When the Patriots have the ball

Expect the Patriots to spend their first couple drives combining fast paced tempo with information gathering. The Patriots use motion and non-traditional sets early to analyze the defense. For example, the Patriots line up fullback James Develin or a running back out wide to see who goes out to cover him. If a linebacker goes with the back, it’s man coverage. If a corner stays with the back, it’s zone coverage. From there, Brady picks the best matchup.

This will help diagnose the Falcons relatively simple defensive scheme. The Falcons primarily play Cover 1 or Cover 3, and don’t blitz often. Although the Falcons have blitzed more frequently during the playoffs, I don’t expect them to blitz Brady a ton in Super Bowl 51. Nor do I expect the Falcons to sit back in Cover 3 and let Brady pick apart zone coverage. Instead, the only consistent strategy for beating the Patriots in the playoffs has been pressure with 4, preferably up the middle.

The Houston Texans gave the most recent blueprint for how the Falcons can accomplish this. While only rushing 4 or 5, they lined up both Jadeveon Clowney (#90) and Whitney Mercilus (#59) over Patriots center David Andrews and rookie guard Joe Thuney throughout the game to cause pressure up the middle:

The Falcons can do the same with Vic Beasley consistently and use Dwight Freeney in this manner on obvious passing downs. They could also accomplish the same goal by twisting Vic Beasley from the outside.

Against Cover 1 and 3, look for the Patriots to go to their Post-Wheel-Out combination:

Credit: Matt Bowen, http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/18609488/illustrating-new-england-patriots-go-plays-josh-mcdaniels-super-bowl-li-2016-nfl-playoffs

Against Cover 3, the safety and cornerback will take the two deep routes. This presents a problem for the underneath coverage; they must react to the wheel initially, leaving an opening for the out route. The Patriots had great success with this play against the Steelers:

The play is also a good scheme against Cover 1 because the deep safety will be occupied by one of the deep routes and Edelman will draw man coverage on an out route:

Another key will be how the Falcons decide to play Empty formation. Against the Packers in the NFC championship game, they largely played Cover 2-man with some bracket Cover 1 as well. Look for the Patriots to run their Hoss Y-Juke concept from Empty. If the Falcons don’t line up anybody on #3 strong or don’t have a wall defender on Edelman’s in breaking route, he’ll have a huge day:

Finally, with the Patriots being as multiple as they are, look for 6 lineman sets to run the ball. The Patriots have implemented this strategy against teams they deem to be undersized on defense, like the Colts. This could be especially useful if the the Falcons offense comes out hot and the Patriots want to slow the game down and get their defense time to rest and adjust.

When the Falcons have the ball

When the Falcons have the ball, it’s all about the running backs. Yes, Julio Jones is all-world, but the versatility of their running backs is what makes them a historically great offense. To win Super Bowl 51, the Patriots will have to do two things on defense: set the edge in the run game, and account for the Falcons dynamic running backs in the passing game.

The Falcons are primarily an outside zone team, and setting the edge could determine the outcome of the game. If the Patriots linebackers consistently over pursue or the Falcons are able to reach the edge defender, the Falcons will have success in the run game and be able to set up big plays down the field with play action. If the Patriots are able to maintain gap discipline, string out plays, and not over pursue, they can neutralize the run game along with play action.

Look for Patriots like Jabaal Sheard, Rob Ninkovich, Dont’a Hightower, and Chris Long to constantly attempt to collision tackles and tight ends to create a new line of scrimmage in the backfield. When Atlanta runs outside zone or their crack toss from under center or shotgun, watch the edge instead of the running back or the ball– it’ll tell you how the play will end up long before the running back gets there.

