Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
2 Sim Tex is a simulated pressure call out of the 3-4 Over Ed front that shows five rushers at the snap but drops into a Cover 2 zone shell behind it. Up front the red arrows show a twist and stunt through the interior gaps while the defensive end drops out into an underneath zone, and the two deep safeties rotate into a two-deep shell while corners and the remaining linebackers sit in intermediate zones. This is a zone beater killer disguised as pressure, designed to bait the quarterback into a quick throw by showing blitz and then dropping extra defenders into passing lanes, with the primary read for the defense being any quick game or hot route thrown into the vacated underneath zones where the dropping rusher lands.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check for two safeties splitting the field evenly, that confirms the Cover 2 shell underneath the simulated pressure look. Post-snap, key the offensive line protection slide, if they slide toward the stunt the delayed dropper will be uncovered and the quarterback should look elsewhere. This beats quick game and hot routes thrown into the flat or shallow zone since the dropping defensive end sits right in that throwing lane. This is vulnerable to deep shots against the two-deep shell if the receivers win vertically outside the numbers before the safeties can rotate over. Watch for user-controlled defenders manning the shallow drop zone since a skilled player will sit and jump an underneath route rather than blitzing through the gap shown pre-snap.
Usage Tips
Call this on early downs or third and medium when you expect the offense to audible into a quick game or hot route beater against pressure looks.
Pre-snap, identify if the offense is in shotgun spread or empty since those formations are most vulnerable to the delayed underneath drop from the defensive end.
Do not overcommit to the user rush lane immediately, take a beat to see if the quarterback is throwing hot since the simulated drop needs a half second to settle into its zone.
Pair this with 3 Sim Tex and 1 Sting Tex in the same game plan so the offense cannot key on which gap the delayed rusher is dropping from based on splits.
Use this on second and long to bait a checkdown throw into the shallow zone the dropping end sits in, then break on the ball with your zone defender for the turnover chance.
