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By Jeff Duncan, The Times-Picayune
December 21, 2009, 3:20PM
Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints receivers have made a living off those back-shoulder throws all season.
Michael DeMocker/The Times-Picayune
A wide open Devery Henderson drops the ball in the end zone in the third quarter Saturday night in the New Orleans Saints' 24-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys at the Superdome.
The throws, usually against deep man-to-man coverage, have been a staple of their high-powered passing. They've accounted for a number of their big plays. They're a big reason why the Saints rank second in the league with an 8.38 yards-per-pass-play average.
But in their 24-17 loss to Dallas on Saturday night, the Saints failed to execute their patented hook-ups in a pair of critical situations, and it cost them dearly.
The Cowboys shadowed Marques Colston and Robert Meachem with safeties in pass coverage. That left Devery Henderson in man-to-man with cornerback Michael Jenkins. That's a matchup the Saints liked and felt they had to exploit. Henderson has won those matchups most of the year. The Saints had two chances for big plays to make the Cowboys pay for this tactic. Both came on first down at nearly identical spots on the field.
The first was a first-and-10 at the Dallas 41. The Saints got the coverage they wanted, with Henderson isolated on Jenkins in single coverage on the left flank. Henderson beat Jenkins deep on a go route but was able to turn his head at the last instance and easily pick off Brees' back-shoulder throw down the left sideline. NFL Network cameras caught Brees telling Henderson, "My fault," on the sideline afterward. If Brees elects to lead Henderson it might have been a touchdown because he had Jenkins beat.
The duo had a chance for redemption on their first play from scrimmage in the second half. The Superdome was rocking after Courtney Roby's 67-yard kickoff return and the Saints aggressively went for the home run ball. They got similar coverage from the Cowboys, but this time Henderson was in the slot to the right. He again beat Jenkins on a go route deep. Brees was a tad late with his delivery because of pressure in the pocket. He intentionally underthrew Henderson, giving his receiver a chance to break back on the ball behind the unaware Jenkins in the end zone. It's a play the Saints have hooked up on all season. This time, though, it didn't happen. Henderson failed to gather his feet under him while cutting back for the ball and lost his balance at the last instant. He took his eyes off the ball and dropped the easy basket catch in the end zone for what would have been a momentum-changing touchdown.
It was that kind of night for the Saints. New Orleans had a league-best 35 pass plays of 25 yards or more entering the game but managed just one to a wide receiver against the Cowboys.
PRESSURE REPORT: Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams wanted to keep the mobile Tony Romo in the pocket, because statistics show Romo throws more efficiently while on the run and in space. Accordingly, Williams sent most of his blitzes from edges to keep Romo in the pocket. They were successful early, but he was able to break containment at key times late in the game and convert third downs. The Saints blitzed 13 times in the first half and had three sacks. As usual, Williams was not afraid to send defensive backs. He blitzed strong safety Roman Harper five times in the first half and sent cornerback Malcolm Jenkins two other times from the slot. Once the Cowboys took a commanding 24-3 lead in the second half, they were able to run the ball and keep the Saints' rush at bay.
SCOUTING REPORT: The Saints face elite pass rushers in the NFC South in John Abraham and Julius Peppers but few have even given them as much trouble as DeMarcus Ware did. The Pro Bowler had two sacks and two forced fumbles and constantly harassed Brees from his back side. The Cowboys wanted to match up the explosive Ware against Saints left tackle Jermon Bushrod and felt he could win that battle most of the night. He did. Payton said later he wished he would have provided more help for Bushrod in protection, but his hands were tied because the Cowboys secondary was doing such a good job downfield against the Saints receiving corps. Bushrod was left on an island against Ware in the two-minute offense, and, like most tackles in the league, really struggled to protect Brees' back side from Ware, who has a rare combination of speed and power.
