Four verticals against Cover 3 [is] really a 2-on-1 against the free safety.
The QB is coached to look off the Free Safety and throw to the #2 receiver away from him. Well-coached safeties are instructed to not come out of the exact middle of the field until the ball is in the air. Four verticals against Cover 3 is not designed for the home run. The QB should deliver the ball on a relative line (a la Denard [Robinson] to [Roy] Roundtree in the spring game) at 15-20 yards downfield; i.e., behind the LBs and in front of the Free Safety.
Right where you want them
A properly coached Cover 3 defense will use its LBs to re-route and not give up easy seam throws. For a 3-3-5 defense, the alignment of the #2 reciever changes who is responsible for this. If #2 is a TE or Wing, then one of the Stack Backers (Sam, Will, whatever) is responsible for seam elimination (as we like to call it). If #2 is a wide slot, then either the Spur or Bandit is responsible.
The objectives are threefold:
1. Take away the quick seam throw by jamming and running with #2.
2. Widen the seam route to the Corner’s zone, or outside 1/3. Do not let #2 cross your face.
3. Get your eyes to #1.
Once the jam and re-route is accomplished, the LB will key #1. If #1 continues vertically up the field, the LB will continue to run with #2. If #1 throttles down, the LB will come off #2 and get to his zone. The Stack Backer will hunt a crossing route by #1 while the Spur/Bandit will hunt inside-out; i.e., curl to deep out to quick out. This is an easy read but hard to get to quickly. The Spur/Bandit must be a superior athlete. (This is one of my reservations about Kovacs. I don’t believe he can take away a seam and be able to get to a curl against quality QB/WR combos.)
The properly-coached Corner in Cover 3 will align himself on the outside shoulder of #1 at a depth of 7-8 yards (assuming he is not using a bail technique, something I loved to use). His keys are #2 to #1. Against 4-verts, the corner will read the vertical release of #2 and pedal with the idea of splitting the distance b/w #1 and #2, and then key #1. Seeing #1 also vertical, he indeed splits the horizontal distance of #1 and #2 while staying deeper than the deepest. (If #1 were to run an underneath route, the Corner would then adjust his backpedal to the outside shoulder of #2 without going inside the hash.)
The Mike is responsible for crossing routes b/w the hashes and checkdowns. Digs and hooks he will attack; shallow crosses and checkdowns he will not attack until the ball is thrown. Saban rule: in Cover 3, never break on any route under 5 yards until the ball is thrown. If you do, he will oversign your ass out of town. (Okay, I added that last part.)
Of course, all this is nice clinic talk. In reality, a good QB/WR unit can carve up even a good defense in Cover 3 with Four Verticals.
