We are proud to share NFL Films Legend and Tape Wizard Greg Cosell’s raw notes from his film observations. As we enter the playoffs, Greg goes back thru the season and points out notable observations.
TITANS OFFENSE VERSUS TEXANS DEFENSE
Henry 52 yard TD on 2nd + 2 on first play of 2nd quarter came out of 12 with 4 man surface strong, Texans under front out of base with SLB Martin on the ball; Initial double team by RT Kelly and TE Swaim on 5-technique Watkins with Kelly coming off to block shooting LB Cunningham, Outstanding one-on-one block by TE Pruitt on SLB Martin
Texans predominantly aligned in 5 man fronts out of their base defense, both over and under, with an on the ball OLB; Martin, Greenard and Scarlett all snaps as the OLB LB
Titans came out in the 3rd quarter and featured some no huddle tempo on first possession
Titans TE did a much better job with one-on-one blocks versus DE / OLB in the run game than they did a week ago against the Packers, It was an important part of the Titans successful run game
Henry 45 yards on 2nd + 10 in the 3rd quarter came out of 12 straight I with Swaim the fullback, Formation was closed to the boundary with twins to the field, Texans 4 man under front with LB Cunningham the overhang defender to the twins side; Outside zone lead to the boundary with Swaim blocking the corner and strong initial movement at the POA working to the second level LB
Saffold hurt in the 3rd quarter, Brewer replaced him at LG and played the rest of the game
Titans OL consistently strong in the run game, controlling and moving the Texans DL and defining the initial POA for Henry
Zone read with Tannehill keeping and getting to the edge a selectively important part of the Titans offense, Situational football
Davis 19 yards on 1st + 10 in the 2nd quarter representative of the Titans passing game: 21 straight closed to the boundary twins to the field with Davis in the slot, Bang play action off outside zone to the field with Davis running the crosser behind the LB; Cunningham was the LB put in conflict in the Texans cover 3
Titans one of the best in the NFL converting on 3rd down (46.2%, fifth best): Brown 29 yards on 3rd + 8 on first possession of 3rd quarter a good example versus cover 1
3rd down back McNichols an important player: He must understand fronts, recognize pressure and execute blocks versus blitzing LB and defensive backs
Texans game plan featured man coverage on 3rd down and Tannehill and the Titans pass game consistently beat it, Tannehill precise with his timing and ball location
Brown 52 yards with :18 remaining to set up winning up FG came versus Texans nickel cover 4, Titans worked the field side of the formation with Davis releasing vertically to control safety Moore and Brown running the deep post versus outside leverage corner Crossen; 2 man route concept attacked the coverage and Tannehill made a great throw
DERRICK HENRY VERSUS RAVENS DEFENSE – WEEK 11
Ravens featured 2 different front looks out of base personnel: 5-2 look with Queen and Harrison the stacked LB; 4-3 front with Queen, Fort and Board the stacked LB - They also showed a 4-3 look with Judon the third stacked LB with Queen and Harrison
In the 1st quarter Ravens featured 2 corner blitzes out of their base defense: Humphrey from the field, and Peters from the boundary
Big factor in the Titans run game every week, and especially true versus Ravens 5-2 front, is the ability of their TE to block standup OLB one-on-one
Clark was almost always the box safety in the Ravens base fronts, with Elliott the deep safety
Ravens base defense, especially the 5-2 front, played the run game effectively through 3 quarters; Henry did not have space at the first level of the defense
Henry 24 yards on 1st + 10 early in the 4th quarter came out of 21 personnel versus Ravens 5-2 front, Great example of Swain one-on-one block versus OLB Bowser
Henry 11 yards on 1st + 10 in the 4th quarter another example of Swaim one-on-one block, this time on Judon; Titans 21 personnel versus Ravens 5-2 front
Swaim an important part of the Titans run game, He aligns in multiple spots including as an I formation fullback; Swaim has consistently shown the ability to block effectively at both the first level and the second level of the defense
