Playbooks
Edge Blitz 1 is a Cover 1 man pressure package out of the Dollar Big Dime 3-2-6 personnel that sends edge rushers off both corners while leaving five defenders in man coverage with a single deep safety over the top. This is not an offensive play, it is a defensive blitz call designed to collapse the pocket quickly and force a hot throw before the quarterback can climb the pocket. The primary read progression for the defense is to key the offensive tackles at the snap: if the tackles turn out to pick up the edge rushers, the linebacker or nickel spy underneath becomes the next threat to disguise, and the deep safety reads the quarterback's eyes to close on the first in-cutting route.
Watch the running back's release at the snap, if he checks the edge rusher and stays in to block, your interior rush lanes open up for a delayed blitzer. Key the quarterback's first step, a quick three step drop signals a hot route or screen designed to beat the edge pressure before it arrives. This call is vulnerable to quick game concepts like slants and hitches that get the ball out before the edge rushers close, so be ready to jump the shorter routes with your underneath defenders. Cover 1 man principles get exposed by rub routes and pick concepts, so trail technique and awareness of crossing traffic underneath is critical. If the offense empties the backfield or motions the running back out wide, expect an RPO or quick game beater aimed at exploiting the man coverage before the rush gets home, so communicate coverage switches with your corners immediately.
Call Edge Blitz 1 on early downs or third and medium when you expect the offense to hold protection and let a route develop, since the edge pressure needs about a full second longer to reach the quarterback than an A gap blitz.
Pre-snap, identify if the offense has a running back or tight end staying in to chip block the edge rusher, and if so consider audibling to a different blitz angle or user the far side rusher to loop inside.
Disguise the single high safety look before the snap by rotating late, this keeps quarterbacks from diagnosing Cover 1 and throwing into the man beaters designed to attack it.
Pair this call with Cover 1 Robber Press or Zero Blitz in your play-calling sequence so offenses cannot sit on the same shell and pattern match your pressure tendencies.
Use manual control on the deep safety to rob any crossing route or dig that man defenders are trailing, since the edge rush should force a rushed throw into that window.