Cover 1 Robber Defense

How Cover 1 Robber Works

Underneath it is Cover 1, with the corners and remaining defenders locked onto receivers. Behind them, one safety rotates to the deep middle and the other comes down to 10 to 15 yards in the middle as the robber.

In Crucible's diagram the strong safety rotates to the post (deep middle) and the free safety becomes the robber. The rotation usually starts from a two-high look, which is the disguise.

Where It Is Weak

• Outside the numbers. The robber only helps inside, so go routes and comebacks are won or lost one on one.
• Low-High on the robber: a shallow cross under an in route. A robber who jumps the shallow opens the in route, and one who sinks leaves the shallow open.
• Looking the robber off. Stare at an in-breaker and you invite the interception.

How to Recognize It

• Often two high safeties before the snap, so you think Cover 2 Tampa or quarters.
• Underneath defenders matched up on receivers, a man tell even with two safeties deep.
• Motion still works: a defender running across with it means man underneath.
• At the snap one safety spins deep and the other comes down into the middle.
• The safety floating in the middle with no receiver, eyes on you, is the robber.

How a QB Reads It

As in Cover 1, find the two defenders covering nobody (the post safety and the robber) and work away from where they go. Go outside, where the go and comeback are straight matchup throws, or work a Low-High on the robber. In the middle, look the robber off first, then throw off what the robber does on the shallow and in route, never the crosser straight into that safety.