Playbooks
Mike Hot Blitz 3 is a Mike linebacker blitz package out of the 3-4 Grizzly Base 5-2 front that sends the Mike off the edge or through an interior gap while dropping into a Cover 3 shell behind it. The blocking assignment on offense has to account for the extra rusher, making this a pressure call designed to collapse the pocket quickly while still keeping three deep defenders to protect against verticals. Your primary read as the blitzer is the running back or quick screen the offense may check to in order to counter the extra rusher, so track the RB out of the backfield first before committing fully upfield.
Watch the running back pre-snap and post-snap since he is the first hot read against any blitz and often becomes the underneath outlet that beats this call. Check the offensive line count before the snap, if they have six or seven blockers this blitz will get picked up and you should consider peeling off into coverage instead. Look for quick game concepts like slants or hitches attacking the vacated underneath zones, since the Cover 3 shell leaves natural void areas the Mike blitz creates. Identify if the quarterback is in shotgun with a check release back, since that alignment often signals the offense is prepared to pick up the extra rusher and dump the ball quickly. This call gets exposed by max protect play-action rollouts and RPOs that hold the ball long enough for receivers to work behind the vacated middle linebacker zone, so respect those tendencies on film.
Call this on early downs or third and medium when you expect the offense to run a standard drop back pass, since the Cover 3 shell behind the blitz protects against deep shots while the Mike creates instant pressure up front.
Pre-snap, identify if the offense has a running back staying in to block or checking down, since that back is the outlet most likely to beat this blitz if you do not user the Mike quickly.
User the Mike linebacker on the blitz to control his rush lane and avoid getting picked up cleanly by a guard or center, since a free rusher here is the whole point of the call.
Pair this with Mike Blitz 0 or Mike Sim 2 in the same set so your opponent cannot key on the Mike alignment and start hot routing their protection every time they see him walk up.
Avoid calling this on obvious passing downs against empty formations, since the extra rusher can be neutralized easily by a five man protection scheme with no back to worry about.