Playbooks
Breakdown
Show SS Sim 2 is a simulated pressure package out of Nickel 2-4-5 that shows extra rushers at the snap but drops into a two deep, four under zone shell behind it. The diagram shows three down rushers looping and crashing while the strong safety and an additional defender drop into underneath zones, with two deep safeties splitting the field and corners sitting on flat and curl zones. This is a zone coverage disguise play designed to bait the quarterback into thinking pressure is coming, then rally to shallow and intermediate zone drops, so your primary read as the offense facing it is to identify the late-dropping defender and attack the void before the zone settles.
Defensive Reads
Read the strong safety depth before the snap, if he is walked into the box but the linebackers still show normal zone depth, this signals sim pressure rather than an all out blitz. Key on the number of true down linemen crashing at the snap versus the total rushers shown, sim pressure plays typically only send three or four while dropping extra defenders into shallow zones. This coverage beats quick game and hot route sight adjustments because the underneath zones fill fast, but it can be exposed by play-action rollouts and deep crossing routes that clear the shallow zone drops before they set. Watch for the user controlled defender jumping the shortest route in the concept, since that is the most common lurk spot in this shell. High low seam routes and deep in-cuts against the split safeties are the primary counters if the offense recognizes the two deep shell before the ball is snapped.
Usage Tips
Show this play on early downs to disguise your intentions since the pre-snap look mimics a blitz but actually plays two deep zone coverage underneath. Watch the strong safety and slot corner pre-snap, if they show blitz depth but you see the walked up look combined with only three true down linemen crashing, expect the simulated pressure drop instead of real pressure. Use manual control on the strong safety or the looping defender to jump underneath routes since the disguise only works if the user rallies correctly to the flat or curl zone in time. Pair this with Cover 2 Invert or Cover 2 Roll in your play-calling sequence so offenses cannot key on your down safety alignment presnap. Call this on third and medium when quarterbacks are primed to check for real pressure, since the delayed zone drop punishes hot route sight adjustments and quick game concepts.