23 of Henry 28 carries came out of base personnel packages – My sense was the Titans wanted to keep the Ravens base defense on the field
In the week 11 matchup versus the Ravens the Titans had 46 snaps with base offensive personnel, That was 73% of their offensive snaps; Titans only had 18 snaps out of 11 personnel
TEXANS OFFENSE VERSUS TITANS DEFENSE
Titans opened the game playing nickel versus Texans 12 personnel, King was the slot corner in nickel with Butler at right corner and Jackson at left corner – This was game plan approach versus 12 personnel
King was also the slot corner in nickel versus 11 personnel in normal down and distance situations
First 3rd down (3rd + 6) Titans out of dime showed a pressure front then went late movement to cover 1 behind 5 man pressure with Byard the fifth rusher, Fulton was the third corner in dime; T/E stunt with Simmons and Ray with Ray clean to Watson forcing Watson to leave the pocket
Long continued to show explosive movement traits in the box, Excellent short area quickness and burst; Long is a see it and go LB in the run game and he continued to flash
Titans sub defense personnel had King the slot corner in nickel, Fulton was the third corner in dime playing left corner with Jackson moving into the slot
Ray significant snaps at DE in the sub defenses, He also lined up inside at times; He was used at times as the looper in stunt concepts – Ray showed an effective mix of pass rush moves as an edge rusher including speed-to-power and club-arm over
Reed significant snaps at DE/OLB in the sub nickel in normal down and distance situations
Evans used at times on 3rd down as a spy on Watson, That was clearly game planned; Titans predominantly played 3-2-6 dime with Evans and Long the LB
Titans multiple front looks on 3rd down out of both nickel and dime, They also featured multiple stunt concepts – Titans trying to generate pass rush any way they can
Reed sack on 1st + 10 in the 2nd quarter in the high red zone resulted from Titans cover 4 taking away Watson read throws, Reed ran down Watson as he left the pocket to his right
King sack off slot blitz late in the 2nd quarter resulted from Butler physical press man coverage on Cooks slant – King featured as a blitzer in multiple pressure concepts out of nickel
Titans continued to show disguised late movement to cover 2, at times behind 4 man zone exchange pressure and at times cover 2 invert
Johnson looked good running the ball: Strong, powerful with some lateral quickness to make defenders miss; 26 yards in the 3rd quarter he made Long miss in the hole
Cooks 20 yard TD on 1st + 10 late in the 3rd quarter came on a Texans staple route concept: mirrored crossers; Good play sequencing by the Texans out of 21 straight I with Johnson 19 and 26 yards on the 2 previous plays, Then play action out of 21 straight I with the mirrored crossers, Titans in cover 4 but boundary safety Vaccaro played the run action hard and lost his coverage discipline
Cooks 27 yards on first play of late 3rd quarter possession was the first snap in which the Titans went base versus 12 personnel, Titans went cover 1 out of base; Cooks deep crosser beat Butler
Titans went 4-1-6 dime with Long the only LB on Texans final drive; Crawford sack came on spin move versus RG Fulton, Titans 1 robber behind 4 man DL rush with Byard the robber
Coutee 29 yards on Texans tying FG drive was big time throw by Watson, 2 man route with Cooks running the deep post and Coutee the corner route versus Titans cover 3
JAGUARS OFFENSE VERSUS COLTS DEFENSE
Wilson again started at strong safety with Willis inactive, Carrie played field corner in the sub nickel with Ya-Sin inactive
Autry continued to play DE in the base defense and in the nickel in normal down and distance situations, He moved inside next to Buckner in the 3rd down and long yardage nickel
Muhammad and Turay both snaps at DE in the base and nickel fronts, Turay starting to get more snaps
Colts first snap of cover 1 out of nickel versus 11 personnel Blackmon was the TE matchup with Wilson the post safety, Okereke was the RB matchup
Colts continued to show tilted fronts out of nickel, Multiple stunt concepts came out of that front; In man coverage Leonard was the wild card free defender
Colts also continued to show double mug looks out of nickel with Leonard and Okereke in the A gaps
