Teaching Your QB to Process Coverages

High School Football Offensive Teaching

[@superquick9748]

Thanks Coach Mac. This video really helped me after weight lifting. The coach didn't yell at me once and I never through an interception.

[@mskux19]

Great video coach. I'm Australian but I'm falling in love with defense and defensive schemes and concepts. Been watching football for a while but the nuances and intricacies of the game are something else.

[@hlee7437]

Hi coach, I was wondering if you could give me a guideline on which order I should view your videos. I am a quarterback trying to study the very basics of offense

[@colinselasor7078]

Im a Safety and thank you so much for this. I watch your vids all the time before games

[@robertmosher7418]

I love your channel brother. Because you have such a strong grasp on both offense and defense in execution and theory I am going guess you played QB in high school and moved to DBack of some sort in college. Or played Dback in both and was a GA on offense and most likely an offensive assistant in college and worked with QBs. The coach I worked with as our college head coach had been a college All American at center and when he became a GA his head coach made him a defensive GA and then the D line interior line coach. Then he learned the special teams. That man knows everything about about all three portions of the game. He is a complete coach. Good man too.

[@CoachMac]

Played QB real young, played WR in college but was actually recruited to play DB but was too small. As a Head Coach you have to study everything, I got lucky and got a Head Coaching job at 26 years old and it forced me to learn everything

[@robertmosher7418]

@@CoachMac I have been lucky enough to have had a couple great mentors. However, I am not sure I could prepare a defense for game week in today's football. When I was a head coach of a JR High School team and of an 8 man varsity team I did. But I spent most of our defensive minutes doing tackling drills and run fits. I have never coached against any coach who threw as much as I do and I really didn't concern myself with any thing but man, man one and man two and Tampa two. It paid off in small team football. I look at what we do on offense now and have nightmares on how to slow it down. Until last year we were running 84 plays a game on offense. I am not smart enough to look at what formation we put our kids in and be able to eliminate any plays we couldn't run from that formation and playing us is a four play til first no matter where we are at on the field. Fourth and eleven from the nine? No problem, run an island formation to split the safeties and throw a skinny post right up the middle of the field on 3-1.

[@CoachMac]

Robert Mosher teams that are really good on offense you are just trying to slow down. Get at least 1 stop and maybe a turnover. Get your offense to play ball possession and manage the clock. There is more to game planning a defensive approach than just the play of the defense.

[@SuperMaximo20]

So its about identifying coverages on different formations because as a quarterback myself it takes a while to understand what the defense is showing but i do understand what you're talking about the QB process

[@CoachMac]

Yes exactly. By stand up screens I mean throwing the ball immediately to a wide out with no real involvement from o line. Slow screens develop off 5 step drops or run actions and usually have 2-3 or 4 lineman getting out in front of the screen.

[@lvn4x]

I'm not a coach or a player, but I love your vids. Offensive and defensive concepts are such a vast and fascinating area. Coaching would've been a noble and rewarding career choice. Best of luck!

[@robertmosher7418]

