Advanced Defensive eBook Recommended Plays

There are some plays that are better than others in this eBook.  The plays below include some of our recommendations for the plays you should be calling for maximum success.  Remember, you should stay in the 3-4 Bear Cover 3 defense for most of the game.

Playbook: San Francisco 49ers

Formation: 3-4 Bear

Play: Cover 3

Setup:

1. Base Align
2. Shift your defensive line whichever way makes sense to stop the run
3. Bring your safety down a little and user control him to stop the run.

Overview: This is one of the best defenses in the game.  For only rushing 3 guys, it does an incredible job of slowing down the run and it covers the whole field.  Just make sure you don’t get beat deep over the middle.   There is nothing wrong with calling this play 50% of the game or more.  Stay in it until your opponent proves that he can consistently beat it.

Playbook: San Francisco 49ers

Formation: 3-4 Bear

Play: Cover 2 Invert

Setup:

1. Base Align
2. Shift your defensive line whichever way makes sense to stop the run
3. Bring your safety down a little and user control him to stop the run.

Overview: Call this play if your opponent has demonstrated that he can consistently beat your cover 3 defense.  It happens very rarely but every now and then someone will be able to beat the cover.  When that happens, call the cover 2.

Playbook: San Francisco 49ers

Formation: 3-4 Bear

Play: Pinch Mike 0

Setup:

1. Crash your defensive line down
2. Shift your defensive line to the left
3. Put your ROLB (on the left side of the screen in a zone)
4. (Optional – For Advanced Gamers) Instead of putting your ROLB in zone coverage, put him in man to man coverage against whoever the free safety was covering and then put the free safety into a yellow zone and patrol the middle of the field with him.
5. (Optional) Base Align

Overview: This play works really well when your opponent isn’t doing a quick pass.  It works even better if your opponent is under center instead of in shotgun or pistol.  If he is trying to go deep and isn’t blocking extra guys (which he shouldn’t be because he needs all 5 wide receiver options against your cover 3) then you should have no problem getting pressure.

Playbook: San Francisco 49ers

Formation: 3-4 Bear

Play: Pinch Dog 3

Setup:

1. Base Align
2. Crash your defensive line down
3. Shift your defensive line to the left
4. Blitz your MLB #2
5. Hot route your ROLB (on the left side of the screen) to a light blue or purple zone

Overview: This play is very similar to the Pinch Mike 0 play but this one has zone coverage behind it just to give your opponent a different look.  Don’t overuse these blitzes.  If you call them too much they stop being as effective.  You should be in the 3-4 Bear Cover 3 most of the game.  Remember, this play works best against under center but it will work against shotgun and pistol as well.

Formation: 3-4 Under

Play: Cover 3

Setup:

1. (Optional) Base Align
2. Crash your defensive line down
3. Blitz your free safety and move him up manually toward the line of scrimmage

Overview: If your opponent isn’t blocking extra guys, you should get quick heat up the middle.

Playbook: San Francisco 49ers

Formation: Nickel 2-4-5 DBL A-Gap

Play: Will 3 Buzz (Left Side Nano)

Setup:

1. Spread your defensive line
2. Crash your defensive line down
3. Shift your linebackers to the right
4. Re-blitz your LE (on the right side of the screen)

Overview: If the defense isn’t blocking extra guys, you should see the defensive end on the right side of the screen shoot through the B-Gap.

Playbook: San Francisco 49ers

Formation: Nickel 2-4-5 DBL A-Gap

Play: Will 3 Buzz (Right Side Nano)

Setup:

1. Spread your defensive line
2. Crash your defensive line down
3. Shift your linebackers to the left
4. Re-blitz your RE (on the left side of the screen)

Overview: If the defense isn’t blocking extra guys, you should see the defensive end on the right side of the screen shoot through the B-Gap.

Playbook: San Francisco 49ers

Formation: Nickel 2-4-5 DBL A-Gap

Play: Mid Blitz

Setup:

1. Spread your defensive line
2. Crash your defensive line down
3. Shift your linebackers to the left
4. Hot route your LOLB (on the right side of the screen) to a zone

Overview: This play is the man to man version of the last blitz.

Playbook: San Francisco 49ers

Formation: 3-3-5 Wide

Play: Sam Will 3 Blitz (Pressure from Left)

Setup:

1. Base Align
2. Pinch and crash your defensive line down
3. Move your ROLB (on the left side of the screen) about 3 steps out toward the sideline and back 1 step (see video for positioning)

Overview: If done correctly, this play will scream heat from the left side of the screen.  It also has really good coverage behind it.

Playbook: San Francisco 49ers

Formation: 3-3-5 Wide

Play: Sam Will 3 Blitz (Pressure from right)

Setup:

1. Base Align
2. Pinch and crash your defensive line down
3. Move your LOLB (on the right side of the screen) about 3 steps out toward the sideline and back 1 step (see video for positioning)

Overview: If done correctly, this play will scream heat from the right side of the screen.  Mix in the pressure from both the left and the right sides.

Playbook: San Francisco 49ers

Formation: Big Dime 2-3-6

Play: SS Overload 3

Setup:

1. Shift your defensive line to the right
2. Crash your defensive line down

Overview: The pressure is going to come right up the middle as long as the offense isn’t blocking extra guys on the right side of the screen.  If your opponent likes to snap the ball immediately when he gets to the line of scrimmage, do not call this play.  Your strong safety will not have time to make his way down closer to the line of scrimmage which will make the play not work correctly.

Playbook: San Francisco 49ers

Formation: Big Dime 2-3-6

Play: Slant 3 Press

Setup:

1. Base Align
2. Crash your defensive line down
3. Reblitz your MLB

Overview: You should see pressure from the either the blitzing MLB or the cornerback.

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