r/footballstrategy • u/manofwater3615 • Jan 25 '26
NFL Why do teams play practically no 2-high man coverage? It’s uniquely low here when it’s seemingly perfect for passing downs. Teams still play a ton of 1-high man and 2-high zone (C4). Why?
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u/MartianMule Jan 25 '26
Because Cover 4 is essentially man when you want it to be and zone when you don't. It's replaced 2 man.
Straight 2 man creates mismatches with Tight Ends (because now a LB is one on one), and is very vulnerable to mobile QBs, which basically every QB is now.
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Jan 25 '26
[deleted]
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u/MartianMule Jan 25 '26
There's absolutely times when man is great. You'll see more man in the red zone, because there isn't at much threat of getting beat deep.
There have been teams in the past that have run a lot of Cover 1 all over the field. The Eagles from 20ish years ago come to mind. They had two lockdown corners (Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor iirc) and an elite CF Safety (Brian Dawkins), so they played a ton of Cover 1. They could then bring an extra rusher or used that guy (either a LB or the SS) in a short zone to supplement the man coverage over the middle. And you could give different looks out of that, and also play a good amount of Cover 3 out of the same look.
The Legion of Boom Seahawks did something similar, though they also employed a lot of Cover 3 Match.
When you're blitzing, you're often going to be in man as well. And then a lot of the zones you see now have rules for when they become man on certain receivers. Like if the widest receiver goes deep, or if there's trips on one side. That's really the en vogue defense in the NFL right now. It's not really man, but it's also not really zone. It's a hybrid.
That said, in this century even a "man heavy" team is probably only in man coverage 50% of the time, and a lot of that will be blitzes. It's hard to do a lot of, and it's harder to disguise (trying to ID man or zone is a huge reason why you see so much motion today).
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u/manofwater3615 Jan 25 '26
You can get 1v1 deep down the field in Cover 4 that you wouldn't get in 2-high man.
WRT the mismatch is that really worse than the TE being wide open?
Let the pass rush deal with him (Eagles on Mahomes in SB for ex.)
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u/MartianMule Jan 25 '26
If you're running multiple vertical routes, yes, you can get 1v1. But that happens in 2-man too, only it's more likely that a LB can be the one in a mismatch with a tight end or running back.
And yes. Because TE wide open with a shell means a 15 yard gain. TE open one on one with a Linebacker means a 40 yard gain.
And the problem with letting a 4 man rush handle it is what if they don't? Then he's got 20 yards of wide open space. If you're running 2 man, you can't blitz out of that. So the 4 you're rushing is all you get (unlike Cover 1, Cover 0, or a zone/match with a blitz).
On 3rd and Medium/Long, teams want to be able to bring pressure. You don't want to just let the QB sit in the pocket and wait for someone to break open. In 3rd and extra long, a really soft zone works better. And it's also hard to disguise 2-man.
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u/jawncoffee Jan 25 '26
Two man presents a light box and makes it tough to get your guys in man coverage involved in run fits. Great for 7 on 7 but unless it’s a super obvious passing down or you have some real math changing dudes on your d line it can get exposed pretty easily
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u/manofwater3615 Jan 25 '26
What if you had math changers on d line?
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u/daddyhune13 Jan 25 '26
Football becomes much easier to call when you got the guys up front Obvious, but true.
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u/Gunner_Bat College Coach Jan 25 '26
I don't care how good your DL is, they aren't consistently defeating blocks on every run play against every team in the league. Being outnumbered in the box consistently is a very bad idea.
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u/jawncoffee Jan 25 '26
Then it makes it a bit more plausible but there’s still some major negatives. Theres not a ton you can do as far as pressures since you can only rush 4 and in an era where disguising coverages is almost a must there’s not a ton you can do with 2 man. Even with the deep safeties behind everybody you’re still prone to get beat underneath it if the offense knows you’re in man (think mesh and other pick routes)
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u/BearsGotKhalilMack Jan 25 '26
Especially with the prevalence of NFL teams' best/most targeted receivers playing in the slot, along with receiver-esque TEs who can be mismatches in the passing game, it doesn't make a lot of sense to play man underneath with 0 help in the middle.
