How does this thread go 3 pages without mention of Diaz's 2-Read Coverage?
As for Quan, he's better when his short area and instincts are on display. If at all possible, I'd leave him at Nickel until Bandy is ready. We'll see if anyone can step up.
Our single high safety was only sporadically put to the test in our scheme because of how Diaz matches single high with aggressive blitz schemes.
Do you mind explaining it?
The short of it is in Diaz's 2-read defense (a coverage used by virtually all the top teams) the Safeties are split up top with equal responsibility and providing leverage against the run. The coverage calls for guys who can fill and tackle in space. It's why you hear Diaz and Banda incessantly mention tackling. Diaz's belief is mostly predicated on early down success.
In today's football, that means stopping the run or the quick screens against a spread team. In Cover 3 (think CB 1/3, FS at top 1/3, CB 1/3), you'll often see Free Safeties (what people here are calling single high) backpedal 2 steps at the snap. Anyway, that's what I was taught and have seen taught. In 2-read, the 2 safeties split up top are basically flat or even inching forward (a potential mistake). Mentality and responsibilities are totally different.
In that coverage, whether you're the Free Safety or the Strong Safety, you definitely have to fill and tackle, and you may end up man to man (hopefully for only a quick moment because of pressure) against an inside WR from either side. In other words, while we play single high at times, we also play coverages where the Safeties have much more similar responsibilities than what the traditional understanding of a Free vs Strong safety would dictate.