Well, I'm bored at work again which means it's time for installment number two of my three part series on the Cover 2 defense.  In part one I discussed the philosophy and mindset behind the Cover 2 defense in NCAA and Madden.  In this write-up I'll cover the types of players a successful Cover 2 will need to smother any offense.

The Cornerstones

Every defense needs certain types of players at key positions, and the Cover 2 is no exception.  Here are the three types of players most crucial to a great Cover 2 and the NCAA and Madden attributes most important to these positions:

1. Pass rushing defensive end / defensive tackle (FMV, PMV, ACC, SPD)
2. Coverage middle linebacker (SPD, ZCV, AWR, PWR)
3. Hard hitting safety (ZCV, AWR, PWR, TAK)

The Four Horsemen

As I mentioned in the first write-up, a Cover 2 defense doesn't like to blitz, especially on passing downs.  It relies on the four defensive linemen to produce all the pressure on the QB, which means that all four need to be skilled pass rushers.  Every second that the QB has to sit in the pocket is another second that the offense has to hit the holes in the zone coverage or get a matchup with a good receiver one on one with a safety, which no defensive coordinator is comfortable with.  There should be at least one (if not two or three) really great pass rushers on the d-line that usually translates to you sacrificing bulk and muscle for speed and quickness.  Think the Indianapolis Colts here.  And with the backpeddling speed of QBs in NCAA and Madden, it's especially important to find guys that not only get off blocks quick but can close on the QB before he has time to backpeddle and scramble his way to finding an open receiver.  A premier defensive end or tackle to lead this group is invaluable, ala Warren Sapp, Dwight Freeney, and Tommy Harris.


The Deep Middle

The Cover 2 traces its origins to the Steelers of the 70's.  Their famed Steel Curtain defense was the first team to really employ the Cover 2 principles, and Tony Dungy and his long line of assistant coaches carried it over into the 90's and modern day football.  One adjustment that Dungy and his defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin made to the defense with the Buccaneers was to tweak the duties of the middle linebacker.  Traditionally, the middle linebacer would drop into a short hook zone (yellow zone) over the middle.  As offenses grew accustomed to seeing this type of defense, coaches started sending tight ends and wide receivers on deep post routes over the middle, behind the middle linebacker, for 20 yard gains.  Dungy and Kiffin decided to take this deep option away by dropping the middle linebacker into a deep third zone (blue zone) and changing the Cover 2 into a Cover 3 defense.  This new "Tampa 2" defense sacrificed short coverage over the middle but took away one of the glaring holes of the traditional Cover 2.

The kind of linebacker needed to pull this kind of defense off is rare.  He must still be a run stopping, punishing force but must have the speed and coverage ability to run with tight ends and wide outs down the deep middle of the field.  Brian Urlacher and James Laurinaitis typify this kind of player on Madden and NCAA and are worth their weight in gold to any team serious about running a Cover 2 defense.


The Punisher

With most of the focus of a Cover 2 defense going into preventing the pass, it's inevitable that teams will try to run the ball and actually complete some passes.  So what's a Cover 2 defense to do when this happens?  The answer comes in the form a bone-jarring intimidator at safety.  With all the size and muscle that the Cover 2 sacrifices up front to generate pressure on the QB, it's almost necessary that one of the safeties comes down into the box to help out on running downs.  He must act like a fourth linebacker and be able to knock back any ball carrier that breakes past the d-line.  In passing situations his first responsibility is to prevent the completion of a pass, but if that's not possible, his duties shift to separating the ball, and the receiver's head, from his body. Any offensive player looking to make a catch in the vicinity of your safety must think twice about reaching up for any pass and better have the hands of Jerry Rice if he's going to hold on to the ball.  Nobody has ever embodied these qualities quite like John Lynch, though the reigning NFL Defensive MVP Bob Sanders is a close second.  These safeties are also the last line of defense and must not only excel at hitting power but pure wrap-up tackling as well.


While these players are extremely important to the effectiveness of a Cover 2 defense, they are not the only players that can make an impact.  Outside linebacker Derrick Brooks, cornerbacks Ronde Barber and Nathan Vasher have all become star players in Cover 2 defenses without having to play at the positions listed above.  But their teams still have players at the d-line, MLB, and safety positions that embody the principles I discussed.  When all else fails while recruiting or signing players on NCAA or Madden, remember that speed, zone coverage, and hitting power represent the best of the Cover 2.  The final installment on this Cover 2 series will discuss play calling with a Cover 2 team.  It's a little more complicated than you'd think.