Moore one of the best blitzing slot corners in the NFL, He has shown the ability to beat backs in protection
Colts on 3rd down out of nickel showed cover 1, cover 3, cover 4 behind 4 man DL rush, 5 man pressures with cover 4 match
Buckner sack on 3rd + 9 in the 2nd quarter came out of nickel double mug front, Leonard initially backed out then blitzed as the fifth rusher; Leonard rush forced Glennon to move into Buckner inside slanting rush
Colts continued to feature multiple stunt concepts out of their sub nickel fronts, Inside stunts with Buckner and Autry were effective; At times the stunts featured blitz schemes
Colts at times showed 5 man diamond fronts out of sub nickel with Leonard the standup0/1-technique, Again multiple stunt concepts out of that front
Colts predominant 4 man DL nickel front features Muhammad and Houston as the edge rushers, with Buckner and Autry inside; Turay getting more snaps outside the last number of weeks
Colts have used a spy at times versus mobile second reaction QB like Jackson and Watson, Leonard almost always deployed as the spy
Colts not a high percentage blitz defense out of nickel, They blitz selectively on 3rd down
JOSH ALLEN VERSUS DOLPHINS DEFENSE
What continued to stand out with Allen was his desirable combination of patient and decisive, He is not waiting for throws to develop when there is sustaining throw available within the timing of the drop and route concept
Dolphins game plan approach was multiple front looks out of nickel and dime, with disguised late movement at the snap; They featured multiple pressure schemes including corner blitzes
Dolphins initial coverage approach was zone, A different look for Allen based on Miami’s man tendency
Dolphins more man coverage as the 1st quarter progressed but zone remained the foundation, They continued with pressure out of both nickel and dime
Dolphins matched Howard on Diggs, with Howard travelling to both sides of the offensive formation
Bills showed bang play action off same side power: Diggs 18 yards on slant versus Howard early in the 2nd quarter, Precise ball placement throw by Allen
Another maturing element of Allen’s game is his use of the cadence and count to get a read on the defense before the snap – Allen has continued to improve in the pre-snap phase of his game
Another area in which Allen has improved (dramatically) is his ability to throw with pace and touch, and to throw to air, as he did on McKenzie 14 yard TD on 3rd + 4 in the 2nd quarter
Diggs 16 yards to start final 2nd quarter TD drive came on RPO concept: Outside zone to the field, slant-flat to the boundary with Diggs running the slant; Two reads for Allen: the boundary stacked LB to determine run or pass and the flat defender to determine slant or flat throw
Brown 27 yards on final 2nd quarter TD drive was hole shot by Allen off movement to his left, A big-time velocity throw with precise ball placement
Brown 32 yard TD on 2nd + 10 late in the 2nd quarter a great example of Allen’s mental improvement: Dolphins showed zero before the snap, Allen recognized the coverage and knew that TE Knox was part of the protection, Allen also knew that Knox man coverage defender Rowe would green dog and that he had no blocker for Rowe; Allen brought McKenzie into the formation to block Rowe, With the zero blitz blocked Allen great ball location throw to Brown on sluggo versus Jones
Allen continued to play at a high level, What continued to stand out was his ball placement, He is not missing throws with poor location
DOLPHINS OFFENSE VERSUS BILLS DEFENSE
Bills continued to play nickel versus 12 personnel; Slot corner Johnson has shown all season that he is a strong run defender, He has been one of the best run defending slot corners in the NFL
Edmunds sack on 3rd + 5 to end Dolphins first possession came on 4 man zone exchange pressure with cover 3 behind it versus Dolphins empty set, Edmunds unblocked and Tagovailoa had no awareness of it
First 3rd and long the Bills out of nickel disguised late movement to 2 man versus Dolphins 21 personnel with Gaskins and Laird flanking Tagovailoa, Johnson was the matchup on Gesicki
Jackson played significant snaps at boundary corner with Norman playing field corner with the Bills first team defensive unit, Jackson also snaps at field corner with Wallace and Norman at boundary corner
