Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 13 playbooks
Breakdown
Cover 1 Robber Press is a man coverage defensive call out of the Dime 2-3-6 Will set that shows a single high safety sitting deep while a robber defender hangs underneath in the intermediate throwing lanes to jump crossers and dig routes. At the snap the corners and slot defenders press their assigned receivers, and the four-man rush drops straight downhill off the line to collapse the pocket. This is a man beater killer built to shut down option routes and shallow crosses since the robber squats in the middle of the field, so the primary read progression for the offense facing this look is to attack outside vertical or fade routes on the press corners before working any middle-of-field crossing routes into the robber's zone.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, confirm the single high safety alignment and press corners at the line, this is your tell for Cover 1 Robber rather than a zone shell or two-high look. Watch for offenses running mesh concepts, drag routes, or option routes at the second level, this play is designed to bait those throws directly into the robber's lurk zone. Post-snap, track the robber defender's drop, if you are user-controlling him you want to sit at the depth of the deepest crosser and trigger downhill the instant the quarterback's eyes lock on. Beware of double vertical releases or four verticals concepts, since this play only has one deep safety and no help over the top if a press corner gets beat off the line. If the offense audibles into empty or spreads you out with five wide, consider your press corners' matchups closely, elite route runners can win one-on-one reps before the robber can help.
Usage Tips
Call this when you diagnose 11 or 12 personnel with two receivers who love shallow crosses or drag combos, since the robber sits right in that window to jump the throw.
Key the pre-snap alignment for a single deep safety and press corners, that tells you it is Cover 1 Robber and not a two-high shell, so bait the quarterback into a hot read over the middle.
User the robber defender yourself in competitive play to manually break on any in-cut or slant that crosses the field, since the AI robber can be late on faster route combos.
Pair this call with Cover 3 Cloud or Cover 3 Buzz Match on early downs to disguise your single high shell before bringing this exact press look on third and medium.
Avoid this call against heavy vertical stack or bunch formations designed to beat press man, since your corners have no safety help over the top on a blown press rep.
