Playbooks
At a Glance
In 14 playbooks
Overview
Odd Leo is a defensive set inside the 4-3 formation that swaps the traditional four down linemen into an odd front look, aligning a nose tackle (NT) head up over the center with two ends reduced inside and a Leo edge player standing up off the ball. The tags on this set (NT, RLE, RRE) tell you exactly where your best interior disruptor and both ends need to be slotted in the depth chart, and that matters more here than in any other 4-3 set because the pressure packages are built off the Leo alignment rather than a standard four man rush. Unlike Over, Under, or Wide 9 sets that keep symmetrical hand in the dirt spacing, Odd Leo compresses the interior and forces guards to declare their slide protection, which is why nano and overload looks out of this set generate free runners against half slide protections.
Strengths
- Cover 1 Hole and Pinch Buck 0 give you two distinct man pressure looks from identical alignment, so the offense cannot key the coverage off the front and you can disguise the hole player until the snap
- Saw Blitz 1 and Storm Brave 1 create natural interior overloads because the compressed NT and reduced ends occupy three blockers, freeing the Leo edge or a looping linebacker against half slide protection
- Tampa 2 and Cover 4 Quarters out of an odd front are elite against deep shot plays since the offense reads the standup Leo as pressure and often checks to max protect, wasting a receiver
- Cover 3 Match and SS 2 Trap punish flat route and curl flat combos because the trap defender sits on the quick out while the match rules carry verticals, so quick game timing based offenses lose their layup throws
- Will Buck 3 Press lets you press bail from a look that appears blitz heavy, and pressing outside receivers pre snap disrupts slants and drags before the user can even hot route out of it
Weaknesses
- Inside run fits are thinner than standard 4-3 sets because the ends are reduced and the Leo is off the ball, so single high pressure calls like Pinch Buck 0 and Saw Blitz 1 are exposed to inside zone and tosses to the Leo side
- Zero and man pressure plays leave no deep help, and a user who identifies the blitz can hot route a streak or corner against your isolated outside man defender for an easy chunk gain
- Pinch Dog 2 Press and Pinch Buck 0 pinch the front inside, which surrenders the perimeter to stretch runs, sweeps, and RPO glance reads off the edge
- Odd fronts struggle against condensed formations with motion because the NT and reduced ends do not adjust well to unbalanced sets, and opponents can motion to create numbers advantages before your linebackers reset
- Tampa 2 and Cover 3 Sky both concede the intermediate hook to curl window if the user is not manually taking away the middle, and drive or dig concepts will sit right in the vacated area
Usage Tips
Use Cover 3 Sky and Cover 3 Match on early downs as your base shells, then rotate to Cover 4 Quarters on second and long when the opponent is hunting deep post and corner routes
Save Pinch Buck 0 for third and short or in the red zone where the field is compressed and the lack of deep help matters less, and user the middle hook so the quick slant is covered
Pre snap, read the guards and center before calling Saw Blitz 1 or Storm Brave 1, because half slide protection or an empty backfield means your overload has a free runner and full slide means you should bail into coverage instead
Press the outside receivers on Will Buck 3 Press and Pinch Dog 2 Press against quick game offenses, then user the flat or curl defender to jump the hot route the offense checks to
Alternate SS 2 Trap and Tampa 2 from the same Odd Leo alignment so the offense cannot tell whether the middle is trapped or the deep hole is being carried, which makes both play action rollouts and quick out breaking routes a guess
Plays (12)
Cover 1 HoleCover 1, Cover 1 Hole, Man Coverage
Cover 3 MatchCover 3, Cover 3 Match, Zone Coverage
Cover 3 SkyCover 3, Cover 3 Sky, Zone Coverage
Cover 4 QuartersCover 4, Quarters, Zone Coverage
Cross 3 FireCover 3, Blitz, Line Stunt +1
Pinch Buck 0Cover 0, Pinch, Man Coverage
Pinch Dog 2 PressCover 2, Blitz, Pinch +1
Saw Blitz 1Cover 1, Blitz, Man Coverage
SS 2 TrapCover 2, Trap Coverage, Zone Coverage
Storm Brave 1Cover 1, Man Coverage
Tampa 2Cover 2, Tampa 2, Zone Coverage
Will Buck 3 PressCover 3, Zone Coverage