DIDYA NOTICE?: It was overlooked in the fury of the fourth-quarter rally, but Cowboys defensive back Alan Ball's tackle on Courtney Roby's 67-yard kickoff return in the third quarter was a huge play. Roby showed great vision and burst to slip through a tiny crease in the first wave of defenders and break into the open field down the left sideline. It was basically a foot race between him and Ball, which, for all intents and purposes, Roby should win. Roby, after all, was a Big Ten sprint champion and clocked consistent times of 4.4 in the 40 coming out of Indiana University. Ball, meanwhile, was moved from cornerback to safety in the pros, in part, because of his lack of foot speed. He clocked 40 times in the high 4.4-low 4.5 range at Illinois. Yet somehow Ball was able to run down Roby and about a 15-yard distance between them. Roby appeared to hesitate just slightly near midfield as he switched the ball into his proper outside arm. That might have allowed Ball the time to reach him at full stride. Regardless, I guarantee you Roby looks back on this one during film study and shakes his head, because it was a huge play. The Saints failed to score on the drive despite the terrific field position.
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS:
FIRST QUARTER:
Here's a look at the Saints' personnel packages on their 62 offensive snaps:
3WR/1TE/1RB - 39 out of 62
2WR/1TE/1RB/1FB - 10 out of 62 plays
2WR/2TE/1RB - 8 out of 62
3WR/1RB/1FB - 2 out of 62
3WR/2RB - 1 out of 62
4WR/1RB - 1 out of 62
2TE/1RB/1FB/1S - 1 out of 62
http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2009/12/saints-cowboys_film_study_sain.html
December 21, 2009, 3:20PM
Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints receivers have made a living off those back-shoulder throws all season.
Michael DeMocker/The Times-Picayune
A wide open Devery Henderson drops the ball in the end zone in the third quarter Saturday night in the New Orleans Saints' 24-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys at the Superdome.
The throws, usually against deep man-to-man coverage, have been a staple of their high-powered passing. They've accounted for a number of their big plays. They're a big reason why the Saints rank second in the league with an 8.38 yards-per-pass-play average.
But in their 24-17 loss to Dallas on Saturday night, the Saints failed to execute their patented hook-ups in a pair of critical situations, and it cost them dearly.
The Cowboys shadowed Marques Colston and Robert Meachem with safeties in pass coverage. That left Devery Henderson in man-to-man with cornerback Michael Jenkins. That's a matchup the Saints liked and felt they had to exploit. Henderson has won those matchups most of the year. The Saints had two chances for big plays to make the Cowboys pay for this tactic. Both came on first down at nearly identical spots on the field.
The first was a first-and-10 at the Dallas 41. The Saints got the coverage they wanted, with Henderson isolated on Jenkins in single coverage on the left flank. Henderson beat Jenkins deep on a go route but was able to turn his head at the last instance and easily pick off Brees' back-shoulder throw down the left sideline. NFL Network cameras caught Brees telling Henderson, "My fault," on the sideline afterward. If Brees elects to lead Henderson it might have been a touchdown because he had Jenkins beat.
The duo had a chance for redemption on their first play from scrimmage in the second half. The Superdome was rocking after Courtney Roby's 67-yard kickoff return and the Saints aggressively went for the home run ball. They got similar coverage from the Cowboys, but this time Henderson was in the slot to the right. He again beat Jenkins on a go route deep. Brees was a tad late with his delivery because of pressure in the pocket. He intentionally underthrew Henderson, giving his receiver a chance to break back on the ball behind the unaware Jenkins in the end zone. It's a play the Saints have hooked up on all season. This time, though, it didn't happen. Henderson failed to gather his feet under him while cutting back for the ball and lost his balance at the last instant. He took his eyes off the ball and dropped the easy basket catch in the end zone for what would have been a momentum-changing touchdown.
It was that kind of night for the Saints. New Orleans had a league-best 35 pass plays of 25 yards or more entering the game but managed just one to a wide receiver against the Cowboys.
PRESSURE REPORT: Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams wanted to keep the mobile Tony Romo in the pocket, because statistics show Romo throws more efficiently while on the run and in space. Accordingly, Williams sent most of his blitzes from edges to keep Romo in the pocket. They were successful early, but he was able to break containment at key times late in the game and convert third downs. The Saints blitzed 13 times in the first half and had three sacks. As usual, Williams was not afraid to send defensive backs. He blitzed strong safety Roman Harper five times in the first half and sent cornerback Malcolm Jenkins two other times from the slot. Once the Cowboys took a commanding 24-3 lead in the second half, they were able to run the ball and keep the Saints' rush at bay.