Credit: Matt Bowen, http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/18585391/illustrating-atlanta-falcons-go-plays-kyle-shanahan-super-bowl-li-2016-nfl-playoffs

The Falcons also use their running backs in the passing game better than any team in the NFL, with the highest target percentage of throws going to running backs in the NFL. Against Denver, one of the NFL’s best defenses, the Falcons repeatedly motioned to empty formation with Tevin Coleman (#26) and Devonta Freeman (#24) going from the backfield to the slot and creating mismatches:

In the example below, the Falcons are able to identify the coverage by putting a tight end and the fullback out wide to the right. With a linebacker coming out on the fullback, Matt Ryan knows its man coverage underneath. A linebacker also comes out to cover Tevin Coleman, and the safety widens to the three receiver side. Ryan hits Tevin Coleman for a touchdown on a seam route:

The Patriots have a few options on how to defend the shift to empty. They likely will have an automatic check to either Cover 2 or Cover 2-man. They could also drop defensive lineman in coverage to try and take away underneath routes. To counter, the Falcons could potentially use Coleman and Freeman together and shift them both from the backfield to out wide. This would give the Falcons a run threat to start with two running backs in the backfield, but then also force the Patriots to defend an empty set with both Falcons backs.

The Patriots will also have to deal with the Falcons running backs catching the ball from the backfield. If the Patriots are in man coverage, it may be best for the Patriots to keep a safety on Falcon running backs as opposed to linebackers. In the divisional round against Seattle, the Falcons ran a beautiful RB corner route against Seattle’s Cover 3:

With only 3 defenders on the left side of the picture, the Falcons attack the coverage with 4 routes. The corner carries the deep post, the flat defender takes the flat route, the strong safety comes up to Julio Jones dragging across the field, and this leaves Coleman wide open:

The key here is that there is over 3 seconds from snap to throw. This type of scheme will almost certainly result in somebody being open because regardless of coverage, the Falcons just have too many weapons from a personnel perspective to cover. To combat this, the Patriots front 4 will have to create enough pressure to disrupt Matt Ryan’s throwing lanes and line of vision.

Finally, the Patriots will have to decide how to matchup with the Falcons wideouts when they play man coverage. Like last week, expect Patrick Chung (#23) to have tight end man coverage duties, whether that be on Austin Hooper (#81) or Levine Toilolo (#80). Expect Malcolm Butler (#21) to cover Taylor Gabriel (#18) when he is on the field. Eric Rowe (#25), Logan Ryan (#26), and Butler will all get their chance to cover Julio Jones in spurts with some sort of help from Devin McCourty (#32) or Duron Harmon (#30). How the Patriots use McCourty will be particularly interesting. With so many weapons, McCourty’s versatility and ability to play man to man as well as deep safety will be invaluable.

Super Bowl 51 should be fascinating from an X’s and O’s perspective. Prediction: Patriots 34, Falcons 27.

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Bengals Play Action Yankee Concept TD vs. Jets Cover 3

Week 1 resulted in quite a bit of buzz around Darrelle Revis and his subpar performance against the Bengals. One particular play was a 54-yard touchdown to A.J. Green. Let’s take a further look and break down exactly what happened.

Below, the Bengals are running a play action Yankee Concept with a wide receiver running orbit motion behind the quarterback and running back. A.J. Green is at the top of the screen running a deep over, while Brandon LaFell is at the bottom of the screen running a deep crosser. Revis is lined up outside of the motion man and Green:

The Jets are playing Cover 3, which means the safety and both cornerbacks will cover a deep third of the field (seen in green), while underneath defenders (boxed in white) will cover underneath:

As the play develops, the coverage must adjust responsibilities according to the routes; the deep middle of field safety comes up to cover LaFell’s crosser and passes A.J. Green’s deep over route and middle third coverage to Revis. The basic assignments can be seen in a similar version of the Yankee concept below the Jets vs. Bengals diagram:

However, the design of the Bengals play and motion makes the Jets coverage adjustment more difficult. Because of the orbit motion, Revis starts the play nearly a full 5 yards outside of A.J. Green. In a race to the middle of the field, A.J. Green will beat just about anybody with a 5-yard head start:

[gfycat data_id="AchingAgileIrishdraughthorse" data_autoplay=false data_controls=true data_title=false data_expand=true]

Also note that as the play develops, the underneath defenders get sucked into the play action, creating space underneath for LaFell’s crosser. If this play is run in a different situation, the underneath zone defenders may not come up hard for the play action. Instead, they may sink into their zone and cover LaFell, which may keep the single high safety in his deep third as opposed to coming up to play the crosser.

