Disguising Tampa 2 — NFL Defenses
Film of these disguises in action is linked at the bottom.
The What.
While this article won’t get into too much detail of base Tampa 2, the basics are:
- Two-deep zones, typically covered by safeties in a two-high shell.
- Pole runner, typically a linebacker, covering the middle of the field, between the hashes.
- Four underneath zones. Two CBs playing sink-flats, two LBs playing hook-curl zones. CBs may be carrying #1 WRs vertical to help deal with possible 4-verts.
- Typically the low middle is vacated by the pole runner (blue zone circled above). Some teams will drop a DL into this zone off the line.
Disguising Tampa 2 typically comes from either disguising the players responsible for covering the two-deep zones, or disguising the pole runner.
The Why.
Why disguise the coverage shell?
Disguising what is typically a 2-high coverage with a 1-high look(or, rarely, a 3-high look) can change an offenses pre-snap reads. Having an extra defender near the LOS instead of aligned deep will naturally take away some quick-pass and RPO reads. It can also discourage running. Additionally, certain routes / plays are meant to be ran to a single-high defense, and spinning to 2-high post-snap will create problems for these designs.
Why disguise the pole runner?
When a linebacker is the pole-runner, offenses like to either play-action and pull him into the run, passing the ball behind him while he is pulled down into the play, or pass into the low hole he is vacating when bailing to run the pole. In changing who the pole-runner is and where he is aligned pre-snap, it muddies the offenses ability to read and attack a specific player inside the box. Changing this players alignment or which player is running the pole throughout a game can further obscure these reads for an offense.
The Disguises.
Ex. 1
Above: KC has two apex DBs (defenders inside the CBs) kick back to Tampa-2 zones. Single-high safety spins out to the backside. The pole-runner is to the top of the screen. He will turn and run to the middle, with eyes to the 3-receiver side, locking on to whoever runs between the hashes. Both linebackers stay in the hook-to-curl zones. Cornerbacks playing sink-flats, sinking under #1.
Ex. 2
Above: NYG align in a single-high shell. Mike backer (#2 of 4 backers, to the pass strength) kicks back to the middle hole, eyes on the #2 WR to the bottom of the screen. FS opens to the pass strength. Backside apex defender fast bails between WR and TE to the deep zone. CBs and LBs same distributions as first example.
Ex. 3
Above: DET is aligned in a 2-high shell. They end with a 2-deep Tampa 2, only after the backside safety rotates down, and the frontside apex kicks up to the deep half zone. The original frontside safety opens to the backside. The pole runner comes from the standard linebacker position, with a DB playing it. The rest of the zone distributions look a bit off (see four defenders on the bottom hash).
Ex. 4
Above: KC is in something close to a 3-safety look. These three safeties take the deep halves and the pole-runner roles. CBs and LBs distribute normally.
Ex. 5
Above: HOU in a 1-high pre-snap. Spinning Will (DB) to the middle hole, and the strong apex to a deep half.
Ex. 6
Above: KC in a cover-0 look pre-snap. On snap, cornerbacks are bailing to deep halves. Strong apex becomes pole runner. All 4 “linebackers” inside the box are bursting out post-snap, at a sprint, towards their sink-flat and hook-to-curl zones.
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