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Anatomy of a Play


Earl34

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I started looking back at this play after another poster claimed that Colt underthrew Cribbs "by a mile". This isn't meant to be antagonistic. Once I started watching this play again, I noticed some stuff that I liked. Being one to love learning X's and O's, I figured I would share. If anyone can add to the discussion please feel free. Below are some stills of various points in this play.

 

Score: Browns 3- Saints 0

Situation: 7 minutes left 1st Q. Peyton Hillis just ran for 6 yards off of right tackle.

Down: 1st and 10 on +42.

 

1. Pre-snap

presnap.jpg

 

This is the presnap read. The Browns are in a power I strong right formation.

 

#1 shows an overshifted seven man front geared towards a strong-side run.

 

#2 shows the safety as the 8th man in the box. He's buzzed to stop the run but notice he's split outside of the 9-technique Sam backer. He's also eyeing Cribbs. This coupled with the depth of the corner are making me think he's bailing to the short zone in the flat.

 

#3 is ten yards off the ball and is either in man-to-man with high-low bracket with the safety (#2) or dropping to cover the deep half or third.

 

#4 is showing zone coverage off of Mitchell and has deep safety help to his side (that safety is off the screen to the left)

 

 

2. Drop back

 

drop.jpg

 

Colt drops into a seven step drop which is telling me his first thought is an intermediate to deep ball. Vickers releases to the flat and Hillis stays in to block. Watson releases over the middle.

 

#1 shows the Mike dropping deep; TAMPA 2 ! (that's the MLB dropping to cover the deep third with two DBs covering the outside thirds. This leaves four men in zones underneath. Vulnerabilities are the seams and the 7-route (corner/flag)

 

#2 safety and Sam (who was on the line) drop into zones. Even if the Sam had blitzed, Hillis was there to pick him up.

 

#3 shows four linemen rushing with six blockers. Thomas is 1-on-1 and seems like he might be getting beat on the speed rush with a dip. The others are in various doubling situations but the protection is 'so far so good'

 

3. Keeping Colt upright

 

protection.jpg

 

Joe Thomas gets paid lots of dough to keep the QB upright and even though it seems like he might be beaten, he does what any good left tackle will do (not hold...)...he uses the rusher's momentum to take him past Colt's set up point. Good recovery Joe! Also notice Steinbach about to get dropped on his keister. Colt is in good balance. Shoulders are square and has the ball in good position. Eyes are downfield.

 

4. The Release

 

release.png

 

Just to show Colt's release on this throw. His weight is slightly back and he doesn't step into the throw as much as you'd like. Not terrible and it's a little nitpicky. I would chalk it up to Steinbach's man who is bearing down on him. He releases the ball on the 50.

 

5. The Underthrow (sorry,...couldn't resist)

 

cribbs.png

 

While the ball may be underthrown a tad, we don't know if he was trying to make it a back shoulder throw to induce interference or it was just underthrown. He threw it 48-49 yards in the air and put it within arms' reach of Cribbs hitting Jenkins in the helmet.

Analysis (my own)- I think that the first challenge on this play was for Colt to read the coverage properly. Gregg Williams was doing what good coordinators do. He was not showing the coverage too early and presnap, the kid might've been confused. This play was Colt's to make. Vickers was a dump off (covered), Watson was covered as well. Mitchell at split end was probably covered but we don't see that on TV. Cribbs was the play and the kid made the right decision. He had enough time to deliver the ball even though the protection was difficult against only four rushers. He placed a reasonably nice ball accurately. It was certainly a better deep ball 50 yards downfield than Quinn ever threw.

 

Just an attempt at talking football. I hope you guys liked it. (It also gave me an excuse to use some neat screen capture and photo editing stuff on my computer!)

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Very interesting post!

 

The kid does not have the same noodle arm he had when he was 18 and weighed 180 pounds. He weighs in at around 210 pounds now. That's right, he put on 30 pounds of muscle at Texas. I remember hearing a story that before his junior year of college. He was in the weight room with literally over a hundred teammates all huddled around him, and he benched 300 pounds for the first time. When he completed the press, the entire team erupted around him. That's a cool college story for Texas fans, but it also lets you know that he's he's probably hit the limits of what the strength and conditioning program at Texas can do for him. Having seen the facilities first hand I can tell you I find it unlikely that the Browns can bulk him up much more.

