Attacking Cover 4: North Carolina vs Narduzi's Pitt Panthers

When I watch film, my mind tends to look for two things:

• How teams execute their base plays. I like to see if they have any specific technique that helps make the play work better. I also look for how teams mix their base schemes together to create hesitation for the defense (e.g. power/counter)
• Unique play designs. This can be either an entirely new play that I have never seen before, or a small wrinkle/double move to create leverage for an explosive play. 

I saw one of each when watching Pitt vs North Carolina. 

Play # 1

North Carolina uses the "Middle Read" concept quite often in their game plan each week. The play is shown below:

Pitt uses a lot of cover 4, which will typically match the safety in man coverage against the slot receiver after 7-8 yards. Pitt played their safeties with inside leverage on the slot receivers, which gives the defense leverage against this play.

North Carolina had a play prepared to attack this. They ran the smash concept for a touchdown.

Smash is a nice compliment to their base play. It was called at the most opportune time as well, in the red zone.

Play # 2

North Carolina used a nice wrinkle on the traditional concept of four verticals out of trips, in order to take advantage of the solo coverage. Solo is designed to stop most versions of four verticals, with the backside safety keying the number three receiver.




The vertical from #3 is meant to occupy the backside safety, and the play action keeps the linebackers from gaining depth. This leaves nobody to cover the #2 receiver running across the field.


Big plays change the dynamic of games. Finding ways to create them often doesn't come easy, so we must take note when we see good examples.

This book has many other plays that attack different cover 4 schemes. Click here to check it out

A New Hope: Mitchell Trubisky

When evaluating prospects taken at the top of the draft, it is important to look at the film in order to disseminate fact from conjecture. Mitch Trubisky is no different. Some fans, and even some analysts, have strong opinions without ever turning on the tape.

In my world, the two most important qualities a quarterback can possess are sound decision making and accuracy. While accuracy can be judged after watching a few different game tapes, decision making is harder to evaluate.

When it comes to accuracy, it is easy to place Trubisky at the top of the prospect list. His quick release and precise footwork gets his body in position to deliver the ball where it needs to be, both accurately and on time. Accuracy often slips when a quarterback has to get rid of the ball quickly, or faces pressure in his face. The next two videos show Trubisky facing these scenarios, without sacrificing accuracy.






Decision making is a harder trait to analyze. Without being privy to a North Carolina playbook, assumptions have to be made about read progressions based on common concepts used. When projecting his decision making to the next level, we need take a look at the core concepts he ran each week that are often used in the NFL.

Playing in an air raid based offense at North Carolina, Trubisky ran "95" or "Y Cross" multiple times each game. The play is shown below.

This play has a lot of carry over into NFL playbooks. The Arizona Cardinals, for instance, have feasted on hitting Larry Fitzgerald on the deep cross for years. The concept can be found in west coast offenses as well, like the Green Bay Packers. Here is a clip of the Eagles using it in 2016





Trubisky consistently reads this play well. He moves quickly through his progression, often hitting the deep cross on time.




The other full field read Trubisky routinely used at North Carolina is the "Middle Read" or "Doubles" concept. This play can be found in pretty much every NFL playbook. The play is drawn below.

Against a single high safety (cover 1 or cover 3), the quarterback usually has 1 on 1 match ups to the outside. The routes to the outside receivers can be called in the huddle, hand signaled before the ball is snapped, or it can be designed as a post snap option route.

Against two high safeties, the quarterback will most likely look to his slot receiver as his primary, and his backs as checkdowns. The middle linebacker will be placed in a high low read.

When North Carolina called this play, they would often simplify the read for Trubisky and keep the backs in for max protection. If his primary receiver wasn't open, he would look to scramble. In the NFL, these backs will have protection responsibilities against a blitz, but will check release into their routes if they do not have a blitz threat. Below are a few videos of North Carolina running the "Middle Read" concept. North Carolina had a lot of success throughout 2016 getting big plays on fade routes to their outside receivers on this concept.

Watch how Trubisky controls the safety with his eyes in the first video. This is something that most quarterbacks don't do on a regular basis. When running the middle read concept, Trubisky consistently controls and manipulates the safeties, a trait that translates very well to NFL success.








With Trubisky, I have two main concerns:

• With the exception of Y Cross and Middle Read, he hasn't had many full field reads. Many of the other throws he made were of the quick screen/RPO variety. This inexperience can be abated with practice reps and plenty of pre-season action.
• Will he have the coaching staff and supporting cast to help him grow? He must be taught how to navigate more complicated passing structures.

Overall, I am on board with the Bears going after Trubisky. He displays the traits that are essential for success at the position on a regular basis. 

Stay tuned for two follow up articles that should be finished in the next few weeks:

1. How North Carolina game planned two big plays in the passing game against Pitt's Cover 4 scheme.

2. How a Trubisky interception was his coach's fault, and not his.

Check out my new books on Amazon:

Click Here to learn about Quarterback Development: How Four NFL Teams Coached Their Quarterbacks to have Successful 2016 Seasons

Click Here to learn about The Melting Pot: How to Acclimate Old NFL Concepts into your High School or CollegeOffense


Here are a few more clips of Trubisky that show other important traits. The ability to throw with pressure in his face is constant throughout his game tape. He also has plenty of mobility to occasionally run a power read or RPO/QB run read.