Playbooks

Under Smoke 2

Dime·2-3-6·Big Dime 4-1-6

Cover 2 Blitz Safety Blitz Zone Coverage

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This play belongs to no NFL team or scheme playbook, so it may not appear in the in-game builder.

Diagram coming soon

Quick Reference

FormationDime

Set2-3-6

Personnel

Big Dime 4-1-62 EDGE2 DTMIKE3 CBFS2 SS

In 4 playbooks

Franchise Defense TraphouseDefense Superstar Blitz DefenseDefense Superstar Man DefenseDefense Superstar Zone DefenseDefense

Breakdown

Under Smoke 2 is a Cover 2 zone blitz out of the Dime 2-3-6 set that sends a safety on a delayed blitz while dropping the rest of the defense into a two deep, five under zone shell. The blitz is designed to attack the quarterback's blind side quickly while the underneath zone defenders squeeze the short and intermediate passing windows, making it a strong zone beater against slow developing man beater concepts. Your primary read is the safety blitzer's timing off the snap, then transition into reading the flat and hook zone defenders to diagnose where the quarterback is trying to throw underneath before the pressure arrives.

Defensive Reads

Watch the safety alignment pre-snap since a safety cheating down toward the box often tips the blitz and should be disguised by delaying your presnap motion until just before the snap. Key the running back release out of the backfield, since check release protections will pick up the blitz and turn this into a coverage rep instead of a pressure rep. Post-snap, read the quarterback's eyes toward the flat, since Cover 2 zone beaters like double outs or flat and go combos can exploit the seam vacated by the blitzing safety if your underneath defenders drop too deep. This look is vulnerable to quick game man beaters like stick and spot concepts if the offense identifies the blitz early, so be ready to user the lurking linebacker into the shallow crossing lane. Against play-action rollouts, trust your edge defenders to stay disciplined since the blitz can be baited out of position, leaving the backside contain lane open for scrambles.

Usage Tips

Call this on early downs or second and medium when offenses are still setting up their run and pass balance, since the extra pressure disrupts rhythm throws before the offense can diagnose the blitz. Check the offensive formation pre-snap and if you see a max protect look or extra blockers stay home, consider audibling the safety blitz to a delayed spy to avoid getting gashed on a cutback run. Use the flat zone defender to jump quick game routes like slants and stick concepts, since the underneath zone drops are built to close on those throws before the blitz even gets home. Pair this with Cover 2 Man or Cover 2 Invert in your play-calling sequence so the offense cannot key on the safety blitz look and starts guessing between man and zone shells post-snap. If the quarterback has a fast trigger on hot routes, mix in Cover 2 Hard Flat as a change up so your pressure disguise stays fresh across multiple series.