Playbook: Detroit Lions
Formation: Nickel Normal
Play: Tampa 2
Setup:
- Base Align
- Pinch and crash your defensive line down
- Pinch your linebackers and blitz them
- QB Contain
- User the LB on the left and let him take one step on his blitz and then drop him back into coverage (see the video for timing)
- Adjust the coverage however you’d like
Overview: This play brings really quick pressure unless your opponent blocks an extra guy.
Playbook: Detroit Lions
Formation: Nickel Normal
Play: Cover 3 Sky
Setup:
- Base Align
- Pinch and crash your defensive line down
- Pinch your linebackers and blitz them
- QB Contain
- User the LB on the left and let him take one step on his blitz and then drop him back into coverage (see the video for timing)
- Adjust the coverage however you’d like
Overview: This is the cover 3 version of the blitz. I like to use hard flats and user the middle of the field with the linebacker that is being user controlled.
Playbook: Detroit Lions
Formation: Nickel Normal
Play: Overstorm Brave
Setup:
- Base Align
- Pinch and crash your defensive line down
- Pinch your linebackers and blitz them
- QB Contain
- User the LB on the left and let him take one step on his blitz and then drop him back into coverage (see the video for timing)
Overview: This is the man to man version of the blitz. Everyone is in man to man coverage and you are responsible for taking away your opponent’s first read with your user defender.
Playbook: Detroit Lions
Formation: Nickel Normal
Play: Under Smoke
Setup:
- Base Align
- Press coverage
- Pinch and crash your defensive line down
- Pinch your linebackers
- QB Contain
- User the LB on the left and let him take one step on his blitz and then drop him back into coverage (see the video for timing)
Overview: This play will still bring pressure even if your opponent is blocking an extra guy or 2.
Playbook: Detroit Lions
Formation: Nickel Normal
Play: Cover 2 (Coverage Version)
Setup:
- Base Align
- Pinch your defensive line
- Pinch your linebackers
- QB Contain
- Put one of your linebackers into a deep blue zone
- Put one of your defensive linemen into coverage
Overview: This play looks just like the blitzes from this formation. We call it when we notice our opponent starting to block extra guys to account for the blitz.
Playbook: Detroit Lions
Formation: Nickel Normal
Play: Cover 3 Sky (Coverage Version)
Setup:
- Base Align
- Pinch your defensive line
- Pinch your linebackers
- QB Contain
- Put both cornerbacks into deep half zones
- Drop a defensive lineman into coverage
Overview: This is a 3 man rush that is really hard to beat deep and we have coverage throughout the entire field.
Wow! Never thought about putting the CBs into deep half zones on a cover 3!
Is there a reason why we wouldn’t do that as a normal adjustment whenever we use a Cover 3 defense, or does putting the CBs into deep half zones expose our coverage to other kinds of weaknesses?
Putting the outside cornerbacks into deep half zones can be a good idea in general for every time you call cover 3. If you notice someone start to really expose that defense, then just keep them in their normal zones.
For the schemes you’ve shown in this formation, would a Cover 3 Match (with its ability to transition to man coverage at times) be a good option to use sometimes as well as the Cover 3 Sky?
I’d recommend staying away from Match coverages but if it works for you, it is something you can mix in every now and again.
What are the negatives of Match coverages in your experience?
Because it can turn into man to man coverage, it is much harder to user if you have no idea whether the guy you are usering is supposed to be covering someone else.
Thanks!
Several weeks ago in one of your articles, you alerted us that the Tampa 2 defense was improved on Madden 19 in terms of being better with covering passes up the middle. From what I can tell so far, the MLB on Tampa 2 is significantly better at covering those kinds of passes.
What do you think?
Do you think this makes Tampa 2 a more relevant and useful defense to use in Madden 19 than it was in Madden 18?
Hey with the cover 3 sky how do you adjust to hard flats ?
Triangle/Y + down on the right stick
Hi, im very new to the game and football tactics. I have question about sentence “pinch and crash your DL…” i found pinch option but i cant find anything with crash… its hidden option?
Hi, you can crash your defensive line down by pressing Y on XBOX One or Triangle on PS4 and then down on the right joystick.
Thanks.
Which of the nickel plays can be used every play and can adjust easily?
Get comfortable with the plays. That way you can call any of them when you need. Calling the same okay every single time will get you beat vs average players. Don’t keep showing the same looks.
Anyone wanna lab on xbox1 together?
How do you deep blue the linebackers
Select the linebacker you want to put into a deep blue zone. Click “A” on XBOX or “X” on PS4 and then select the zone you want to put him in.
how do you QB contain for Xbox?
Hold down LT and then click RB
Thank you, and thank you for the ebooks. Great job
This blitz doesn’t work anymore seems like
It should still work just not if your opponent is blocking extra guys