Overall, while Revis had his struggles Sunday, this touchdown was an example of good play design putting the Jets defense in a bind.

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The basic idea of the Mills Concept is baiting the 2-high Safety into overplaying the Dig route to open up the middle of the field for the Post. To help set up Mills some coaches also run the Post route with a “Dino” stem, where the WR breaks to the corner before breaking back to the post.

“Mills” tests the eyes, discipline, and awareness of the circled 2-high Safety with the Dig route. If the Safety gets caught flat footed or driving downhill toward the Dig, the middle of the field is completely exposed. Note here when Manning releases the ball, the Safety has barely committed to the Dig, but it is still too late:

Mills can be run against a 1-high Safety look and may incorporate Play Action. Protection is the key, and play action helps the O-line. If the Defense is caught in Cover 4 quarters to the Mills side of the formation, it is a definite big play/Touchdown opportunity. The Mills Concept is also a great way to use an elite Wide Receiver as a decoy. Below, the 2014 Falcons run Mills with play action against the Bears, who have just rotated from a 2-deep Safety look to 1-high Cover 3:

Take specific note of the two circled defenders, the Mike Linebacker and the 1-high Safety. Julio Jones is lined up on the outside running the Post route. The deep safety is wholly aware of this and makes sure to play the Post to avoid a touchdown. This means the Linebacker must get depth in his drop to play the Dig route. However, the play action holds the Mike Linebacker, creating a void behind him and in front of the Safety:

If the 1-high Safety had his eyes in the backfield or tried to replace the void left by the biting Mike Linebacker, the ball would have likely gone over his head for a Touchdown to Julio Jones.

Mills can also take advantage of elite receivers as decoys from a 2-high look. Below, the  Colts run Mills against the Chiefs, who are in a 2-high Cover 4 look. Speedy Wideout T.Y. Hilton is in the slot running the Dig route:

As the play progresses, the circled 2-high Safety drives downhill with his eyes on T.Y. Hilton. The Safety is Man-keying on Hilton with his eyes the entire time. Note that multiple defenders key in on Hilton’s dig route and have it completely blanketed:

However, this leaves the middle of the field wide open for the Post route:

Finally, below is a look at the Mills Concept against a 1-high Safety look where the Linebackers do not bite on the play action. Julio Jones is able to create separation, but the concept is relatively well covered and requires a near perfect throw to complete:

Overall, Mills is a great way to attack Cover 4 and test a Safety’s eye discipline and awareness. Mills can also be successful against 1-high looks and be run with play action to draw up a Linebacker or Safety to create a zone void. Mills is a concept that can take advantage of a great wideout as a decoy to open up the field for other players.

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Depending on the coverage, the slot receiver must take the top off the defense and clear out as much of the middle of the field as possible. Often times the vertical bends in a bit to occupy defenders. Against Cover 1, the vertical should be able to occupy the man defender as well as the centerfield Free Safety (should occupy the FS against Cover 3 as well). Against traditional Cover 2 or Cover 4, the vertical should clear out the play side 2-high Safety. Finally, Against Tampa 2 the Vertical should occupy both the Mike Linebacker as well as hold the play side Safety.

From there, Dagger becomes a Hi-Lo read between the drag and the dig. The drag should stretch the field horizontally as much as possible and attract linebackers to open up the dig behind him. Here, the drag successfully stretches the defense horizontally and opens up a window for the dig:

Dagger can also be run from a Trips look, where the most inside eligible receiver (often a Tight End or H-back) serves as the horizontal stretch to open up the dig. Note that here, just like the Vikings Dagger picture above, the backside receiver can run many different routes, including a curl, fade, slant, comeback, corner, or deep out. The key is still to keep the Deep 1/2 or Deep middle safety from diving to the middle of the field:

Here, the slot does his job by holding the deep Safety and Cornerback on his vertical route. However, the play is really opened up by a great play from the H-back along with the Quarterback’s eyes. The H-back picks up a blitz, and then gets to his flat route, attracting the Strong Safety. The Quarterback (Alex Smith) looks toward the horizontal stretch, moving the inside linebacker just enough to clear a great window for the dig:

While these are the most common ways to run the Dagger concept, like all pass game concepts, Dagger can be executed in a variety of ways from a variety of formations. With Norv Turner as the OC for the Vikings in 2014 and the Browns in 2013, below is a compilation of several ways to run the Dagger concept with the ball going to multiple options:

Finally, another version of the Dagger concept, “Sucker” involves a 3 x 1 set with a hitch/curl route in between the Dagger.

