Playbooks
At a Glance
In 17 playbooks
Overview
Penny is the sub-package version of the 3-3-5, running Big Nickel 5-1-5 personnel: three down linemen with a nose tackle anchoring the middle, two edge/hybrid defenders, a single true Mike linebacker, and five defensive backs including a slot cornerback (SLCB) as the fifth. Where standard 3-3-5 sets keep three linebackers on the field and rely on second level speed, Penny swaps a linebacker body for a coverage defender, which means every pass drop is executed by a DB or a hybrid rusher instead of a slow-footed Sam. That single change is why Penny is the go-to answer against 10 and 11 personnel empty and trips looks in competitive play.
The tradeoff is inside coverage responsibility. With one Mike in the box, hook and curl zones get thin, so Penny leans on its DB depth to bracket and rob instead of flooding the middle with linebackers. The nose tackle tag matters because it keeps a legitimate interior anchor against inside zone and QB draw even after losing a linebacker, and the SLCB tag gives you a defender who can actually run with a slot receiver or a receiving back split out wide without a manual match adjustment. Against opponents who live on isolating your third linebacker in the slot, Penny removes the target entirely.
Play art in Penny covers the full spectrum: heavy zone match concepts (Cover 3 Match, Cover 4 Palms, Cover 6 Willie, Cover 9, Tampa 2), man-based robber and hole shells (Cover 1 Robber, Cover 1 Hole, Cover Hole 1), and a deep blitz menu that ranges from safe five man pressure (Corner Blitz 2, Saw Blitz 3, Slot Blitz 3) up to all-out zero pressure (Mike Blitz 0, Pinch Blitz 0). Because the alignment is already spread out, blitzes come from unexpected angles: slot corner pressure off the edge, Mike scrapes through vacated A gaps, and double A gap presentations that let you bluff and bail without changing personnel.
Strengths
- Five defensive backs plus the SLCB tag means you match slot receivers and pass catching backs without manual adjustments, killing the standard isolate-the-linebacker mismatch that beats base 3-3-5 sets.
- Elite zone match variety in one set: Cover 3 Match, Cover 4 Palms, Cover 6 Willie, Cover 9, and Tampa 2 all present from similar shells, so you can rotate coverages every snap while showing an identical pre-snap picture.
- Blitz angles from unusual bodies. Slot Blitz 3, Corner Blitz 2, and Corner Blitz 3 bring pressure from the perimeter where offensive line slides rarely account, and Saw Blitz 1/3 gets edge pressure while keeping three deep behind it.
- Man beaters get punished by the robber family. Cover 1 Robber, Cover 1 Hole, and Cover Hole 1 put a free defender over the middle to sit on drags, mesh, and slot crossers, which is the primary man beater in high level play.
- Zero pressure looks (Mike Blitz 0, Pinch Blitz 0) are legitimately fast out of a light box because rushers start closer to the line, making them viable third down and goal line change-ups instead of pure gimmicks.
Weaknesses
- One true linebacker means the middle of the field is thin against play action crossers and deep seams. If you leave the hole defender undisciplined, Tampa 2 and Cover 3 Buzz can get gashed up the pipe.
- Light box invites inside zone, QB draw, and heavy formation runs. Even with the NT tag, opponents who go 12 or 21 personnel and run at the three man front will move the ball on the ground without an aggressive run fit call.
- Blitzes leave the perimeter exposed. Slot Blitz 3 and Corner Blitz variations vacate the slot, and a quick hot routed slant or spot route beats the pressure before the rusher arrives.
- Man coverage assignments in Big Nickel can be beaten by motion. Motioning a receiver across the formation forces bump-and-run defenders to trail, which creates natural rub and pick concepts your DBs will not recover from.
- Zero blitzes (Mike Blitz 0, Pinch Blitz 0) leave zero help. Any single high beater, streak on an isolated corner, or quick out to the sideline puts you in immediate chunk-play danger against a QB who identifies it pre-snap.
Usage Tips
Bring Penny out against 10 and 11 personnel spread and empty looks. If the offense shows two tight ends or a fullback, get out of it or you will be defending gap runs with a one linebacker box.
Show the same pre-snap alignment and rotate coverage families. Alternate Cover 3 Match, Cover 4 Palms, and Cover 1 Robber from the same look so the QB cannot key your safeties before the snap.
User the Mike or the hole defender on Tampa 2, Cover Hole 1, and Cover 1 Hole. That defender is your only inside help, so manually reading the QB and jumping crossers turns your biggest weakness into a turnover source.
Use the five man pressures on second and long. Corner Blitz 2, Saw Blitz 3, and Slot Blitz 3 keep enough coverage behind them to stay safe while still forcing the QB off his first read.
Save the zero pressures for third down inside the ten or after you have shown the same shell twice. Mike Blitz 0 and Pinch Blitz 0 are best as reaction plays once your opponent has committed to a slow developing concept.
Check the slot alignment pre-snap and manually match your SLCB to the offense's best route runner. If the mismatch still exists, audible into Double Double or a bracket concept to take the isolated receiver away.
