Against a team looking to push routes deep down the field, a 3-high structure can provide great value. Tampa Bay saw good success with this against KC in the Super Bowl. See more details on a 3-high defense here.
It removes middle field open / closed reads presnap (from 2high and 1high looks respectively)
Adds flexibility in coverages. Particularly in top-down rotations.
Can align potential deep defenders at a better depth to stay over any deep routes from a speedy receiver.
Tampa played fivesnaps of 3-deep presnap looks.
Twosnaps of a 1-deep, 5 under STICKS coverage..
Two snaps of a boundary rotation cover 3.
One snap of straight cover 3.
Outcomes: 1 Int, 2 Inc, 2 checkdowns allowed.
Note TB played a bunch of 3-deep prevent calls at the end of the game, which we are not including here.
FILM
If you are not able to see the film here while on a phone, either open the page in "desktop mode" or open it on a computer.
1st Quarter, 11:34, 3&8 - STICKS (1-deep 5-under)
Boundary and Middle safety drop to hook/hole at sticks. Here we can see all 5 underneath defenders within 2yds of the 1st down marker. Nobody matches either vertical route up the middle. Compare this to the next play.
Here we see a great sample of the flexibility of a 3-high look. BCB and Sam (Ni) blitz both edges and are replaced in coverage by the outside safeties, while mugged backers drop out into the hooks at the marker. In coverage, note both corners playing top-down on the possible outside verticals, to make sure the single deep safety is not outnumbered as he was the prior clip.
2nd Quarter, 2:00, 1&10 - Straight C3
While not a standard 3-high look with the outside CB as 3rd high defender, it ends up playing like a standard 3-high with the Sam (Ni) here replacing the CB as flat defender. Pausing halfway into the play, you can see the distributions of the 3-deep 4-under.
3rd Quarter, 6:30, 3&13 - C3 Boundary Rotation
Boundary and Middle safety are dropping, while both CBs are taking deep 3rds from a backpedal on snap. With no vertical, a CB will continue to zone off to his deep 3rd to make sure he takes away any deep crosses. Boundary corner #24 here s pulled down a bit by the hunt route of #87, while #10 is running the deep cross behind him. #24 manages to get back and make a great play on the ball to cause a turnover.
4th Quarter, 6:22, 2&10 - C3 Boundary Rotation
Same rotations as prior clip. While not targeted, KC does run another deep cross aimed behind the boundary corner.
A handful of college programs over the last couple years have been implementing a 3-high structure as an additional tool in the toolbox alongside zero, 1-high, and 2-high shells. Iowa state has been one of the early adopters, running a 3-high structure regularly alongside their 3-4 Hybrid Nickel.
KEY POINTS
Core Rules
3-down front.
Mike/Will in the box typically. Sam coverdown often.
Goals of the Structure
Encourage run with a light box read. Stop run with aggressive middle safety (H) and overhang fits.
Stop the RPO with overhangs.
Prevent deep shots with pre-snap look. 3-Deep takes away MOFC/MOFO read pre-snap.
Match gap creation across the formation with fits from deep safeties.
Utilize multiplicity in 8th coverage man. Rotating coverages, blitzing into a 7-drop coverage, inverting coverages.
Alignments
Safeties typically 8-10yds off the LOS.
ILBs typically 2-3yds off heels of DL, over A or B gaps.
Sam is pretty much always coverdown or apexed outside box.
0tech nose in most fronts.
Run Fitting
3-down line are added on to by inside backers, with the playside backer becoming functionally a 3tech in the run.
Box players are spilling to the run-fitting safety.
In run, the missing backer is replaced in the fit by the H (or BS, by formation). Safety fits to the playside edge generally. Misdirection can cause problems for these fits at times.
Against Y-Off, Sniffer, and FB sets, H and BS are able to match gap creation across the formation from depth.
Pass Rushing
Base rush is 3-down slanting to a side aiming to spill the QB out of the pocket in a single direction
Mike will often add-on to the rush on a delay, shadowing QB to the spill side.
Other common call is to have DL rush central gaps looking to break the pocket inside-out, with Mike playing same role as above.
Multiplicity
With a 3-down front and 3-high safeties, Iowa St. can call a drop-8 coverage on every snap.
This allows any of the 8 droppers to blitz, and maintain the integrity of a standard drop-7 coverage distribution.
From 3-high, Iowa St. calls rotations and inversions of their coverages often. Corners, safeties, and overhangs will exchange assignments frequently. C1/C2/C3, Tampa, Quarters, and mixed calls are all on the table.
ALIGNING and COVERING
Depending on formation, Iowa State will play both split field coverage calls as well as full-field calls.
3 RECEIVER SIDES
TRIO (3 split)
1. Cover 0. Man across the board, with BS/Sam sharing RPO rules. To the QB eyes hangs in coverage (Sam), and to the QB backside inserts to fit the run (BS).
2. Essentially a poach call, but the 3rd safety plays the role of poacher from an alignment to the strength, instead of from the backside in a 2-high shell. H takes the vertical of #3 while the #1 and #2 are covered with a 3-over-2 quarters call.
