the topic of the film breakdown this week

[upperdeck]

dont worry about the offense in the 2nd half hard to get a read when you only run 10-12 real plays.

but lets review the coverage mistakes by the D since that is the heart of the issue we are having right now, even more than the technique mistakes the corners are making.

 

[OrangeinBoston]

dont worry about the offense in the 2nd half hard to get a read when you only run 10-12 real plays.

but lets review the coverage mistakes by the D since that is the heart of the issue we are having right now, even more than the technique mistakes the corners are making.

I think the relative weakness of the first two opponents might have given them the impression that the defense was on the right track when instead it has big problems in pass coverage.

 

[FAL]

I think the relative weakness of the first two opponents might have given them the impression that the defense was on the right track when instead it has big problems in pass coverage.

They had those same big problems in pass coverage against WF, too.

 

[K Otto XLIV]

dont worry about the offense in the 2nd half hard to get a read when you only run 10-12 real plays.

but lets review the coverage mistakes by the D since that is the heart of the issue we are having right now, even more than the technique mistakes the corners are making.

CMU had a great game plan. In the 1st half they ran a lot of stuff in the flats. The 2nd half a lot of seems. They had us scrambling all game. At one point we couldn't stop anything even the run. We were able to get some sacks but when we didn't the CMU QB had all day. Give CMU credit. It happens. Would I have liked better adjustments from Bullough? Sure. Is there a problem? Well we won't know until after USF.

 

[Chip]

Some of you guys know this stuff better than me, but it seems to me that we play zone almost all the time. So if the blitz doesn't get there, or if you have a QB like CMU's who really hung tough in there, you're just going to have open guys to throw to. The hope is that the QB rushes the throw and doesn't see a defender that's close enough to make a play.

Maybe I'm wrong, but do we play much man at all? And if so, are the CBs and LBs just being abused?

 

[K Otto XLIV]

Some of you guys know this stuff better than me, but it seems to me that we play zone almost all the time. So if the blitz doesn't get there, or if you have a QB like CMU's who really hung tough in there, you're just going to have open guys to throw to. The hope is that the QB rushes the throw and doesn't see a defender that's close enough to make a play.

Maybe I'm wrong, but do we play much man at all? And if so, are the CBs and LBs just being abused?

We play a lot of zone and we don't switch it up or disguise it much. Shafer/Bullough like to attack the LOS and keep everything through the air in front of the secondary. That helps stuff the run and in getting sacks. It hurts in coverage, but prevents long plays.

IMO Anderson, Lynn, and Reddish were a pretty decent set of corners. We aren't going to do a whole lot better than that. Yet our pass D struggled with them. Most teams today will play 3-4 WRs every play. We won't get out of the 4-3 unless it is an obvious passing down, which kinda forces you to play zone. QBs seem to always know where to go with the ball against us. If we don't get to the QB first, it is an easy completion. The only year we had a good pass D was 2010 where we played the pass first, run 2nd.

At the end of the day all that matters is how many points you gave up. In that regard this system works. But as a fan it can be very frustrating seeing wide open guys and long drive after long drive. If there were a stat for average length of drive showing number of plays, yards, and TOP I would bet we would be near the bottom.