<![CDATA[Anatomy of A Play]]>This is the play requested before by Zombo. When you look at this play, it's important for a couple of reasons. First, it obviously ended our hopes of winning. Second, the basic structure of this play on offense and defense is something every fan should understand.

Situation: 4th quarter, 0:13 left. Evan Moore has just gone out of bounds at the 28 yard line after a gain of 22. Browns are losing 24-20.

Down: 1st & 10; +28

1. Presnap

Presnap.jpg

Here we see the Browns come out in 12 personnel (1 back, 2 TE). The formation is 2x2. I think that Evan Moore is at the top of your screen, Watson is the right slot/wing, MoMass is the split end to the left and Stuckey is in the left slot. The Jags come out in what looks like 3-2 dime. The defense looks like they're bringing three and playing back.

-#1 shows 2-deep safeties. 15 yards off of the line of scrimmage, they're probably playing deep zones.

- The ovals represent man-to-man relationships.

2. Protection

Protection.jpg

-#1 shows excellent protection. I would offer that Jacksonville is only bringing three but as piss-poor as this unit looked all day...take nothing for granted. Shaun Lauvao has no one to block.

-#2 shows the middle linebacker who's dropped into the deep middle (more on this in a minute). He's moving away from Watson but this ISN'T because Colt is looking him off.

-#3 shows Watson beating his man toward a skinny post (8-route). This was probably the most open receiver (more in a second).

3. The setup

Dropback.jpg

Here we see McCoy reach the top of his drop. Notice the middle linebacker has dropped into the deep middle. This is 3-deep, man under (deep field is divided in thirds between 2 safeties and the linebacker and everyone else is man-to-man). I am going to explain to you why this is a well-designed play. The reason that this is a well-designed and executed play to this point has to do with passing concepts called "stretch" and "pressure". We all hear about "stretching the field" and while most people understand that if your receivers are fast they will give defenses trouble vertically (i.e. up and down the field from goal to goal). That is vertically stretching the defense. What most people don't know (or at least acknowledge) is that there is also horizontal stretch. Stretch opens holes in the zones across the field. Pressure is important because that is what happens to the deep defenders. In this photo we see that there are three deep zones (the safeties are off the screen). Notice Stuckey and Watson are running up the seams. The arrows not only represent those seams but they also represent the pressure on the deep defenders. They are stretching the underneath vertically with speed (you can also stretch with routes on multiple levels) and the deep guys horizontally. The linebacker (as we noted above) is pressured and is pulled over by the horizontal pressure towards Stuckey thus opening a window for Watson.

Hillis (in the flat) and Moore are tightly covered. The LB is doubling Stuckey at this point and MoMass is running toward a deep safety. Watson is PROBABLY the most open receiver.

4. The Window

ReceiverSide.jpg

You see here that the LB has done a reversal and is trailing. Even though there are two defenders, Colt does have a window to fit the ball into. It's tight...but the oval is roughly where they should go.

5. The Adjustment

Adjustment.jpg

Here's where the execution breaks down. For as tight of a window as the QB has to throw the ball into, it's impressive that Colt could fit it in there. I have been thinking for a while trying to grade this throw and the best description I can come up with is that it was "a good throw...but not good enough because he needed a great throw". Watson was really the only one with a play on the ball and it was impressive that he could get it in there. The problem is that through sheer luck, it deflects right up to Considine. The arrow represents where Watson expected the ball to be and you can see that he had to turn back for the ball. You could debate whether Watson had it in his hands but I think this is all a moot point. There's five seconds on the clock and if he catches this ball...the clock runs out. PERHAPS... A perfect throw that hits him in stride...he makes it into the end zone...but I doubt it. It makes you think back to the zero yard play to Stuckey at the 50 which bled 15 seconds off of the clock.

I'm going to work on something else for you guys about why we "really" lost this game....but this is a great X's and O's play to talk about.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/topic/17108/anatomy-of-a-playRSS for NodeFri, 02 Oct 2026 14:02:36 GMTFri, 26 Nov 2010 04:32:05 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Anatomy of A Play on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 20:19:01 GMT]]>

Zombo said:

But if he gets tackled in bounds the game is over.

