with Jason Denton,
St. James Academy (KS) Defensive Coordinator;
2020 & 2021 Kansas 4A State High School Football Champions
In modern football, the passing game has never been more explosive or prolific. The offensive objectives of today’s offenses stems from a desire to control tempo and spread defenses, both wide and deep, as a means to identify and exploit mismatches.
In many instances, defenses are often left on their heels and unable to substitute as a no-huddle, up-tempo passing attack slices and dices its way downfield.The best hope for most defenses is to slow down a pass-heavy offense by applying heavy pass-rush pressure on an opposing quarterback. Pass rush is especially effective in times where a defense can get home with just a 4-man front, which subsequently allows the back seven defenders the flexibility to cover and guard potentially harmful routes.
The evolution of today's game means that a defensive coordinator’s use of coverages and the ability to disguise effective coverages has never been more important.
James Denton, defensive coordinator at St. James Academy has achieved a high-level of success by utilizing a wide variety of pass coverages. Winning back-to-back state championships, the Thunder’s smothering defense and Coach Denton’s ability to mix in different pass coverages, has taken his defense to the next level.
In this highly anticipated instructional coaching video, Coach Denton pulls back the curtain to unveil his pass coverage system – laying out his tactical approach and philosophy for using different coverages in a variety of in-game situations.
Throughout the video, Coach Denton uses an effective combination of game-film clips, charts, diagrams and provides game examples to explain his favorite coverages and showcase the best drills he uses to teach secondary defenders.
Base Overview, Disguising Coverages, Cover-4 and Cover-6
Coach Denton begins with an overview of his base defense and uses an easy-to-digest chart that labels each coverage zone they use in his system – labeling areas such as ‘deep third,’ ‘deep half,’ ‘out routes,’ ‘curl routes,’ ‘flat,’ ‘swing’ and more.
With the table set, Coach Denton serves up an all-you-can-eat pass-coverage buffet that highlights a variety of important coverage topics, including the best strategies for disguising coverages, a breakdown of his Base Cover-4 and provides a detailed look at several game-film examples with diagrams that showcases both good and bad instances of Quarters Coverage.
Denton spends time examining the rules and responsibilities in his Cover-6 scheme, including detailed explanations of recent in-game situations that illustrate the optimum time to unleash this type of coverage on an opposing offense.
Change-Up Coverages (Cover-3, Cover-12) and DB Drills
After a thorough examination of his most-commonly used coverages, Coach Denton highlights his approach to using what he calls, ‘Change-Up Coverages’ – providing diagrams, game film cut-ups and examples of appropriate times to use them. Change-up coverages include an in-depth look at when and where you can use Cover-3 and Cover-12 to confuse opposing QBs and receivers.
Denton finishes his highly valuable presentation with an in-depth look at his favorite defensive back drills – each one designed to improve critical coverage skills essential for success in his use of several coverages.
This video is a must-watch, defensive master class for all levels of football and teaches viewers the best strategies within a proven system of pass coverages.
Coach Denton shines in this video – through his organized combination of using diagrams, clear explanations, technical coaching points and use of good game film – which all works together to cohesively boil down critical, high-level coverage concepts and breaks them into easily digestible information you can immediately use and/or install in your own defense!
58 minutes. 2025.