 

I do think he's hit his ceiling in terms of arm strength, but, remember, Colt (and probably Brady Quinn) can hurl the football 70+ yards without much accuracy today. The key for him to stretch the defense will be to extend his accuracy to the 35-45 yard throws, especially when you're leading the receiver vertically instead of across the field. The most encouraging thing about his play so far is that he's already extended his accuracy form 15-25 yard throws to 25-35 yard throws in about nine months. If he can squeeze out just 10 more yards, he'll have the physical tools to be a franchise quarterback. At that point, whether or not he grows into that role is probably not a function of his throwing arm. Remember, he threw a really nice pass to the tight end at the end of the Steelers game that flew at least 45 yards in the air. Fourth quarter accuracy is important; you can't start missing your receivers when your arm gets tired.

 

This means good things for the Browns, actually. For the front office to decide to bring in a first round QB next season, they have to find someone who beats Colt not only in terms of arm strength but also intangibles, decision making, football IQ, etc. That means two things:

 

1. They won't waste a draft pick on a guy who has less upside than McCoy, so they could easily use their best draft picks to either acquire or trade for better talent around him, or..

2. They'll pick a once-in-a-decade type QB.

 

I'm personally not sold on Andrew Luck, because he hasn't played at a consistently high level for more than a single season (remember, McCoy would have been a much higher pick if he left after '08, but a worse quarterback). Locker is a complete project from the ground up (seriously, no pocket presence whatsoever). Mallett is decent but possesses questionable intangibles.

 

Basically, even the people who want to draft a QB next season have to love McCoy's abilities, because he sets the bar extremely high. They'll need a guy who's got everything Colt has and more.

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Very interesting post!

 

The kid does not have the same noodle arm he had when he was 18 and weighed 180 pounds. He weighs in at around 210 pounds now. That's right, he put on 30 pounds of muscle at Texas. I remember hearing a story that before his junior year of college. He was in the weight room with literally over a hundred teammates all huddled around him, and he benched 300 pounds for the first time. When he completed the press, the entire team erupted around him. That's a cool college story for Texas fans, but it also lets you know that he's he's probably hit the limits of what the strength and conditioning program at Texas can do for him. Having seen the facilities first hand I can tell you I find it unlikely that the Browns can bulk him up much more.

 

I do think he's hit his ceiling in terms of arm strength, but, remember, Colt (and probably Brady Quinn) can hurl the football 70+ yards without much accuracy today. The key for him to stretch the defense will be to extend his accuracy to the 35-45 yard throws, especially when you're leading the receiver vertically instead of across the field. The most encouraging thing about his play so far is that he's already extended his accuracy form 15-25 yard throws to 25-35 yard throws in about nine months. If he can squeeze out just 10 more yards, he'll have the physical tools to be a franchise quarterback. At that point, whether or not he grows into that role is probably not a function of his throwing arm. Remember, he threw a really nice pass to the tight end at the end of the Steelers game that flew at least 45 yards in the air. Fourth quarter accuracy is important; you can't start missing your receivers when your arm gets tired.

 

This means good things for the Browns, actually. For the front office to decide to bring in a first round QB next season, they have to find someone who beats Colt not only in terms of arm strength but also intangibles, decision making, football IQ, etc. That means two things:

 

1. They won't waste a draft pick on a guy who has less upside than McCoy, so they could easily use their best draft picks to either acquire or trade for better talent around him, or..

2. They'll pick a once-in-a-decade type QB.

 

I'm personally not sold on Andrew Luck, because he hasn't played at a consistently high level for more than a single season (remember, McCoy would have been a much higher pick if he left after '08, but a worse quarterback). Locker is a complete project from the ground up (seriously, no pocket presence whatsoever). Mallett is decent but possesses questionable intangibles.

 

Basically, even the people who want to draft a QB next season have to love McCoy's abilities, because he sets the bar extremely high. They'll need a guy who's got everything Colt has and more.