Dolphins continued to feature a condensed passing game with Tagovailoa, There was almost no intermediate/vertical route concepts with the exception of a fade ball
At this point Tagovailoa is not seeing things , He is a one read QB right now who needs a strong off-season of development
BEARS OFFENSE VERSUS PACKERS DEFENSE
Packers matched up to Bears 12 personnel with nickel, Sullivan as always was the slot corner with Barnes and Kirksey the stacked LB
Packers continued to play 2 nickel fronts: 4-2 and 5-1, In the 5-1 front Barnes was the stacked LB
Packers continued to play significant snaps of dime, far more than any team in the NFL; 50% of Packers defensive snaps this season have been in dime - Redmond was the dime versus the Bears
Alexander continued to play left corner with King at right corner, Alexander has not been a matchup corner most of this season
What always stands out with Trubisky is he is not a natural thrower, He will always have ball location inconsistencies – Trubisky has limitations as a drop back passer, It’s one reason he is not efficient on 3rd down
Run game with Montgomery is the foundation of the Bears offense, predominantly zone concepts; Pass game works off the run game with play action and play action boot
DT Clark snaps in which he was disruptive in the run game; He is a desirable combination of POA strength and leverage, and lateral movement down the LOS
Packers out of dime showed disguised late movement to get to cover 2, Savage was the middle hole defender
Packers coverage foundation is more split safety than single high safety: They feature cover 2, cover 4 and cover 6 – Against the Bears they played more single high safety
Bears had a limited intermediate and downfield passing game versus the Packers, They are more of a shot play offense than a conceptual vertical passing team
Mooney 53 yards on 2nd + 8 in the 3rd quarter came on designed shot play: Trubisky play action boot left off outside zone run action with 7 man protection, Mooney corner-post versus post safety Savage
Mooney 53 yards in 3rd quarter was a shot play, Trubisky incompletion to Wims on first play of the 4th quarter also was a shot play concept (great recognition by Alexander)
Bears never developed any sustaining consistency with their run game with Montgomery, They struggled to get second level LB blocked in their zone run game
Bears coaching staff continued to keep it basic for Trubisky with play action, play action boot, quick game with one read concepts
Bears never got Robinson involved in the game, He only had 5 targets and 2 receptions; You can’t let that happen as a coaching staff
Amos interception late in the 4th quarter was a bad read and throw by Trubisky: Graham seam route was covered well underneath by Kirksey and Amos was sitting right over the top
Bears had no explosive dimension to their offense versus the Packers, They must manufacture big plays with Trubisky or they will struggle to score
PACKERS OFFENSE VERSUS BEARS DEFENSE
Fuller and Shelley were the corners in the Bears base defense, In the sub nickel Shelley moved inside with Vildor outside with Fuller
Turner moved to LT with Bakhtieri out for the season – Can Turner block quality edge rushers one-on-one? First 3rd and long on first possession Quinn beat Turner to the outside
Smith hurt after 9 snaps and would not return to the game, Woods replaced Smith
Valdes-Scantling 72 yard TD on 3rd + 4 in the 2nd quarter came out of 11 empty versus Bears nickel 5 man pressure with slot corner Shelley the fifth rusher and a split safety cover 4 look behind it; Valdes-Scantling was in the inside slot to trips running the vertical seam, Bears got caught with this pressure and coverage with LB Trevathan running the seam with Valdes-Scantling – Shelley got in clean but the throw was immediately defined for Rodgers
LT Turner had some issues in one-on-one pass protection versus Quinn in the 1st half, Mack beat him for a sack in the 3rd quarter
Bears continued to play snaps of dime on 3rd down, Houston-Carson continued to be the dime
Dafney 13 yard TD on 2nd and goal in the 2nd quarter came out of 12 empty with Dafney in the inside slot to trips, Bears single high safety coverage locked to the twins boundary with post safety Jackson outside the hash to the trips; Either Trevathan or Woods had to carry Dafney on the over route and neither did
