 to influence the QB to hand the ball off. Additionally, we found out that most safeties don’t run fit at LB depth because the angle is so different from their usual alignment. The safety now becomes an extra hat in the box and a more athletic body to handle the RB out weak – think rail/wheel. The safety’s responsibility now becomes 2 weak (expand to flat). This means the FS has #2 on any release, and if he gets no release he can expand to the flat to help protect the corner on any kind of stop/comeback route. Front side still pays their Clamp/Palms/2-Read rules. So, we’ve now created two different coverages while only changing two players' responsibilities. 

In the example above, we’ve called 7 Clamp with a Sky tag backside. The backside corner has #1 MEG, while the FS takes the back to the flat. The Will becomes the extra dropper in this concept, so what’s his job? If we go back to our last article, anyone who has no responsibility becomes a hunter. 

To teach this, we tell the Will to drop and check back side to front looking for in-breaking routes up to 12 yards. If the Will gets one, he takes it. This can include an under route from the front side.

Sky becomes a cheap way to get an extra hat in the box on early downs, discourage the glance, and create a favorable matchup on a RB weak. It’s a Day 1 install for us and something every player in our secondary learns from Day 1 in the secondary.

Cone

• Corner: All of #1 Up, Out, & Over

• Free Safety: #1 on any inside break; to hunt

• Will: #2 Weak

Cone is the next backside coverage we install. Think of it as a bracket on #1 based off the route and release. If #1 releases outside, the corner has all of #1 by himself. This should be an easy down for the corner since he is an outside leverage player. Teaching point, we tell him, get beat anywhere but outside and deep. If #1 makes an inside break the FS will immediately and aggressively bracket #1 to the inside. (See example 2)

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

Now the question becomes, when does it truly become a double and when does it not? In example 1, the corner will take all of #1 since #1 ran a Vertical, and the safety is free to hunt. In example 2, #1 runs a Dig, so the safety would undercut the Dig and the corner would play overtop against any double move. In example 3, #1 runs a Drag, so the safety would take him through. You can also pass the Drag to the Will, and the safety can take #2 weak, but we seldom did this.

Now,  what is the term “4 to the 1st crosser” noted under the Will in the examples? The back is set strong, so that’s #4 and any crosser becomes the new #4, and the Will would take him. If we got a 4 strong concept, we’d release the Mike, and the Will would take over the Mike’s responsibility, but we’ll cover that in a future article.

Cone is a way to combat an offense that puts their best WR to the single side to outmatch your corner. By allowing a natural bracket it’s an effective way to slow down #1 when your DBs aren’t better players. The weakness with Cone is that you no longer get an extra fitter weak. 

Cut

• Corner: Trap the flats

• Free Safety: Vertical of #1

• Will: #2 Vertical

• Will: #2 Vertical

Cut is match Cover 2 to the backside. The corner plays a Trap technique at 5-6 yards and hinges inside with eyes in the backfield. He doesn’t need to reroute #1, because the safety’s only responsibility is the vertical of #1. Once the corner hinges he is looking to attack any throw in the flat. Additionally, we are super aggressive with the corner in the run fits on Cut. We tell him if the ball is handed off, NOT PLAY FAKED, he comes downhill now to make a play. 

This is another way we sneak extra hats in the box late, similar to Sky. If the corner hinges and gets no action, he sinks into the hole (where the offense wants to throw the hole shot) and looks for work. The safety has the vertical of #1. He pretty much has #1 M/M on anything deep. If #1 runs a slant, under, etc., the corner will attack it aggressively knowing he has the safety over top. The Will has #2 vertical; although we never call Cut to 2 WR, it is an option if you feel like you have the personnel for it. If there is no #2 vertical the Will can play his normal hunt rules, get depth, and work backside to front looking for in-breaking routes.

Example 1

Example 2

Example 1 shows the corner working the sink technique covered above. Example 2 shows how the corner aggressively traps the flat even on negative throws. We call Cut to be aggressive – if we don’t want to be aggressive we’ll call something else! 

Conclusion

In a typical year we carry these three backside coverages at minimum. Sometimes we carry more, but never less than these three, as we feel we need to have change ups backside to combat the different route combinations we can see backside from the offense. Cut is your most aggressive call to add hats to the box. Sky is a semi-aggressive approach to allow that safety to box fit and deter backside RPOs. Cone is a more coverage-intensive call designed to bracket the backside player and is a changeup against offenses that put their dude at the backside X opposite Trips or Twins Open.

If you have any questions about these coverages or any other coverage reach out to us at TheBoardDrillPodcast@gmail.com or DM us on Twitter @BoardDrillPod.