 

Do you remember when he was competing as a redshirt freshman with Jevan Snead? He was so scrawny we were all thinking "Who the hell invited the sixth grader?". After that Bennett hit against A&M he decided he needed to bulk up which is where your story comes in. Nice!

 

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Very interesting post!

 

The kid does not have the same noodle arm he had when he was 18 and weighed 180 pounds. He weighs in at around 210 pounds now. That's right, he put on 30 pounds of muscle at Texas. I remember hearing a story that before his junior year of college. He was in the weight room with literally over a hundred teammates all huddled around him, and he benched 300 pounds for the first time. When he completed the press, the entire team erupted around him. That's a cool college story for Texas fans, but it also lets you know that he's he's probably hit the limits of what the strength and conditioning program at Texas can do for him. Having seen the facilities first hand I can tell you I find it unlikely that the Browns can bulk him up much more.

 

I do think he's hit his ceiling in terms of arm strength, but, remember, Colt (and probably Brady Quinn) can hurl the football 70+ yards without much accuracy today. The key for him to stretch the defense will be to extend his accuracy to the 35-45 yard throws, especially when you're leading the receiver vertically instead of across the field. The most encouraging thing about his play so far is that he's already extended his accuracy form 15-25 yard throws to 25-35 yard throws in about nine months. If he can squeeze out just 10 more yards, he'll have the physical tools to be a franchise quarterback. At that point, whether or not he grows into that role is probably not a function of his throwing arm. Remember, he threw a really nice pass to the tight end at the end of the Steelers game that flew at least 45 yards in the air. Fourth quarter accuracy is important; you can't start missing your receivers when your arm gets tired.

 

This means good things for the Browns, actually. For the front office to decide to bring in a first round QB next season, they have to find someone who beats Colt not only in terms of arm strength but also intangibles, decision making, football IQ, etc. That means two things:

 

1. They won't waste a draft pick on a guy who has less upside than McCoy, so they could easily use their best draft picks to either acquire or trade for better talent around him, or..

2. They'll pick a once-in-a-decade type QB.

 

I'm personally not sold on Andrew Luck, because he hasn't played at a consistently high level for more than a single season (remember, McCoy would have been a much higher pick if he left after '08, but a worse quarterback). Locker is a complete project from the ground up (seriously, no pocket presence whatsoever). Mallett is decent but possesses questionable intangibles.

 

Basically, even the people who want to draft a QB next season have to love McCoy's abilities, because he sets the bar extremely high. They'll need a guy who's got everything Colt has and more.

 

I'd like to give McCoy some more time, even after this season. I have faith that he's our guy.

 

Luck being dubbed "Peyton Manning-lite" is too much atm. When you're a once-in-a-generation QB under a great QB coach like Harbaugh, you need to put up much better numbers no matter the talent around you. I like him, but he reminds me more of a mobile Matt Ryan than Peyton Manning.

 

Mallett is not going to succeed in the NFL. He lacks the fundamental skills and intangibles you look for. He can haul it 70 yards, but can't make a shovel pass? C'mon dude.

 

Locker could be something special. He's got a ridiculous ceiling, but a low basement. He's a hit-or-miss, and i'm not willing to take a chance on that shit. We've had 2 decades of that crap.

 

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I don't see it as Colt under throwing the ball. He gave it all he had....and that is about all he has for a deep ball...which is fine. You don't have to have a QB who can launch it 65 yards in the air. Colt's 45-50 is good enough.

 

What Colt has to do is throw it a little sooner. I don't know at what point on the field Cribbs was when Colt released the ball....lets say the 30 which might be about right...what he needs to do is start releasing it when Cribbs is on the 35 which is in essence adding 5 yards to the throws. At that point the ball is out in front of Cribbs and not in to the defender. Not to mention the ball is being released about the time you see Steinbachs man breaking free rather than free and heading towards the qb.

 

It isn't so much a arm issue. It is a timing issue....and that can be corrected.

 

Kosars bombs weren't the same kind of bombs Testraverde threw, but people cheered loud and hard none the less.

