Defense: Coverage Solution

[xwalker]

I wasn't shocked. I was annoyed. Disgusted. I rolled by eyes. But not surprised at yet another bad personnel call.

I'm pretty black pilled about Garrett and Marinelli. They are who I thought they were.

I was in shock that LVE didn't go immediately to MLB, especially w/ Jayon's injury history and build.

In Nickel, which they play the majority of snaps, is there really much difference in Jaylons' position and LVE's position?

In the alignment the Patriots used against the Rams in the Super Bowl, there was a major difference, but in the Nickel alignment the Cowboys play, there is not much difference.

LB Coverage

• LVE is more agile, faster and better in coverage.
• Does anybody remember the videos where each of Jaylon and LVE had turns covering Pollard?
• LVE was within an arms length from Pollard at the point the deep pass arrived.
• Jaylon was not remotely close to Pollard at the point the deep pass arrived (several yards away).

 

[xwalker]

Our secondary lacks any kind of speed.

Heath is faster than average for an NFL Safety (4.48 forty). He just had too much ground to cover on that play.

Awuzie didn't fail due to lack of speed. He failed due to the way he tried to cover on that play which caused him to fall down.

 

[Cmac]

Heath is faster than average for an NFL Safety (4.48 forty). He just had too much ground to cover on that play.

Awuzie didn't fail due to lack of speed. He failed due to the way he tried to cover on that play which caused him to fall down.

Well, both player's recovery speed was lacking and MIA on that play.

 

[Cowboy Brian]

Basically all of the big plays that Awuzie has given up are with 1 receiver on his side and 2 receivers on the other side. In college they would call Awuzie the boundary CB in that situation.

The problem is that teams cheat the deep Safety over to the side of the field with 2 receivers (i.e. The side with the slot WR).

If the Cowboys had Jones and Awuzie flip sides based on Jones being the boundary CB, I think Awuzie would be fine when playing the "field" CB role (outside CB on the side with the Nickel CB).

It is already odd that Jones does not play the LCB position which is the side where right handed QBs are more comfortable throwing.


Side Note: What is the criteria that causes the Cowboys to flip Woods/Heath such that Woods is in the box and Heath is the deep Safety. They've done it in the past when they played 3 LBs against 3 WR set because Woods can move down and play like a CB against the slot WR; however, on the big 92 yard play they gave up to the Jets, they were in Nickel but still had Woods down and Heath deep.

https://cowboyszone.com/threads/our-biggest-issue-by-the-numbers.443377/

 

[Dre11]

No not against that formation. He is supposed to shade to help with the 2 wr's. Its stupid to have 3 linebackers then have woods cheat up but thats what richards called. His alignment was sound, but maybe a better safety helps, a better cb does for sure and a better defensive play call was needed.

Yes he provide shade to the other side, but his job into not let anyone beat him deep . He was too shaded to far with too little depth. The issue was his alignment. But I would've rather had Woods back there than Heath. My guess is it was about speed because he had to be able to roll to the other side if Chido got beat. Chido didn't help because he stumbles on the double move. He had outside technique in which he's to forced his receiver to the middle of the field.

 

[Dre11]

Our secondary lacks any kind of speed.

Lol...this is false. Jones is fast, Heath is fast, Awuzie is fast.

 

[Dre11]

No not against that formation. He is supposed to shade to help with the 2 wr's. Its stupid to have 3 linebackers then have woods cheat up but thats what richards called. His alignment was sound, but maybe a better safety helps, a better cb does for sure and a better defensive play call was needed.

I'll also advise you to go listen to Jerry on the fan this week after they had meetings. He calls Heath out by name and his angle.

 

[Cmac]

Lol...this is false. Jones is fast, Heath is fast, Awuzie is fast.

Can't tell.

 

[Oz-of-Cowboy-Country]

LVE to Mike. Jaylon and Lee on the edges. LVE has the size to hold up at MLB. Marinelli is always playing defensive guys out of position.

Marinelli is always playing defensive guys out of position? I think that is a Garrett specialty, because our tackles are bigger than our guards. I still can't rap my head around that one. The big guy should play against the big guys and DT's are bigger than DE's.

So maybe just maybe it's not Marinelli. Maybe its Garrett. Again.

 

[Corso]

Ever see the movie code talkers...

Yessir!

 

[xwalker]

Yessir!

