The Good... The Bad... and... that's it for now...
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Coverages aren't really my thing, but Ag asked so I blame him... actually he asked about The Bad, but that'll come later.
My take on the first of two JM throws vs. the Titans...
The Good: Opening TD to Benji...
Browns are in a 2TE2WR set with 1TE Right and the 2nd in as a H-back. Barn the H-back has "crabbed" from a pure-I initial look to a Power-I Left position at the snap.
At the snap TN seems to be presenting a Cover 2 look, but the near Safety cheating up a couple yards may indicate that "seems" is the operative word. Look was essentially the same pre-snap, except both Safeties cheated up about a yard in the final couple pre-snap seconds. There was no motion aside from Barn's slight shift, so can't be sure of zone vs. man coverage, but CBs may be saying "Combo" with Zone up top and Man at bottom.
Top of drop we see that the near Safety had moved towards line at the snap (started on 48; now retreating from 46). While the PA fake wasn't great, it was good enough to get him to bite enough. The far Safety stays focused on the top half of the field with nothing to tell him to focus elsewhere.
Note JM's head here... at worst he's looking down the far hash... perfect for holding the top Safety to cover the square in window our top WR (X?) is set to run into. Between JM's good eye discipline and Benji having a half-step on his CB, this play is over with a well-judged throw to the inside. Only Schwartz, in the process of being beaten by an outside swim at the bottom of the line creates any doubt.
But we're the Browns... it can't be that easy. Sure enough it was merely pretty easy... Whether due to wind or the late pressure the bottom edge rusher did bring, the ball came down slightly short and to the outside of where a "no-doubter" throw should have been. I suspect the wind since I see a good stride by JM and no reaction to the pressure until the ball was gone. In other words, JM stood in there and delivered.
Above we last saw Benji near the 50 with a half-step on the CB and one to two yards outside the near hash.- In the first of this trio we see a full step lead at the 23 and the inside edge of the near hash. Note both players' heads and body lean, if any.
- In the second still about a yard lead, but now a step outside the hash. Other than body lean Benji has not yet tipped the ball flight, yet the CB has turned his head to the outside??? This puzzles me. Maybe a trained DB can comment...
- In the final still back to about a half-yard lead with the ball is about to be cradled by Benji's finger-tips on the inside. He'd over adjusted a bit and was not far from having put the ball out of reach. But meanwhile the CB is looking up and outside for the ball. If he's looking at Benji, an arm rake is within reach.
OK, so what was the point of all this? Proof of hate?
If declaring what some want to proclaim as the Great, Exhibit A in the case for JM starting to merely be good... then sure it's proof of hate.
I think it's showing that a good read of a fairly straightforward coverage green-lighting an OK throw while under modest (by NFL standards) pressure to the play's Primary WR after an OK play fake and fine eye discipline that got a little lucky at the end...
Or to put it simply... The Good... which is not bad. -
What is a bit strange is the call and the pre snap alignment. You couple that with Horton's familiarity with our personnel and you have me scratching my head.
Now at first you have a two high look, but you have the field safety starring down the TE as his key. You have the boundary corner in off coverage and the field side corner looking to get a clean press on Benji. Which would make sense, just because you're fast doesn't mean you have the strength and moves to get off the line. Honestly, from that it looks like some type of cloud call. However at the snap the field CB flips his hips, doesn't even bump and run only to be smoked by Travis.
Horton has to know he (Travis) is the fastest player on the field and his route tree with us (to date) has been limited at best. If you think the '9' is coming, no point in not giving cushion only to also not jam.
Now I say a cloud look because it makes sense to jam the receiver. Gives time for the safety to make his read and attack either run or get over the top. At the end of the play, Sensabaugh looks back at his safety like there had been a miscommunication of sorts.
Or this could just be an odd looking 3 shell and Coty simply underestimated Benji's speed, consequently having his lunch handed to him. Either way, Johnny saw the safety stay flat footed, gave no chance for a recovery from the backside with his eyes and trusted Travis to do his thing.
Only complaint is the slightly under throw.
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Had to google "cloud". Basically a Cover 3... yes? Far corner playing off and rotating even further off supports that, but neither Safety did. At least the far Safety should have rolled to the middle... eye discipline or no.
The press corner is shading Benji outside inviting the inside release which would suggest inside help that never came.
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Tour do you have a screen shot of the play the moment the play fake is taking place? Might give us a better idea what happened with the safeties there.
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A cloud call involves a CB playing abything shallow/underneath, usually re-routing a receiver to his safety. Great coverage for jumping curl/flat concepts.
The boundary safety works his way inside the hashes with eyes on the #1. Indicates he's rolling away from his corner playing a middle 3rd comfortable he'll recover if need be.
The playside (field safety) attacks run to the strength of our offensive formation. Looking for the TE as a #2.
The corner doesnt really release Benji inside so much as he tries to mirror him on his inward pattern. Benji almost looks like he's running a skinny post. The more I watch the more I see a 3 shell that had the top taken off of it.
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Maybe the skinniest post ever...
Follow-up... when you say "Boundary Safety" are you referring to the Safety to the short-side of the field? in this case what I have called the "far Safety"?
Didn't have, but could certainly take, Ag...
First pic shows as close to a "mesh point" as the fake got.. told you it was weak.
Second pic shows the near Safety's "uh-oh" moment (note the front leg planting), but he never turns to look outside to Benji... not that it would have done him any good.
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Safety positions can have so many names. Far, short, boundary, field, free, strong.
With more and more defensive coordinators wanting their safeties to be rather interchangeable in their respective positions, I've found it easier to just label the snap position.
In this case, Tour, the 'far' side of the screen is the boundary - yes.
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Learned something today and it's not even noon yet...
The Bad...
While it most likely was not the case, in reviewing this play I could not help but feel that if a single play was responsible for this week's QB change, then this was it.
This is the 2nd play of our 4th series and the 2nd Qtr. We're up 14-0 and have just lost 3 yds on the failed bubble screen to Gabe that he tried to run back across the width of the field to salvage.
We are in a Singleback (SB), 3TE set with one WR, Hawk, split left. It is the 2nd time we have shown this look. The first showing was a run left for 3.
Pre-snap TN is in a standard 7-man box with an 8th creeping in after seeing the twin TEs to his side.
At the top of the drop we see 3 on 3 blocking on the left with Crow ready to help. Note that Joe is in the process of losing his man to an inside swim. Right side sees Greco free and Schwartz handling an outside rush. The 2 TEs right are neither releasing nor being challenged.
Hawk and the near TE are sprinting out of frame. It is a 2-man route.
JM appears to be checking out the Safeties... certainly is focused on the center of the field which is what I think we'd want. I am certain he has seen something he likes in Hawk's future on this play.
Note the clock is on 14:26... if I go one more frame in the recording, it drops to 14:25. Point being 14:25 will be a full second.
14:24 and in the past second:
Joe has lost his man who in turn has flushed JM.
Bito is in good shape and Greco is awaiting the DEs inside spin in progress.
Schwartz is in control of his DE no longer pressing the edge.
One of the TE twins is peeing back in case Mitch needs a hand... nice. The other is waiting for a bus?
Crow has released and is turning to prep for a throw. Probably would have helped had he chipped the LB creating the pressure, but...
JM's eyes are now on the hole before him as he pulls away from the LB hand on him.
Raising back up while still running forward, JM is preparing to throw to Hawk.
14:23 the ball is gone.
I did not see where he reassessed the read he made at the top of his drop
After a nearly two-second delay JM launches the ball into double coverage to a lone WR, who is not our best 50/50 guy.
That decision under those circumstances is the antithesis of a game manager.
Go Browns...
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