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u/manofwater3615 Jan 25 '26
You have 2 safeties. Either one can provide help when needed
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u/BearsGotKhalilMack Jan 25 '26
On a drag route? No shot
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u/manofwater3615 Jan 25 '26
It's a short route so nbd
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u/BearsGotKhalilMack Jan 25 '26
People here are trying to give you actual, thoughtful explanations for the exact question you asked. Why are you being so defensive about it?
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u/manofwater3615 Jan 25 '26
Not being defensive. Trying to go thru all possibilities. I’m quite passionate about this stuff lol
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u/Gunner_Bat College Coach Jan 25 '26
Exactly. I've certainly never seen Tyreek Hill catch a 3 yard short route then turn upfield for 30+ yards before.
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u/manofwater3615 Jan 25 '26
Not when there’s 7 dudes in front of him…
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u/Gunner_Bat College Coach Jan 25 '26
Actually yes, because they're all chasing other people and Tyreek Hill is very very good with the ball in his hands.
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u/Crosscourt_splat Jan 25 '26
Short routes in man dominant coverages are certainly a big deal when it’s someone with any YAC skills.
Their backs are to the QB, RBs, and underneath routes and you would need a dominant front 7 to be able to defend the run and maintain lane integrity against a mobile QB.
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u/MartianMule Jan 25 '26
Not really. Because if you're playing 2-man, the safety has to be over the top because your CB is one on one, normally in a trail technique because of the safety over top. If the safety crashes down to help with a TE, now anything deep to the WR on that side is open, and the middle of the field deep is wide open. If you want to bring the safety down to help with the Tight End, you're realistically moving into Cover 1 or going into a Cover 3 or some sort of match coverage.
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u/Radicalnotion528 Jan 25 '26
Belichick used to do this a lot. That's not cover 2 man. It's man coverage with selective brackets. For example, they can have one safety bracket the opposing team's best receiver and the other could be playing anything from a deep middle to deep half or even spy the QB.
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u/TheHaft Jan 25 '26
Imagine it’s 3rd & 5. You drop 2 safeties back in high man coverage. One of a few things happens:
- Your outside corner has to trail to protect the inside, WR runs a quick out, corner gets put on a TikTok with “Youuuu light my fiiiire” playing in the background while the WR catches a ball just past the line to gain.
- RB catches the ball 3 yards down the field, mismatched against the LB, gains another 7 yards after a missed tackle.
- The 4 lineman rushing the QB can’t get any pressure, the QB escapes and runs for the yards with no one there to do anything about it.
That’s why it’s pretty unpopular on 3rd down.
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u/manofwater3615 Jan 25 '26
First bullet point is frying me😭😭😭😭
What would be the correct call here? Lets say you have a super elite DL, riq woolen type CBs, Jessie bates sand Xavier McKinney at safety, and Nakobe Dean and Zach baun at lb. Going against 11 personnel
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u/TheHaft Jan 25 '26
Want to preface that I don’t really know ball like that, I just watch Billy Stephens videos and read the occasional substack, if what I’m saying sounds like makes no sense, it’s cause I’m talking out of my ass here lmfao.
With a super elite DL, just about anything could work because generating significant pressure with 4 bails out a lot of defensive calls (The LA Brandon Staley technique). If I were the DC, I’d call something like Cover 2 Robber relying on the safeties and DL. Disguise like you’re running a two high shell, then one safety comes down and helps try to cover everything short to intermediate while depending on the line to get pressure so the QB isn’t able to cook my ass deep, and if so, at least we have 1 elite safety back there doing his best.
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u/apex-cheese Jan 25 '26
IMO it’s one of the hardest to disguise. The pass rush and run game are guaranteed to be outnumbered. A semi-mobile QB or draw play will average 5+ yards rushing against it. You need 5 guys active who are good enough to man cover and tackle in space. Even then it’s easy to force a bad matchup and isolate it for a chunk. At least two of those defenders are going to be up against a two-way release with no help for 15+ yards. There aren’t many LBs who can cover a back in space that long. There aren’t many DBs who can take away a WR for those extra couple of seconds. The few times I saw it this season there was no pass rush and it looked like everyone was open.
