How to Beat Cover 2 Tampa

Where Cover 2 Tampa Is Weak

Once the Mike runs, the short and intermediate middle belong to the two outside linebackers in the Hook/Curl zones, who read your drop and front shoulder. Outside, the cloud corners squat in the flats and the safeties cover from the hash to the sideline.

• The sideline hole, about 15 to 20 yards deep, between the corner and the safety.
• Under the Mike, once the Mike has run past 10 yards.
• The seam on the side the Mike does not take. The Mike gets on top of inside verticals but usually opens toward the three-receiver side.
• The run game. A Mike sprinting deep is not filling a gap.

Five Cover 2 Tampa Beaters and the Read on Each

1. Snag

   The snag angles inside and sits at about 5 yards while the corner route breaks behind the cloud corner toward the sideline, where the Mike's drop does not help. Read the corner Low-High: squatting, throw the corner route on a line before the safety arrives; sinking with the corner route, throw the snag.

2. Sail

   Three routes to one side: deep, a sail at 12 yards and a short route to the flat. The safety takes the deep route and the corner takes the flat, so read the curl defender on that side: sinking under the sail, throw the short route; staying shallow, the sail lands in the hole.

3. Scissors

   The outside receiver breaks inside on a post-type route, the inside receiver breaks outside behind the corner, and a third route works underneath. Read the safety to that side. If the safety widens, the inside route is open, but find the Mike first. If the safety squeezes inside, read the corner: squatting opens the outside break, sinking opens the route underneath.

4. Drive

   A shallow under a 12-yard in-breaker, with only the outside linebackers left underneath in the middle. Read the Hook/Curl defender on the side the routes cross into: deep route if that defender jumps the shallow, shallow if the defender sinks.

5. Dig

   An in route at about 15 yards behind the outside linebackers. With the Mike deep and the linebackers shallow, throw the in route. If the Mike sat down, check it to the back underneath.

Situations

• Long yardage. Cover 2 Tampa protects the deep middle and rallies to anything short, which makes it a classic third-and-long call. Take the sideline hole, or a short throw that makes a defender tackle in space.
• Draws and QB runs. A draw after a few dropbacks catches the Mike bailing, against a two-high box of usually six or seven.
• Out of trips. The Mike has to carry a vertical by No. 3, which opens the in route or crosser underneath.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Throwing the seam the Mike is carrying. A Mike who turned and ran at the snap is waiting there, so throw the vertical on the other side.
• Throwing quick routes to the flat into cloud corners. Use them to hold the corner.
• Late throws to the corner route. The safety is closing from the hash.