Lions big playmakers find a way to grab their first win in Week 6

This week, we will look at a game that you could argue was altered more by penalties than big plays. Yet there is one that helped settle the game. This wasn’t a great one on paper. The lions were the only winless team in the NFL coming into the week and had just self-destructed the week before against the Cardinals. The Bears were coming in with some momentum. They had won their last 2 games, scraping past the Raiders and Chiefs. Though injuries and a lack of talent on Defence limits the optimism around the Bears.

We find this week’s Key play in the Overtime Period. It had been a pretty close game all the way through with both teams having multiple chances to put the game away in their favour. The Lions find themselves with the ball just over 6 mins remaining in OT after failing on 2 previous drives. This drive wasn’t going great either. Just about getting two 1^st Downs and having a Run stuffed on 1^st and 10.

 

2^nd and 10, DET 37 with 3:55 on the clock.

Detroit are in a 2x2 formation with 2 WRs to the Right (Bottom of the screen) and a TE and WR to the Left (Top of the screen). Bears have moved into one of their Sub packages. With just 2 Down Linemen bringing in the Nickle Corner.

Lions run a bit of motion at the start of the play to help Stafford work out the coverage. No-one moves with the Motioning TE, giving the offence a hint that the coverage might be Zone.

 

The actual play is a Play Action Pass. Stafford is going to fake the handoff left to dangerous RB Abdullah, then boot to the right. The TE that was previously in motion is now in Pass Pro on the right side of the formation on a Sprint style block, dealing with any rush from that right hand side. The lone WR on the left is running a Dig route coming across the field. The Slot Receiver on the right of the offence is running a very loose Deep Out and the WR outside him is going deep on a Fade route.

At the start of the play, most of the Pass Rushers fall of the Play Action. However the coverage on the backend doesn’t. All of them get to their assignment. The exact coverage is hard to work out at this point but at the moment it looks like a ‘3 Over 5’ Zone coverage with the Safeties Rotating to their left.

As the play develops further, one of the ILBs joins in on the Pass Rush, leaving more of a Cover 3 Cloud look. Wille Young, the LOLB whose job it is to stop the QB escaping the pocket, gets blocked but the TE. This gives Stafford the opportunity to extend the play. This is the Key moment in the play. IF Young gets pressure on Stafford, the play is over. Everyone is covered. There is nowhere to go with the Ball!

Now the play has extended past the point the Defence really wants. The CB (Tracy Porter) at the bottom of the screen now has to break off from the WR (Calvin Johnson), who keeps going deep on the Fade, to pick up the Deep Out coming into his zone.

This is why that pressure was Key. Johnson was schematically Double Covered by Porter and the Safety (Harold Jones-Quartey) at the point Stafford should have been forced to throw. But now Porter has to drop off. This leaves one of the best WRs over the last 3-5 years, 1 on 1 against a Rookie who wouldn’t be on the field if it wasn’t for injuries. There is just one outcome…

Stafford puts it up for Johnson to do what Johnson does best. Locate and Attack the Football.

This play ends with the Lions safely inside FG range. 2 plays later they would knock over the FG to walk off with a win. If this play fails, Detroit would have been in a hole on 3^rd and 10 inside their own half. Giving Chicago another chance to take the game.

 

 

Week 5 saw another Eli comeback which left the 49ers floundering - The Winning Play

New York, making their second appearance on SNF, facing off against the struggling 49ers. The Giants find themselves coming off a 2 game winning streak, beating the Redskins and Bills in the last 2 weeks. San Francisco on the other hand have had a very rough start. After beating the Vikings in the season opener, they have gone 0-3 since. Only scoring 27 point over those 3 games. Really it the match-up of contrasting Offences, Giants just getting theirs firing while the 49ers can find anything.

The Play we are going to look at today just so happens to be the Game winner. The Giants have got into the 49ers Red zone, but are running out of time at the end of the 4^th. They need a TD to take the lead, a FG is useless as they are currently losing 27-24.

1^st and 10, SF 12 with 0:26 on the Clock.

 

Giants are in the Gun. TE Trips to the top of the screen with a lone Wideout to the bottom. SF are showing 4 rushers down on the line and 2 High Safeties

Giants have called a Pass. The lone WR is running a Fade. Running back, who had been destroying the 49ers on passing plays throughout the game, Releases to the Lefts on an Out. To the Trips side. The TE is running a Seam, Slots on what some would call a Smash or Slam route, and the Wideout is going deep with a Fade.

There is nothing special about the Coverage by the Defence. They in straight up, Man to Man with 2 Deep Safeties. Though the pass rush has a nice looking twist called on the left side.

The Giants Offensive Play call is pretty good when you take into account the structure of the Defence. The Fade/Stop and go on the outside stretch the field both vertically and horizontally. As the Safeties they will have either a responsibility to help the Corners defend the deep routes, leaving the middle of the field open for that Seam route. Or they will roll to the Trips side leaving the bottom WR, 1on1 on the Fade.