3. Cover 1. H & SS man up to let backers play aggressively. Still trying to encourage short passes with depth of alignments.
4. Tampa 2. Underneath defenders collision receivers before zone turning and gaining some depth.
5. Cover 3 Boundary Rotation. H is hanging in the hole closing the seam, and driving down on ball thrown. Field CB is midpointing verticals of #1 and #2.
6. Cover 2 H-man. One of the unique features of a 3-high is the ability to erase a man from the coverage, and still maintain drop-7 coverage distribution. H eliminates the #3 from the zone coverage, and Iowa State ends up with balanced 3-over-2 coverage to both sides.
TREY (TE attached)
Iowa State aligns 3-over-2 to the split-out WRs, with a safety and a backer stacked 1-2yds inside the #2.
Backer is either hanging to take away RPO, or folding into run fit. This depends on QB eyes to him/away from him, and backfield action.
The middle safety (H) is likely to be put man/man on the TE, fitting run on TE block.
Rarely see Trey formations in the film I have access to. Both examples have QB eyes to the Sam. Sam is hanging and defending RPO before triggering to run play.
2 RECEIVER SIDES
SLOT (2 split receivers)
Iowa State makes a point to end the distribution with a 3-over-2. One of the main benefits of having 8 possible defenders in coverage is you can align/end the coverage with a numbers advantage look as long as you use the right RPO rules.
1. Cover 2Invert (Tamp2 Invert), mirrored. Safety pushes out to #1 right now, middle safety pushes to the seam/curl, mike drops to the hole, and CB bails fast to midpoint #1 and #2.
2. Tampa 2. Mirrored. Starts as a drop-8 rush-3, with the mike spying the QB and blitzing on a delay.
3. Cover 3 Boundary Rotation.
PRO/HBK (TE/HBK and split receiver)
Safety and Corner play similar to how they play over a single-WR side (next section). The main difference is a backer or the H (middle safety) alignment depending on TE location.
1. Corner run support (cloud). 3-over-2. Full-field call is C3 with the 3-high all dropping.
2. Safety overhanging/run support (sky). Inversion of the previous technique.
3. Against tight set "wing" looks, Iowa State aligns 4-high by bumping a cornerback to depth. Coverage is 4-man 4-under, with the unders playing run-first and the H/SS following TE/FB on gap-creation across the line from depth (pulls/kick-outs).
SINGLE WR SIDE
Pre-snap look always puts 2-over-1.
Safety to the single side typically aligns 6-10yds deep, apexed between WR and EMOL.
Corner alignment is flexible, typically matching the technique and split rules in relation to the safety.
When safety is 6yds deep, CB typically 5yds deep aligned inside eye.
When safety is 8-10yds deep, CB may align outside / press.
Nearly always playing aggressive to the run on single-sides.
1. Corner blitz. Safety will take #1 vertical or zone off unders.
2. Safety blitz. Coverage call here is Cover 2 with the middle safety pushing over from the strongside to the backside deep-half, and the BCB collision #1 to the outside and sinking under the vertical.
3. CLOUD call. CB is force and playing fast to the run. Can aggressively collision #1 while reading backfield action. Safety is taking all of #1.
4. SKY (or invert) call. Safety is reading backfield action and triggering fast to the run. Corner takes all of #1. Must stay on top of all #1 routes.
NUB SIDE (TE only)
Depending on opposing team / expected run schemes, the edge/force player can be swapped between CB and Safety.
One player will align LOS, 1yd outside TE and fight any reach block and trying to keep outside arm free, maintaining the edge and forcing runner inside no matter what.
Second player will align 6-7yds deep, head-up on TE, fitting the last inside gap before the edge on run.
One way Kansas City puts the elite speed and quickness of Tyreek Hill to use is with pre-snap motions (orbit and jet). They use speed and movement pre-snap to either out leverage the defense with speed, or force the defense to put eyes in the wrong places and create hesitation or false steps. The outcome is to create conflict for a defense in multiple directions, causing the defense to play slower or be out of position.
This writeup outlines 10 misdirections from the AFC championship.
7 of 10 misdirections feature Tyreek Hill.
4 of 10 are aiming to get ball to Travis Kelce.
ORBIT SERIES
1st&10, 3:45 1st Quarter
Near slot (#10) to the 3WR side goes in across-return-orbit motion.
This is followed by a play-action with eyes to the overhang defender (#24) to the bottom of screen. Note this is not an RPO.
This concept has three main outcomes:
A) Freeze the overhang and make him slow to fit the run (if RPO/for future calls).
B) Force the overhang to push with the orbit, and open the window for the crosser behind him.
C) Get the orbit runner outside of the overhang, and throw the ball to him in space.
With the overhang (#24) so far inside immediately after the PA, the ball going to the orbit swing in space is a great option. By design however, it looks like this specific snap the idea is to wait for the overhang to drift outside with the swing, and put the ball directly in the window between the Mike and the overhang.
