Browns QB Trap Exposes Cover 0 For Six!
Emptying the middle of the the field in the secondary is a spicy proposition at almost any level of football. Maybe a youth football defense can do it because a young quarterback may not be talented enough to expose it quite yet. The Cleveland Browns had this on full display Sunday as they dialed up a QB Trap vs a Bengals red zone defense playing cover 0.
Normally when you talk about the risks of playing cover 0, it is vs the passing game. After all, a defense has no one in the deep third to help or cover up any man coverage mistakes. However, the Browns gave us a clinic on how it can also be exposed in the run game.
Let’s set the situation up. The score is 3-0 Cleveland leading with 22 seconds remaining in the half. Deshaun Watson and the Browns offense has the ball in the Bengal’s red zone at the 13 yard line. You know Cincinnati has to be thinking “hold them to three and maybe create a sack to knock the Browns out of field goal range”.
The Browns Showed That Cover 0 Can Be Exposed On The Ground Too
This is most likely why the Bengals lined up with five coverage players for five Browns receivers. The Browns are in a 4×1 empty formations which allows Watson to see exactly what is going on. The Bengals are thinking we have six pass rushers to the Browns’ five protectors. The ball is going to have to come out fast. This can result in a sack or an interception.
More All 22 From The Cleveland Browns Right Here
The Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and Cleveland had other plans. They dial up a beautifully executed quarterback trap that blocked every one to the play side. They left Defensive End, #94 unblocked on the other side. All of the backend players were in man coverage and Watson trots in for the first Cleveland Browns touchdown of 2023. Take a look below.
This play and hundreds more are in FirstDown PlayBook and you can find them in the Featured Team section.
