Playbooks
Field Sim 3 is a simulated pressure package out of the 3-3 Over Jack Nickel front, showing a five or six man look pre-snap before dropping extra defenders into coverage while sending a disguised rusher off the edge or through an interior gap. The blocking scheme up front uses a contain rush with a spy or cross-dog element, and behind it the defense typically rolls into a three or four man zone shell with underneath robber support to take away quick game beaters. This is a zone based sim blitz built to bait quarterbacks into hot throws, and the primary read progression for the defense is to identify the quarterback's eyes immediately after the snap, jump the shortest developing route, and rally to the football once the ball comes out on schedule.
Read the quarterback's helmet immediately after the snap since Field Sim 3 wins on beating rhythm throws into the shown pressure area, jump routes that break to that side. Key the running back's release out of the backfield, if he stays in to chip block that confirms the offense suspects pressure and may be checking into a quick game beater. Watch for the offense to attack the vacated rush lane with a quick screen or RPO bubble, since sim pressure pulls defenders out of run fits and slot receivers can exploit the space. This call gets beaten by trips or bunch formations that flood one side faster than the zone drops can rotate, so bail out if you see stacked receivers to the pressure side. Cover 2 Man or Cover 4 Palms shells complement Field Sim 3 well in a sequence, but if the quarterback starts checking down immediately, mix in an actual pressure call like Edge Blitz 3 to keep him honest.
Use Field Sim 3 on early downs or second and medium when offenses expect a standard four man rush and are more likely to run quick hitters into the shown pressure look.
Disguise the pre-snap picture by mugging the A gap or showing an overload look before backing out into the sim zone drops, this keeps the quarterback from getting a free presnap read on coverage.
User the closest underneath defender to the quarterback's first read and sit on the shallow crosser or flat route, since Field Sim 3 is designed to bait hot throws into that exact window.
Pair this call with Nickel Sim 2 or Sim Pressure 3 in your play calling sequence so offenses cannot key on formation alone and start guessing between real pressure and simulated pressure.
Avoid calling this on third and long against mobile quarterbacks who can extend plays, since the contain rush leaves cutback lanes if the quarterback escapes the pocket.