Overall, Dagger is a common pass concept with Hi-Lo elements along with a vertical and horizontal stretch. The dig (or square-in) is the primary target. Look for the Dagger concept to be used on 2nd & long as well as 3rd and 8+ because it is a great way to get an intermediate throw to the middle of the field. While protection must hold for the dig route to come open, there are built in check downs with the drag along with many route options for the backside Wide Receiver and Running Backs.

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The Bills are playing Cover 1. Against man defensive schemes, the spot route is tough to complete and can be jammed at the line. The flat route is easier to complete because several receivers cross each other, creating traffic. The deep corner route is toughest to defend man to man. The most common way to run the Spot concept is to have either the middle or inside receiver run the corner. However, there are several advantages to having the outside most receiver run the corner: first, the outside receiver can get to the deep third of the field quickest; and second, an outside corner back rarely plays a 7-route going toward the sideline. After recognizing that the defense is in Cover 1, it becomes a simple high low read between the flat route and the deep corner. The outside receiver (LaFell) takes an inside release, stacks the defensive back, and beats him to the corner:

Against Cover 3 zone, the Quarterback should read the flat and throw opposite of the flat defender. Against Cover 2 zone, the QB should still read the flat defender, but should also peak the corner route if the 2-high safety has poor leverage. Below are two examples of the Spot Concept against the Colts during the 2014 season. Note how the Broncos run the Spot Concept from a heavy set using motion:

Here, the flat defender (noted in the blue square above) is sucked in by the spot route, opening up the flat:

Later in the season, the Steelers use the same concept against the Colts from a heavy bunch set, with 3 TE/FB types making up the bunch. When the flat defender expands, the spot should open up underneath for an easy 5 yard completion:

Credit: James Light

The Spot Concept can be executed in almost any type of offense from numerous formations and personnel groupings. This and the fact that it is a relatively easy progression triangle read makes the Spot Concept a staple in many offenses. Finally, keep in mind that there is usually a single backside receiver opposite the Spot Concept who can run any route as well. Below are other ways to run the Spot Concept:

From Pro Personnel:

Credit: Matt Bowen

With an offset back, (particularly from shotgun) some Quarterbacks prefer the running back on a “wide” track as opposed to the traditional flat route because the ‘wide’ flare does not push coverage back into the intermediate level. Instead, a wide path provides a faster horizontal stretch threat and an easier throw to the ‘wide’ as a hot route. This “wide” track is exemplified below:

For another look, below is a more spread out bunch set:

Credit: Smartfootball’s “Snag, Stick, and the Importance of Triangles in the Passing Game”

Below, the Broncos run the Spot Concept at the bottom of the screen from an empty formation. A bubble route provides for the horizontal stretch instead of the traditional flat route:

Finally, the Spot Concept is a great red zone play because of the dilemma it creates. Playing zone makes a defense more susceptible to the run but also creates an easy window to hit the spot route. On the other hand, man to man creates confusion, traffic, and natural screens:

The Spot Concept wasn’t just limited to offense during the 2014 season. NFL teams even use the spot concept for fake punts! Below, the St. Louis Rams picked up a key first down against Seattle in the 4th quarter via motion and the Spot Concept:

Overall, the Spot Concept is simple to execute and extremely versatile with respect to formations and personnel groupings. It is a half field triangle read with a set progression that often results in easy completions. As seen above, it can be used via heavy sets, bunch, spread formations and in almost any situation: on your own goal line to gain a few yards, from the middle of the field to gain 5 yards on 1st or 3rd down, to make a big play, or in the red zone.

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Here, the Cowboys have an 8 man box and are playing Cover 1 against Washington’s 12 personnel (2 Tight Ends 1 RB). Note that the receivers are both aligned inside the numbers; Yankee is often run with at least one receiver in a “nasty” or reduced split. Washington is running a play action fake to the right with the Yankee pass concept. The Cowboys linebackers flow hard downhill and bite on the Play Action fake, causing a huge void to open up behind them for Pierre Garçon’s over route.