 

Just start tossing it a split sooner. I like the odds Cribbs is going to carry his guy in to the endzone, and if not, who's going to complain about a 45 yard gain to the 5??

 

The coaching staff may need to make adjustments in the way we run routes on deep balls. If the routes are geared for 50 yards, we may need to adjust the cuts and breaks for 40 yards.

 

All simple stuff if everybody gets on the same page.

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So hold on...

 

here in the Browns board, people get TONS of "thanks" when they post some "the Browns are number 1! YEAH!" bullshit, but when 2 really intelligent posts like these are put up, nothing? :S

 

 

If there was a 'Cookie' button, i'd give you a virtual cookie. Sounds like you need one. Or a virtual pat on the back.

 

:D

 

PS... it's ok, he posted it pretty late for us working folks to see it yet. The Thanks will come.

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I don't see it as Colt under throwing the ball. He gave it all he had....and that is about all he has for a deep ball...which is fine. You don't have to have a QB who can launch it 65 yards in the air. Colt's 45-50 is good enough.

 

What Colt has to do is throw it a little sooner. I don't know at what point on the field Cribbs was when Colt released the ball....lets say the 30 which might be about right...what he needs to do is start releasing it when Cribbs is on the 35 which is in essence adding 5 yards to the throws. At that point the ball is out in front of Cribbs and not in to the defender. Not to mention the ball is being released about the time you see Steinbachs man breaking free rather than free and heading towards the qb.

 

It isn't so much a arm issue. It is a timing issue....and that can be corrected.

 

Kosars bombs weren't the same kind of bombs Testraverde threw, but people cheered loud and hard none the less.

 

Just start tossing it a split sooner. I like the odds Cribbs is going to carry his guy in to the endzone, and if not, who's going to complain about a 45 yard gain to the 5??

 

The coaching staff may need to make adjustments in the way we run routes on deep balls. If the routes are geared for 50 yards, we may need to adjust the cuts and breaks for 40 yards.

 

All simple stuff if everybody gets on the same page.

 

Now that you mention it, I can see the issue of the timing. It's a little difficult though because you can't see what Cribbs is doing downfield. Personally, I'm just glad he picked a guy in single coverage who seems to have been the correct read based on what the defense was doing. As you say, it can be corrected and timing is typically something Colt was very good at in college. Just takes a lot of reps.

 

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I have to take a second to share some much-deserved praise for earl34's work here.

 

Love the analysis and technical skills. You've elevated the discussion and have talent. I appreciate the knowledge and willingness to share.

 

This freaking forum rocks!

 

Go Browns!

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I have to take a second to share some much-deserved praise for earl34's work here.

 

Love the analysis and technical skills. You've elevated the discussion and have talent. I appreciate the knowledge and willingness to share.

 

This freaking forum rocks!

 

Go Browns!

 

 

I totally agree. It is great to see this kind of break down of a play and learn a little bit. Do more, Earl!

 

 

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I'd like to give McCoy some more time, even after this season. I have faith that he's our guy.

 

Luck being dubbed "Peyton Manning-lite" is too much atm. When you're a once-in-a-generation QB under a great QB coach like Harbaugh, you need to put up much better numbers no matter the talent around you. I like him, but he reminds me more of a mobile Matt Ryan than Peyton Manning.

 

Mallett is not going to succeed in the NFL. He lacks the fundamental skills and intangibles you look for. He can haul it 70 yards, but can't make a shovel pass? C'mon dude.

 

Locker could be something special. He's got a ridiculous ceiling, but a low basement. He's a hit-or-miss, and i'm not willing to take a chance on that shit. We've had 2 decades of that crap.

 

I think Colt's got "it," too. I'm just saying even the doubters should be happy about his level of play, because Holmgren/Heckert won't draft a kid who isn't clearly better.

 

Luck put up extremely mediocre numbers when he was handing off to Toby Gerhart. He's clearly got a lot of skill, and he's winning in the air more, but one good season in the PAC-10 is not necessarily an NFL pedigre... yet.

 

Whatever happens, if McCoy heads in to the spring as "the guy," I'd expect he'll be spending a lot of extra time working with receivers. He'll learn exactly where Cribbs is going to be after a seven step drop back. And he was pretty close already.