Bears showed a 5 DL nickel front versus Packers 11 personnel in the 3rd quarter, Trevathan was the only LB
My sense as the game progressed was the Packers pass game play calling took into account Turner’s struggles in pass protection: A lot of quick game timing and rhythm throws, play action misdirection elements, play action boot
SEAHAWKS OFFENSE VERSUS 49ERS DEFENSE
49ers base LB were Warner at MIKE with Al-Shaair the WILL and Flannigan-Fowles the SAM, Verrett was the right corner and Witherspoon the left corner
Johnson was the slot corner in the 49ers sub nickel, Warner and Al-Shaair were the nickel LB
Wilson still not seeing things clearly, Result continues to be he’s not turning it loose and leaving throws on the field; Seahawks pass game continues to have no rhythm
Wilson also struggled at times to recognize pressure before the snap, Right now he is having a tough time both pre-snap and post-snap
Wilson still capable of, and makes some second reaction plays, but overall he is playing too fast
Slot corner Johnson aggressive and competitive in the run game, He flashed with his willingness to mix it up
49ers aggressive with pressure both out of base and nickel, That was part of their game plan; They featured straight 5 man pressures and multiple stunt concepts
Warner continued to show why he is one of the best 3 down LB in the NFL with his multi-dimensional skill set – Sack on 3rd + 11 in the 2nd quarter came on double stunt concept, Warner the looper on Wilson’s front side
49ers defensive front dominated the Seahawks OL through most of the game, and the 49ers were playing with a lot of backups
Witherspoon played a strong game at left corner, especially when matched versus Metcalf – Witherspoon has put together a strong second half of the season
Seahawks pass game right now is the perfect negative storm: Wilson is not seeing things clearly, the OL is struggling to protect, Wilson at times is perceiving pressure, and the result is there is no rhythm
Wilson missed several big play opportunities early in the 4th quarter by not turning the ball loose – Is he not seeing it, or is it not registering?
Right now there is an undisciplined randomness to Wilson’s play, He can compensate for that at times with his high level second reaction ability
Lockett 4 yard TD on 4th and goal late in the 4th quarter came out of 11 2x2 with reduced splits on both sides of the formation, 49ers cover 1 blitz out of nickel; Witherspoon was the matchup on Lockett, Lockett shallow crosser immediately running away from Witherspoon, Outstanding touch throw by Wilson with precise ball location in the face of inside pressure by the blitzing Warner
Metcalf only 7 receptions of 20+ yards in the Seahawks last 9 games, including none in the last 4 games – Seahawks have not had a big play passing game since they beat the 49ers week 8
49ERS OFFENSE VERSUS SEAHAWKS DEFENSE
Griffin left corner and Reed right corner were the outside corners in the Seahawks base defense, Amadi the slot corner in nickel
Seahawks continued to play 5 man fronts out of base defense versus opponents' base personnel, Wright the on-the-ball LB; 5 man fronts often featured two 3-techniques and 0-technique
Seahawks continued to feature tilted fronts out of sub nickel with Wagner the wild card opposite the tilt, Wagner used as both a fifth rusher and coverage defender; Adams often used as a pass rusher from this front
Seahawks snap of dime on 3rd and long with safety Neal the dime, When the Seahawks went 1 robber out of dime versus 11 personnel Adams was the robber and Neal was the matchup on Kittle
Neal was the matchup on Kittle in the Seahawks man coverage concepts out of dime versus 49ers 11 personnel
One of the main issues with Beathard is that he remains too slow with elimination and isolation, Result is too many throws left on the field – Mayowa 12 yard sack on 3rd + 3 in the 2nd quarter a good example
Seahawks on 3rd down played both nickel and dime depending on yards to go, They played snaps of man coverage (cover 1, 1 robber) and zone coverage (cover 3, cover 4, cover 2)
James 45 yards on 3rd + 14 in the 2nd quarter came versus Seahawks nickel cover 3 with Adams the post safety, James deep post from the field versus outside leverage corner Griffin, Adams reacted to Bourne deeper over route and abandoned his deep middle responsibility; Excellent throw by Beathard
