Playbooks
Breakdown
FS Fire 3 is a Cover 3 safety blitz out of the 4-3 Under Base personnel. The free safety drops down and fires off the edge as a fifth rusher while the defense rolls into a three deep, four under zone shell behind him, with the two outside cornerbolls and the strong safety dropping to deep thirds and the underneath defenders spacing out to wall off shorter zone beaters. Blocking is not shown since this is a defensive play, and the primary read progression for the defense is to time the free safety blitz off the snap while the shallow zone defenders react to the quarterback's eyes and squeeze any crossers or flat routes underneath the three deep zone.
Defensive Reads
Pre snap, check if the free safety is walked down near the box, since that tips the blitz to attentive offenses and may bait a quick pass to the vacated deep middle. Watch the offensive tackle and tight end depth off the line, if they are not accounting for an extra rusher this play will win with pure speed to the quarterback. Post snap, key the quarterback's first read, if he tries to hit a deep out or corner route to the boundary the deep third defender on that side needs to be reading the release and getting depth immediately. This call gets exposed by max protect schemes or quick game concepts like slants and flats that get the ball out before the fire zone pressure arrives. It struggles against play action rollouts that attack the edge the safety just vacated, so user control a linebacker to help contain if you see run action toward the blitzing side.
Usage Tips
Use FS Fire 3 on early downs against offenses that like to test the middle of the field with in cuts or drag routes since the extra rusher forces a quicker throw. Disguise this call by mixing it in with Cover 3 Seam Press or Cover 3 Match from the same set so the quarterback cannot pre-diagnose the blitz from safety alignment alone. Bring the pressure on obvious passing downs like second and long or third and medium when the offense is likely to hold the ball for a deep shot. Pair this call with Cover 1 FS Fire in your play call sequence to keep the same free safety blitz look while alternating man and zone shells behind it. Live user the underneath zone defender closest to the strong side to jump quick out routes or flat concepts that try to attack the vacated safety area.