As we roll the play on. The Defence starts to show Eli Manning the Man coverage. However, Manning is doing some work of his own. Looking off the Backside Safety. To Manning, this seems like the only player that can jump the TE’s route…

 

 

 

 

But it’s the play side Safety that is in the dangerous position. Instead of working out toward the WR going deep. He sits and reads the eyes of Manning. Any sort of Reaction or flow to centerfield by that Safety and the play is broken up. But he just sits there not wanting to commit, ending up in no-man’s land. Not able to get to the Seam up the middle or in a position to get to the sideline to help on the Fade. Manning sees that the Seam is open and fires the ball in quick and with elevation.

 

Because of this, the LB in Man coverage has no chance to play the ball. All the Giants need is for Donnell to come down with the ball and complete the catch.

With barely any time left on the clock, the Giants give themselves a 3 point lead after the PAT. 49ers are doomed to another defeat.

 

 

Dateline London: How the Jets stiffled the Dolphins

Miami Dolphins vs New York Jets

(Wembley Game #1)

 

Well. What can I say about this game? As a neutral that loves Defensive Football, I loved watching the Jets. It’s hard for me to describe this love to a footballing world that seems to be driven by Offense and scoring points. This isn’t a flashy Defence like that in Seattle. It’s not pretty, filled with fast ball hawking players. It’s Strong, Solid and built to give teams a beating upfront, while playing smart on the backend.

This will be less of a Key Play, but more of a Key Unit. Showing how the New York Jets made life hell for the Dolphins.

Now I could go through the whole game and take up hours of your time showing you a multitude of plays where the Jets play great Defence. However, I am just going to focus on the 1^st Half, as this sets the tone for the rest of the game.

Miami’s 1^st drive isn’t too bad. Some smart play calling poorly executed, more than the Jets playing good defence.

The 2^nd Drive is where we get our 1^st look at this Monstrous Defence. Tannehill finds himself under pressure on a mid-ranged passing play, Sailing the pass over both target and covering cornerback. 2^nd Down is where we start to see the power New York have upfront.

This is a Run play so we will keep this all focused on the Line. We have a Zone run to the left. Miami, expecting a hard time on the ground anyway, are looking to play on the edges where a seam is more likely to open up and hopefully start setting up for Bootleg Play Action Passes later on. Miller, depending on the blocking, can either stay on course working off the outside hip of the LG, cut back to the inside, or Bounce it outside. Basic Zone rules. Jets are in a Basic Nickle 40 Front. The motion means the 3 tech ends up on the Weakside of the formation.

Jets #78 gets penetration on the Left edge stopping the sideways movement you tend to see on Zone runs. On the right you see #92 collapse the cutback lane. Finally, in the middle you see #52 close the B Gap and #25 free to flow should Miller find any room.

 

The Big boys then swarm to make the tackle. Textbook defence of a zone run and a sign of things to come.

 

Moving on to later in the 1^st Quarter. 1^st and 10 after a Jets FG and Miami come out passing.

They go play Action looking for the big play. Everyone working down field with just the Running back in the flats for a check down.

Jets, now in a 3-4 Look, running is a standard Cover 3, but by putting both OLB (#98 Couples and #97 Pace) on the line they make it difficult for Miami to work out if who they are dropping into coverage or if they are sending a blitz.

#97 is going to pretend to rush for a few steps holding the TE before dropping into the Flats.

This stops any help getting over from the left. Leaving the right side of the O Line 2 on 2 with Couples and #96, Wilkerson. This is not a good match-up, as you can see. Pressure gets there while Tannehill was trying to throw to the Check down forcing the ball to go backwards out of his hand.

Luckily the Running back was alert enough to realise that the ball goes backwards and recovers the fumble.

 

 

 

 

 

2^nd and 9 at the start of the 2^nd Quarter. Miami have just got a short gain on a running play and are looking to get something going.

A nicely designed play with some short crossing. Exactly what you want when you’re having trouble blocking up front.

Jets have a Blitz called trying to get to Tannehill quickly, and are playing Press Man the Receivers to stop any quick passes.

Tannehill makes a quick read to the Running back, who was covered. But before Tannehill can find the open receiver on the drag (the only player the Defence couldn’t get a good press on), Harris hammers him in the backfield after coming through the line untouched.

Moving onto a quick ‘3 and Out’ now. This starts with around 4:40 left in the 2^nd Quarter.

1^st and 10. Mia 24.

We get a run call. Nothing too fancy. Just the LG pulling, trying to get out in front and RG trying to help both C and RT. But as you can see the Jets have 5 Men down on the line with the 3 interior players in a TNT alignment. Add to that, 2 LBs sitting behind them, and you get a BEAR Look. The pulling LG is going to create a hole that #78 is going to explode through and get to the Running back deep into the backfield. Throwing off the timing of the play.