Wilson continued to look quick and explosive, 49ers OL often overmatched by the Seahawks defensive front so Wilson did not have may runs where he had first level room
Beathard continued to show a tendency to be a pre-determined one read passer, He is not a strong post-snap decision maker – Beathard missed wide open Kittle in the tight red zone midway through the 3rd quarter, He did not process Kittle within his reading progression and threw to well-covered Bourne for an incompletion
Diggs a force at times playing downhill in the run game from his post safety position, He played with aggressiveness and physical tenacity
JOHN WOLFORD VERSUS CARDS DEFENSE
McVay did a good job with Wolford changing cadence and snap counts to keep the Cards defense from communicating effectively before the snap – Give Wolford every advantage in the pre-snap phase
Wolford just underthrew Jefferson on go route to start third possession, Quick count with the Cards defense not ready
Cards went 2 man out of dime on 3rd + 10 on Rams third possession and that gave room for Wolford to scramble for 13 yards
Wolford has some twitch to him as an athlete, Quick active feet to make plays with his legs
Wolford gave the Rams the zone read game, He also ran pin-pull – His legs provide a different dimension to the Rams offense
Woods 27 yards on 2nd + 15 late in the 1st quarter came out of 11 empty versus Cards nickel 1 robber with Campbell the robber, Woods from the inside slot to trips ran the wheel route off natural rub element of Reynolds; LB Hicks was matched on Woods with safety Thompson matched on Higbee in the boundary slot, Excellent back shoulder throw by Wolford to beat strong coverage by Hicks
McVay did an excellent job defining the reads and throws for Wolford: 2 man route concepts, schemed concepts to present one read throws (Woods wheel just one example), man beaters like mesh and one-on-one matchup throws
Wolford showed some progression awareness as the game progressed, He showed quick elimination and isolation traits
There were snaps in which Wolford looked fast and frenetic with his movement but that might be his natural state of play given his size and quick active feet
Jefferson 13 yards on 3rd + 7 on first possession of the 3rd quarter may have been Wolford’s best play of the game: It was a 3 man boundary read with a back side dig by Jefferson, No defined throw and inside pressure forced Wolford to come to Jefferson; Poise in the pocket plus field vision and precise ball placement
Higbee 26 yards on 2nd + 10 also on first possession of the 3rd quarter a good read by Wolford, Peterson tried to bait him on the short out route by slot Reynolds but Wolford saw it and went over the top to #1 Higbee on the vertical
Overall Wolford played with a good sense of awareness, He saw the field well and showed a feel for defensive reaction – Akers 38 yard reception late in the 3rd quarter another good example
Wolford just underthrew 2 vertical shots: Jefferson on go route in the 1st quarter, Everett on slot fade late in the 3rd quarter – Overall Wolford threw with good ball location
Wolford out of empty sets: 10-16, 131 yards, 1 interception (first pass of the game) – Wolford versus blitz: 10-17, 94 yards
LAMAR JACKSON VERSUS BENGALS DEFENSE
Two things immediately stand out with the Ravens offense: Gap scheme concepts, and misdirection and influence
Ravens OL a different unit than a year ago, without Yanda (retirement) and Stanley (hurt earlier this season), It’s bigger and not as athletic; That’s part of the reason for the increase in gap scheme concepts in the run game
Jackson poor ball location throw to Brown on shot play to start second possession, Brown deep over with Jackson late with the throw and leaving it too far inside
Boykin 43 yard TD on 1st + 10 to end second possession came out of 21 2x2 versus Bengals base cover 4, Quarters beater to the boundary with Andrews from the slot vertically threatening safety Bell and Boykin running the deep post versus outside leverage corner Sims
Bengals played high percentage man coverage on 3rd down out of sub dime with safety Williams the matchup on Andrews
Dobbins 22 yards on 2nd + 10 in the 2nd quarter a function of the impact Jackson has on both first and second level defenders: Play side DE and stacked LB with eyes on Jackson unblocked and Dobbins was able to easily clear the edge
