With all of the offensive innovations and advantages (rule changes) for offenses, defensive coaches and defenses always seem to be one step behind. As a defensive coach, especially in the NFL, you have to constantly evolve and install new looks every season. After the bye week last season, for example, Dom Capers began to use the Nickel “Bear” front, which presented a new look to offenses.

This season, on multiple occasions, Capers has used an adjustment/check in Cover 4 known as “Solo” when the offense uses a 3x1 (Trips) formation. “Solo” is used by college football defenses (like TCU) and has been used by some NFL defenses. Capers may have used this check at some point in the past, but this is the first season in which I have personally noticed it. As you will see below, the main purpose of the Solo check in Cover 4 is to account for the #3 WR if/when he runs a vertical route out of a 3x1 formation.

Before breaking down two examples of the Solo check from this season, it is important to show a play from the 2014 week 17 matchup against the Lions where the Packers played traditional Cover 4 versus a 3x1 formation by the Lions. In other words, the Packers did not use the Solo check in Cover 4 even though the Lions came out in a 3x1 formation with Calvin Johnson at the #3 WR spot (below). By not using the Solo check in this situation, Johnson (the #3 WR) was able to run down the seam uncovered and catch a touchdown pass.

If the Packers would have utilized the Solo check on that play, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (the free safety/weak side safety) would have shaded over to cover the #3 WR (Johnson) since that WR ran a vertical (seam) route. In addition, using Solo would have made strong safety Morgan Burnett’s job easier. When playing traditional Cover 4 (not using Solo) versus Trips, the strong safety has to read the #2 AND #3 WRs, which can put him in a bind. Calvin Johnson would not have been open like that if the Packers had utilized the Solo check.

Now that you have seen what traditional Cover 4 looks like versus a 3x1 formation, let’s provide two visual representations of how Cover 4 with the Solo check successfully defends 3x1 formations.

The first play is from the week 3 matchup against the Chiefs. Let’s explain each Packer player’s responsibility in the back seven in Solo. On the weak side at the bottom, CB Damarious Randall is man-to-man on the #1 WR with no help over the top, and Micah Hyde plays man on the RB (#2 WR) once the RB releases and runs a route to the flat. To the Trips side, ILB Joe Thomas has a hook zone (yellow arrow) and Casey Hayward has curl to flat responsibility (green arrow) underneath. In addition, Sam Shields is responsible for the deep outside 1/4 and takes the #1 WR if he runs a vertical route, Clinton-Dix is responsible for the deep middle 1/4 and takes the #2 WR if he runs a vertical route, and Chris Banjo (the free safety) shades over to cover the #3 WR if he runs a vertical route (red arrow).

On the Trips side, all three receivers ran vertical. Shields, Clinton-Dix, and Banjo covered them perfectly. That is why the Solo check in Cover 4 versus Trips is great. You can account for the seam route by the #3 WR by shading the free safety over, which allows the strong safety to solely focus on the #2 WR. Alex Smith had no place to go with the ball down the field, so he threw an incomplete pass underneath intended for the other #1 WR, who was covered tightly in man by Randall.

The second play is from the week 5 matchup against the Rams. As you can see in the diagram below, the Packers’ assignments in Solo are the same as in the example above. Also, the Rams’ receivers ran almost the exact same routes as the Chiefs’ receivers did in the first play. Here, there was quick pressure in Nick Foles’ face, and his receivers were covered well. This forced him to throw underneath to the #1 WR running a Drive route from the weak side. Hayward played man on that #1 WR, and Quinten Rollins, the curl to flat defender (green arrow), was in position to intercept Foles’ hurried throw.

It is good to see Dom Capers implement the Solo check in Cover 4. It is important to be able to cover four verticals and account for the seam route by the #3 WR when the offense is in a 3x1 formation. It will be interesting to see if Capers installs another new look coming out of the bye week.

Thanks for reading, Packers fans. Follow me on Twitter at @RobertOlson92 for daily analysis on the Packers.