63 Defense: Tampa Cover 2 &

Zone Coverage Concepts

Jack Gregory 2011
All Rights Reserved
For more information see www.gregorydoublewing.com
Or email me at coachgregory@live.com

History of the Tampa Cover 2

The "Tampa 2" is a defensive strategy that was
popularized by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
football team in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
It was designed by then head coach Tony Dungy,
defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, and then
linebackers coach Lovie Smith. Dungy first
learned the Cover 2 while playing for the Steelers
in the late 70s and eventually developed this new
form of the Cover 2 in Tampa.

How it Works

The Tampa 2 scheme relies heavily on extremely speedy defensive players and a hard
hitting secondary that loves to gang tackle. Further, the Tampa 2 expects everyone to
tackle in the run game; the safeties, the cornerbacks, and everyone in between.
The Tampa 2 is run out of the usual 4-3 defense, but every player is responsible for his
own gap up on the line and drops a middle linebacker into deeper coverage. The design
behind the Tampa 2 was to stop the West Coast Offense that became popular and was
spreading around the league.
In a standard 43 defense, the middle LB stays underneath the safeties and covers short
underneath routes and helps in run defense. In the Tampa 2, the middle LB is
expected to drop into deep coverage in the middle essentially converting a Cover 2 into
a Cover 3. This protects against the deep pass very well and changes the assignments.
Every player is now responsible for less field, and the deep routes are covered better.
Only the other two LBs and the two CBs have to cover slightly more ground.
Below is the standard 43 Cover 2 defense. The safeties are responsible for 1/2 of the
field deep. The corners and linebackers are each responsible for about 1/5 of the field
in the shorter distances. This poses a problem, see the next figure.

The Cover 2 4-3 Defense

Tampa Cover 2 4-3 Defense

How it Works Part 2

The Tampa 2 coverage scheme attempts to plug up the soft spots in
the usual Cover 2. The Tampa 2 emphasizes speed and a quick passrush. While the normal Cover 2 has each LB and CB covering about
1/5 of the field, as you saw above, and the safeties covering 1/2 the
field deep, the Tampa 2 pulls the middle LB into a middle deep zone
coverage as well, making it a a Cover 3.
What this does is allows the safeties to have to cover less ground,
so they can cover the traditional soft zone past the corners more
effectively.
Since the middle LB drops into coverage, the other two LBs and CBs
each have to cover about 1/4 of the field. Speed at every position is
extremely important, because the LBs have to cover more ground
than LBs are used to covering.

Exposing the Tampa Cover 2

A team with a strong running game or a great play-action
game can seriously stress the Tampa 2 defensive scheme. If
the safety has to stop and think for a split second about a
run, the soft spots behind the CBs have opened up again.
The Tampa 2 was designed to work against teams that ran a
West Coast Offense. Short passes, lots of zone exploitation,
and the deep posts, corners, flags, and outs.
The Tampa 2 was successful against the West Coast
Offense, because West Coast teams don't run as much as
they pass. Hence, the Tampa 2 made more sense. The
newer types of West Coast Offenses being used by teams
like the Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons, and Carolina
Panthers take full advantage of the run game and play very
well against Tampa's defense.

Why We Use It
It is the cornerstone of what we do.
It allows us to play aggressive defense against the run
and get a eleven hats on the ball.
It deceives defenses into seeing false secondary
coverage; DE not dropping when they dont have a
quick pass key and MIKE not dropping into the deep
zone when seeing run.
It allows us to be aggressive at the LOS and compress
the backfield while not giving up the deep pass.
It easily converts from COVER 2 to COVER 3 against a
drop set three and four verticals.

How it is Modified
We take the CBs and move them inside to the DE spot (really rush/read 34
OLB) to provide our FORCE into the backfield and make the defense a spill
& kill defense. Six defenders at the LOS against the run instead of four
(43).
We take the Safeties and make them inverted cornerbacks allowing us to
defend the deep vertical outs. We now have two primary pass defenders
instead of four as most youth based offenses are run first.
The conversion from a 4 man front to a 6 man front with force/pressure
ends gives us the ability to effectively attack the running game.
It allows us to easily convert into a passing defense against pass oriented
teams and spread offenses.
We use a mix of interior calls (front six) to apply additional pressure or
coverage depending on the offenses ability
(STACK/RED/SPREAD/QUARTERS/ZULU/PRESS/DEPRESS).

Dealing With the Space on the Field

Vertical Out

Perimeter

Vertical Middle

Edge

Interior

Vertical Out

Edge

Perimeter

The 63 Defense
TC2: S become 63 CB
Inverted Cover 2
TC2: Mike is
our 63 Mike

As a base the DL are one gap

players (slanting front)

TC2: CB become
63 DE (OLB)

The 63 Defense

Not Stack

Not Stack

Only if needed
Only if needed

Face the Play

The defensive end and any defender outside of the defensive end
will align in a FTP/Tilted stance.
We face the ball when we are on the perimeter or in the deep
outside vertical because we read the QB while we watch the
receivers move.
We defend our field and then ball when it goes into the air.
Field is not athletic, not fast, not taller.
You rotate as you drop towards the deepest receiver threat in your
zone responsibility.
BSCB and BSLB slow their rotation to check for BCR.
FTP allows us to get everyone to the ball. If run every defender
checks to make sure there is no threat of ball in their area
(BCR/PAP) and they flow to the ball. If pass they drop and when the
ball is released everyone goes to the ball.

Red Call Zone Drop & Rotation

Notice rotation

Not Stack

Not Stack

Only if needed
Only if needed

Red Call Zone Drop & Rotation

Against a Rollout

Not Stack

Not Stack

Only if needed
Only if needed

Red Call Zone Drop & Rotation

Against a Swing
Notice rotation

Not Stack

Not Stack

Only if needed
Only if needed

Notes on Zone Coverage

The quicker a player is the faster he will break on the ball.

The faster a player is the less time it take takes to cover field to get to the ball.
CBs can be smaller in size but must make up the size with good athleticism, quickness, a
knack for finding the ball.
CBs must play in vertical space (speed + quickness)
OLBs must play in lateral space (quickness + lateral movement)
MIKE must do both well.
The value of a player who can locate the ball and get his hands on it is important in the
secondary. If you find a player that can do that you have consider him a legit corner.
DEs must play in lateral space (quickness + lateral movement)
Having players in the HOURGLASS that can play multiple positions (CB that can play DE, MIKE,
and OLB) gives you more options.
PRESS/DEPRESS call the OLB and DE must be able to move reasonably well in vertical space.
Figure out if a receiver is a vertical threat, lateral threat (possession), or both.
Find out if the QB throws to a receiver or not. If he doesnt that defender can become a
pressure player at times.

Questions/Comments?