Playbooks
Franchise Playsheet
QB Contain
PlaysheetDefenseOverview
The QB Contain playbook is a situational playsheet with one job: keep a scrambling quarterback inside the pocket and make him win from there. Its 30 plays are split across 6 formations with exactly one set each. The 3-4, 4-3, Dime and Quarter each carry 6 plays (20% apiece), and the 4-2-5 and Nickel each carry 3 plays (10% apiece). That even four-way split means you can match almost any offensive personnel grouping without losing your core contain and spy calls. Personnel runs from Base 5-2 and Base 4-3 up through Big Nickel 4-2-5, Nickel 4-2-5 and Big Dime 4-1-6, all the way to Big Quarter 3-1-7.
The concept menu is heavy on man coverage with a spy or contain tag. It features Cover 1, Cover 0, Cover 2 Man looks such as Cov 2 Man Contain and Cover 2 Man Spy, and dedicated calls like Cov 1 QB Contain Spy and Cover 1 Contain. It is rounded out with Cover 3, Cover 3 Match, safety blitzes, corner pressure like Corner Blitz 3, Line Slant and Pinch front stunts, and a Bracket Switch Willie look for taking away a primary target. The game plan is simple: rush with lane discipline, hold the edges, and let a spy or bracket player erase the scramble and the first read.
What you get from choosing it over a general franchise defensive sheet is focus. Every formation has a way to tag contain or spy onto man coverage, so you are not stuck in a base look hoping your user can chase down a quarterback who has escaped. At 30 plays it is larger than only 21% of the game's defensive franchise playsheets. That is compact, but the plays are concentrated on the exact problem it was built to solve.
Scheme Fit
The QB Contain playbook wants disciplined edge rushers with strong block shedding, a fast linebacker or safety with high pursuit and zone awareness to serve as the spy, and cornerbacks with strong man coverage ratings who can hold up in Cover 1 and Cover 0. Pick it if your division or online opponents live on scrambling quarterbacks and designed QB runs and you are comfortable user controlling a spy. If you would rather win with four man pressure and zone disguises, a more zone heavy playsheet is the better fit.
Playsheet bonuses
- IUnlocks the playsheet
- II+3Finesse Movesall Defensive Linemen
- III+3Power Movesall Defensive Linemen
- IV+5Zone Coverage, Play RecLinebackers
Every play in this playsheet (30 plays)
3-4 Under6 plays
Nickel Over3 plays
4-2-5 Over G3 plays
Dime 2-3-66 plays
Quarter Normal6 plays
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Strengths
- The even 6 play split across 3-4, 4-3, Dime and Quarter lets you sub into a contain or spy call against 21, 11, 10 or empty personnel without leaving the playsheet, so formation subs never force you out of your QB plan.
- Built in spy and contain tags like Cov 1 QB Contain Spy and Cover 2 Man Spy save you from burning pre-snap time on manual spy assignments and contain hot routes, which matters against a hurry-up scrambler.
- The Quarter formation with Big Quarter 3-1-7 personnel gives you seven defensive backs in man coverage with a contain rush. Few playsheets offer that on 3rd and long against a mobile passer.
- Line Slant and Pinch concepts let you shift rush lanes pre-snap, collapsing the pocket inward so the quarterback cannot bounce outside your edge defenders when he drops back.
- Bracket Switch Willie and Cover 0 or safety blitz calls give you a way to take away a go-to receiver or force a hot read, so the playsheet is not purely passive contain.
Weaknesses
- The 4-2-5 and Nickel get only 3 plays each (10%), so your nickel package is thin. Against a heavy 11 personnel offense you will cycle the same few calls and savvy opponents will key on the looks.
- With one set per formation there are no alternate alignments to disguise your front. A player who studies your pre-snap look can read spy versus blitz from where your linebackers and safeties line up.
- The concept list leans heavily toward man coverage with spy or contain tags. Zone is limited to Cover 3 and Cover 3 Match, so crossers, mesh and rub concepts can punish you when you stay in man.
- Contain rushes by design trade pressure for lane discipline. A pocket passer with time will pick apart Cover 1 and Cover 2 Man looks, because your edge defenders are holding rather than getting home.
- At 30 plays, this playsheet is smaller than most defensive franchise sheets, which leaves little depth for run defense or goal line situations outside the 3-4 and 4-3 base calls.
Usage Tips
Build your base down audibles around the 3-4 and 4-3 sets. Use Cover 1 Contain or a Line Slant call on 1st and 10 against 21 or 12 personnel to stop the designed QB run and the zone read keeper.
On 2nd and medium against 11 personnel, check into the Dime set and call Cover 2 Man Spy. Then user the spy defender yourself to shadow the quarterback while the coverage handles the receivers.
On 3rd and long, go to the Quarter set with Big Quarter 3-1-7 personnel and call Cov 1 QB Contain Spy. Seven defensive backs plus a contain rush takes away both the deep shot and the scramble for the sticks.
Save Corner Blitz 3 and the safety blitz calls for 3rd and short or red zone snaps from the 4-2-5 or Nickel. Pressure there forces a quick throw before the quarterback can extend the play, and the limited play count in those sets means you should not overuse them.
When an opponent has one dominant target, call Bracket Switch Willie on money downs. Pair it with Pinch on the defensive line so the pocket closes quickly and the quarterback is forced to hold the ball.
Formations in this playbook
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