Playbooks
Sam Blitz 3 is a five-man pressure package out of the 3-3-5 Over Wide set that sends the Sam linebacker off the edge while the defense rotates into a Cover 3 shell behind it. The three deep defenders split the field into thirds while the underneath zone defenders squeeze the shallow crossers and flat routes, making this a zone blitz built to disguise pressure without fully exposing man coverage. The primary read for the blitzing defender is the offensive tackle's set: if he opens late to the edge, the Sam wins outside, and if the running back stays in to chip, the user should peel off and rob the shallow drag since the underneath defenders are already accounting for quick game.
Watch the running back's alignment pre-snap, if he checks to block the Sam blitzer the offense is likely running a quick game beater and the QB will try to get the ball out fast. Key the slot receiver's release against the underneath zone defenders, since this play is exposed to quick out and slant combos that attack the void left by the blitzing linebacker. Post-snap, track the deep middle third defender for seam routes and posts, this is the biggest crack in the Cover 3 shell if the safety bites on a play fake. This look shuts down man beater combos and mesh concepts because the underneath defenders are sitting in zone drops, but it can be beaten by fast developing screens if the rush gets too aggressive. If the offense audibles to empty formation, expect the QB to identify the blitz side quickly and throw away from the pressure, so consider having the user spy the boundary or rob the hot route.
Call this on third and medium to long when the offense shows a two back or heavy pass protection look, since the five man rush pressures max protect schemes before extra blockers can get set.
Disguise the blitz by mugging the Sam at the line pre-snap and rotating the safety late, this baits quarterbacks into thinking they are getting a two deep shell when it is really Cover 3 underneath.
User the Sam defender off the edge for a contain rush or spy assignment if the opponent likes to scramble, otherwise let the CPU AI take the blitz and manually control the deep middle third defender to erase seam shots.
Pair this with Cover 3 Sim Pressure or Cover 3 Sky earlier in a series so the offense sees the same shell pre-snap and cannot key on the extra rusher.
Avoid calling this on obvious quick game downs like third and short, since the five man rush leaves the underneath zones vulnerable to hitches and stick routes thrown before the pressure arrives.