Playbooks

Franchise Playsheet

The Shark

PlaysheetDefense

3Formations

3Sets

40Plays

Overview

The Shark is a franchise situational playsheet for the defensive side of the ball. At 40 plays it is bigger than 79% of the game's 30 defensive franchise playsheets, yet it covers only three formations. That makes it deep rather than wide. The split is close to even: 4-3 carries 15 plays (38%), 4-2-5 carries 14 (35%) and Dime carries 11 (28%). Each formation has exactly one set, so every call from a given front comes from the same alignment.

The menu covers most coverage families: Cover 1, Cover 2, Cover 3, Cover 4, Quarters, Cover 6, Cover 9, trap coverage and general zone. It also has LB blitz, safety blitz and standard blitz pressure. Sample calls such as Cover 1 Contain, Cover 2 Hard Flat and Casino Blitz show the range. You can play contain man against a scrambler, sit on the flats with a hard corner, or send a named pressure. The game plan follows personnel. Base 4-3 handles run downs, Big Nickel 4-2-5 is the all-purpose sub package, and Dime 4-1-6 is for obvious passing downs.

Pick The Shark over a broader sheet if you want a lot of coverage variety from a small number of alignments. Because the three formations are balanced, you can match offensive personnel without losing access to your favorite shells. Split-field calls like Cover 6 and Cover 9, plus trap coverage, let you disguise from a look the offense has already seen several times.

Scheme Fit

The Shark fits a four-man front with a defensive end who can win on his own and a Base 4-3 linebacker group that can play the run and still carry a seam in Cover 3. It also needs a secondary deep enough to field a third safety or slot corner in Big Nickel and two extra DBs in Dime, with zone-aware safeties who can execute Cover 6, Cover 9 and Quarters rotations. It suits a player who subs by personnel and wins with disguise and coverage rotation rather than exotic fronts.

Playsheet bonuses

IUnlocks the playsheet
II+3Block Shed Moves, Play Recall EDGE & DT
III+3Tackling, Accelerationall LB & DB
IV+5Zone Cover, Speedall Defenders

Every play in this playsheet (40 plays)

4-3 Over15 plays

4-2-5 Over G14 plays

Dime Rush11 plays

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Strengths

With 15 plays in 4-3, 14 in 4-2-5 and 11 in Dime, no personnel package is thin, so you can sub by down and still keep a full audible menu in each front.
Each formation has one set and a deep call list, so the pre-snap picture repeats while the post-snap coverage changes. That makes Cover 6, Cover 9, Quarters and trap coverage hard to read before the snap.
LB blitz, safety blitz and standard blitz calls sit next to Cover 1 and Cover 3 shells. You can bring pressure and play it safe from the same look in Base, Big Nickel and Dime.
The Big Nickel 4-2-5 package, with 14 plays, lets you stay with an extra defensive back against 11 personnel without giving up a second linebacker against inside runs and RPOs.
The Dime 4-1-6 package, with 11 plays, is big enough to disguise on third down. It pairs contain rushes and match coverage with Casino style pressure, so you are not stuck calling the same passing-down look.

Weaknesses

There are only three formations, so opponents can learn your fronts quickly. Once they see 4-3, 4-2-5 or Dime, the only alignment in play is the one set for that formation.
There is no goal line, heavy or odd-front package. Against jumbo personnel or short yardage you are limited to Base 4-3 and have to mug up the box manually.
With no 3-4 or 3-3-5 option, you cannot show a stand-up edge rusher or an odd-front simulated pressure look. Blitz disguise depends on the four-man front in every package.
Dime takes up 28% of the sheet with only one linebacker in the box. Offenses that run 11 or 10 personnel inside zone on third and medium can punish that light front.
Because each formation has a single set, you cannot audible to a different alignment when the offense motions or shifts. Your answers to trips and bunch have to come from hot adjustments like shading, press and zone drops.

Usage Tips

On first and ten against 21 or 12 personnel, build your base audibles in 4-3: a Cover 3 or Cover 1 Contain call for the run, a Cover 4 or Quarters check for play-action, and an LB blitz for obvious run tendencies.

Make 4-2-5 your default call against 11 personnel on first and second down. Cover 2 Hard Flat takes away quick outs and RPO flats, and Cover 6 lets you roll coverage to the passing strength when the offense sets trips.

On third and six or longer, go to Dime. Rotate a Cover 9 or trap coverage call with Casino Blitz so the pre-snap picture stays the same while you alternate between dropping eight and sending pressure.

In the red zone and on second and short, stay in 4-3 or 4-2-5 instead of Dime. Pair a Cover 1 look with a safety blitz to put an extra hitter in the box, since the sheet has no goal line package.

Against mobile quarterbacks, keep Cover 1 Contain on your audible list in whichever front you are in. User the spy or robber defender, and avoid overloading the edges with blitzes that open rushing lanes.