Brown 18 yard TD on 3rd + 8 in the 2nd quarter came out of 11 1x3 with Brown #2 to trips versus Bengals dome zero, Brown skinny post versus slot corner Davis
Ravens featured snaps with Dobbins and Edwards in the game, at times with Picard
Dobbins 27 yards on 2nd + 4 in the 3rd quarter came on gap scheme concept out of pistol with OC Colon-Castillo and RT Fluker pulling
Ravens feature a lot backfield actions that grab the eyes of first and second level defenders, Jackson 20 yards on 1st + 10 in the 3rd quarter a great example out of full house backfield
Jackson continued to be outstanding in the red zone, Brown 9 yard TD another example: Boot action right that became second reaction with Jackson hitting Brown crossing at the back of the end zone
Green fumble recovery late in the 4th quarter resulted from Dunlap beating RT McGlinchey with a spin move and Mayowa beating LT Skule with a club-rip move
TOM BRADY LAST 5 GAMES: 336 yards per game, 15 TD, 3 interceptions
Bucs did good job with their route concepts attacking zone coverages: Gronkowski 48 yards versus Chiefs cover 3 a good example
Brady has thrown the deep ball much better the last month of the season – Bucs pass game features deeper route concepts with deep to short reads
One thing that stood out was Brady is throwing the ball with excellent velocity, He made several drive throws – There is no decline in his arm strength
A good percentage of the 15+ yard completions in the last 5 games came versus man coverage, especially with Evans and Gronkowski
Defenses played a lot of man coverage versus the Bucs over the last month and have been burned – My sense is Brady and the Bucs receivers would welcome man coverage, It makes it quicker for Brady pre-snap and consequently minimizes pass rush
DREW BREES – 15+ YARD COMPLETIONS
Saints had success in the high red zone versus the Bears week 8: Cook 16 yard TD, Hill 20 yard TD
Saints feature an effective screen game with Kamara, They predominantly run it to the boundary side
Saints pass game with Brees works primarily between the numbers, Brees is a timing and rhythm passer with limited arm strength who is at his best throwing in the middle of the field
Cook as a seam route runner is still a meaningful part of the Saints pass game, That’s a throw Brees has always made effectively
Bears were multiple with their pressures and coverages on 3rd down versus the Saints week 8, Saints only 2-13 on 3rd down
7:08 in the 3rd quarter representative of Bears 3rd down success versus Saints: Diamond front out of sub dime with cover 1 behind it, Hicks bull rush pressure versus RG Ruiz impacted Brees throw to Johnson on in-breaker
Bears on 3rd down were able to generate inside pressure versus Brees, Another example was 3rd + 3 at 5:13 in the 3rd quarter: Kamara shift to inside slot to trips to the field, Wheel route versus LB Smith off natural rub element (same play Brees hit Kamara versus Lions man coverage); Hicks drove OC McCoy back into the pocket and Brees could not step into the throw
JONATHAN TAYLOR – LAST 6 GAMES: 119-741, 6.2
Taylor a decisive competitive downhill runner, There is no hesitation in his running style; He sees it and he hits it and he finishes with power
Foundation of Colts run game with Taylor is inside, There are some outside zone concepts but Taylor predominantly works between the tackles
Taylor is not loose hipped and naturally shifty and elusive but he showed enough lateral quickness and stop-and start to make defenders miss at the second and third levels of the defense
Taylor consistently showed the trait of re-acceleration, getting back to speed after navigating through traffic at the first and second levels of the defense
Split flow inside zone a featured run with Taylor, He almost always stayed with his downhill path
60% of Taylor’s runs came as an I back, with 40% in the shotgun – Colts trap concept out of shotgun versus Jaguars week 17: Taylor 56 yards on a run that showed patience, vision and explosiveness
You could see that Taylor is a volume runner, He develops a feel for the flow of the game the more he carries the ball
45 yard TD versus Jaguars week 17 showed Taylor at his best, It was not well-blocked but Taylor made LB Schobert miss at the first level of the defense
