How will Arizona attack us? What is the solution?

[AKATheRake]

Well folks, it always seems like every week other than week 1 we have a new opponent provide the league with either a blueprint on how to attack our defense or how to put a wrinkle in our offense. Week 2 Philly exposed our weakness' on defense throwing on us all night with none of their starting WR's playing. They seemed to penetrate all of our zones with 3 and more WR sets and bought time by moving McNabb out of the pocket constantly. Green Bay tried a similar approach offensively and was unsuccessful due to our adjustments. Washington then countered offensively running the ball up the middle, motioning their wideouts constantly and throwing quick outs to their WR's while we played off them.

Green Bay however, offered the blue print on how to contain T.O and it's been the same every game since, with even the Bengals being pretty successful. Well I don't foresee Arizona using a much different approach defensively and for good reason. But what about their offensive approach, how will Todd Haley, who knows our personnel very well, attack our defense. I think now that we all know Newman, Watkins and Roy can't play we have a huge issue here. First off Anthony Henry, who is serviceable, will be playing his usual left side while Pac plays the right. Boldin's not playing but Arizona is still going to spread those WR's out while moving Fitz from the right side to the left, often putting him on Henry who is a lesser man to man match up and has a poor covering SS in KD to help over top. Further more, Arizona is going to go to the left when running since the presence of Roy Williams isn't there to help negate running to that side often.

The botom line is, when it comes to the left side of our D, Arizona and any other team in the league only have to worry about containing Ware. Haley is going to spread those WR's right out in sets of 3 + and when he wants to run he's going to the left. Many of the passes are going to be quick outs and slants if we don't challenge the WR's physically early. This is going to be a very high scoring game because we give teams very favorable matchups running and throwing on the left side of our defense at this point due to our secondary injuries. This is how and where I feel Arizona attacks us, much like Washington. Close high scoring game. What do you folks think? What is the solution? I say swing Pac to the left and Henry to the Right, press coverage 30%.

 

[DallasDW00ds0n]

I hate when people say GB made a blue print to beat TO. You do realize he only had what, 3 catches against Philly? One more than the GB game?

there is no blue print to beat TO.

TO has been playing in this league for a longggggg time and has been a great player for a loonnggg time.

You dont think teams always try to adjust to playing TO? Its not what the defenses are doing to TO, its what were not doing for TO.

TO's been getting punched in the mouth his whole career while a safety sits on top. Remember Al Harris last year? TO still beat the crap out of GB, because we moved him around. Anyone being double covered in the NFL is gonna have a tougher time.

We need to move TO around, get the mismatches. Setting him up for double coverage is an easy way to let others get open, but we cant count on Crayton; and Romo just force feeds Witten.

This one is on Garrett

 

[Dcowboy84]

yeah i don't understand this whole "we've figured out how to deal with TO" nonsense either.

the difference here is that most of the time when you take the #1 receiver out of the game the offense just falls apart b/c he's the "go-to" guy.

i personally think TO could've had much more catches in these games....but we've all heard Romo say many times that he goes through his progressions, and the first person he sees get open he'll throw to...

now obviously that's not true all the time b/c we've seen him force it to Witten too many times, but it is part of the reason TO's catches have been more limited than usual lately.

he's getting a lot of safeties over the top and bumps on the line (which historically he's not the best at getting off of), so he probably won't get open as quickly as one who is single covered, or Witten on a LB.

plus Romo has used the check down more often in my opinion this year, and gone to it quicker than he would have the last couple years.

we seem to be employing a lot more plays that rely on quick drop backs and throws, and against the coverages he's facing, he won't always be open in time and Tony will go to the next receiver (mostly Witten it seems).

So i really don't think it's other teams "figuring it out", i think it's them doing enough that in our offense and the timing Romo uses we have other guys benefitting. now if we would use the slants and crossing patterns more w/ TO (and for crying out loud put him in motion more often) i think it would get him more catches in our scheme against the coverages he gets.

 

[Pick6TerenceNewman]

Well folks, it always seems like every week other than week 1 we have a new opponent provide the league with either a blueprint on how to attack our defense or how to put a wrinkle in our offense. Week 2 Philly exposed our weakness' on defense throwing on us all night with none of their starting WR's playing. They seemed to penetrate all of our zones with 3 and more WR sets and bought time by moving McNabb out of the pocket constantly. Green Bay tried a similar approach offensively and was unsuccessful due to our adjustments. Washington then countered offensively running the ball up the middle, motioning their wideouts constantly and throwing quick outs to their WR's while we played off them.

