How to Beat Cover 6

Where Cover 6 Is Weak

Cover 6 is two coverages at once, so it has two sets of holes. The half-field side plays like Cover 2 Tampa, with the corner squatting in the flat. The quarters side plays like Cover 4, with the corner deep and the safety reading the No. 2 receiver.

• The sideline hole on the half-field side, behind the cloud corner and in front of the half safety.
• The flats on the quarters side, where the corner plays deep.
• In front of the deep corner on the quarters side, where a hitch at 5 to 6 yards is there on rhythm.
• The quarters safety's rules. A route that changes after the read can catch that safety on the wrong man.
• Motion and shifts. The defense sets the two halves by the formation, so motion can leave the wrong half facing your strength.

Five Cover 6 Beaters and the Read on Each

1. Sail to the Half-Field Side

   Sail puts three routes on one side at three depths: a vertical to take the half safety deep, the sail route at about 12 yards toward the sideline and a route to the flat. Run it at the cloud corner. If the cloud corner squats on the flat, throw the sail route into the hole behind it. If the corner sinks under the sail route, the flat is open.

2. Snag to the Half-Field Side

   Snag is a corner route over a snag route, read Low-High on the corner. A cloud corner who sits on the snag leaves the corner route open in the sideline hole, under the half safety. If the corner drops with the corner route, come down to the snag.

3. Hitch

   Crucible's Hitch reads Cover 6 as a split field: the half-field side like Cover 2 Tampa, the quarters side with a Curl/Flat/Hook read. On the quarters side the hitch sits in front of a corner who has to respect the deep quarter. If that corner is off and nobody is under the hitch, throw it on rhythm.

4. Stick to the Quarters Side

   The stick at 5 yards and the flat attack the one underneath defender on the quarters side while the go route keeps the corner deep. If the flat defender widens, throw the stick. If it sits on the stick, throw the flat.

5. Scissors to the Quarters Side

   No. 2 pushes vertical, so the quarters safety has to carry it, and Scissors crosses the routes: No. 1 breaks inside, No. 2 breaks outside behind the corner. If the safety carries No. 2, No. 1's inside break is one on one. If the safety jumps No. 1, throw No. 2's outside break toward the sideline.

Situations

• Against trips. Defenses usually play quarters toward the three receivers and the half-field side toward the single receiver. Look backside for the corner or sail route in the hole.
• After motion. If the defense does not re-declare its halves, your concept may now be facing the side you wanted. Check where the rolled-up corner went.
• Third and long. Throw past the marker on the quarters side with a curl or in route, or go to the sideline hole on the half-field side.
• Against Cover 4. If both corners are off and both safeties sit at the same depth, it is quarters on both sides. Use the Cover 4 answers.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Throwing the flat into the cloud corner. On the half-field side the flat is the corner's first job.
• Throwing deep on the quarters side. Four deep defenders on that half want you to.
• Throwing the seam into the quarters safety, who is reading the slot and often sitting on it.
• Calling it Cover 2 Tampa or Cover 4 too early. Two high safeties with corners that look different on each side is the tell.