4&1, 1:33 1st Quarter
One variant of the many of the must-have KC conversion plays with sprint outs or boots to the right side flat.
Slot (#10) to the field goes in across-return-orbit motion, and stops in a pistol alignment.
The PA fake goes to the field, and QB spins out on the naked boot to drop ball in the flat to the offset back releasing. This motion and action mainly affects the inside backers, who both step hard for the run fake. That said, it is unlikely they have any impact in the pass to the flat here.
The key to this plays success is #13 to the boundary. He has a good release, which collisions the DB working to the flat, and creates an opportunity for the offset back to out leverage him quickly in the short yardage situation.
1&G(6), 10:10 2nd Quarter
Same look as from first clip. Near slot to the 3WR side goes in across-return-orbit motion.
This time the design is taking advantage of the Mike backer (#49) aligned over the LT/LG.
#49 is playing top-down reading run/pass before committing, making sure he does not open a window for a possible immediate touchdown route behind him by driving on the PA so close to the endzone.
This puts him at an angle to get fully walled off by the doubleteam of the RT/RG working up to him, and puts the safety in a one-on-one with the HB coming downhill with momentum in the hole 6yds off the LOS.
JET SERIES
2&1, 5:45 1st Quarter
Empty FIB, Tyreek Hill comes in jet motion from the trey slot.
When a defense aligns 2-high, it eliminates much of the need to shift the secondary on motions. That is what we see here.
At the snap Buffalo is aligned 3-over-2 to both sides of the field, with jet in the backfield.
Note that by not shifting the backend, Buffalo stays sound to the quick screen, but gives a bad look in the case of a jet give.
Stress is on the overhang to the field eying the jet to beat his block, and on the safety here who is working to stay over the #2 WR and would likely be the free hitter to the jet runner.
2&2, 15:00 2nd Quarter
Same formation FIB as the prio jet clip. Defense also plays it from the same alignment (less depth on goal line) and with minimal adjustment to motion.
Kansas City goes to their G skip shovel. They leave the playside DE unblocked again while LT works to the backside overhang, and the skip-pulling RG works to the Mike.
1&10, 12:37 3rd Quarter
Outside man (#10) in the close bunch motions across the formation, and comes back in jet motion.
Ball is snapped and the defense is presented with two looks:
1. To the boundary, they are getting an outside zone look with the OL and HB actions.
2. To the field, and where the ball goes, is the jet sweep.
Both of the playside DL are passed up by RT and RG. RG is freed up to the 3rd level since LG gets to the Will, while RT works to wall the Mike from the jet.
Note the Mike working hard at an angle to avoid getting walled completely. This comes up in the next clip.
TE #87 arcs around the PSDE to the Ni/Sam, while #1 WR is taking the CB wherever the CB wants to go. With CB attempting to set edge, he is widened further and space for the runner to get upfield is created.
1&G(1), 3:34 3rd Quarter
This play is built off of the prior clip. Same formation and motions.
This time, the QB and HB both step away from the jet, with what begins to look like one of the many sprint-out calls KC likes to run.
From the backside, the LG skip pulls to the frontside C gap while the frontside blockers are working down the line. PSDE is unblocked again which leaves space for TE #87 to take the shovel and work vertical for enough yards to score.
Note this time, the Mike (#49) steps hard with the jet action and takes himself out of the play, to avoid getting walled for a touchdown. Looks like the RT was meant to work up to the Mike but saw him vacate the area so grabbed Will.
3&5, 7:41 4th Quarter
2x2, the off man stacked to the field goes in jet motion. The secondary communicates to push the coverage with the jet.
The coverage to the new 3x1 set puts boundary safety #21 in man on TE #87 it appears. #21 is on skates with the motion and quick coverage adjustment, and so #87 leaks across the field open for a score.
Note to the backline #10 coming uncovered after quickly beating his man across the field, and #13 coming from the single coming open on the deep mesh rub at the opposite hash.
OTHER MISDIRECTIONS
1&10, 12:26 2nd Quarter
This is a very similar to a play Tampa Bay ran in their Wildcard matchup earlier in this playoff.
TE #87 motions over to a Y-off alignment creating a close bunch to the field, and goes on a slice path on snap, giving a split-zone or GY counter look to the backers on his side (#49, #24).
This action, along with the LG pull, pulls backers further into the box. The QB and HB work a play-action.
Meanwhile to the backside, the single WR begins his end-around on snap and receives the QB pitch.
TE #87 spins out of his slice steps and works back to the playside.
LT, C, RT all manage to work through the box to help seal for the end around.
All together, these actions leave the backers to the frontside too far inside, getting walled. It leaves only the CB to the outside trying to contain, and a single high safety keeping the play in front and slowing it down for pursuit. All against two linemen and a TE working to the 3rd level.
1&10, 12:12 2nd Quarter
HB pushes out pre-snap creating a 4x1, forcing Mike (#49) to widen with him.
The #3 WR to the trio (#13) curls up in the window between the widened Mike and the Will to the inside.
