NFL Breakdown - Week One - Packers set a Bear Trap

Play Breakdown by Ian Hughes

 

One week of football is in the books. This give us 16 games to catch up with before the start of week 2 on Thursday. Here is our look on a few key plays from around the league.

We shall start with the Packers@Bears game that was 1^st of 3 televised on Sky Sports this past Sunday. This game didn’t have much going for it according to the previews. Bears in ‘Rebuilding Mode’ with a lacklustre Defence and an unsettled O-Line. Green Bay expected to roll their main Rivals even without Rodger’s main man, Jordy Nelson. Neutrals after a game would have been pleasantly surprised as Chicago managed to keep up with the Packers Offence. Green Bay’s Defence struggling to contain Chicago’s persistent running attack that was draining the clock as well as helping them out with some silly penalties. With the Bears down 16-23, they fail on a 4^th and short on the GB 2 yard line. However, a rare quick stop a few plays later, the Bears find themselves with the ball again.

4^th play of the drive, Chicago are 1^st and 10 on the GB 29

Bears have a Pass called on 1^st Down. 

 

The Trips on the field side, containing Royal, Wilson and Jeffery, is running a combination of Flats, Slants and a Fade respectfully. With Bennett running a Seam route from the TE position and Forte releasing to the Flats out of the backfield. Leaving just a 5 man protection.

Cutler points out the possible blitzers to the left, and he seems to have it right as Matthews (GB #52) sneaks towards the Line. This gives him what he thinks is an easy post snap read on Micah Hyde (GB #33). If he stay on Bennett, it’s an easy dump off to Forte in the flats. If he clears out to cover Forte, Cutlers drilling the ball into Bennett for easy yards.

Nice and easy right. GB #33 has cleared out, Bennett in the seam. But what Cutler doesn’t see is that Matthews is rotating towards Bennett because of a zone call.

What Cutler though was one of many Zone Blitzes Dom Capers has in his back pocket, was really a Simple Cover 3 with an underneath rotation. With the Deep middle being covered by a player out of shot. We get a bit of broke coverage at the bottom of the screen as the play develops, with 2 Packers covering Eddie Royal (#19) the Flats. Leaving Wilson wide open in the middle of the field.

It now comes down to timing. Can Cutler get the ball to the TE before Matthews gets there?

 

NOPE. And to add insult to injury, Wilson pops into view to settles down in between the zones for what would have been an easy completion due to that early noticed broken coverage.

This play leads to a scoring drive from Green Bay, putting the game beyond the reach of the Bears.