Playbooks
Dbl Safety Blitz out of the 3-3 Wide Jack Nickel package sends both safeties on delayed blitzes to overload the interior protection while the defense rotates into a man coverage shell behind it. This is a pressure package designed to win with a five or six man rush and disguised post snap movement rather than a standard four man rush, so the primary read for the offense is identifying where the free hitter comes from before the ball is snapped. On the defensive side the blitz is built to attack quick game and empty protections, with the corners and the remaining linebacker locking down the shorter routes while the safeties clean up any late blitz pickup from running backs.
Pre snap, check safety alignment and depth since both safeties creeping toward the box signals the blitz is live and tips off savvy quarterbacks to throw hot. Watch for the running back staying in to chip protect, which forces the blitz to win on timing rather than pure numbers and increases risk of a coverage bust. Post snap, key on any receiver running a quick out or slant to the vacated safety area, since that zone beater route combo is the primary weakness of this blitz. If the offense shows empty or spreads four wide, this blitz can be picked apart by option routes and hot route conversions from slot receivers reading the extra rusher. Man coverage behind the blitz can be attacked by rub routes and pick concepts, so watch user controlled defenders getting caught in traffic on crossing patterns.
Only call this from the defensive side when you have a clean pre snap read on the offense running quick game or shotgun spread with no extra protection help in the backfield.
Send the double safety blitz on early down and distance situations like first or second and short to medium, since offenses are more likely to run quick hitting concepts that this pressure eats alive.
Disguise the safety blitz by mixing it in after calling Cover 1 Hole or Cover 3 Sky from the same 3-3 Wide Jack set, so quarterbacks cannot key on safety depth pre snap.
If the user controls a linebacker, spy the running back briefly before releasing into the blitz to prevent a check down from gashing the extra rushers.
Avoid calling this against empty backfield sets or teams that consistently run max protect play action, since the blitz loses a man in coverage and leaves the defense exposed to double moves.