Differences Between A Cover 2 and Cover 3 Defense?

Question

What are the responsibilities of the secondary in regard to a "Cover 2" and "Cover 3" defenses?

Answer 1

Cover 2 usually means that only the two safeties are playing in a deep zone. Cover 3 means that there are three deep zones requiring at least one linebacker or cornerback to fall back and play deep.

Essentially, it says the number of deep zones there are in a defense.

Answer 2

In Cover 2, the FS and SS both guard one half of the field, playing deep, while the CB and LB maintain their coverage style (i.e. man-to-man or zone). More recently, cover 2 has turned into mostly zone, with CB dropping to cover only their specific zones. Cover 3 means there are 3 men back, each defending a third of the field, and is more successful against deep passes down the middle, where the reciever would have split the cover 2 in half. Since Cover 2 usually leaves a hole down the middle where neither safety is playing, Cover 3 is a different scheme so that the hole is taken away. Usually in a cover 3, the 3 players back are the 2 CB's, who take quick drops to cover long, and one safety, who rotates over. The other safety then is free to play the flat.

Answer 3

cover 2 corners cover the flats and the safeties have everything deep. cover 3 the corners usually have a deep third zone and the safeties cover the middle of he field

Answer 4

Cover 2 is mainly both safeties staying back, cover 3 is both safeties and either a linebacker or corner. Cover 3 is ussually the best against a passing team and a cover 1 is ussually best against a running team. This is what my coach told me, idk if it's true in the NFL.