We coach single high safety...is he inside or outside of the up rights. Two high safety, is the Bandit on or off the hash. If we are throwing quick game it's is Mike walked out on three or four, or softest coverage/best match up/shortest throw or best leverage. If the Bandit is playing on the hash the corner is either in lock down man or he has to bail and cover deep. If he is playing off the stop the hash then he's going to be putting them in a numerical Superior position because you're going to have three into the boundary to cover any kind of concert we have over there. So if he sees the Bandit playing off the hash he knows pretty much he cannot throw anything over there we can't throw deep to beat a press Corner because he's right there in the window to play over the top. We can't play quick gain there because we're outnumbered 3 to 2. If he's playing on the hash with the Press Corner if we have a better matchup we can throw a go route all day. If the Bandits on the hash we can throw a corner by 2. Because there's no way a will linebacker can cover our H on a corner route. The only way you can cover a corner as if the corner melts into the route. Bandit can't come over from the hash and cover that. And the will linebacker cannot cover him if he's playing SCF. EVEN IF THE BANDIT IS OFF THE HASH HE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO COVER A CORNER ROUTE IF IT'S THROWN INTO THE WINDOW NEAR SIDELINE! The only way to cover a corner out is by a melting corner. So we know if the Bandit is off the hash we're not going to throw any kind of Smash concept and we have to read really well if the corner is playing at 6 yards. If he's pressed we don't worry about it because he is playing man on number one. If he's playing at 8 to 12 we know it's cover 3 and we're probably not going to throw a corner we're going to attack the seam by throwing a post or some other seam attacking route. If there's a single high safety then their Bandit or their Free is now playing in the hole which negates any sort of quick game because now they have the numbers. So now we're throwing deep. In every one of our Concepts we have routes to break off in case it is a cover 3. But if it's a single high man safety we are going to throw deep and it's going to be touchdown Bulldogs. So what we teach our quarterbacks and pre-snap is to understand where the routes are running and whether it's a single high safety or too high and if it's too high is the Bandit's on or off the hash if it's single high Safety, what is alignment? Is he inside the uprights or is he outside the uprights? That's all the quarterback really needs to know we need to know what those things mean based upon what we're going to call. However we like to call Concepts we know are good against either: 1 everything 2 what coverage they use on like appointments based upon their alignment I don't want the quarterback thinking about what coverage they can be in based upon their alignment. We're going to do that for him I don't want him remembering all that stuff I want him looking at the defense trusting in me and knowing and this concept if I see this formation from the defense then I know I'm going to anticipate throwing to whatever receiver 1 2 or 3. I want him reading the defense single high or two high alignment safeties or if it's quick game is Mike walk out or who has the softest coverage or who has the best leverage in the shortest row and who's the best matchup. That's all I wanted to know you don't want him brain dead. I want him okay this is my pre-snap read I've decided to throw into the boundary because the battery safety is off the hash and that gives us Leverage and I'm going to take a three-step drop because that's what the drop is on this concept to that side of the field and I'm going to read the progression X to H or F to X or whatever it might be. That takes the onus of the play call on us. Puts the onus of making the correct pre-snap decision on the quarterback. As well as reading the progression correctly and dropping his correct timing steps. There is very little our quarterbacks can do to be wrong as long as they have an answer as to why they chose what they chose. As long as he doesn't come off the field and say I wanted to throw it to Marvin because Marvin is a great receiver and I knew he would go over the back of the defender and get the ball. I would rather a quarterback throw a bad decision and play the process. Touchdowns thrown to the wrong receiver are bad. Because if he is not reading the defense and staying in his progression it's going to end up a big bad play later.. like a Pick 6 or turnover on a key drive. So we don't as a coaching staff celebrate touchdowns that are Mistakes by the quarterback and just end up touchdowns because our player is that much better than their player. Bad decisions are going to lead to more bad decisions are going to lie to consequences when we get to the playoffs. It's the reason we make things as simple as possible for our quarterbacks. We don't even allow him to call Protection. We don't want him thinking about the protection we have our running back call the protection to the offensive line. normally coach's leader had a quarterback or the center do that however the center cannot see because On Any Given play the first thing he does is get it to a squat and grab the football and he cannot sit up in his stance without letting go of the ball and committing a false start penalty. The running back is in a two point stance and can see the entire defense so it makes sense to have him call the protection..

[@CoachMac]

Several ways to skin a cat

[@GG-lr3gv]

Really huge fan of getting the RBs involved in the passing game. Teams at the lower levels don’t seem to do it as much. If your running back is good at making guys miss, and most should be, getting the ball to them in 1 on 1s should be utilized.

[@CoachMac]

Almost all defenses play their flat player on the wheel. The corner has to squeeze the post and if you got vertical by 1 and wheel by 2 you would be in trouble. Even though it's a zone concept it is usually taught with pattern matching concepts. Straight spot drops are ok at lower levels but good passing teams will eat spot drops alive.

[@markdlt2989]

Thanks coach Mac, nice foundation look forward to more videos. Coach d.

[@CoachMac]

Maybe I should go back and do a base coverage talk.

[@llegionarr]

+Thomas MacPherson did you do a video on this? i am a new QB and i dont understand coverages at all. a base coverage talk would be grat/

[@CoachMac]

Best option would be running the RB on a check down or angle route over the middle. 4 verts stretches vertically so width to the flat is not ideal

[@CoachMac]

Sure you can, whatever passing concepts you teach just have a way to make it easy on your QB identifying coverages. This was about the QB process, not coverage beaters.

[@SuperMaximo20]

Thanks Coach

[@purpleurplesmoke]

nice video man. learned a lot

[@CoachMac]

Their leverage or alignment inside or outside the receiver in yardage.

[@severincornelius1213]

Coach great video. How can the backside of route combinations help your QB make front side reads faster? Or, what is the role of backed routes?

[@CoachMac]

Try backing your wr out parallel to the LOS as opposed to the bubble, its an easier throw. We throw stand up screens to our wides and then slow screens built in off of our 3 man scat package.

[@coachiminime]

hey coach, love your videos and your blog. I wanted to see what type of screens do you run? We have been a no huddle fast paced offense, but we do not run screens very well. Also how do you take advantage of uncovered or out leveraging a defense, our qb has been terrible running bubble.

[@kabriurahamani9111]

I'm a freshmen wr should i learn how to read coverages to?

[@tweezy6201]

This is gold good stuff coach!

[@CoachMac]

Thanks

[@CoachMac]

The backside routes will not help him progress his reads. The coverage may help him progress to the backside quicker.

[@cristianelvis5788]

Great video

[@CoachMac]

Thank You

[@cristianelvis5788]

coach I was wondering I'm an 18 year old Kid in college right now hoping to be in the NFL or AAF one day as a coach I have no playing experience but know so much about the game I watch film and read about all routes and formations every single day except ove only recently wanted to become a coach like a few months ago, I'm trying to get experience now some coaching experience where would be the best place to start hoping to try to become a QB'S coach and OC while working my way up just like u said u were believe it or not lol

[@SuperMaximo20]

On the robber coverage with the corner playing deep zone eyeing the z reciever can't you play the one on one coverage with a go route route while telling the slot reciever to run a post

[@carolinekemp5928]

why would the safety carry the wheel route with a corner in deep 3rd?

