Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Weak Blitz 3 is a five man pressure package out of the 3-4 Tite 5t set that drops into Cover 3 zone behind the rush. The two outside underneath defenders sink into curl to flat zones while the middle linebacker area has a short crosser and a spot drop working underneath, and the deep thirds are covered by the three deep defenders shown carrying vertically. This is a zone blitz designed to disguise pressure while keeping three deep defenders over the top, making it a strong tool against man beater route concepts that need time to develop, with the primary read progression starting on the quarterback's eyes to determine if the underneath crossers are exploiting a soft spot before working out to the deep thirds.
Defensive Reads
Watch for trips or bunch formations to the strong side since the underneath zone defenders can get outnumbered if the blitz does not get home in time. Key the running back's release out of the backfield, since a leaked back into the flat can beat the underneath zone drop if the flat defender is late getting width. This play beats teams that rely on deep drop back passing or slow developing man concepts because the extra rusher forces quick decisions before routes fully break. It is vulnerable to quick hitting slants and stick concepts thrown before the underneath defenders reach their zone drops, so recognize empty or spread formations that signal a quick game answer. Post snap, track whether the offensive line picks up the extra rusher clean, because if the blitz is blocked the defense is left in a compromised Cover 3 shell with a hole in the underneath zones.
Usage Tips
Use this play on early downs when you expect the offense to call inside zone runs or quick game passing, since the five man rush disrupts run blocking angles and gets to the mesh point fast. Check the pre-snap alignment of the offensive line and running back to confirm they are not sliding protection toward the blitz side, which can neutralize the pressure. Bring pressure from the weak side to attack tackles who are not used to seeing edge speed off that alignment, and mix this with Weak Blitz 1 in the same set so the offense cannot key on which gap the extra rusher is attacking. Save this call for third and medium situations where quarterbacks are more likely to hold the ball and climb the pocket into the pressure. Pair it with Cover 3 Sky or Cover 3 Match on back to back plays to keep the same shell look while disguising whether pressure is coming.