Zombo

Very True... So why weren't we gunning down field further...

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/211114https://brownsboard.com/post/211114Fri, 26 Nov 2010 20:19:01 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Anatomy of A Play on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 19:06:10 GMT]]>I remember sitting at home thinking the ball should have been thrown sooner.. your first screen shot shows BW at our 35.. Ball doesn't get to watson until the 10... as we can see...

In the first shot the Defender is beat and is not watching Colt at all.. Ball thrown sooner, and we have a completion and YAC.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/211106https://brownsboard.com/post/211106Fri, 26 Nov 2010 19:06:10 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Anatomy of A Play on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 18:10:25 GMT]]>Ok here's my thinking on this play...And believe me I'm not EVEN trying to profess some kind of superior knowledge

just playing Monday morning QB here

If the idea is to stretch the field vertically and horizontally,I would think you'd want your two speed guy's Momass and Stuckey split wide(upper and lower ends of the screen) and Watson and Moore as the slots,Stuckey runs a deep go above Watson's skinny post forcing the deep safety to commit to Stuckey(he's going to get to the end zone and you have to deny the end zone first)

Massaqua runs a deep post from the bottom of the screen, forcing the deep safety to commit(again Momass will get to the end zone before Moore),Moore should be running a deep fade to the lower corner forcing the middle deep to commit to either Moore or Watson

JMO

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/211096https://brownsboard.com/post/211096Fri, 26 Nov 2010 18:10:25 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Anatomy of A Play on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 15:24:07 GMT]]>

Zombo said:

Thanks, Earl!

Looks like it would have required a perfect throw in stride and then watson would still have to cleanly control the ball and bowl over at least one guy to get in the end zone. I'm thinking maybe a pump fake to Watson, drawing the MLB over and then lauch it up for grabs in the corner of the end zone between Stucky and Momass and the three DBs on that side ... at least if it falls to the ground, we get another end zone shot, and there's always a PI possibility too.

Colt took a shot at the open man, I can live with that ... it's the rest of the game that really bothers me.

Zombo

Fair enough. To clean this up though...the safety to our left looking down the field (the OTHER safety) was over two defenders, MoMass and Stuckey and (I'm speculating cause I can't see it on TV) that he actually had better position than the safety that we threw against.. That was 3-v-2 and we have not seen MoMass come down with a jump ball yet,

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/211077https://brownsboard.com/post/211077Fri, 26 Nov 2010 15:24:07 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Anatomy of A Play on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 07:02:32 GMT]]>

@hoss said:

Good analysis. I think what makes the play breakdown is the fact MCoy as a rookie doesn't take more time to set this up with a longer look to his left, thus throwing this into the endzone on that post to Ben. Your arrow where Watson expected the throw? Another second or two where McCoy looks the S and LB off to the left open up another window to Watson in the EZ. Would need to be another great throw but at least it'd be in the EZ.

But that rookie QB's for ya. It is what it is. The 15-16 second waste of a throw to Chansi on the shallow cross hurt more.

Oh well. Rookies are rookies.

Hoss, he couldn't look off a safety. The other half of the field had its own safety. At most...he could have kept the LB to the other side but Watson was still doubled. The arrow that I put there is to show where Watson was headed to catch the ball before he turned back to adjust.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/211060https://brownsboard.com/post/211060Fri, 26 Nov 2010 07:02:32 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Anatomy of A Play on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 05:14:21 GMT]]>Good analysis. I think what makes the play breakdown is the fact MCoy as a rookie doesn't take more time to set this up with a longer look to his left, thus throwing this into the endzone on that post to Ben. Your arrow where Watson expected the throw? Another second or two where McCoy looks the S and LB off to the left open up another window to Watson in the EZ. Would need to be another great throw but at least it'd be in the EZ.

But that rookie QB's for ya. It is what it is. The 15-16 second waste of a throw to Chansi on the shallow cross hurt more.

Oh well. Rookies are rookies.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/211052https://brownsboard.com/post/211052Fri, 26 Nov 2010 05:14:21 GMT