SCOUTING REPORT: The Saints face elite pass rushers in the NFC South in John Abraham and Julius Peppers but few have even given them as much trouble as DeMarcus Ware did. The Pro Bowler had two sacks and two forced fumbles and constantly harassed Brees from his back side. The Cowboys wanted to match up the explosive Ware against Saints left tackle Jermon Bushrod and felt he could win that battle most of the night. He did. Payton said later he wished he would have provided more help for Bushrod in protection, but his hands were tied because the Cowboys secondary was doing such a good job downfield against the Saints receiving corps. Bushrod was left on an island against Ware in the two-minute offense, and, like most tackles in the league, really struggled to protect Brees' back side from Ware, who has a rare combination of speed and power.
DIDYA NOTICE?: It was overlooked in the fury of the fourth-quarter rally, but Cowboys defensive back Alan Ball's tackle on Courtney Roby's 67-yard kickoff return in the third quarter was a huge play. Roby showed great vision and burst to slip through a tiny crease in the first wave of defenders and break into the open field down the left sideline. It was basically a foot race between him and Ball, which, for all intents and purposes, Roby should win. Roby, after all, was a Big Ten sprint champion and clocked consistent times of 4.4 in the 40 coming out of Indiana University. Ball, meanwhile, was moved from cornerback to safety in the pros, in part, because of his lack of foot speed. He clocked 40 times in the high 4.4-low 4.5 range at Illinois. Yet somehow Ball was able to run down Roby and about a 15-yard distance between them. Roby appeared to hesitate just slightly near midfield as he switched the ball into his proper outside arm. That might have allowed Ball the time to reach him at full stride. Regardless, I guarantee you Roby looks back on this one during film study and shakes his head, because it was a huge play. The Saints failed to score on the drive despite the terrific field position.
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS:
FIRST QUARTER:
- The Saints tried to set up a screen pass to Pierre Thomas on their second play from scrimmage, but outside linebacker Victor Butler read it while from his spot at right end and forced Brees to go to another option, tight end David Thomas in the left flat.
- Lance Moore replaced Devery Henderson in the Saints' three-receiver "nickel" package.
- An excellent punt by Thomas Morstead and an even better tackle by Pierson Prioleau on Patrick Crayton combined to result in an outstanding 50-yard net on the Saints' first punt
- Curiously, the Saints employed a dime defensive package on their second play from scrimmage, a second-and-1 play. Dallas lined up in a heavy set with two tight ends in the backfield. The Cowboys personnel and down-and-distance scenario screamed "run" but the Saints elected to defend it with a light, pass-oriented unit, that featured Anthony Hargrove at defensive tackle. The Cowboys ran a straight dive play up the middle. Center Anthony Gurode and right guard Leonard Davis double-teamed Hargrove and drove him 7 yards off the points of attack, clearing a path for Felix Jones to ramble for an easy 11 yards. Not sure what was going on with that strategy.
- The Cowboys caught the Saints overplaying the run and burned them with a big play on their fifth play. Miles Austin's 49-yard touchdown catch came on first down with the Cowboys showing "run" with a two-tight end formation. Strong safety Roman Harper cheated into the box to defend then run, then curiously tried to retreat into pass coverage, but it was too late. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo had both receivers on double-move stick-and-go routes, leaving safety Darren Sharper alone in center field. Romo faked a handoff, then saw Sharper shading his coverage toward Roy Williams on the right and fired a perfect strike down the left sideline to Miles Austin, who had beaten rookie Malcolm Jenkins with a classic double move at the first down mark.
- Crayton slipped tackle attempts by Jonathan Casillas, Troy Evans and Lynell Hamilton en route to a 28-yard return on Morstead's second punt.
- Saints cornerback Randall Gay left the game with an apparent concussion after taking a big hit from 6-6, 313-pounr right tackle Doug Free on a screen pass. Gay appeared to his head on the turf and could be seen collapsing to one knee in the Saints defensive huddle after the play.