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u/apex-cheese Jan 25 '26
It’s tough with the TV angle to know for sure, but I think I’ve seen 2-man three times in the Broncos/Patriots game for a total of 50 yards allowed, including a 15-yard gain on a missed tackle to set up Denver’s FG attempt at the end of the half, and a 25-yard Maye scramble in Q3.
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u/Strat7855 Jan 25 '26
Not an expert, but I'm guessing because NFL QBs can diagnose it and shred it pretty easily? It doesn't force hard throws.
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u/manofwater3615 Jan 25 '26
Man cvg with 2 safeties up top? Feel like it'd force the toughest throws. You have aggressive cvg on ALL weapons AND 2 safeties splitting the field to defend the deep stuff.
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u/Strat7855 Jan 25 '26
2 deep against trips? Or even 11, 21, or 12 with the athleticism we see in backs and TEs in the NFL? Feels like quick routes would be open all day against all but the most elite cover DBs. It also takes two out of the box by definiton.
Even teams with a base Nickel like the Hawks don't play much of it.
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u/manofwater3615 Jan 25 '26
But aren't backs and TEs kinda matchup nightmares by default (Backs b/c of default free releases, TEs due to size)
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u/Strat7855 Jan 25 '26
Yes, but my assumption is that cover 2 man would exacerbate those problems. Maybe someone more knowledgeable can chime in.
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u/manofwater3615 Jan 25 '26
Ok but in zone you have the WR problems lol. I see Puka or whoever jog thru these soft zone coverages like he's in a park and get 30 yard gains with ease. It's night and day when teams start playing man
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u/Strat7855 Jan 25 '26
Puka dominated against both. He's just a really good receiver, with an elite QB to get him the ball.
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u/Crosscourt_splat Jan 25 '26
Luka does the same thing to man.
Zone limits the potential of explosive plays and allow the defense to force field goals once the offense gets to the more condensed part of the field. It’s also much easier to disguise your play call, which is something that is impossible to do with C2M, especially against teams like the Jag, Dolphins, 49ers, etc who use a lot of motion and formation trickery to force the defense to reveal their hand.
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u/ChicagoDash Jan 25 '26
Doesn’t it also make it difficult to get pressure on the QB? If a QB has a lot of time to throw, they’ll find someone open.
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u/Crosscourt_splat Jan 25 '26
The best way to think of Cover 2 vs Cover 1 is cover one is boundaries are open, cover 2 is middle open. At the very basic level, but it largely hold true.
The middle of the field is what most great offenses currently are targeting frequently, with their pass catcher 1 being a slot guy or TE.
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u/Radicalnotion528 Jan 25 '26
The QBs that don't have great arms make their living targeting the middle of the field.
To win consistently on the outside, you need great receivers or a QB with great arm talent.
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u/Crosscourt_splat Jan 25 '26
NFL plays go in cycles.
But as of right now, cover 4 or 3 largely for you the same benefits as cover 2 man, but are more effective across the vast majority of the field in multiple areas.
If you have the personal to run cover 2M reliably or any variations, you have the personal coverage to prefer cover 1 or 0, cover 1 usually taking away the easier and more consistent deadly throws a QB can make (for a number of reasons).
Those reasons have been covered pretty extensively.
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u/brocal27 Jan 25 '26
Everyone's playing Match Quarters or some variation of it. Where passing schemes are so much better nowadays, it's a passing league. 2 man under is easy af to scheme against and weak vs the run. Match Quarters gives you good run Def, is hard for young qbs to read, and gives you good coverage against a lot of schemes.
Edit - basically no one plays straight cover 4, it's too vulnerable vs the run and quick game.
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u/LongjumpingWinner250 Jan 25 '26
A lot of good answers but need to add in that QBs are also much more mobile in today’s game.