The single high safety is responsible for deep middle, but comes up to play the over route when the void opens. This allows DeSean Jackson to get behind the deep safety and inside the cornerback, who is expecting help to the middle of the field. The ripple effect of the linebackers biting up leads to a big gain, despite a severely under-thrown ball:

Below, the Yankee concept attacks Cover 3. This time, Washington has a fullback in the backfield that leaks out to the left as a checkdown. The Eagles have two Safeties on the field and the linebackers do a good job of getting depth in their drops after the play action. The deep middle safety doesn’t bite up hard to the over route, but even the slightest hesitation allows DeSean Jackson to get inside and behind everybody. Note how Jackson sets up his route via a “Dino” stem; he breaks to the corner to keep the deep third cornerback off, before breaking back to the post:

While Jackson does an excellent job selling the Dino stem, the Yankee combo can work without it against zone as well. The key is getting behind safeties and inside of cornerbacks, as Brian Tyms does below without a Dino stem. Although he faces double coverage, he gives Tom Brady tons of space to throw to because he beats the entire defense to the middle of the field:

Sammy Watkins is a receiver with elite speed who runs both routes in the Yankee combo. Below, Safety Harrison Smith defends the Yankee combo correctly by staying inside and on top of the route:

As for the deep over route, note that both Washington and Buffalo occasionally slip out a checkdown to the flat. While play action certainly creates downhill flow and a huge void in the zone, the checkdown can also attract the eyes of a defender who is supposed to sink to the over route. Note how the flat defenders dilemma, as well as the void left by the play action:

Miami does a good job staying with the dino stem post, but with the cornerback, safety and linebackers all vacated, Watkins is wide open on the deep over route:

Overall, the Yankee combo is a great concept for teams with a speed receiver and a credible running game. Offenses can dictate an 8-man box by coming out in heavy personnel, and try to attract Safeties eyes to the over route via a reduced “nasty” split. When the secondary doesn’t bite up for the home run throw, a flat checkdown and play action can open up the deep over route as well.

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Here, the Quarterback is reading the flat defender noted in the black square. If he carries with the flat route, the correct throw is to the Stick route. If the flat defender stays where he is pre-snap, the flat route should open up. The Stick route is intricate because the receiver must assess the coverage quickly. If the receiver turns and there is open space, he should settle in the opening for an easy completion. However, if a defender is tight on him, he must continue running and create separation.

The tempo at which a receiver breaks out of his stick route depends on the coverage; against a zone he will lull out, whereas against man-to-man he will likely sprint out. Either way, the Stick route must run his route “friendly” to the Quarterback. This means he should break slightly downhill back towards the QB so a defender can’t undercut the throw. Below, the Stick Concept works for an easy 14 yard completion with the Receiver settling in an open zone:

The Stick Concept is utilized at the bottom of the screen with multiple tight ends below; the defense plays Rob Gronkowski and leaves the flat open:

The Stick Concept is also run with a running back from the backfield providing the horizontal stretch. This is illustrated by a page from the Patriots 2003 playbook, as well as the University of Houston clip below:

When linebackers begin to overplay the Stick route, offenses can add a quick “lookie” route, where the backside slot receiver quickly vacates the space left by the linebacker. The Quarterback sees the open hole and can hit the receiver on the move. The lookie concept can be run in a variety of ways; the slot can have a high slant path or more of a spot/drag path (An example of the lookie concept is seen in the Houston clip below):

The Stick Concept can also be run without a vertical stretch, which as known as “Double Stick”:

The Stick Concept is more difficult to run without a vertical threat. In order to do so, an offense can bring receivers much closer together or even stack them. This forces defenders to play off coverage because of the possibility of crossing routes. With the cornerback playing nearly 10 yards off here, the vertical stretch is accomplished by formation instead of a route. The QB reads the highlighted flat defender for a relatively easy completion in the red zone:

