Defensively Speaking: The C-Pick Sim Pressure

Jim Knowles rarely ever calls for creepers or simulated (sim) pressures. However, one sim pressure call he brought to Ohio State that we’ve seen a few times over the past two years is the “C-pick” sim pressure, and that will be the focus of this article.

The C-pick sim pressure is run out of a double A-gap mug front, meaning both linebackers will be walked up to the line of scrimmage over top of each A-gap (the gap between the center and the guard). See an example of this below:

The reason this pressure is called a “C-pick” is because the two mugged linebackers are “picking” on the center – each linebacker is reading the center and basing what they do off of the center’s initial movement. The linebacker whom the center opens up to needs to fight over top of the center to the opposite A-gap. The other linebacker can insert off the center’s backside and close off the other A-gap in the backfield.

See an example below in the following clips and diagram:

Note how the center opens up to the Mike linebacker (Tommy Eichenberg). Therefore, Eichenberg fights over top of the center to the opposite A-gap, while the Will linebacker (Steele Chambers) inserts off the center’s backside to the A-gap vacated by Eichenberg. Meanwhile, the two 3-tech defensive tackles act as contain rushers and work outside to the C-gaps.

Furthermore, Knowles pairs his C-pick sim pressure with Cover 1 Double Rat coverage – both defensive ends drop as “rats” with their eyes on the quarterback, there is one deep safety, and everyone else is in man coverage. See an example below:

There’s nothing too fancy about this call. However, it does serve as a nice tweak to what Knowles likes best, which is playing Cover 1 behind a 4-man rush.