This is some heat I've come up with from labbing d a lot lately, been using variations of it for about a week now and it can be very effective. It's also very versatile because this same setup works with so many plays. It works with almost any nickel or dime normal play. There are a few exceptions with plays that will not work with this setup, like dime normal cover 2 where the lineman have strange blitz angles. This is 5 man heat and works 99% of time if setup right unless there is an unusual amount of blockers on the left side or they keep the hb in to block. I am not sure if slide protection effects it or not.
(you must perform the first 3 steps in ORDER, if you do not they two guys you blitz will not be in a the best possible position to grab them and quickly put them in position) . These steps are also in the order that provides you the fastest setup possible.
example NICKEL NORMAL Cover 1
1-pinch line
2-fake blitz
3-shift lb's left
4-put right of screen defensive end in zone of your choice
5-grab mlb, blitz him and place directly in the middle the two DT's, (not up close to the line of scrimmage, back off about 1 to 1 1/2 yards, the MLB should be touching both DT's.
6-grab left of screen OLB, blitz him and place him between left of screen defensive end and DT, very close, actually touching the end, again, not on the LOS, about 1 to 1 1/2 yards off. I'm trying to be as exact as possible with these descriptions because placement does matter, although like anything else you'll just have to lab it to get it exact, all the description in the world isn't enough sometimes.
This might seem like a lot of steps but it's not bad. I can set it up usually with just enough time vs the computer and we all know when you play the computer they quick snap pretty much every play, the first 3 steps are very quick. The only thing different with the DIME NORMAL SETUPS is that you'll be substituting the MLB with a SS that drops down. One other thing I'd like to point out is a quirky little thing I've noticed about Nickel Normal. When you pinch the line in practice mode with Nickel Normal the two DT's have a little space between them, but in a real game the two DT's almost touch, I have no idea why that is, it just is.
EDIT: I'm labbing this setup with Dime Flat right now and it's working just fine, haven't brought it into a real game yet but it looks like it could work with Dime Flat with the same consistency. Also I want to update how slide protection effects it.... pinching the line does nothing to stop it... shifting right brings the left of screen defensive end crashing in fast.... slide protecting left does stop any fast heat but usually a DT will break free after a couple of seconds and come in from the right, a delayed blitz but heat is usually still there even if you slide left.
Portal 
