Has The Winslow Trade Hurt Quinns Development?
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Great post.
So you're saying crossing patterns with TE's and WR's limit the effectiveness of zone blitz when those fatties drop back?
Also, what I think you're saying is the outside receivers push the vertical routes and open up the middle of the field because slower TE's lumber into the middle, which by that point the Safeties have neglected because of the speed on the outside? A faster TE attracts more attention for the deep S in that coverage?
I get that cover 3 leaves the flats (at least one flat) open, and can be beat with flooding the seams with multiple recievers. Either that or a circle route by the Back.
What I am not sure about is what beats the zone blitz, and it seems you're saying 1) criss-crossing patterns in the middle, and 2) the TE leaking out into the zone over the LB and under the deep S in the middle.
To your first question (and part of the fourth), what I'm saying is if you attack the middle of the field at multiple levels it causes problems for zone blitz schemes. What happens is you have guys, who aren't particularly gifted in coverage anyway, trying to make quick decisions about who to pick up while they're sprinting toward their drop spot. It complicates things. I don't mean to over-simplify. It's not like, "Hey, just do this and you can beat the Steelers." It's not that easy. But those types of combinations do cause problems for those types of schemes.
The zone blitz is generally a 4 or 5 man blitz package. And, you'll usually some sort of rotation. Lots of single high, and robber looks attempting to cut off hot slants and hook routes by running defenders through the passing lanes. So it ends up looking 3 over / 3 under or 2 over / 4 under. But often times, in order to fill the passing lanes, the inside defenders - usually LBs, but often DEs & DTs - have to sprint away from the line of scrimmage. Where the Patriots are gifted is in getting that defender to alter his path either by someone hitching up in his line of site, or sending a TE looping over top of him - then running a second receiver through the vacated area. They literally target an area where there is supposed to be a defender, knowing that the cross action, or misdirection will move him. They basically give him two choices, and they're both wrong. That's why they call it a trap route (or "trap combination").
I'm wouldn't say that this approach "beats" a zone blitz. It's just an approach that's more difficult for that type of defense to react to correctly.
Now, on your second question, yes, that's pretty much what I'm saying. If you can press the safeties deeper, you've got essentially two levels of defenders moving further apart. That should create a gap either in front of or behind the first level. That's a gross over-simplification on my part. But that's the theory.
As far as cover 3... I'm not sure I'd agree with that. There's no particular reason that a cover 3 would necessarily leave a flat uncovered. I mean, it could. But it doesn't have to. It simply means that the deep thirds are being covered by 3 players responsible for a third each. You could have as many as 4 or 5 defenders underneath, which is more than enough to cover the flats. Indeed multiple seam routes are one approach to three-deep coverages as long as their spaced well enough. But in the event of straight cover 3 zones you'd likely want to settle into the gaps and try to complete the short and midrange stuff over and between defenders. Typically, if you can get inside position from an outside receiver away from the rotation you can hit that seam. For instance if the strong safety plays the underneath zone, and the Free Safety has the deep third, you can hit that back side 9 route or skinny post if the X receiver can get a clean release. The safety is rolling away from him and the corner is usually holding the downfield position.
Well, that either cleared things up or complicated them irreparably. This is why my wife doesn't talk football with me.
-jj
Well, that either cleared things up or complicated them irreparably. This is why my wife doesn't talk football with me.
-jj
Outstanding man, really. The more you write the more I learn. I figured the more I ask you the more I bait you into explaining what's inside your head. Thanks for taking the time.
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