Playbooks
At a Glance
In 31 playbooks
Overview
The Cub set is a defensive look out of the 3-4 formation built on a Base 5-2 personnel alignment. A true NT sits over the center, the RLE and RRE fill the end spots, and two outside linebackers sit on the edges to create a five-man front, with two inside linebackers stacked behind it. Wider sets in the 3-4 spread out to match 11 and 10 personnel. Cub stays heavy and compressed, so it plays like a run-first front that can still show a real coverage menu behind it.
The front forces offenses to account for five potential rushers before the snap. Interior double teams are hard to set up because the NT occupies the center and the ends take away the guard-tackle gaps. That makes inside zone, duo, and power runs difficult to crease, and it pushes offenses toward the perimeter and the quick passing game. Gap Press, Olb Blitz, and Sting Pinch attack protection directly. Trio Sky Zone, Cover 3 Sky, and Cover 4 Quarters let you disguise the same front as a drop look.
The matchup trade-off is clear. Cub wins at the line of scrimmage but can leave four defensive backs on an island against spread sets. Slot receivers and move tight ends get isolated on linebackers when you stay in man, especially in Cover 1 Hole. Strike Spy 2 is the answer to scrambling quarterbacks who try to escape the heavy rush. Use Cub as a situational hammer against 12, 21, and 22 personnel, and as a disguise tool against teams that audible to quick game when they see five up front.
Strengths
- The five-man front with a true NT and physical RLE and RRE clogs inside zone, duo, and counter, forcing offenses to bounce runs outside where the OLBs set hard edges
- Gap Press and Sting Pinch generate fast interior pressure that beats slide protection and punishes quarterbacks who hold the ball on deep play-action concepts
- The identical pre-snap shell across blitz and drop calls lets you show pressure and play Trio Sky Zone or Cover 3 Sky behind it, baiting hot routes into robbed underneath zones
- Cover 4 Quarters out of a heavy front takes away four verticals and post-wheel combos while the five-man look still discourages checkdowns to the run game
- Strike Spy 2 pairs two-deep safety help with a spy, which neutralizes scrambling quarterbacks and QB draws that normally feast on heavy-front defenses
Weaknesses
- Against empty and 10 personnel, the two inside linebackers get isolated on slot receivers, and mesh, drive, and slant-flat combos punish Cover 1 Hole
- Only four defensive backs are on the field, so trips bunch and stack releases create natural picks and easy leverage wins against man coverage
- Perimeter runs, jet motion, and outside zone stretch the compressed front horizontally, and a single missed edge contain by an OLB can turn into a chunk play
- Olb Blitz and Gap Press leave thin coverage behind them, so quick hot routes like slants and drags beat the pressure before it arrives
- Offenses that read the heavy front can audible to spread formations, forcing you out of Cub or into bad personnel matchups if you do not sub quickly
Usage Tips
Call Cub on early downs and short yardage against 12, 21, and 22 personnel, where the NT and five-man front dominate gap assignments and the offense has fewer receivers to isolate your linebackers
When the offense motions a back or tight end out wide, check to Cover 3 Sky or Cover 4 Quarters instead of staying in Cover 1 Hole to avoid a linebacker in man on a receiver
Pair Gap Press or Sting Pinch with a user-controlled inside linebacker dropping into the hook to take away the hot slant or drag the quarterback will throw against pressure
Use Trio Sky Zone on third and medium after showing blitz earlier in the drive, so opponents who have been throwing hot routes run straight into underneath zone defenders
Against mobile quarterbacks, lean on Strike Spy 2 and set the OLBs to contain with pre-snap adjustments, so the heavy front collapses the pocket without opening scramble lanes