Green Bay however, offered the blue print on how to contain T.O and it's been the same every game since, with even the Bengals being pretty successful. Well I don't foresee Arizona using a much different approach defensively and for good reason. But what about their offensive approach, how will Todd Haley, who knows our personnel very well, attack our defense. I think now that we all know Newman, Watkins and Roy can't play we have a huge issue here. First off Anthony Henry, who is serviceable, will be playing his usual left side while Pac plays the right. Boldin's not playing but Arizona is still going to spread those WR's out while moving Fitz from the right side to the left, often putting him on Henry who is a lesser man to man match up and has a poor covering SS in KD to help over top. Further more, Arizona is going to go to the left when running since the presence of Roy Williams isn't there to help negate running to that side often.

The botom line is, when it comes to the left side of our D, Arizona and any other team in the league only have to worry about containing Ware. Haley is going to spread those WR's right out in sets of 3 + and when he wants to run he's going to the left. Many of the passes are going to be quick outs and slants if we don't challenge the WR's physically early. This is going to be a very high scoring game because we give teams very favorable matchups running and throwing on the left side of our defense at this point due to our secondary injuries. This is how and where I feel Arizona attacks us, much like Washington. Close high scoring game. What do you folks think? What is the solution? I say swing Pac to the left and Henry to the Right, press coverage 30%.

Pressuring Warner is paramount! Getting a jam and some help on Fitz will be important. Without Boldin, should help us out.

 

[AKATheRake]

I hate when people say GB made a blue print to beat TO. You do realize he only had what, 3 catches against Philly? One more than the GB game?

there is no blue print to beat TO.

TO has been playing in this league for a longggggg time and has been a great player for a loonnggg time.

You dont think teams always try to adjust to playing TO? Its not what the defenses are doing to TO, its what were not doing for TO.

TO's been getting punched in the mouth his whole career while a safety sits on top. Remember Al Harris last year? TO still beat the crap out of GB, because we moved him around. Anyone being double covered in the NFL is gonna have a tougher time.

We need to move TO around, get the mismatches. Setting him up for double coverage is an easy way to let others get open, but we cant count on Crayton; and Romo just force feeds Witten.

This one is on Garrett

Never said beat T.O I said contain him and the last 3 games he has been and if you want to keep him at modest production by his standards the GB game was the reference, definitely not Philly. In regards to Philly he didn't have a lot of catches but the ones he did were for long gains. That was because the safety was playing over top but not as tight as GB, Wash or Cincy. Even if he continues with 70 yards, 1 TD a game he is going to have one heck of a year. He will start excelling again anyways and you are right. We need to motion T.O and get him some 1 on 1's or work some crossing patterns to loosen up the coverage a bit for him.

 

[AKATheRake]

Pressuring Warner is paramount! Getting a jam and some help on Fitz will be important. Without Boldin, should help us out.

My sentiment exactly but I'm worried about the left side being constantly attacked via the pass and run. We can't move KD and you know they are going to want to attack Henry/KD before Pac/Hamlin and on the run I don't think any other teams are going to run way from KD's side. I know it's not good to change the corners from their usual spot but Pac practiced at both and I'm sure Henry's gotten some work on the other side with Hamlin. I think if we see a heavy dose to the left this should be the adjustment we make. Look out for this game time.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

they cannot handle us

 

[jobberone]

It's simplistic to believe that other teams can't force certain actions from you. TO has been covered by two or three players most of the time. He's also been individually game planned by teams who have the personnel to match up against him.

Just admitting they need to motion TO to help him get open shows how other teams can try to dictate to you.

That's the nature of the game and why OCs and DCs get paid pretty well to do their jobs. It's not sandlot ball where the team with the best talent can score at will.

Teams have to take TO into account. Guess what? Now they have to take Felix into account as well. You can bet teams will now exert extra effort in trying to keep him from getting outside. So now you'll likely see FJ getting different looks.

The whole point of all these discussions revolving around TO is that we must have enough weapons elsewhere to commensate. And we should be able to make teams pay for allocating too many resources towards one player.