re: Has the Prevent Defense stopped anyone lately?

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People like to confuse a 3 or 4 deep zone for the prevent.

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That may be true for uneducated fans ... but for most there is a huge difference between the two, or three, as you know.

3 and 4 deep zone coverage can be defeated by overloading the zone.

Prevent, in theory at least, cannot be defeated as long as the goal line remains behind the coverage and the coverage is deeper than the offense's (sic: QB's) ability to throw deep.

Therefore, a Prevent D is impossible in the cases already discussed above and additionally if the offense possesses the ball within the range of the QB's ability to throw ... say from the 50 yard line and inward. In that case the Hail Mary takes effect whereas, no matter how deep the QB might throw the ball (excluding throwing it out of the end zone of course), the receiver has the ability to catch the ball either in front of the defenders or at the same depth as the defenders.

The real problem with blaming the Prevent Defense lies in the commentary, among the pundits and color analysts calling the game who incorrectly label the defenses they are seeing on the field ... and the uneducated fans believe them.