Stick-Nod

Once an offense has set up the basic Stick Concept, it can counter with the Stick-Nod. The play looks exactly the same, except the Stick route becomes a double move vertically and across the field. Meanwhile, the flat route pivots back underneath and across the field:

Below, the linebacker runs with the Nod route and opens up space for an underneath throw:

Stick Nod is also a great red zone play. The Nod route double move can fake out a linebacker for an easy throw. If a linebacker plays the Nod route well like in the play above, an underneath route should open up. Below is a slightly different version of the Stick-Nod:

Here, the underneath route is being run by the outside receiver, and the vertical stretch is run by the slot. The Cowboys linebackers overplay the Nod route, making for an easy throw underneath:

Offenses can also run Stick from empty. Here, the ’16 Chargers run Stick-Nod from empty formation; Phillip Rivers checks to the play when he sees the coverage will be Cover 2 man:

Packaged Plays with Stick Concept

A “Packaged Play” is where one play has multiple schemes built into it at the same time, allowing the Quarterback to read a defender and make the choice of what scheme is best to attack the defense. The Stick Concept can be used in packaged plays in numerous ways, most notably via  “Stick-Draw” and “Read Screen.”

In Stick-Draw, receivers run the Stick Concept while the offensive line blocks for a running back draw. The Quarterback makes a quick post-snap decision, usually based off of the box defender closest to the Stick route. If the Stick is open, make the throw. If not, hand it off to the draw:

Diagram from SmartFootball’s “Combining quick passes, run plays, and screens“

The Draw can be blocked in several different ways, depending on the front and where the Running Back is. Below are examples of the same Stick-Draw call with different play outcomes:

Read-Screen uses a similar design, except it has a screen play going away from the Stick Concept:

Diagram from SmartFootball’s “Quick Passes, Run Plays, and Screens“

There are several other packaged plays off the Stick Concept, some of which are broken down here.

The Stick Concept is run a variety of ways and is a staple in almost every NFL and NCAA offense today. It involves a vertical and horizontal stretch along with the Stick route, and is a simple scheme to learn and execute. It should be run with a high completion percentage and build a quarterback’s confidence. With the rise of packaged plays, look for teams to find ways to incorporate the Stick Concept with other schemes to attack defenses. 

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TUNNEL SCREEN

The Broncos run the Tunnel Screen (a/k/a Jailbreak Screen) more than any team in the NFL, with 6’3 230 Thomas on the receiving end almost every time. Denver runs the play from a variety of formations. Below is the play, with Denver is in Trips tight:

Assignments: (#1 WR): Sell Vertical, Bend back square to QB (#2 WR): Block out CB on #1 WR (#3 WR): Arc Block to Safety over #2 WR( Right Tackle): Sell Stretch Left, arc to first defender outside box (Right Guard): Sell Stretch Left, arc to first defender inside box

Above, the Broncos fake stretch play action going left, with the Tunnel Screen coming from the right. In order to execute the Tunnel Screen, Demaryius Thomas must first create space between him and the cornerback lined up over him by so the next inside Wide Receiver can block out his man. Thomas does this by selling hard vertically for 2-3 yards to drive back the cornerback before bending back to the ball with shoulders square to Manning. The inside most Wide Receiver here then arc blocks to the next inside defender (here, it is #29 Safety Eric Berry). This area is also known as “the sidewalk.” This creates the lane for Demaryius Thomas to run inside of:

Coaches sometimes break up the blocking assignment on Tunnel Screen by area, with the above delineations

Now, the inside of the defense must be sealed off to give Thomas a lane to run. Both the right guard and right tackle take their outside zone step to the left to sell the play action stretch, and then widen out to their blocking assignment. The right tackle blocks the first player outside the box (the alley), and the right guard blocks the next inside player (here, the outside linebacker). This creates the lane or “Tunnel” (depicted in blue in first picture) to run through. After he sells vertical (driving back the corner nearly 7 years) and bends back square, he catches the ball and finds the crease between where the Safety and Corner have been blocked out and where the right guard and tackle have sealed off the defense:

Denver can also run Tunnel Screen from a 2-WR or 1-WR 1-TE set to a side:

The Tunnel Screen works especially well here because of the Rams blitz, which makes it easier for the right guard and tackle to identify who to block in space:

Denver also runs the play with the Center pulling, depending on the front 7 look the defense is giving. Here the Tunnel Screen is once again run with a play action stretch fake going the other way. The #2 Receiver blocks the defender over Thomas, with the Right Tackle blocking the “sidewalk”, the right guard blocking the “alley”, and the center going straight down the middle of the field looking for someone to block:

The Tunnel Screen has become a staple of the Broncos offense; Manning loves to call it against blitzes, in short yardage when the box is loaded, and against both press and off coverage. Overall, it’s a great way to get a big fast Wideout an easy catch and have the ball in space.

