Playbooks
CB Bench Sim 2 is a simulated pressure package out of the 3-3 Swap Dbl Mug front that disguises a two man rush as a five or six man blitz look before dropping into a Cover 2 style shell underneath. The corner executes a bench technique, sinking into an underneath zone rather than pressing his receiver, while the safeties and remaining zone defenders split the field into deep halves and short curl or flat zones. This is a zone beater designed to bait quarterbacks into thinking pressure is coming, so the primary read for the defense is watching the quarterback's eyes and reacting to any hitch or hot throw as he tries to identify who actually rushed versus who bailed into coverage.
Check the quarterback pre-snap protection slide, if the offensive line shifts to account for extra rushers they are respecting the Mug disguise, which sets up your sim pressure well. Post-snap, key the quarterback's first look, since sim pressure works best when the quarterback commits to a hot route read against phantom blitzers. Watch for quick game concepts like slants and stick routes attacking the bench defender's vacated area before he settles into his zone drop. This beats offenses that check into hot routes assuming five or six man pressure, but struggles against play-action rollouts that get the quarterback outside the pocket away from the underneath zone shell. If the offense audibles to empty formations, be ready to user the closest underneath defender since the bench technique can be exposed by trips and stick concepts to the open side.
Show the Mug look pre-snap to bait the quarterback into thinking a heavy blitz is coming, then bail your corner into the bench zone at the snap to sit on quick hitters and slants.
Use this on early downs or third and short when offenses expect man pressure and are primed to throw hot against a blitz that never fully arrives.
Pair this with Blitz Loop Sim 3 and SS Sim 2 in the same set so opponents cannot key on your simulated pressure tendencies from formation alone.
Manually user the bench defender if you suspect a quick out or flat route, since the AI can be late closing on shallow crossers.
Avoid calling this against heavy shotgun spread empty sets since the underneath zones can get stretched horizontally by four and five receiver releases.