Tampa 2
MIKE carries the middle
Cover 2 where the middle linebacker drops deep down the middle, turning two halves into three deep zones. The safeties can play wider, and the seam — Cover 2's fatal flaw — is covered.
When it applies
Against seam-attacking tight ends when you want to stay two-high pre-snap.
+ StrengthsErases the deep middle without rotating a safety down; still sound vs the run.
− Trade-offsNeeds a freak MIKE with safety speed — without one the middle is open anyway; the run fit behind his drop is soft.
Filed under: Coverage shells