1. Game situation: 1st Quarter, 5:23, 1st & 10 at KC23, 3-3

After tight end Demetrius Harris (#84) motions to the left side of the formation, the Chiefs are running the following route combination with play action:

The Patriots are in Cover 1. Because Harris is staying in to block, Patrick Chung (#23) can act as an extra pass defender. As for the front 7, one consistent strategy from the Patriots was to have box defenders stand and/or move around pre-snap, making it more difficult for Mahomes to decide protection schemes and discern who was rushing. Here, defensive end Trey Flowers (#98) is also aligned extra wide to jam Travis Kelce (#87) at the line:

Post snap, the Patriots rush four and linebacker Dont’a Hightower (#54) is sucked in by the play action to Kareem Hunt (#27). This normally clears throwing windows, but Hightower is able to make an incredible recovery to undercut Travis Kelce’s route and intercept the pass. While watching live, I thought Hightower had faked a blitz, dropped, and fooled Mahomes. After film review, I think it’s likely that Mahomes discounted Hightower based on his reaction to the play action. Mahomes held onto the ball for a split second longer because of Chung’s presence, and Hightower flipped his hips in time to make a great play:

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

Mahomes also misses Sammy Watkins (#14) on the deep over route. Duron Harmon is the deep Cover 1 safety and is playing outside the right hash, presumably because Tyreek Hill is the outside receiver on the play. Nobody else is on the left side of the field, giving Mahomes tons of grass to air the ball out and let Watkins run under it:

2. Game situation: 3rd Quarter, 13:39, 3rd & 2 at KC33, 24-9 New England

On the first drive of the 3rd quarter, the Patriots force a third and short with a 24-9 lead. Pre-snap, the Patriots are showing a look that could be a blitz with man coverage, Cover 1 or Cover 5, behind it. However, when Tyreek Hill motions across the formation, Jason McCourty widens with him and no defender follows him. This is generally a zone indicator. The Patriots have 6 defenders up at the line of scrimmage to cause confusion in pass protection. Tyreek Hill takes an inside release and runs a deep curl. The Chiefs route combination also includes a pivot and dig combination, sometimes referred to as “X Follow,” with Kelce running a spot route and Hunt swinging out of the backfield:

Post-snap, the Patriots are in Cover 2. They rush 3, and Dont’a Hightower tries to rob underneath Travis Kelce’s spot or short hook route. The initial coverage is excellent, and Mahomes is forced to escape the pocket to his right. Here is where Hill’s speed comes into play—with no outside vertical threat, deep half safety Devin McCourty clamps down on Hill. But when Mahomes escapes, Hunt converts his route from a swing to a wheel route, and nobody is back deep:

This play and throw from Mahomes is simply incredible. Cornerback Jason McCourty actually plays this pretty well, sinking with the route and forcing a precise deep throw while on the run. If the ball isn’t deep enough or too far inside, it’s either intercepted or broken up:

3. Game situation: 4th Quarter, 4:33, 3rd & 8 at KC27, 37-33 New England

On a crucial third down with the game on the line, the Patriots once again tried to confuse Mahomes pre-snap with box defenders standing and moving. The Patriots show Cover 0, with no middle of field help. However, Hightower and Kyle Van Noy(#53) show blitz, occupy lineman, and then drop off for any crossers or shallow routes:

Tyreek Hill ends up open, but the Patriots accomplish their goal by forcing an underthrow off Mahomes’ back foot. With better footwork, it’s likely a huge play:

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

4. Game situation: 4th Quarter, 7:12, 1st & 10 at KC24, 33-30 Kansas City

At this point, a fake bubble/swing screen with a seam or wheel behind it is a huge play in the NFL every week. Here, the Chiefs are in Cover 3. Julian Edelman motions to the backfield and runs a bubble/swing screen, with Chris Hogan running up the seam:

Both the underneath hook defender and the safety fly up toward Edelman, leaving Hogan wide open behind them. Note from the end zone angle how well Brady uses his shoulders and eyes to sell the fake before throwing the ball to a wide open Hogan:

5. Game situation: 4th Quarter, 3:50, 1st & 10 at NE21, 37-33 New England

With an opportunity to put the game away with a touchdown or run out the clock, the Patriots come out in 21 personnel. The Chiefs aim to stop the run with a 3-4 front and are playing Cover 1. Brady sees the defensive look and checks the call to a play action:

Post snap, because the defensive back Jordan Lucas (#24) is so close to the line, the Patriots left tackle blocks him. Gronk runs underneath the block, and is wide open for a huge play. It’s hard to believe this is how the Patriots drew it up. But it is plausible they are coached to do this if a man to man defender is this close to the line of scrimmage. I’ve never quite seen this in an NFL game before:

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

6. Situational football

Finally, a note about situational football at the end of the first half. The last four minutes of the first half decide a game more often than the average fan thinks. Good teams consistently score just before half and get the ball right back to start the third quarter, and also make sure their opponents don’t “double up.” Teams who mismanage the clock or turn the ball over before half miss out on “double up” opportunities. This is precisely what happened to KC, who was down 24-9 with :17 left on New England’s 15 yard line. They had 1 timeout and were getting the ball back after half. On 1st & 10, Mahomes turns the ball over on this play:

Getting the ball back after half and down 15 points against a potent offense means Mahomes has to throw this ball away and make sure the Chiefs score to get the opportunity to double up.

