Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 15 playbooks
Breakdown
Cover 6 out of the 2-4 Load Mug Nickel package is a split field zone shell that pairs quarter-quarter-half coverage to the strong side with a sky safety look to the weak side. Two deep defenders bracket the outside vertical routes while the underneath zone defenders sink into hook and curl windows, with four rushers shown crashing downhill off the snap to disguise the pressure look. This is a zone beater defensive call designed to take away deep shots while keeping four in the box to funnel the run, and the primary read progression for an offense attacking it starts with the flat defenders working to the boundary route before working back to any high-low read created between the curl and deep quarter defender.
Defensive Reads
Watch the running back and slot receiver releases first, since this coverage is vulnerable to any route that occupies the flat defender and then attacks the seam behind him. This call beats teams that rely on isolated vertical shots to the boundary since the deep quarter defender has help over the top. It struggles against quick game concepts like slants and hitches thrown before the underneath zone defenders can sink, so be ready to user jump a shallow crossing route if you see three step drop action from the quarterback. Pre-snap, check safety depth: if both safeties are shaded to the same side before the snap, the offense may already suspect the split field shell and attack the opposite hash. Post-snap, key the curl to flat defender's drop, if he widens too fast to take away the flat throw, the middle hook zone opens up for a delayed crosser or dig route over the middle.
Usage Tips
Use Cover 6 on early downs when you expect 11 or 12 personnel with two receivers to a side, since the quarter-quarter side matches up cleanly against vertical stems. Pre-snap, identify if the offense is running a stack or bunch look to the trips side, this can create natural picks against your underneath zone defenders so be ready to user a linebacker into the shallow crossing lane. Bait the quarterback into throwing the deep out or corner route to the two-receiver side, since the flat defender to deep quarter defender relationship is designed to squeeze that throw late. Pair this call with Cover 3 Sky or Cover 3 Cloud in your play-calling sequence so the presnap shell looks identical, forcing the quarterback to guess between single high and split field zone post-snap. On third and medium, combine this with a man press call like Cover 2 Man earlier in the series to condition the offense into expecting man coverage, then flip to this zone shell to bait a bad read into the deep half.
