Stop the Empty shotgun formation

This guy I played used the Steelers and all he did was empty shotgun formation. In that formation, a WR would cross the field to the left after starting from the right side. I usually play Cover 4 and control the LB or CB on the left side to try and stop it, but I despise picking the same play over and over, so he got me over and over.

Can anyone please tell how to stop cross routes in shotgun formations?

P.S. The player also used a shotgun run play that hikes directly to the RB and he picked on me gaining at least 4 yards every time, and I was mad!

I think he used the NE pb and had his audibles set up as well, how can I stop cheesers like this guy? I was Miami.

Ya that sounds like the new england playbook. The crossing routes have always been very hard to stop. I like to play a basic zone like cover 2,3,4 and before the snap change one guy to play man to man on the guy running the crossing route.

Modrewgnu wrote:

Ya that sounds like the new england playbook. The crossing routes have always been very hard to stop. I like to play a basic zone like cover 2,3,4 and before the snap change one guy to play man to man on the guy running the crossing route.

Mod, nice answer, I try to do the same thing, Getting better at it, and it does work.I am finding out that mixing in a little man coverage with some basic zone looks can be really effective. I have tried this concept with xome cov 2 looks. Call cov 2 zone look vs 2x2, with the right people on the field you can man up on the inside slot recievers while still playing zine with eveyone else.

There's this play in dime formation called Zone Man X (or something like that) i like. The nickel CB mans up on the slot receiver and everyone else plays a mix of zone coverages. What I need help with is stopping this friend of mine online who uses the Titans and goes empty 5 WR with Vince Young. On every play I'm scrambling before the snap to def. hot route all my guys. I have to put my DE Trent Cole in a spy, and fix all of the zones to my DBs and its just a pain. I hate to hijack this thread, but can anyone help with this?

I have always wondered why it is called zone man X when they man up on the slot, not the X.

Yeah that is weird. What letter is the slot anyway? Cause I thought your 4 WR is the Y, right?

Y or A. X and Z are the wideouts.

For scrambling QBs, I usually control the Left DE because scramblers usually run to their right. Then I pick a cover 2 d or zone d to stop any long balls or cross routes.

If your opponent is that good in scrambling, dodging, and dinking it off to the open WR, I would try to limit that person to short yardage passes. That way, he can't pick the same play over and over unless that person is willing to exploit the game to its fullest extent.