Playbooks
Overview
NFL Live Falcons Defense is functionally the same book as Falcons Defense. The two share all 311 plays and differ by zero sets, so every call, formation and personnel group you lab in one carries straight over to the other. Pick whichever cut your mode offers and you lose nothing. At 311 plays across 9 formations and 20 sets, it sits on the leaner side, larger than only 22% of the game's 64 defensive team playbooks. That makes it a focused menu rather than a deep one.
This is a sub package book. Nickel carries 121 plays (39%) across 6 sets, and Dime adds 57 more (18%). Together they put well over half the playbook in five and six defensive back looks. The 3-4 is the real base front with 54 plays (17%) over 4 sets, while the 4-3 is almost vestigial at 6 plays. Specialty looks round it out: 3-3-5 (21), 2-4-5 (18) and Quarter (15) give you odd fronts and seven DB shells. Goal Line Defense (13 plays across 3 sets) and Prevent (6) cover the situational edges. The concept list mixes Cover 1, Cover 3, Cover 3 Match, Cover 4 and Quarters with corner blitzes, LB blitzes and Double Wr1 and Double Wr2 brackets.
The game plan it supports is pass first. You live in Nickel and Dime against spread and 11 personnel, bracket the opponent's top target with Double Wr1 looks and mix man pressure with match coverage. Calls like Cover 1 Hole, Cov 1 QB Contain Spy, 3 Deep Blitz and Corner Blitz 2 show the menu: single high man, spy answers for scramblers and fire zone style pressure. When the offense goes heavy, you drop into the 3-4 or Big Nickel 5-1-5 instead of trying to win with 4-3 bodies.
Scheme Fit
NFL Live Falcons Defense wants a secondary loaded with man capable corners and a rangy slot defender, since more than half of its calls are Nickel and Dime looks with Cover 1 and match coverage. It also wants 3-4 bodies up front: stout interior linemen who can two gap and edge rushers with speed to win when corner and LB blitzes free them up. Choose it if you are a pass first defensive caller who likes disguising pressure from sub packages and userring a safety. Skip it if you prefer lining up in a traditional 4-3 and stopping the run with base personnel.
Example Plays from this Playbook
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Strengths
- Nickel depth is the engine: 121 plays across 6 sets let you answer nearly every offensive personnel grouping without leaving the formation. You can swap between Nickel 4-2-5, Big Nickel 4-2-5 and Big Nickel 5-1-5 to show the same look while changing run fits and pressure.
- Nickel and Dime combine for 178 plays (57%), so your passing down menu is deep enough to rotate Cover 1 Hole, Cover 3 Match, Quarters and corner pressure. You never have to repeat the same shell on consecutive third downs.
- The rare 3-3-5 and 2-4-5 sets (39 plays combined) give you odd front disguises most books lack. Stand up the extra linebackers, show pressure pre snap, then bail into zone or send a true LB Blitz from the same alignment.
- Quarter (15 plays, Big Quarter 3-1-7) plus Dime 4-1-6 and Big Dime 4-1-6 put seven and six DB shells in reach for 3rd and long. You can flood the field with coverage defenders and still user a safety over the top.
- Concepts like Cov 1 QB Contain Spy and the Double Wr1 and Double Wr2 brackets give built in answers to scrambling quarterbacks and single elite receivers. You don't need to burn several defensive hot routes every snap to patch them.
Weaknesses
- The 4-3 is nearly empty at 6 plays in one set, so a true four man base front is barely available. Players who like even front run fits against 21 and 12 personnel will be forced into the 3-4 or Big Nickel instead.
- At 311 plays the book is smaller than most defensive team playbooks. Once an opponent sees your top Nickel calls a few times, there are fewer alternate pressures and coverages in each set to break tendencies.
- Goal Line Defense has only 13 plays spread over 3 sets, so short yardage menus are thin. A heavy offense that repeatedly runs power inside the 5 can key on the handful of looks you show.
- Leaning 57% on Nickel and Dime means lighter boxes are your default. Offenses with a strong run game and big bodied tight ends can stay in 12 or 13 personnel to test the 3-4 set count and your gap discipline.
- Prevent has just 6 plays, so late half and end of game coverage options are limited. You will often need to build your two minute shell out of Quarter or Dime rather than a dedicated prevent menu.
Usage Tips
Build your base audible package in Nickel: set one Cover 3 Match, one Cover 1 Hole and one corner pressure such as Corner Blitz 2. That package handles 1st and 10 and 2nd and medium against 11 personnel without subbing out of the formation.
On 3rd and 7 or longer, jump to Dime 4-1-6 or Big Dime 4-1-6 and pair Double Wr1 brackets with 3 Deep Blitz. Shade the coverage toward the offense's go to target and user the robber or hole defender.
Against 12 and 21 personnel on early downs, audible into the 3-4 sets or Big Nickel 5-1-5 rather than the 4-3. The 3-4 has four sets and far more calls to rotate against run heavy tendencies.
Use 3-3-5 and 2-4-5 as your disguise formations on 2nd and long. Show a crowded line of scrimmage, then choose between a real LB Blitz and a zone drop. Use defensive hot routes to convert one linebacker into a spy or a hook zone after you read the offensive alignment.
When you face a mobile quarterback, keep Cov 1 QB Contain Spy on your audible wheel for 3rd and short to medium. In 3rd and 15 plus or end of half situations, go to Quarter's Big Quarter 3-1-7 before the thin Prevent menu.
Formations in this playbook
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