How to Beat Cover 5 (2-Man)

Where Cover 5 Is Weak

Cover 5 is one of the hardest coverages to complete passes against. The man defenders play inside leverage in trail technique, sitting underneath their receivers, because they know two safeties are over the top. The answers come from what that technique gives up.

• Your legs. Every underneath defender is turned to a receiver, so a scramble or designed QB run has nobody watching it.
• Crossing routes and rubs that make trailing defenders fight through traffic.
• Routes that break away from a defender's leverage, like an out-breaker against inside leverage or a back on an option route.
• The deep middle between the safeties, for a receiver who wins vertically against the man defender.

Five Cover 5 Beaters and the Read on Each

1. Mesh

   Two shallow crosses pass close together, so their trailing defenders have to fight through traffic. Flash the back on the rail first, then work the crosser that comes out clean and keeps running away from its defender.

2. Stick

   Against man, the stick breaks outside at 5 yards instead of sitting, away from a defender playing inside leverage. The flat is underneath and the go route clears the corner. If the stick defender is inside, throw it on the break. Otherwise, throw the flat.

3. Snag

   The snag angles inside to about 5 yards. Against man it breaks back outside, away from a defender who jumped inside, while the corner route behind it pulls the corner away. Throw the snag on its break.

4. The Back on an Option Route

   A linebacker covering a back has to guess which way the back will break. On an option route the back reads that leverage and goes the other way. Hold the linebacker with your eyes, then throw the break.

5. The Backside One on One

   Out of trips, the single receiver on the backside often gets a corner alone underneath, with a safety over the top. Take a route that breaks away from the corner's leverage there, not a deep throw into the safety's half.

Situations

• Third and medium. Defenses like Cover 5 here because it takes away short throws. Have a crosser or a rub ready, and know your scramble lane.
• Against press. Press makes the hitch hard but helps routes that release inside and break away.
• Out of bunch and stacks. Tight splits force man defenders to switch or collide, which is exactly where Cover 5 struggles.
• Near the goal line. With less field to defend, the safeties play closer. Rubs and quick breaks matter even more.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Forcing the short throw into a trailing defender. In trail technique the defender sits under the receiver, ready for it.
• Throwing deep outside into a safety's half.
• Holding the ball waiting for someone to come open. If the coverage holds, run.
• Mistaking it for Cover 2 Tampa. Both are MFO (two high safeties), but in Cover 5 the corners and nickel are tight on receivers and the linebackers lock onto the backs and tight end.