All matchups Part of: The Air Raid Family: From Mumme to Today

Four Verticals vs Cover-2

Four verts vs Cover-2 wants to stretch the two safeties wide and throw to the seam. Here's the read.

Concept: Four Verticals Coverage: Cover-2

Four verticals vs. cover-2 is a numbers attack on the deep zone. Two safeties have to cover four verticals; one of the seams is going to come open.

From the offense

The QB reads the safeties pre- and post-snap. If both safeties stay wide, throw the seam (inside slot) on rhythm at 12-14 yards. If a safety triggers on a seam, throw to the other seam.

The outside verticals are decoys — they hold the corners in their deep half so the safeties can't help underneath.

Tampa-2 is the answer: the Mike LB drops to the deep middle to take the seam. If you see Tampa-2, audible to smash or four-verts with a built-in option route inside.

From the defense

Cover-2 vs. four-verts is fragile. Tampa-2 is the fix — Mike to deep middle, safeties to the outside seams. If your Mike can't run, you're a sitting duck.

Disguise helps. Show 2-high single-coverage rotation pre-snap and roll to Tampa-2 at the snap. The QB has already picked his read and now the deep middle is gone.