- Jon Vilma would like to have back the final two plays of the Cowboys' second touchdown drive. First, he recklessly overpursued a Wildcat run to the left by Tashard Choice, allowing the Cowboys to convert a third-and-2 in the red zone. On the ensuing play, he hesitated and got caught in the "wash" as Barber scored virtually untouched from the 3.
- Reggie Bush might have scored on his 29-yard run on the first play of the Saints' third series, but wide receiver Devery Henderson got a little lackadaisical with his blocking assignment on Michael Jenkins and didn't wall him off. Both Cowboys safeties were out of the play. Gerald Sensabugh blitzed on the left side and was out of position. The other safety, Ken Hamlin, was a non-factor after tripped on the turf monster.
- A breakdown in pass protection by the backs nearly got Brees lit up on a scary sack late in the quarter. Either fullback Marcus Mailei or halfback Pierre Thomas messed up. Both concentrated on blitzing middle linebacker Bradie James and failed to pick up linebacker Anthony Spencer, who blitzed from the left end on a second-and-10 play, leading to a scary blind-side hit on Brees and 10-yard sack.
- Roman Harper squandered a golden opportunity at his first interception of the season when he dropped a hurried pass from Romo in the right flat.
- It looked like Patrick Crayton might have trapped his 25-yard reception near the end of the quarter, but Payton surprisingly elected to not challenge the call on the field.
- Shaky call against Mike McKenzie for illegal contact against Roy Williams on a fourth-and-4 call. It looked like both players ran into each other - incidental contact.
- The Saints used the screen pass and a hard count by Brees to slow down the Cowboys' pass rush early. Brees drew nose tackle Jay Ratliff offside with a hard count early in the second half. Cowboys coach Wade Phillips complained to officials that Brees illegally moved under center but Brees looked pretty still to me.
- Marques Colston uncharacteristically dropped a beautiful first-down pass from Brees on the Saints third play of the quarter. The ball was a little behind him, but Colston knows he should make that catch. That was Colston's eighth drop of the season, tying him for sixth most in the league.
- Robert Meachem's 7-yard catch for a first down with 9:43 left was the first of the game by a Saints wide receiver. That might be the longest drought of the season to start a game by the Saints receiver corps.
- Center Jon Goodwin sprained his left ankle on a first-down run by Pierre Thomas when he was rolled over the pile while engaged with nose tackle Junior Saivii. Nick Leckey replaced him in the lineup.
- A rare bad read and throw by Brees on a third-and-9 snap in the red zone. Brees hurried his throw and locked in on tight end David Thomas on a wheel route in single coverage against Bobby Carpenter, but Thomas was well covered and the throw never had a chance. Plus, Brees drifted into the teeth of the Cowboys outside rush instead of climbing in the pocket where he had room to operate and find a receiver downfield. The Saints settled for a field goal.
- On the first play of the Cowboys' second drive, Bobby McCray elicited a holding call against left tackle Flozell Adams when he beat him to the edge with a speed rush. Adams reached out and yanked McCray to the turf rather than allow McCray a free shot at Romo.
- On the ensuing first-and-19 play, Felix Jones rambled 17 yards through a huge hole over right tackle. End Charles Grant slanted inside away from the play and linebackers Vilma and Scott Shanle failed to fill the void and were sealed off by blockers.
- Nice awareness by Romo to gain 10 yards on a botched delayed handoff to Marion Barber in the backfield. The timing was right for the Cowboys. The Saints dropped eight into coverage and only rushed three defenders, allowing Romo time and room to run.
- Jenkins dropped an easy interception of a hurried overthrow by Brees on the second play of the Saints' second series.
- Bush appeared to cramp up or tweak a hamstring in his right leg at the end of a 16-yard reception in the Saints' four-minute offense. He drank several bottles of Gatorade and tried to loosen up on the sidelines in the second half but never returned to the game.
- Brees was not his usual decisive self in the first half, and it led to a sack-fumble in the final two minutes. Brees had David Thomas open in the right flat but double-pumped and then uncharacteristically lost his pocket presence. Ware hit him from behind and knocked the ball loose. Brees had more than three seconds to find a receiver, which is usually plenty of time for him to make a read and unload. Credit the Cowboys' coverage downfield.
