The big run by Barkley: Analysis

[KingintheNorth]

The lengths people will go.

There was no chance that Heath could make that tackle.

He took a horrible angle.

Did the Front 7 let Barkley slip through? Yes. It doesn't excuse what Heath did, or in this case, did not do.

Also, if he had "no chance" of making the tackle as you suggest, it supports the notion that he should not be on the field at all.

He absolutely had a chance at a tackle. You can argue the level of difficulty, but to say he had no chance nullifies any other points you are trying to make.

 

[xwalker]

The lengths people will go.



He took a horrible angle.

Did the Front 7 let Barkley slip through? Yes. It doesn't excuse what Heath did, or in this case, did not do.

Also, if he had "no chance" of making the tackle as you suggest, it supports the notion that he should not be on the field at all.

He absolutely had a chance at a tackle. You can argue the level of difficulty, but to say he had no chance nullifies any other points you are trying to make.

No realistic chance meaning a less than 50% probability of happening.

His mistake was not cutting off Barkley's path to the outside.

He needed to force Barkley back to the inside where other defenders had a better chance to make the tackle.

My primary point is that people yapping about him not making the tackle don't know what they're talking about unless they also point out the issue with not cutting off Barkley's path to the outside.

 

[xwalker]

It would all be about the angle taken by heath, and if barkely is faster than heath think, the angle will be behind him.
This comes back to coaching too, how has heath been coached to react in that situation?
Best thing would be to take a high angle so even if he is faster than you think, you can still get over in front of him.
But is that something that has been coached to dallas safetys?
I will add that the instinctive thing would be to move up directly toward the RB,
which could easily put you on an angle that falls in behind him.

There is no angle that significantly improves the chances of Heath himself making the tackle.

Heath's mistake was not cutting off Barkley's path to the outside because there were other defenders to the inside.

However, with regards to Heath making the tackle, if Heath does move towards the outside then Barkley would cut back on him and Heath has even less change of making the tackle himself because he is moving towards the sideline but Barkley once he cut back would be moving away from the sideline.

On most run plays Heath is down and Woods in the single high Safety but on certain offensive alignments they flip and Heath is deep with Woods up. Heath's angle would have been OK if Woods was behind him.

 

[Cebrin]

It was an annoying play to watch, but I found myself impressed on Awuz chasing Barkley down. Didn't know my man was that quick.

 

[Zekeats]

100%

This play started with a block by Engram on Crawford that took out both Crawford and LVE. Woods was in the area to make a play but he was stuck on the block.

LVE needs to do a better job. Something like this can't happen. He needs to and should be able to take the next step in becoming a top 5 LBer.

 

[Runwildboys]

Jaylon and LVE, I think lost sight for Saquan for a split second. Then Saquan did an unbelievable cut and burst of speed. I can't believe Lewis caught him. That was an amazing run by Saquan. I knew he was fast, however I did not know he was that explosive. Not a bad angle by Heath or the others, that was a dang athletic move by Saquan. He caught the entire defense. I tip my hat to Saquan.

The D-line and Lbs have got to get off their blocks and stop the acceleration of Saquan.

Man, Awuzie is friggin' fast!

 

[keysersoze]

some more than others. Barkley is a hard man to bring down and with speed. So no not every RB.

I’m pretty sure EVERY NFL Running Back can make that play. It was a blown gap assignment by LVE.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

I’m pretty sure EVERY NFL Running Back can make that play. It was a blown gap assignment by LVE.

Barkley is more quick than fast.

 

[keysersoze]

Barkley is more quick than fast.

Exactly. Barkley is a damn good back. But he’s not an all time great as these fans here would love to drum him up to be. I just don’t understand the infatuation Cowboys fans have with him.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

Exactly. Barkley is a damn good back. But he’s not an all time great as these fans here would love to drum him up to be. I just don’t understand the infatuation Cowboys fans have with him.

I guess because of the fancy moves and resembles Barry. Kobe pattern his game after MJ but he was no MJ, even though he was good.

 

[MapleLeaf]

Anytime heath is on the field and he isnt the one making the play 15 yards behind the LOS its his fault.

Talk about a stupid agenda. Population you.

 

[MapleLeaf]

Only a few said that Heath was to blame. LVE was primary culprit most likely. But Heath also took a bad angle, which he admitted.

xWalker has done an excellent analysis of this play. Anyone who is bringing Heath's name into this is just got an agenda.

You run the play a hundred times with a hundred different safeties and watch what Barkley does to all of them with a head of steam.

No one here is saying Heath is all world, but taking the progression of a football play that has broken down right at the LOS, failed with gap responsibility and then blaming the safety is ********.

That's short bus mentality there.

Good breakdown by xWalker. That's how professional coaching would analyze this.

