The 3-4 Bear formation is where we are going to spend the majority of our time on defense. The Cover 3 and Cover 2 invert defenses do a great job of slowing down the run and providing coverage throughout the entire field. There is nothing wrong with spending 75% of your time or more in this formation.
Playbook: San Francisco 49ers
Formation: 3-4 Bear
Play: Cover 3
Setup:
- Base Align
- Shift your defensive line whichever way makes sense to stop the run
- Bring your safety down a little and user control him to stop the run.
Overview: This is one of the best defenses in the game. For only rushing 3 guys, it does an incredible job of slowing down the run and it covers the whole field. Just make sure you don’t get beat deep over the middle. There is nothing wrong with calling this play 50% of the game or more. Stay in it until your opponent proves that he can consistently beat it.
Playbook: San Francisco 49ers
Formation: 3-4 Bear
Play: Cover 2 Invert
Setup:
- Base Align
- Shift your defensive line whichever way makes sense to stop the run
- Bring your safety down a little and user control him to stop the run.
Overview: Call this play if your opponent has demonstrated that he can consistently beat your cover 3 defense. It happens very rarely but every now and then someone will be able to beat the cover. When that happens, call the cover 2.
Playbook: San Francisco 49ers
Formation: 3-4 Bear
Play: Pinch Mike 0
Setup:
- Crash your defensive line down
- Shift your defensive line to the left
- Put your ROLB (on the left side of the screen in a zone)
- (Optional – For Advanced Gamers) Instead of putting your ROLB in zone coverage, put him in man to man coverage against whoever the free safety was covering and then put the free safety into a yellow zone and patrol the middle of the field with him.
- (Optional) Base Align
Overview: This play works really well when your opponent isn’t doing a quick pass. It works even better if your opponent is under center instead of in shotgun or pistol. If he is trying to go deep and isn’t blocking extra guys (which he shouldn’t be because he needs all 5 wide receiver options against your cover 3) then you should have no problem getting pressure.
Playbook: San Francisco 49ers
Formation: 3-4 Bear
Play: Pinch Dog 3
Setup:
- Base Align
- Crash your defensive line down
- Shift your defensive line to the left
- Blitz your MLB #2
- Hot route your ROLB (on the left side of the screen) to a light blue or purple zone
Overview: This play is very similar to the Pinch Mike 0 play but this one has zone coverage behind it just to give your opponent a different look. Don’t overuse these blitzes. If you call them too much they stop being as effective. You should be in the 3-4 Bear Cover 3 most of the game. Remember, this play works best against under center but it will work against shotgun and pistol as well.
Playbook: San Francisco 49ers
Formation: 3-4 Bear
Play: Cover 1 Hole
Setup:
- Hot route your ROLB (on the left side of the screen to a zone
- (Optional) Shift your defensive line to the left
Overview: This is a good play to change it up every now and then. You could never need to call this play all game but you might want to throw it in just so your opponent has to think about a max coverage man defense out of this formation. But at most only call it a couple times per game.
Not asking for a play to shut down everything and me do nothing but some blitzes that work against someone blocked and not just if everyone’s out on a rout. I’m not trying to be difficult but offense seems way better than D.
I understand what you are saying. I think it does just take a little practice. And don’t worry, we will keep updating so you will have no things to try out.
Not asking for perfect play but some blitzes that get in when someone is blocked would help or blitzes that forced them to block extra would surely help. I don’t know if I’m expecting to much. I didn’t play that much last year but in years past you could definitely pressure the QB. The offensive tips have definitely helped me through.
is there a way i can print out the steps or will i have to copy and paste eveything ?
Unfortunately there is no good easy way to do that
Really liking the cover 3. The only weakness is the flats. Is there anyway to get the LBs to play the flats better? Or anyway to counteract the flat weakness?
Unfortunately not really.
In this scheme, what do u recommend when the opponent stars throwing 5 wide steaks? Use the man coverage play? I shut a guy down on everything with just the cover 3 but the deep ball got me often.
If your opponent consistently comes out in 5 wide, I’d switch it up to a Nickel or Dime formation and go max man to man coverage.
It would help on the “setup” if you would tell us what buttons to press. I enjoy all your videos!
Thanks for the feedback!
What is your advice for playing someone with an elite WR….say a megatron, dez, etc. The Cover 3 would leave them one on one. Do I bring my safety over there and if so that would leave the deep middle of the field open.
One good way of doing it if you are really worried about him is to man up the light blue zone on his side with him. That will leave the flats up but he will be essentially double teamed anywhere he goes.
Hmmmmm never thought of that
im a better user when im playing on the MLB, could I user him instead of the Safety, and will that effect anything
I too am interested in this and have a lot to learn. Haha I can say that I had a “bear” of a time with just three plays (3, 2 invert, and pinch mike o) and was doing quite well. Haha then it got late in the day and I am in Hawaii (so late for me is laaaate for folks on the mainland and I ran into a buzzsaw of two players who had a cheese scrambling on almost every play technique. What do I need to be doing (since it’s now clear to me that nothing on this page is a remedy for that)?
So for this comment above how do you “man up on his side in the light blue zones? and for my commentary haha how do I defend against throws across the field? Running to the sideline and pitching over a defender and ghey stuff like that? (that likely belongs in another thread)
I am pleased thus far with the defense as prior to reading and really working on this stuff (which I imagine you all spend hours and hours on) I worried about not being able to stop folks. It seems now with the exception of players who are much more experienced I’m doing much better. Mahalo for all of your assistance.
There are times that you will need to get out of the 3-4 Bear formation. If someone is scrambling on you every play, you will want to either call a nano blitz or use the QB Spy/QB Contain feature to keep them contained.
cool thanks . . . the man up in light blue now? how is that done? i am a bit confused as the blue is a zone in the flat and man is well man. what am i missing there?
I believe the way you do it is select the player you want to adjust. Then hit A on XBOX or X On Playstation. Then hit up on the right stick. Then select the player you want to man up on.
Do U guys plan on doin a defensive eBook for the 4-3 scheme?
We are hoping to but right now there is no set timetable on that.
I love the 3-4 bear coverage so far. Only problem I have is with running qbs. The coverage doesn’t bring heat so they scramble and then throw for the first down. Any advice on that?
Another thing is there’s lots of time with the coverage so people bomb it deep and even when I have a defender there. The receiver always seems to Moss my dbs is this some new animation? Please help!
To help against scrambling quarterbacks, you can use QB Contain or put a defensive lineman in qb spy.
What about the deep ball? The coverage doesn’t necessarily leave them open but they just keep catching it over my dbs. I’ve tried both playing ball and receiver
Your best bet is always to get your defender into a good position to break up the pass and then play the ball.
Ah okay I posted asking something similar. . . so a lineman in spy? i never thought of that and always was doing a lineback.
Thanks for the videos. It helps a lot. One suggestion is a video on game strategy. I have noticed that that my success rate goes up when I build up a lead with the pass plays early. Run cover 3 on defense early, but at some point transition to more blitz plays and run plays. You allude to strategy during the videos. But it would be interesting to see your take on it in a single subject video of its own.
Very good suggestion! We’ll try to do something like that in the coming weeks.