Zone
The backstop of the defense. Takes away big plays downfield and keeps the offense in front of them.
Strengths
- Takes away big plays downfield
- Keeps offense in front
- Backstop of the defense
Weaknesses
- May struggle in man coverage
- Less effective in the box against the run
Most Relevant Attributes
Archetype Fit Players
Perfect
FS
FSExcellent
FS
FSGreat
FSCompatible Schemes
This archetype is used in the following schemes:
4-3 Cover 3
A 4-3 Cover 3 defense focuses on forcing methodical offensive drives. Pass rushing upfront, coverage in the middle, and safeties unafraid to play aggresively, this defense will force the offense to sustain their drives with small gains.
4-3 Quarters
Quarters, also known as Cover 4, is a scheme that puts four defenders deep, but allows for opportunities to split the field in man and zone coverage. As such, 4-3 Quarters is a good match against versatile offenses like Spreads.
4-3 Under
The 4-3 Under defensive scheme allows for more flexibility than the base 4-3, as it can change to a 3-4 or 5-2. It requires solid fill in players at both the DL and LB positions to be used at full potential.
Base 3-4
The base 3-4 defense utilizes bigger DL to eat up blockers, allowing four LBs to attack from multiple angles. The 3-4 excels at generating pressure with clever blitzes and is a solid defense against running plays.
Base 4-3
The 4-3 defensive scheme is a defensive formation with 4 defensive linemen and 3 linebackers, ideal for generating a pass rush with minimal blitzing, allowing for 7 defenders to drop into coverage.
Tampa 2
The Tampa 2 formation is similar to the base 4-3, as the defensive line is expected to pressure the QB without help from blitzes. The Tampa 2 is a unique for often having the MLB responsible for covering the deep middle.