 

[keysersoze]

I guess because of the fancy moves and resembles Barry. Kobe pattern his game after MJ but he was no MJ, even though he was good.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

I'm just saying dallas has a history of rookies playing great and regressing year 2 after the hype.

That's the NFL. Most guys regress year 2. How they respond in year 3 and 4 tells the true story.

 

[charron]

Talk about a stupid agenda. Population you.

You dont get sarcasm do you?

 

[Melonfeud]

I don't get the impression that you even read my post.

You have an idea that just came to you but it's not based on the reality how other NFL teams function.

Most teams are 1 gap defensive schemes in 2019. Teams don't just switch back and forth from pure 1 gap to pure 2 gap.

Teams do mix in some 2 gap concepts for specific players.

The easy example was the Seahawks from a few years ago with 330 pound LDE Red Bryant.

The Seahawks were a 1 gap team but Red Bryant 2 gapped at LDE.

* that dudes just a semi- functional $***head,XWalker

 

[Melonfeud]

This is going to be long and detailed.

Verbiage

• Yes, I used a shorthand definition meaning outside contain relative the the player that I'm discussing.
• I would have used gap terminology but when I've done that in the past many people didn't understand it.
• I try to keep the wording as simple as possible for message board posting (generally but I'll go into detail on this post).

Barkley's Big Run

• Watch it again (It's easier to see on the coaches film).
• Crawford went inside of the LT to squeeze down the B gap.
• Crawford made a very deliberate move to play the B gap.
• Physically it would have been much easier to play the C gap.
• Both X.Woods and Brown played the D gap.
• LBs are required to react to the DL regardless of the defensive play design.
  • If playing LB in the NFL was as mentally easy as just hitting a specific
  • pre-assigned gap, then Bruce Carter would have been an All Pro.

Summary:

• Crawford made a very deliberate move to play the B gap.
• LVE also played the B gap.
• Woods initially had positioning to play the C gap but ended up in the D gap.
• Brown was also in the D gap.

Fault

• There is no way to know if Crawford was expected to play the B gap or C gap.
• Either way, LBs must react to the DL and find the uncovered gap.
• Both DBs were boxed out to the outside (D gap) against 1 blocker.

Cowboys vs Rams Game

• I did extensive analysis of the Rams game over the off-season.
• I've said repeatedly that the Cowboys should have had the RDE play the B gap against the Rams.
• Specifically on plays where the 1-tech was on the right side of the DL.
• Instead the Cowboys continued to play the C gap with the RDE.
• The Rams exploited the fact that they knew which gap assignments the Cowboys would play.

Reason for RDE to play B gap

• With the RDE playing outside (C or D gap), on outside runs to that side, the 1-tech initially aligned in the A gap would scramble to fill the B gap.
• The MLB was the LB on that side and needed to be able to move to the outside instead of filling the B gap which would be open if the 1-tech didn't fill it.
• The problem is that the Rams knew the 1-tech would flow to the play side taking him out of the middle of the line.
• The MLB would move outside but still needed to watch for the cutback to the inside.
• This allowed the Rams to get a blocker to the inside of the MLB on a run that was designed to be a cut back to the inside.
• They were able to "hold" the OLB on the backside with motion and other specifics within the offensive play design.
• They would then get a blocker to the inside of the backside LB.
• They would initially double the backside DT.
• Both LBs would get boxed out from the middle and the RB had a huge hole in the middle for the cutback run.
• The genius of this blocking was that the blocks on the LBs were delayed blocks.
• The Rams OL could initially have two double team blocks on DLinemen and then kick out 1 OL on each side to get the delayed block on the LBs.

Patriots vs Rams

• The Patriots changed their defense specific to the Rams for the Super Bowl.
• The Pats often had the RDE play the B gap.
• They then made other changes to accommodate this change.
• Some fairly simple changes totally mucked up the Rams precision blocking scheme.

Cowboys Fans should hope that Crawford was correct on his assignment with regards to the big gain by Barkley.

That would indicate that the Cowboys are changing things up that they needed to change vs the Rams in the playoffs.

All other teams saw that game and will try many of the same concepts until the Cowboys prove they can stop it.

Cool posting,Bro!

 

[Melonfeud]

I'm not going to go back and forth with you on Crawford. That's pointless.

You are just not an analytical type person. You are an emotional thinker.

That's OK. It's sports.

It's not your job to be analytical with regards to the Cowboys; however, there is NO point for me to attempt an analytical discussion with someone that is not interested in analysis and places near zero value on being analytical.

* that seems to me,as to being a well reasoned overall analysis,Bro!

 

[Melonfeud]

When the safeties start getting blamed on a breakaway run, it's usually the front 7.

yeppers, I gotta unequivocally agree with on that,Bro!

 

[Jarv]

There’s not a DB at any level of football in this country who could tackle Barkley in that scenario.

Frazier!