Article Football for Dummies: Press Man Coverage vs Off Man Coverage

[JoeyFlex5]

All defensive backs, but safeties especially since they should have a little more freedom to do this, should be yelling, "BALL!" when the ball is in the air. It gets noisy, though, so the corner needs to watch the eyes because when the eyes of the receiver go up, the ball is being tracked. Then you need to watch the hands and aim for the space in-between as the point to swat the ball out.

Exactly, the receiver gives cues that the ball is in the air, if you’re in stride with the receiver and look back at the qb you might as well concede the pass because any nfl wr worth his paycheck is gonna exploit the shit out of that by simply taking a more diagonal approach to his route, that’s automatic separation

 

[29BmoreBird22]

Should start with cover 3 lol

probably one of the most used coverages nowadays.

It is definitely a staple coverage that they'll teach day one even in high school. I'll probably roll through in order, but Cover 3 is definitely one of the most commonly used coverages in the NFL. Seattle made a living off of Cover 3 with Sherman, Browner/Maxwell, and Thomas.

 

[29BmoreBird22]

yeah i think i understand - i had to go and watch some press man to see exactly what you meant - in my head the jam technique didnt make as much logical sense until i saw loads of reps of how it works - i guess i forgot that the feet and hands work in tandem - intuitively in my head i assumed you want to use the hand closest to the direction of attempted release but obviously in hindsight (now that ive seen it) that makes it easier for the receiver to swipe the hand away and get a freer release

so it makes a lot more sense now

Yes, the feet are VERY important. The coverage gets its name from the use of the hands, but if you have poor eye discipline or sloppy footwork, what you do with your hands does not matter in the slightest bit.

Waiting for a release to be fully committed to from the receiver is especially important to make sure that the receiver can't swat your hands away and release free.

 

[29BmoreBird22]

Exactly, the receiver gives cues that the ball is in the air, if you’re in stride with the receiver and look back at the qb you might as well concede the pass because any nfl wr worth his paycheck is gonna exploit the shit out of that by simply taking a more diagonal approach to his route, that’s automatic separation

Your man will give every cue that you need. It is called man to man because you play your man. Nothing on the field concerns you more than that wide receiver.

 

[29BmoreBird22]

Exactly, the receiver gives cues that the ball is in the air, if you’re in stride with the receiver and look back at the qb you might as well concede the pass because any nfl wr worth his paycheck is gonna exploit the shit out of that by simply taking a more diagonal approach to his route, that’s automatic separation

Your man will give every cue that you need. It is called man to man because you play your man. Nothing on the field concerns you more than that wide receiver.

 

[Edgar]

@29BmoreBird22
I love this series. Thanks so much for taking the time to run it and for how thoroughly you've broken things down.
What about the factoring in of down and distance so far as it relates to coverage calls by a coordinator?

 

[OriolesMagicPlease]

Well, just playing, asking a lot of questions, absorbing any resource I can. I was a nickel and a safety, so I've always just been drawn to the secondary to study, watch, and play.

Impressive!

 

[29BmoreBird22]

@29BmoreBird22
I love this series. Thanks so much for taking the time to run it and for how thoroughly you've broken things down.
What about the factoring in of down and distance so far as it relates to coverage calls by a coordinator?

I was going to add in the down and distance for my next breakdowns and then talk about the strengths and weaknesses of each and hopefully kind of highlight when we might see X coverage over Y coverage.

 

[Grim]

Nice article and I think this helps people who haven’t played secondary or haven’t been coached much in secondary play. I think another thing that would be nice to add would be CB who excel or are prototypes for the coverage being discussed. I think that would really help people grasp the concept of coverages better. I also like the amount of detail you put into this. Really nice breakdown of the difference and the importance of feet vs hands, which is a common misconception.

A lot of times people see a CB off the ball but think it’s zone just because they’re off the ball lol. I remember those days back at the old forum. Do you plan on doing press-bail?

 

[29BmoreBird22]

Nice article and I think this helps people who haven’t played secondary or haven’t been coached much in secondary play. I think another thing that would be nice to add would be CB who excel or are prototypes for the coverage being discussed. I think that would really help people grasp the concept of coverages better. I also like the amount of detail you put into this. Really nice breakdown of the difference and the importance of feet vs hands, which is a common misconception.

A lot of times people see a CB off the ball but think it’s zone just because they’re off the ball lol. I remember those days back at the old forum. Do you plan on doing press-bail?

Yes, when I do Cover 3. The Seahawks made that VERY popular.

 

[Filmstudy]

Outstanding piece, @29BmoreBird22

 

[29BmoreBird22]

Outstanding piece, @29BmoreBird22

Well, shucks. I really appreciate that. High praise coming from you considering I read all your pieces that you write for RSR. Best writer on that staff by far.