My Mother's Mother's Father's Mother was American Indian, but I don't know any details beyond that.

It's a funny combination because I think my Father's side goes back to Scotland (Land of Johnnie Walker and Sir William Wallace).

One of those groups is known to be unable to function if they drink alcohol and the other group is know to be unable to function if they don't...

 

[Hennessy_King]

They don't have these corners traveling with a player. Chido just isn't that good on the outside. That was the knock on him coming out of the draft. They had him pegged as a nickel corner. Jourdan Lewis being on the bench should be a fireable offense for every Defensive coach.

 

[TheHerd]

That double step is what got him i think. And he knew it

Agreed, but what kills me is that it's not like he (or any of our DBs) jumps the shorts passes, so why bother biting on the first step? Especially if you know you don't have deep help? Coaching doesn't seem to be our forte

 

[Dre11]

It's preposterous that the coaches sing about Byron but refuse to either have him shadow the other teams #1, or play the boundary. This makes it incredibly easy for teams to scheme away from Jones and towards Awuzie, who has really struggled thus year.

They're also flip flopping between two very different coverage styles from play to play which keeps a DB from being able to settle in and get used to the speed of the WR's, his turn, break, and back pedal.

NOTHING about this defense makes sense. Move LVE to Mike. Start Lee at Will/Sam, play Joe Thomas and make Jaylon a stand-up DE or Leo. Move Jones to full time boundary or shadow and play compound coverages. And for the love of God, quit playing wide gaps between your DL every single down.

Why would you move your best corner to the Boundary? Your boundary corner is normally there because he can't cover in space. It's like putting a right fielder in baseball in Left. Not only do you want your best corner as a field corner, what if he can't play to that side. Some corners are more comfortable on one side.

 

[charron]

Agreed, but what kills me is that it's not like he (or any of our DBs) jumps the shorts passes, so why bother biting on the first step? Especially if you know you don't have deep help? Coaching doesn't seem to be our forte

Exactly, we can not afford this technique flaw. Our CB's aren't good enough to be on an island. Why is woods worried about bell, we had 2 LB's that should be able to stop him.

 

[Dre11]

Exactly, we can not afford this technique flaw. Our CB's aren't good enough to be on an island. Why is woods worried about bell, we had 2 LB's that should be able to stop him.

Heath was suppose to be over the top. Broaddus on talking cowboys confirmed what I was telling you about Heath's depth and angles on that play. He said it's what the coaches was talking about. He was on an island initially but with him playing outside technique, that tells you he was suppose to have help. If you want to hear it for yourself it's at the 6:45 mark

 

[Dre11]

Agreed, but what kills me is that it's not like he (or any of our DBs) jumps the shorts passes, so why bother biting on the first step? Especially if you know you don't have deep help? Coaching doesn't seem to be our forte

He was suppose to have help.

 

[charron]

Heath was suppose to be over the top. Broaddus on talking cowboys confirmed what I was telling you about Heath's depth and angles on that play. He said it's what the coaches was talking about. He was on an island initially but with him playing outside technique, that tells you he was suppose to have help. If you want to hear it for yourself it's at the 6:45 mark

How do you help both sides of the field as a single safety? You can't. You also don't leave the side with 2 wr's on it without help that just doesn't make much sense. The slot receiver beat his man too. Bad defense vs that offensive alignment. They caught heath in a bad spot.

 

[Dre11]

How do you help both sides of the field as a single safety? You can't. You also don't leave the side with 2 wr's on it without help that just doesn't make much sense. The slot receiver beat his man too. Bad defense vs that offensive alignment. They caught heath in a bad spot.

Do you a really know what a single high safety is suppose to do? His depth was the issue. We run the coverage in long yardage situations. It's why right away I knew it was his depth and angle which was confirmed by the coaches.

 

[Dre11]

How do you help both sides of the field as a single safety? You can't. You also don't leave the side with 2 wr's on it without help that just doesn't make much sense. The slot receiver beat his man too. Bad defense vs that offensive alignment. They caught heath in a bad spot.

I mean I can't explain it any clearer, maybe this will help. Secret, I coach Wrs and Dbs, we use cover 1 a lot

In the single-high (cover 1), the free safety plays zone coverage, guarding the deep half all to himself. He is responsible for any receiver that enters the zone. He must make a play on the ball as it enters the zone. The GIF below demonstrates his assignment.