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Do you remember when he was competing as a redshirt freshman with Jevan Snead? He was so scrawny we were all thinking "Who the hell invited the sixth grader?". After that Bennett hit against A&M he decided he needed to bulk up which is where your story comes in. Nice!

 

If I recall correctly, he didn't really compete with Snead until his sophomore season in '07. Snead was a good example of all measurables, no intangibles.

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I have to take a second to share some much-deserved praise for earl34's work here.

 

Love the analysis and technical skills. You've elevated the discussion and have talent. I appreciate the knowledge and willingness to share.

 

This freaking forum rocks!

 

Go Browns!

 

/agree nice job earl34!

Colt has plenty of room to get stronger actually his arm is already stronger than when he first came to cleveland, we have some very good assistants and carl smith is no exception...

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So hold on...

 

here in the Browns board, people get TONS of "thanks" when they post some "the Browns are number 1! YEAH!" bullshit, but when 2 really intelligent posts like these are put up, nothing? :S

 

 

Considering that he made that post at 12:07 AM, and you made your post at 1:42 AM, it is probable that most of us were at home in bed. You are bitching because a ton of "Thanks" didn't come in between midnight and 2 in the morning?

Most of us have jobs to get up and go to in the morning. Why don't you think about getting one?

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Now that you mention it, I can see the issue of the timing. It's a little difficult though because you can't see what Cribbs is doing downfield. Personally, I'm just glad he picked a guy in single coverage who seems to have been the correct read based on what the defense was doing. As you say, it can be corrected and timing is typically something Colt was very good at in college. Just takes a lot of reps.

 

 

 

No doubt he read it correctly.

 

As for the timing, on shorter routes a QB can do a bit more on changing when the ball arrives. He can lead a bit more and take some off the throw or in a tight window can put a little more mustard on the throw, or do something in between.

 

On deep balls you are already throwing it 'all out", so the only thing you can do it toss it out there a little earlier.

 

I am sure part of the deal is coaches probably teach to underthrow a bit because your receiver can fight for the catch or you can draw interference calls as the defender runs up the receivers back.

 

In theory though, on long balls, a qb should probably overthrow just as many as they underthrow.

 

 

It's just more practice. Keep working the timing and toss them out there a little sooner.

 

A good drill for this would be to have Colt work on out throwing the receiver for a while, giving him a better visual for when he needs to release the ball. Sooner or later he will start dropping them in the basket.

 

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Considering that he made that post at 12:07 AM, and you made your post at 1:42 AM, it is probable that most of us were at home in bed. You are bitching because a ton of "Thanks" didn't come in between midnight and 2 in the morning?

Most of us have jobs to get up and go to in the morning. Why don't you think about getting one?

 

 

I always get pissed when I get home from the bar and not enough thanks are given out on the browns board!

 

:angry:

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I don't see it as Colt under throwing the ball. He gave it all he had....and that is about all he has for a deep ball...which is fine. You don't have to have a QB who can launch it 65 yards in the air. Colt's 45-50 is good enough.

 

 

I live in Texas and watched Colt play his whole career at Texas. He can easily throw the ball 65 yards.....just saying.

 

I believe he put the ball where he wanted.

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I live in Texas and watched Colt play his whole career at Texas. He can easily throw the ball 65 yards.....just saying.

 

I believe he put the ball where he wanted.

 

 

That's cool man....then he put it where it couldn't be caught and was a designed play for a interference call. Cool beans.

 

If he wanted it caught, he would have tossed it 60 yards and let the receiver reach out and catch it.

 

 

JMO

 

 

 

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Great thread and posts!!!

 

Colt is going to be a good one, the arm strength stuff is extremely overrated and he has enough. He has not maxed out growing more strength either, as he is just hitting manhood which adds natural strength to coincide with a pro workout regimen and refined mechanics.