 

 

 

2^nd and 10.

This is a miss by Miami. Tannehill has the right play against the play call, but he fails to step into the throw. Previous pressure seems to be making an impact already.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3^rd and 10.

 

Miami have found themselves in a hole once again. The comeback on at the bottom of the screen is the Key route as the corner has been slowly bailing out during the cadence. Tannehill wants to release this the moment the receiver makes his cut.

Jets have a blitz called again. Trying to get to Tannehill quickly.

However, Jets get the pressure they need to force Tannehill to take off.

The ball should have been thrown now. However Tannehill is still escaping the pass rush and is unable to throw the ball.

Disrupting the timing causes the throw to be late, the catch to be in front of the 1^st down marker, giving the beaten Corner time to recover and drive back to make the tackle. The Front helping the Backend get the job done.

 

The Unrelenting pressure, mass of talent and clever play calling by Todd Bowles makes this Jets Defence one of the best in the NFL if not the best. Miami were ill equipped to deal with it. The second half looked a lot like the 1^st. With the Jets only having themselves to blame for the points they conceded (Penalties and Poor Offence/ST).

 

 

NFL Breakdown Week 3 - Steve Smith's spectacular catch and run for a TD

A Divisional match-up brings up a play that might not have affected the outcome of the game. But it did increase the quality and excitement of it.

Cincinnati came into the game this Sunday looking to take a hold on the AFC North and to continue their impressive unbeaten start to the season. The Ravens found themselves in the complete opposite situation. They had lost their first 2 games, both of them close, but losses none the less.

We join the game midway through the 3^rd Quarter. The game had been riddled with penalties and only one team managing to score any points. The score currently sits at 14-0 in favour of the Bengals, with the Ravens missing a FG earlier in the game. Cincinnati had driven the ball into the Red zone to start the 2^nd Half, but Dalton throws a costly interception into the End zone. Baltimore Start their drive from the 20, but it starts to stall around midfield. This is where we jump in.

Ravens Ball, 4^th and 5 at Midfield with 6:37 Remaining of the 3^rd Quarter.

 

Ravens are in an Empty Set, meaning there is only the QB in the Backfield. They are 3x2 to the filed side (3 receivers to the field, 2 receivers to the boundary). This is telling the Defence that it will, more than likely, be a pass play.

 

When an Offense spread out like this, they are looking for a particular Match-up or Miss-match depending on the play call. Be it Talent based (Steve Smith circled in green), Body Type (Boyle TE circled in Blue) or Skill sets (possibly Campanaro or Aiken circled in Yellow).

 

This is the O play call. 3 Routes all breaking the same way, at the same depth, with the WR, Brown, at the bottom of the shot working down field to create space for Smiths out. Boyle motions a little bit to get in a better Pass blocking position. Looking just at the Call, you would guess that Smith would be the 1^st port of call. Savvy Vet with good route running against a Nickle Corner playing off. Match-up/miss-match.

 

The Defence are showing a ‘Sugar’ look with the LBs up in the line between the 2 DTs. 1 High Safety all on his own with the remaining players in coverage standing over a receiver. Not much to go on in terms of working out the play call. Can rule out all 2 high zones, except maybe a Robber. Other than that, it could be anything. Man or Zone, Blitz or just a base rush. Very good play call from the Defence for 4^th down. Giving little away.

 

Again Post snap, it’s not easy to decipher the coverage. Got a Corner carrying a WR Deep at the bottom, the other Corner driving down on his WR’s ‘In’ route? The only hints we have are the DB covering the slot on the far side (Circled in white) passes his guy on to the LBs that have dropped from the LOS. At a guess, I would say this was an aggressive Cover 3 Call or some form of split coverage but there is no way of telling for sure.

Anyway this makes little difference…

 

Smith WAS the match-up Flacco wanted. Working straight to him after the snap.

 

Now Smith makes a potentially key error. He runs the Route a bit too short. Meaning he catches the ball short of the 1^st down marker. Not by a lot, but enough. Knowing a bit about Trestmans ‘West coast’ background, we can blame Smith shorter strides for this as routes tend to be done on Steps not Yards to help with timing. See the varied depths of all the receivers, running the same in route, by a yard or 2.

 

However, because of the room the defender gives Smith. He can make a move and get the yardage required after the catch. Everything from now on is a bonus.

 

And what a bonus it turns into. Breaking tackles and getting a nice block from Brown to tumble into the End zone for a TD.

 

 

Without this 1^st down or TD, the Ravens would have been going into the 4^th quarter with no momentum and at least 14 points down maybe more considering field position. They would go on to lose the game anyway, but we would have been deprived of a thrilling 31 point 4^th quarter where either team could have walked away with the win.