- Excellent red zone defense by the Saints held the Cowboys to a field goal after the Brees fumble.
- An almost disastrous play by Darnell Dinkins on the Cowboys' kickoff just before halftime. He failed to cover the squib kick and let it trickle between his legs as a free ball. An aware Lynell Hamilton was there for the recovery, but that was poorly executed and could have led to another Cowboys' field goal attempt if the Saints had failed to come up with it.
- The Saints did not have a good day tackling. Roman Harper had a clear shot at Jones at the line of scrimmage on a second-and-10 play and whiffed. Jones gained 5 yards after the missed tackle. It's not a huge play in the stat sheet, but it allowed the Cowboys to face a manageable third-and-5 instead of third-and-10, and they were able to convert it with a nice pass to Austin.
- I'm not sure what the Saints were doing on that third-and-5 play, by the way. Tracy Porter looked like he was supposed to blitz on the play but then bailed out and found himself in no-man's land. His hesitation allowed Romo the time and room to reverse field on his designed rollout to the right and find Austin downfield for the first down. The Saints were uncharacteristically passive on that rush.
- The Cowboys line won the battle in short-yardage situations throughout the game. On their opening drive of the second half, they ran three times in short-yardage situations - second-and-1, third-and-1 and second-and-goal from the 2 - and converted all three with gains of 4, 4 and a touchdown. Dallas was more physical up front and their backs were able to consistently gain yards after initial contact.
- Jon Stinchcomb allowed a sack to Anthony Spencer on third-and-10 on the Saints' first drive but was bailed out by an illegal hands to the face penalty against Orlando Scandrick.
- Due to a protection breakdown on the ensuing play, Spencer came free off the right end and sacked Brees for an 8-yard loss.
- The Cowboys were well-prepared for the Saints' screen game. DeMarcus Ware sniffed out one by the Saints on second-and-18 and forced Brees to ground an incompletion into the turf.
- Jonathan Casillas squandered an excellent opportunity to down a perfect Morstead punt inside the Dallas 5-yard line when he failed to get into proper position at the goal line and allowed the punt to bounce into the end zone from Dallas 8. Poor execution and it cost the Saints at least 15 yards.
- Harper failed to make a key tackle again on a third-and-5 play when he missed a clear shot at Romo on a blitz and allowed the quarterback to scramble for 7 yards and a first down.
- Operating out of the H-back/fullback position, David Thomas had a pair of excellent lead blocks on Cowboys safety Ken Hamlin in goal-line situations to spring Mike Bell for a 6-yard gain and a 2-yard touchdown run on the Saints' first drive.
- Outstanding call and execution of a screen pass to Pierre Thomas got the Saints' second drive off to a positive start. Jahri Evans, David Thomas and Jon Goodwin all had key blocks on the 29-yard gain.
- Colston and Meachem delivered excellent blocks to spring Lance Moore on a screen for a 7-yard touchdown.
- The Cowboys picked on Mike McKenzie for a huge, pressure-packed third-and-7 conversion in the final 8 minutes. Austin ran a simple slant route underneath McKenzie's man-to-man coverage, and the veteran corner never even got a hand on the receiver as he made the easy catch and weaved through the Saints secondary for the big gain.
- The Cowboys defense did an excellent job against the Saints two-minute offense on the final drive. They pressured Brees with only a four-man rush and kept the Saints' receivers in the field of play, forcing them to use valuable time while advancing the ball in sporadic short chunks.
Here's a look at the Saints' personnel packages on their 62 offensive snaps:
3WR/1TE/1RB - 39 out of 62
2WR/1TE/1RB/1FB - 10 out of 62 plays
2WR/2TE/1RB - 8 out of 62
3WR/1RB/1FB - 2 out of 62
3WR/2RB - 1 out of 62
4WR/1RB - 1 out of 62
2TE/1RB/1FB/1S - 1 out of 62
http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2009/12/saints-cowboys_film_study_sain.html
