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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Nicklutz12 (talk | contribs) at 17:58, 2 June 2019 (I described the importance of what double coverage can mean for a defense as well as describing a situation where double coverage could be utilized. With my examples, readers now know a real life example of when double coverage was effectively used and how it boosted the team over the course of a season and in a big playoff game scenario. The Information that I provided should lead this article to no longer be a stub as it gives information on the topic plus an example of this topic being used.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
This article is about sports. For other uses, see Double cover (disambiguation).
Two defensive backs on a Raiders receiver.

In American and Canadian football double coverage is a state of defensive playcalling wherein two defensive players are assigned to "cover" one offensive player. This situation is often seen with standout wide receivers and running backs.[1]

It is extremely rare to have 2 DBs man-cover a single receiver.[citation needed] Commentators who use the term "double-coverage" almost always mean a CB covering a WR man-to-man, with a safety playing "over the top" (typically trying to stay in front of the WR's route) for deep ball assistance.

Double coverage can be seen as a necessity by head coaches when a receiver is known for beating man-to-man coverage on a regular basis or has some sort of physical advantage that is hard to stop individually. Double coverage can also be used as a tactic to completely eliminate a player from the game, or make it extremely difficult to use this receiver. This concept is seen mostly at the professional level, as it is a relatively tough concept that can leave a defense with big holes. Man coverage is also more common at the professional level than any other level, which leads to more double coverages (when necessary).

An example of when this was prominently used effectively was in the 2014 NFL season by the New England Patriots. The Patriots had cornerback Darrelle Revis on their roster, who at the time was considered one of the best cornerbacks in the league. On the other side of the defense was Brandon Browner. Brandon Browner (6'4", 221 lbs) [2] was the biggest cornerback in the league at the time. This duo let defensive coordinator Matt Patricia make a personnel decision that had not been used before. Matt Patricia would end up using his top cornerback (Revis) and put him on the team's second wide receiver (if the other team had a solidified number 1 target). Patricia then used Brandon Browner on the team's number one wide receiver with the safety (Devin McCourty) over the top to help out. This idea proved genius as it eventually was a key piece in New England's 4th super bowl run. This same concept resurfaced when the emergence of Stephon Gilmore in the 2018 NFL season. Gilmore was an All-Pro at his position and was considered the best at his position. In the AFC Championship game in Kansas City, the Patriots were facing one of the most dangerous wide receivers in the NFL, Tyreek Hill. Tyreek Hill was widely known as the fastest football player, not just receiver, in the league. Head Coach Bill Belichick and Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores ultimately decided that stopping Tyreek Hill would be the key to winning this game. In their previous matchup in week 6, Tyreek Hill had 7 receptions for 142 yards and 3 touchdowns [3], including one with just over three minutes remaining to tie the game 40-40. In the AFC Championship, Hill had just 1 catch for 42 yards and 0 touchdowns [4]. The difference was the double coverage, cornerback Jonathan Jones was the cornerback on Hill, with yet again Devin McCourty playing coverage over the top. This proved to be key as the Patriots won 37-31 in overtime and eventually went on to win Super Bowl LIII.

References

  1. ^ Association, American Football Coaches (1 January 2000). "Offensive Football Strategies". Human Kinetics – via Google Books.
  2. ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Browner
  3. ^ http://www.espn.com/nfl/game?gameId=401030779
  4. ^ http://www.espn.com/nfl/game?gameId=401038850

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http://www.espn.com/nfl/game?gameId=401030779Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page). http://www.espn.com/nfl/game?gameId=401038850Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page).


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