 “NOW” SLANT

The “Now” slant (Or no step slant) isn’t a screen, but it functions similarly to the Tunnel screen by getting the ball to Demaryius Thomas on an easy catch in space with a head of steam. The Broncos run the “now” slant with Thomas from various formations. Thomas is always the outside most Receiver and either one or two inside Receivers clear out the space within the first five yards of the line of scrimmage for him. Thomas takes one jab step outside without going upfield and runs his slant route:

The play is particularly effective against Man coverage and blitzes because as long as Thomas beats his man with the outside jab, he’ll catch the ball on the run with the space vacated by other defenders:

Thomas does an excellent job of planting a foot in the ground and getting upfield almost immediately after the catch. The play is extremely simple yet incredibly effective for the Broncos. Denver especially likes the “now” slant in the red zone, serving almost as an extended handoff but gaining almost 7 yards a pop. While the above cutup has Wes Welker running a route, toward the goal line it appears as if the Bronco Receivers are just clearing out to block:

TRIPS X-DRAG

The Broncos like the Trips X-Drag in 3rd and more than 7. Demaryius Thomas is the lone receiver on the backside of Trips (or Tight End Trips), with the Running back as #4 strong, meaning he is also to the side of the Trips. Thomas runs a drag route across the formation, while the 3 Receivers on the other side push vertical but really look to block, as they know the ball will be out quickly to Thomas with a head of steam. Also take note of the running back, who runs an angle route but is also clearly looking to block. The running back is specifically looking to pick the linebacker or DB who is pursuing Thomas from the middle of the field:

A few clips of the Broncos running Trips X-Drag, picking up yards on 3rd and long either for a first down or to set up better field position:

These 3 concepts made up around 20% of all of Demaryius Thomas’ production on the 2014 season. They are plays specifically designed to get the ball in his hands, as no other Bronco runs them. Even with some questioning Peyton Manning’s health, notice that all these pass concepts are short throws and actually highlight Manning’s greatest strength: assessing the defense and calling the right play. When Manning notices a blitz or off coverage, the Tunnel Screen is a great audible. When Manning sees Cover 0, Cover 1, or an edge blitz from the secondary, the “now” slant is a perfect check.  Be sure to notice them while watching Denver next season!

The post Peyton to Demaryius: Breaking down the Broncos Tunnel Screen, Now Slant, and Trips X-Drag Concepts appeared first on Syed Schemes.

The Patriots Super Bowl 49 game plan began as expected, with New England lining up Tight End Rob Gronkowski extremely far out wide in order to see how Seattle would respond. The Patriots then motioned Julian Edelman across to the slot. This first play would give New England a ton of coverage information for a Touchdown later in the game:

Seattle occasionally moved Richard Sherman into the slot when they felt the Offense’s biggest threat was there, or when either a Tight End or Running back was the furthest outside Receiver. By lining up Gronk out extra wide and motioning Edelman, the Patriots were able to gather information even before running a play. First, the Patriots knew the Seahawks were willing to play against Gronk and the wide side of the field with only one defender, as deep 1/3 defender Kam Chancellor (Safety #31) is essentially in the middle of the field. The Patriots also see the Seahawks Cover 3 “Buzz” or Cover 1 “Lurk” drop down zone defender (In this case, #29 Safety Earl Thomas) playing towards the original 3 Receiver side and where Running Back Shane Vereen is. This last part regarding Shane Vereen will come in key later in the 1st half.