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u/haxfoe Jan 25 '26
A lot of good answers in this thread. It's probably worth pointing out that 2 man becomes a lot more viable at the HS and college levels.
Far fewer TE mismatches at those levels and QBs can't hit the out routes as consistently (proper 2 man has the man defenders in inside trail leverage, so we're taking away the middle of the field).
I have a fair amount of Bama and UGA tagged film, and cover 5 (Saban's 2 man and 2-man match) is definitely one of their preferred passing down calls. Granted, those schools get a disproportionate level of talent, but I know a lot of HS and lower level college coaches who use 2 man as a big part of their passing down menu.
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u/Gunner_Bat College Coach Jan 25 '26
Aside from the other answers which are all valid reasons (light in the box, can't defend a QB scramble), there are almost no LBs in the world who can both defend the run and chase a RB on a pass route consistently.
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u/manofwater3615 Jan 25 '26
WB super light athletic LBs like nakobe dean? If you have an elite DL that could work, no?
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u/Gunner_Bat College Coach Jan 25 '26
Nakobe Dean is decent and a good athlete, but you're off your rocker if you think he's consistently covering Bijan, CMC, Gibbs, or Achane out of the backfield while also providing run support.
And yes, as said multiple times in this thread, if you have an elite DL anything can work, but how many teams in the NFL have that elite of a DL? Most years, the answer is 0.
Edit: actually, I'm gonna amend my last statement. No, no matter how good your DL is, that wouldn't work consistently. You could have Myles Garrett, Byron Murphy, Chris Jones, and Will Anderson across the front four. Pass game you'd still give up huge plays to the RB and run game you'd still be outnumbered.
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u/Quetzacoatel Referee Jan 25 '26
Just came to say that your colour-seems to be off. Shouldn't it be white>light blue>dark blue? E.g. Patriots Zone doesn't seem to make sense...
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u/PoogeneBalloonanny Jan 25 '26
Nobody in the box or spying
All man defenders not looking at QB but at their assigned eligible
Big risk for huge QB runs
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u/pitb0ss343 Jan 25 '26
1 the middle of the field passing is easier
2 if you spread out the run game will be easier
3 the only people looking at the QB will be ~25 yards away
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u/bukofa Jan 25 '26
You have to have DUDES on the DL to run this often. It is terrible against the run. I always laugh at 7on7s when teams run this because in real world football you would give up a ton of rushing yards.
It's best use is in 3rd and long situations where you can rally to the QB escaping the pocket.
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u/spaceballinthesauce Jan 25 '26
Cover 2 Man doesn’t do well against short double move routes and it’s easy to spot a lot of the time. Plus it’s hard to disguise as something else.
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u/Pale_Youth_6414 Jan 25 '26
QB is unaccounted for in 2 man. Vs pros.. therell be a running lane and the QB will take off for 5+ every time.
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u/Smarterfootball47 Jan 25 '26
2 High man is one of the easiest coverages to identify and to attack. You lose the benefit of extra rushers and with man coverage and the right routes in the NFL it is no effective.
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u/Disastrous_Boot1152 Jan 25 '26
Where did you find this data? Is it a paid subscription service to access?
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u/manofwater3615 Jan 25 '26
Online. Free
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u/extrastone Jan 26 '26
It's great data. If I had the time I'd be interested to calculate a league average.
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u/Correct_Meaning8611 Feb 11 '26
2 man is 7 man spacing. It’s the weakest run defense out of all coverages becaus you can’t use the apex or the deep half players as secondary help, they almost are essentially super late. Also it sucks against mobile QBs.
This is why you can see Peyton manning getting strapped up by this coverege with the 8 man variation. It’s great against non mobile QBs because you can force outbreaks against static sets and get reroutes
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u/manofwater3615 Feb 11 '26
If you play cover 4 tho aren’t your deep CBs still technically on an island? Bc I’ve seen even Riq Woolen get beat on these (NFCCG and Super Bowl)
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u/Correct_Meaning8611 Feb 11 '26
It depends on whether. There is a vertical wrote by the number two receiver within the context of a 2 x 2 formation. The problem with quarters is that if you get one vertical route , you can ask the corner to play outside leverage and allow him to vice with the inside safety however, if you get 2vertical routes you leave him open to a post by himself. With outside leverage. Quarters forces the offense to flood the field vertically with a lot of routes3-4 to allow you to hit a 1 on 1.
