These 3 Mistakes are Killing Your Press Coverage

Hey Defender of the Airways,

It’s that time of year again: camp season. It’s time to line up and take 1-on-1 rep after 1-on-1 rep. There’s nothing like winning in those situations, but if you want to do it consistently, you have to avoid these three big mistakes that I see killing reps every single day on the grass.

1. Shifty Eyes

We all know we need focused eyes in man-to-man coverage—or at least, I hope you know that by now. If you want to win your press reps at camp or on game day, your eyes should be locked on the hips of the wide receiver.

What I often see is a player lining up with his eyes on the hips, but the moment the receiver moves, the DB’s eyes rise to the face or chest. This is a recipe for disaster. When your eyes rise, you start biting on every head and shoulder fake the receiver throws, and you'll be tossed off course.

It is vital to train your eyes to stay down throughout the duration of the action at the line. I cover this topic with more depth in my book 101 DB Tips.

2. Opening the Gate

Receivers are looking for room at the line of scrimmage, and I see many DBs being way too generous. Whether it’s a lack of trust in their speed or just poor training, "opening the gate" is a rep killer.

Opening the gate is turning your body sideways the moment the receiver moves. You are in press to disrupt the route, not to give the receiver a free runway. When you open up, you turn it into a track meet where you are the second person to know about the detours.

You disrupt the path by moving your feet and staying in front of the receiver. Developing a pro-level kick slide is the only way to move laterally while staying square. This is exactly why I created the Kick Slide Blueprint—to give you a step-by-step guide on how to gain depth without giving up the line.

3. Looking at the QB Out of the Break

This mistake is especially painful because it causes you to lose even when you’ve played the rep perfectly for the first ten yards.

The moment the receiver makes his break, many DBs take a peek at the quarterback. This hurts you for two reasons:

1. It slows you down: You lose a step or two of acceleration while the receiver is creating separation.

2. It blinds you to double moves: If the receiver isn't finished with his route and you’re looking at the QB, you’re going to get cooked on a double move every single time.

Focus on the receiver out of the break for at least a step or two before you even think about checking for the ball. Trust your positioning.

Master the Art of the Rep

Don't just go to camps to participate—go there to dominate. If you want to dive deeper into the technical side of these moves, check out the resources below:

• 101 DB Tips: The ultimate reference for eye discipline and positioning.

• Kick Slide Blueprint: The 10-page guide to mastering your movement at the line.Have questions or topics you’d like me to cover? Reply to this email or connect with me on social media—I’d love to hear from you!

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• It’s About More Than Just Speed (Indy Drills Podcast)
• How DBs Can Win vs Athletic Tight Ends
• 3rd and Long: Nickel Fire Blitz Cover 4 Seam

Stay sharp, keep grinding, and always keep your eyes on the ball.

Chad Wilson
Founder, All Eyes DB Camp
@alleyesdbcamp on Instagram