 

Colt's highlights at Texas show him winging it 60 to 65 yards in the air and he did it a fair amount of times. The key to deep accuracy is to control it around and past that 45 to 50 yard mark and lead your receiver properly. All in all this was a pretty good throw from a kid who has had very limited reps with the first team offense and receivers since he was drafted. He is definitely the type to hone in the timing and control it, but I do agree a slightly earlier release (which goes for all QB's) not only gives more room for error but less time for safety recovery. This is a big issue for QB's in general, as most tend to wait a little too long making their reads. Plus, some like to show off the arm and really let it fly, which diminishes the accuracy even further.

 

A good QB almost always allows his player to make a play on the ball. Jake cost us the Atlanta game by overthrowing a wide open Cribbs for six, and Wallace seems to think the intended receivers are standing five yards out of bounds holding a clipboard. Let's face it, around 80% of your accuracy comes in the short to intermediate range, and there is absolutely no doubt he can thread it in there when need and also lead for YAC.

 

An overlooked play earlier was when Vickers dropped the quick flat when they were backed up in the endzone. He had room to ramble and Colt led him perfectly, quickly and with perfect touch. These are the kind of plays that get overlooked but win games. Colt will make defenses pay as they try to come after him since he's a rook, he is too composed and aware of what is going on. He has great pocket presence and escapability, things that can't necessarily be coached. Wallace is a perfect example, he has good wheels and is mobile, however, he lacks good pocket presence and likes to run himself out of plays to the sidelines or backwards.

 

Colt also can make defenses pay with the run out of the pocket, but he is also smart about it and avoids the big hit. This keeps even a sack from being a big loss, and also holds the LB's a little longer for open intermediate opportunities---not to mention his ability to create and throw on the run (Big Gay Ben anyone?)

 

We have a good one and I am very excited, nothing beats accuracy and smarts with athleticism and savvy.

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Great post Earl, i would love to see more like it... X's and O's are great fun.

 

I'm trying to learn some of the X's and O's better as I never actually played football but I have been watching it for years and have figured things out in that time... a couple of questions about your breakdown.

 

1) Would that be a power I formation? I understood that would be an offset standard I... I thought a power or stacked I was when a WR was pulled and a THIRD back added to the form. What I can see is Center/QB/FB/RB which i thought was a normal I.

 

2) Would that be 8 in the box? It looks like the safety is lined up well outside of the line... I thought the box was within the tackles/TE's.

 

Not nitpicking... I do radio broadcasts for high school football in a small town and am studying up on a game I never played... but again, GREAT post... would love to see more like it down the line!

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Great post Earl, i would love to see more like it... X's and O's are great fun.

 

I'm trying to learn some of the X's and O's better as I never actually played football but I have been watching it for years and have figured things out in that time... a couple of questions about your breakdown.

 

1) Would that be a power I formation? I understood that would be an offset standard I... I thought a power or stacked I was when a WR was pulled and a THIRD back added to the form. What I can see is Center/QB/FB/RB which i thought was a normal I.

 

2) Would that be 8 in the box? It looks like the safety is lined up well outside of the line... I thought the box was within the tackles/TE's.

 

Not nitpicking... I do radio broadcasts for high school football in a small town and am studying up on a game I never played... but again, GREAT post... would love to see more like it down the line!

 

I understand about nitpicking. It's not that you want to but rather these little details for those of us that are learning make a big difference. Regarding the formation, it is an offset-I. I've heard it called power or strong meaning that the offset was toward the TE vs. weak. I like the "offset I" term better anyway. As for the box...yes, in the photo, the SF isn't exactly in the "box" but that's a function of my screen capture. He came down on the edge of the box and as I was writing this...I had to choose whether he was in or not. He's there primarily for run support...so I labeled it as "8 in the box" but really he bails out. The point is...if your safety is down on the LOS...he's there to stop the run or blitz first and pass defend second.

 

Thanks for the positive feedback everyone. I will try to do more of these if time allows.

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An overlooked play earlier was when Vickers dropped the quick flat when they were backed up in the endzone. He had room to ramble and Colt led him perfectly, quickly and with perfect touch.

 

I didn't overlook it. I still envision how the LB stumbled and this guy had about 90 yards of open field in front of him...

 

Screenshot2010-10-27at93248PM.png

 

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