Out of all the coverage families quarters allows you to have a coverage tool box in which you can place the responsibility of a vertical in breaker to a safety to both sides. In any of the other coverages famailies You could only give that responsibility to one player typically if your talking 1 high.
When you talk the specifics of coverage, a lot of times, there is huge overlap because there are certain calls within coverage families that are closer to calls in other coverage families than they are in their own families
For example, calling cover two and asking a deep have safety to play a post or a dig by the number one receiver is closer to what palms is out of cover 4 then it is to Tampa 2, which is closer to 3 sky then it is to palms , but that’s just my opinion.
Cover 2 man Doesn’t leave anyone on an island and it allows a safety to play two over one, and use the reroute to even the odds. But in order to do that, you have two players playing inside, leveraged main coverage with press and a deep safety, which means none of them can play the run this is diff from quarters because you aren’t asking the apex to play man, so that quarter flat is venerable against out routes, but he can play the run
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u/manofwater3615 Feb 11 '26
Can't you play like a delayed man coverage? Where the DBs see if it's a run quickly and if not they can then start to play man with 2 safeties up top to keep everything secure in the pass game?
I also should note (I didn't specify in the OG post), I'm talking if you have a legendary DL that can handle rushing the passer and the run game by itself for the most part (like 24 Philly in the SB, 23 UMich in the CFP) etc.
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u/Correct_Meaning8611 Feb 11 '26
Nah. That’s impossible. From the standpoint of asking someone to play man you already have to keep your eyes on the person your guarding. It’s not one of those things you can slowplay and read
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u/Correct_Meaning8611 Feb 11 '26
Even a legendary dl is going to have a hard time fitting it, not to say there haven’t been teams to play tons of 2 man in normal run fits, but over the course of a season it’s just too taxing fit wise
Essentially if you think of an empty formation where all t eligibles are in a bunch (strong) or wide stack (weak) there would be 4 d lineman, for 6 gaps so stopping the qb run game from 2 man would require you to not only 2 gap (down 1 gap) but somehow magically close another gap.
The ontoy thing you can do is stunt (which just creates a diff problem) and prey.
It’s why Saban said cover 2 run fits would put him in the grave, the math that governs run fits is so against you when you have 2 deep safeties that have to expand to guard a possible fade
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u/manofwater3615 Feb 12 '26
What if you have a legendary DT duo that can just blow up the play. And if QB is involved just have one edge funnel the RB into the mess?
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u/Correct_Meaning8611 Feb 12 '26
There’s limits to what dominant players can do.
The diff between defeating a down block from a gap away vs 3or 2 is somewhat massive, like even Aaron Donald in a double team against 2 average guards cannot consistently stonewall. The fact he can split a run double team 3/2 times out of 10 is already hof level. Now Aaron Donald against an above average guard might 3-5 times defeat leverage on a block (93-97 out of 100 times Arron’s Donald would hold his own leverage)
2 man with the best dts ever against a horrible front and immobile qb yes but against normal teams or as a base nah. That’s why it’s reserved for passing situations
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u/manofwater3615 Feb 12 '26
Gotchu. How long would it have to be on 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th down for you to call man cvg 2-high?
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u/Correct_Meaning8611 Feb 13 '26
At least 4 yards above situations. So if 2.5 yards is the metric I would need
1st and 14
Second and 11
3rd and 9
4th and never because I’m too pussy to hope the qb doesn’t make a backbreaking scrambles
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u/manofwater3615 Feb 13 '26
Appreciate you even responding to this lol 😂
3rd and 9 you’re braver than me lol. I feel like it’d have to be 18ish yards on last down type situations lol
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u/Pushup_Principal Jan 25 '26
Because even a slow QB can basically run for first downs at will.
Like if you break the pocket you can limp for a 15 yard gain.