[@coachiminime]

You mean turning your chest to the qb and backpedal toward sideline? Would you explain your stand up screen, and your slow screen

[@bmonty1915]

How do you feel about progression reads vs trying to teach your qb to ID defenses? I feel like unless you have a very advanced QB at the high school level it is probably going to be easier to get him to just follow his progressions and use lots of half reads where you are attacking a specific player.

[@CoachMac]

Definitely easier, and you can teach him to tie his feet and eyes together as he moves on in progressions. Can start with progressions and throwing guys the ball that are open, and then move to why they are open and who you think will be open based on the coverage structure. Then they can understand how you want to attack coverages.

[@severincornelius1213]

Coach at the snap is your QB still reading defenders or is he looking at receivers? Or is it a combination?

[@rachelmariebill]

severin cornelius combination

[@dannys5028]

so with this two high concept youll be looking to hit slants and crossing routes in the middle right? however what if the LBS are in zone wouldnt this prevent this?

[@dimitriosdesmos4699]

Absolutely, if you have cover two zone, you do not go for the middle, you go for a deep post that will get you right in the middle of the two high that you say....also, in order for that to work 100% you will need to occupy the middle with an IN route and ONE of the two safeties with a fly route....you could add play action if u wish to keep the middle line backer from going up high...too. But the in route should occupy him

[@CoachMac]

Always looking at defenders first, for blitz recognition and then coverage recognition .

[@superquick9748]

In the four verticals play in the spread formation, we have the RB doing a out. Would it be best to hit the RB?

[@rachelmariebill]

super quick Why do you like four verts so much

[@superquick9748]

I never said I like four verts. Im a short passer.

[@CoachMac]

You want the ability to get the ball out of your hand quickly.

[@superquick9748]

I also play QB and the only thing I need is to work on coverages. So on four verticals, where do I pass it to if I have two safeties and both corners are playing off?

[@knickstape9333]

I would watch for a cut through the middle or then if nothing's open check down to the rb

[@REDEYEDFEELiN]

Right down the middle

[@REDEYEDFEELiN]

Or the slot burn his coverage and throw to your x or y in one on one

[@mikecohenmedia]

4 verticals one of the slots should bend to middle this is potentially your first read. If 4 deep the middle throw may be tough, though, so be sure you know what your back is doing, because you may need to check down. You could also consider throwing to one of your outside receivers deep or even a back shoulder throw if you practice that.

[@solooglesby7720]

How do you strengthen your qbs nerves

[@CoachMac]

Pray

[@donavanking10]

Hey coach mac dont know if you remember me to well but I would like to speak with you about all this. Is there any way I can contact you?

[@CoachMac]

Just email me questions at [e-mail]. Yes I remember you were here in 9th grade.

[@izzycarts]

Hey coach Mac, do you have an email address or is it the same as the one below?

[@CoachMac]

Sorry Hammer I guess you do need a certain base understanding of coverages and terminology.

[@noelnewlon]

You don't need to shout, I can hear you.

[@CoachMac]

As long as you listen im fine, thanks for watching.

[@michaelangelo7431]

The okays in this video drive me insane, informative video though. thanks

[@coachsergiozuloagam.5796]

WHATS A ROBBER COVER FOR YOU COACH?

[@CoachMac]

We play Quarters not Robber

[@coachsergiozuloagam.5796]

Yes, but I would like to know what is a Robber cover for you? Robber it is the same of cover 6?

[@CoachMac]

Yes to the front side. Our Cov 6 would be quarter quarter half. So my FS to the front side would be playing a Robber technique which is #2 vertical in passing game, #2 not vertical Rob Post Dig Curl of #1. #2 blocks add in on the run game

[@coachsergiozuloagam.5796]

Coach Mac thanks so much.

[@coachsergiozuloagam.5796]

Coach Mac how do you deal in cover Robber with the post of the single side with the offense in 20 personnel. ?

[@brmillgr]

So, what does Tom Brady see when he's processing coverages?

[@CoachMac]

Whatever he eants

[@CoachMac]

Wants, sorry

[@brmillgr]

haha

[@victorgarlet6903]

I do not understand English very well.

[@CoachMac]

Izzy, [e-mail]

[@BlackMountainCycles]

4:25 so you can skip his nonsense and get to the point. No offense man, but you’re a rambler.

[@CoachMac]

Appreciate you

[@BlackMountainCycles]

Coach Mac you just got a new subscriber for not being overly sensitive. Cheers!

[@CoachMac]

Thanks, im not perfect I just like what i do. And I have a great sense of humor.

[@mosuan5815]

This is confusing to me...

[@CoachMac]

Im sorry

[@SuperGamecheck]

Great video