Vereen tied the Super Bowl record with 11 catches and converted key 3rd downs throughout the game. His biggest impact, however, may have been as a decoy on Gronk’s Touchdown before the 1st half. The Seahawks alternated their drop down Lurk/Buzz defender throughout the half between Chancellor and Thomas as well as to and away from Vereen. But Vereen had just gashed the Seahawks for a big catch and run, Julian Edelman had burnt backup Seahawks Cornerback Tharold Simon (#27) on the previous drive, and Gronkowski was unable to beat Kam Chancellor deep earlier in the game. With that, the Patriots lined up in Dakota formation, and Shane Vereen away from the Trips. The Seahawks were clearly in Cover 1 now, as Linebacker K.J. Wright lined up over Gronk in man technique, and Richard Sherman followed Julian Edelman across the formation. From here, all QB Tom Brady needed to know was who was the Deep Centerfield Safety, and who was the drop down Lurk Safety. It’s fairly easy to tell right before the snap that Kam Chancellor will be the deep middle defender towards the Trips side:

Once the ball is snapped, Earl Thomas flies down and only has his eyes on Vereen. Thomas doesn’t hesitate at all or pay any attention to Gronk, who is now truly 1 on 1 with K.J. Wright:

Brady almost certainly decided to go deep to Gronk on a Stutter-Fade route as soon as Earl Thomas took a step up pre-snap:

It also appears that Linebacker Bobby Wagner has his eyes on Vereen out of the backfield. Given that it was 2nd and 5 with 36 seconds left, Seattle could have been calling for bracket coverage to prevent Vereen from picking up the first down and setting a trap for Brady. It’s also possible that Earl Thomas had seen enough of Vereen underneath and decided to fly up to make a quick tackle or even interception. Either way, Vereen served as a perfect decoy to exploit the 1 on 1 matchup the Patriots wanted.

Play Action on Slant-Flat leads to LaFell TD

The Patriots love their Slant-Flat combo, and ran it numerous times in the 2012 matchup against the Seahawks. Super Bowl 49 was no different, as New England went to Slant-Flat at least 5 times. I thought New England would go to its usual Cover 3 beaters with Play Action to help freeze linebackers, and this is exactly what happened.

With Danny Amendola clearing out Byron Maxwell on the flat route, the Slant route is open for a Touchdown, with only Bobby Wagner or Earl Thomas (squared in red above) in position to break up or drive on the route. However, the Play Action fake keeps their eyes in the backfield and freezes both players for a fraction of a second. The Play Action by no means “fools” Wagner or Thomas, but even a tenth of a second is the difference here, as you can see just how close Wagner gets to tipping the throw, and how Thomas may be able to jar the ball loose with a big hit:

New England’s Pass Heavy Playsheet

The Patriots ended up throwing the ball 50 times, but I don’t think this was the plan prior to the game. New England ran the ball with LeGarrette Blount 8 times in the first 13 minutes of the game, but only 6 times total in the last 47 minutes. The heavy tilt towards passing likely had to do with the gruesome forearm injury to Seattle Nickel Cornerback Jeremy Lane. After Lane got hurt, Byron Maxwell was moved into the slot, and #27 Tharold Simon was forced into action. The Patriots started with a more simple game plan, but as they seemingly always do, changed the plan on the fly: Just as they did against the Ravens left side of the Secondary, the Patriots decided to attack Simon, attack him mercilessly and often. The results were undeniable:

With all that, the Patriots brought back Lombardy Trophy #4 to Foxboro.

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Butler attacked and drove hard downhill to make the interception. After the game, he eluded to the fact that his decisiveness in going for the interception was based on him anticipating the route combination/pick play from film study. He also said he had been beaten by the route in practice during that week.

With that in mind, I reviewed the last 12 weeks of Seattle’s season to get a better idea of what Butler would have watched prior to the game in order to react so instinctively to what he saw. I compiled any passing play with either a stack formation or a Wide Receiver running a slant or drag underneath another Wide Receiver:

The question is how many undrafted rookie free agents playing in the crucial final seconds of the Super Bowl would have studied enough to know what Seattle liked to run out of the Stack formation/Short Yardage, been able to recall enough of the film study exactly when needed, AND been decisive enough to go all out for the interception. The lesson? Film study pays off: it might make you famous one day.

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