Unfortunately, I learned tragic news this week. Kyle Janeczek, one of the players I had the privilege of coaching, passed away suddenly. He was attending Dartmouth medical school, and was one of the kindest smartest people I knew. Kyle was also an incredibly gifted athlete who made me a better person and coach. I hadn’t posted an X’s & O’s breakdown in a while, and reminisced this week on Kyle’s successes as a football player and person. Kyle, this one’s for you buddy, RIP.

The post Key Plays from Week 6: New England v. Kansas City appeared first on Syed Schemes.

Minnesota is in a base 4-3 Cover 2 look, with both Safeties responsible for one “Deep-Half” of the field, and each of the Cornerbacks and linebackers taking an underneath zone for five defenders across underneath:

The Offensive Line sells Outside Zone left very well, and Rodgers starts the play with an excellent Play-Action fake, drawing the eyes of the Safety that would be immediately affected:

Next, Rodgers goes through his progression and uses his eyes to affect defenders. Rodgers looks at his first read and checks both Wide Receiver Jordy Nelson and Safety Harrison Smith, who is in good position with a 10-yard cushion. Meanwhile, the Safety originally affected by the Play Action has flipped his hips to go back to his coverage responsibility

Rodgers then goes to his next read, the 2nd Safety. Here is where the play design works to perfection. The Play Action and Randall Cobb’s Post-Dig route has drawn the attention of the 2nd Safety. Even though the Cornerback is in good position to play the route, the 2nd Safety comes up to play the route because he does not feel his Deep-Half is threatened. In this freeze frame, it is not, because Jordy Nelson is stemming toward the corner. Vikings Safety Harrison Smith (#22) commits to this stem and breaks on the route

GIve credit to the Packers’ Offensive Line; this is a long developing play, and without them Rodgers would not be able to go through his progression in a clean pocket for this much time. Rodgers sees the 2nd Safety breaking towards Randall Cobb, but knows Jordy Nelson is going to break back to the Post. Rodgers baits the 2nd Safety into believing he wants to throw the ball to Cobb, which creates a giant void behind the 2nd Safety

In addition to the great Offensive Line play, Packers WR Jordy Nelson (#87) sets up Vikings Safety Harrison Smith with a great route. At this point, 1/2 of the field is completely vacant, and Nelson has beat the safety. The video below puts together the progression of the play, first in slow motion, then standard speed:

The Sting Route combined with the Dig can be used as a 1 safety or 2 safety beater. Against Cover 1 or 3, the offense reads the single high safety. If the single high safety stays deep, the dig underneath is the throw, and if the safety bites up, the Sting route is the throw.

However, against Cover 2 either the Quarterback must control the backside safety with play action and his eyes, or the dig route must occupy him to create a 1 on 1 matchup with the safety defending the Sting route.

Many factors go into this Touchdown. Aaron Rodgers shows why he is one of the very best Quarterbacks in the game, the Offensive Line protects him for ample time, and Nelson runs a great sting route. Other NFL Analysts breaking down the Sting Route (#8).

The post Rodgers Play Action Progression leads to long Jordy Nelson Sting Route TD appeared first on Syed Schemes.

MLB drops into the deep middle zone

Here is a video example of how each Safety attempts to cover a Deep 1/2 of the field on either side and the Middle Linebacker (Urlacher #54) drops in between to cover any deep middle routes from slot receivers or tight ends.

Instead of the traditional Tampa 2 Coverage with the Middle Linebacker, Georgia played the Deep Middle with an extra defensive back. South Carolina’s Quarterback saw this look Pre-Snap:

This pre-snap look could mean a variety of coverages: Because its 3rd and 10, and Georgia is showing a blitz look, this could be Cover 1, with the Safeties playing the slot receivers man-to-man and the middle deep safety playing “Center field”.

However, as the play unfolds, its clear the coverage is Tampa 2, except the deep middle safety is coming up to play a “Robber” instead of a Middle linebacker bailing. At the bottom of the screen, South Carolina’s two Wide Receivers run a 6-yard in and a seam route. At the top of the screen, the inside Wide Receiver runs a quick hitch route (likely a hot route in response to Georgia’s blitz). South Carolina’s outside Receiver at the top runs a deep dig (In-cut) at 12 yards.

If it weren’t for the deep middle safety (#5 for UGA) “robbing”, this play would likely result in a first down. As you can see in the freeze frame mid-play below, the middle linebacker bites on the quick hitch from the slot, which would open up the dig window behind him for a first down.

Instead, South Carolina’s QB doesn’t recognize the coverage or the Robber, and the play results in an interception. Here is the play; watch how the Robber attacks downhill toward the dig route:

Why is this Unconventional Tampa 2 or Robber Tampa 2 coverage better than traditional Tampa 2? A Defensive Back is able to view the whole field and break aggressively downhill on intermediate routes.

Why don’t we see this coverage disguise more often? Because it’s a very scenario-specific coverage. With 3 safeties and 5 Defensive Backs on the field (Nickel personnel), the defense is more susceptible to the run. A linebacker is in a much better position (closer to the line of scrimmage) to play the run or give the threat of a blitz. However, on 3rd and long or obvious passing downs, this coverage is a good way to confuse a QB and potentially cause a turnover.

Post-Season film Review:

Another clip of a Tampa 2 Robber Interception in the 2014 Florida Alabama game:

The post Unconventional/Inverted Tampa 2 Zone Coverage w/ “Robber” appeared first on Syed Schemes.