Playbooks
Sam Blitz 3 brings the Sam linebacker off the edge as a fifth rusher while the secondary rotates into a three deep, three under zone shell behind it. This is a zone blitz package, not a man beater, designed to disguise where the extra pressure is coming from while still protecting the deep thirds with the two corners and a deep safety. The primary read for the quarterback attacking this look is to identify the underneath hole vacated by the blitzing Sam and hit a quick out, flat, or drag route into that void before the rush arrives.
Pre-snap, check the safety alignment for two high versus one high, since this blitz plays best when disguised from a two high shell that rotates to three deep after the snap. Watch the offensive tackle and running back protection assignments, if the back stays in to chip or block the Sam, your rush will be delayed and you need to trust the zone drops underneath. Post-snap, key the quarterback's eyes toward the vacated underneath hole on the blitz side, that is where hot reads and drag routes will attack first. This beats quick game and shallow crossers when the timing of the blitz disrupts the throwing lane, but it can be exposed by hard play-action rollouts away from the pressure or by RPO reads that get the ball out before the rush arrives. Watch for user controlled receivers sitting down in the soft spot vacated by the blitzing linebacker, since that is the primary void zone coverage beaters will target.
Call this on early downs or third and medium when you expect the offense to take a shot downfield, since the extra rusher forces a quicker throw and can bait a bad decision. Disguise the blitz by showing a two high shell before the snap and rotating late, then user the Sam linebacker yourself to control his rush lane and take away the quarterback's first escape route. Pair this with Cover 3 Sim Pressure and Cover 3 Sky in the same play call sequence so offenses cannot key on your five man rush based on pre-snap look alone. Avoid calling this against empty formations or spread sets with quick game concepts, since the zone drops underneath can get outleveraged before the rush ever gets home. If the offense checks into a screen or quick RPO at the line, be ready to bail the blitz with your linebacker spy technique or peel off to the flat.