Playbooks
Mike Hot Blitz 3 is a five man pressure package out of the 3-4 Tite Grizzly Base 5-2 personnel that sends the Mike linebacker on a hot blitz through the interior gap while the back seven rolls into a Cover 3 shell behind it. The blocking scheme up front relies on the natural four man rush plus the Mike to overload one side of the line, forcing the offensive line into a protection call that often leaves a running back or tackle in space. Your primary read as the blitz caller is the running back: if he stays in to chip or block, the Mike blitz is unblocked and you rush the passer, but if he leaks out to the flat you need your underneath zone defender to snap onto him immediately.
Read the running back's release first. If he blocks or chips, your Mike blitz is a clean rush lane straight to the quarterback. Watch for quick game and hot route beaters like slants or stick routes over the middle, since the Cover 3 shell has a natural void underneath if your linebackers bite too hard on the blitz action. Check the tight end's alignment pre-snap. If he is inline and stays in to block, that confirms the offense is worried about protection and the blitz has a high chance of getting home. Post-snap, track the flat defender's zone drop. If a user controlled slot receiver or running back settles in the flat uncovered, you need to snap a defender down immediately or it becomes an easy checkdown against the blitz. This call gets shut down by empty backfield sets and quick RPO game, since there is no extra blocker to occupy and the quarterback can get the ball out before the Mike closes the gap.
Call this on early downs or second and medium when offenses are still establishing their run and pass tendencies, since the Cover 3 shell behind the blitz disguises intent well before the snap.
Before the snap, check if the offense has a lone running back split out or a max protect look. Max protect kills the blitz value here, so consider audibling to Cover 3 Drop instead if you see six or seven blockers stay in.
User the Mike linebacker through his blitz lane and manually time his first step to the snap count so he beats a hot running back to the mesh point before the back can pick him up.
Pair this call with Mike Sim 2 in your play-calling sequence. Both plays start from the same defensive front and personnel, so quarterbacks cannot key blitz from Mike alignment alone, which keeps them guessing between a five man rush and a simulated pressure with extra coverage.
Use Mike Hot Blitz 3 sparingly against teams that run quick game concepts like slants and hitches, since the sim pressure look is deceptive but the actual blitz timing can be too slow to disrupt a three step drop.