Monthly Archives: January 2015

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Redskins QB Comparison: RG3 vs Cousins vs McCoy

After the 2014 season, the Washington Redskins were still left with question marks on who will be the starting quarterback of the 2015 season. RG3 performed well to start the season, but a dislocated ankle in the second week of the season opened the door to controversy for backup quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy. This breakdown will analyze RG3’s, Kirk Cousins’, and Colt McCoy’s 2014 season performances individually and then it will compare all three quarterbacks based on the characteristics that encompass a franchise quarterback in the NFL such as arm strength, accuracy and decision-making.

Stats

  • RG3 - 147/214 (68.4%), 1694 yards, 7.92 ypa, 4 TDs, 6 INTs, 38 rushes, 176 yards, 1 TD in 9 games. Source
  • Kirk Cousins - 126/204 (61.8%), 1710 yards, 8.38 ypa, 10 TDs, 9 INTs, 7 rushes, 20 yards in 6 games. Source
  • Colt McCoy - 91/128 (71.1%), 1057 yards, 8.26 ypa, 4 TDs, 3 INTs, 16 rushes, 66 yards, 1 TD in 5 games. Source

RG3

Here are all of RG3’s plays in GFY form.
Note: For play numbers, this is how they will be referred to unless specifically stated otherwise.

Articles that were written about RG3 on a weekly basis:

In the beginning of the season, Redskins’ head coach Jay Gruden called a lot of quick passing plays and play-action bootleg rollouts similar to the play-calling of former Redskins’ offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.… Article continues here

Justin Forsett vs the Patriots - 24 rushes, 129 yards, 1 Rec TD

Justin Forsett was a journeyman runningback before 2014 playing with the Seahawks, Colts, Texans, and Jaguars. After the starting two runningbacks were suspended or injured, Forsett became the starter and never relinquished his role totaling 1,266 yards on 235 carries. In this breakdown you will see how Justin Forsett fits into Kubiak’s zone-blocking scheme utilizing his patience and vision to find cutback lanes.

Stats
Forsett - 24 rushes, 129 yards, 5.4 ypc, 2 receptions on 2 targets for 17 yards and 1 TD, 1.9 YCo/att, 1 missed tackle

The inside zone run is a staple of the zone-blocking scheme that Gary Kubiak runs for the Ravens. To start the play, the offensive lineman pre-snap determines if he is covered or uncovered. Covered means there is a defensive lineman driectly in front of him. If there is a defensive lineman in front of him, he blocks his man forcing him off of the line of scrimmage. If the offensive lineman is not covered, he blocks his man to the playside zone as a double-team with his team-mate. Once the runningback takes the ball, the defenders will read the run and react to the positioning of the runningback to the seal the gaps. Depending on which defender is present alongside the original defensive lineman, one disengages to reach the second level to block the closest linebacker in the path or safety that is in the box on run support. Let’s take a look at some inside zone runs in Plays 1 and 2.… Article continues here

Geno Smith’s Perfect Game vs Miami - 20/25, 358 Yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs

In what was one of the most surprising moments of the regular season, Geno Smith managed to put together a perfect 158.3 QB rating against the pass defense and pass rush of the Dolphins. That includes four different throws that after the catch, went for at least 50 yards (2 of which travelled 50 yards before hitting the receiver). However, despite the perfect number- this game still showed many of Geno’s flaws and in just a few redzone attempts spoke volumes on why the Jets offense has shied away from passing as they reach the end of the field.

Trusting Your Wide Receiver

Good Geno’s going to come first, and one of the postives about Geno’s game is that he’s not afraid of be aggressive. This is a tendency that gets him into trouble from time to time but it also allows him to be a potential playmaker. The following gifs all show a QB who’s not afraid to give his receiver a chance on the ball downfield. In the second play especially, despite being under pressure and throwing on the run- he keeps his eyes downfield and still leads his WR into a space where he’s going to have a higher chance on the ball than the DB.

In both plays, Geno tosses up a ball that might get contested, but trusts his WR to get there before the DB and box them out. Decker also makes a strong effort to make sure he’s in front of the DB and leaving him out of position on the ball.… Article continues here

Davante Adams vs. the Cowboys (11 targets, 7 catches, 117 yards, 1 TD)

Davante Adams may have had a quiet rookie regular season, but he made a statement in his first career playoff game against the Cowboys. Lost in the headlines among a plethora of excellent rookie WRs this year, Adams only had one game above 100 yards in the regular season. In his game against the Cowboys, however, he seemed to be Rodgers’ go-to target, as he was thrown at 11 times. He caught 7 of those and turned them into 117 yards and a TD, with 79 of his receiving yards coming after the catch.

In this game, Adams showed not only the ability to make contested catches but also the ability to make things happen after the catch with great agility. On the majority of the catches that are about to be covered Adams put some sort of move on a defender to get himself some space. In my opinion, he’s shown enough in his first year as a receiver for me to believe that he’s going to be an effective weapon for the Packers in an offense that is already loaded with weapons. So, without further ado, lets get down to breaking down his targets in the game.

2-4-DAL 4 (Q1, 8:38) (Shotgun) A.Rodgers pass incomplete short left to D.Adams.

Near the goal line, this is Adam’s first “target” of the day, and it’s really a throwaway by Rodgers. I’m not sure if there’s a miscommunication between Rodgers and Adams on the play, but whatever they were running clearly didn’t work.

… Article continues here

Vontae Davis vs. Broncos

Cornerback Vontae Davis is a former 2009 1st round draft pick, and in 2014 he had his breakout season. Pro Football Focus, ranked Davis second in the NFL at his position and caused me to take notice. This past weekend against Denver, one of the league’s top passing attacks, Davis shut down his side of the field. Davis defended 4 passes while only allowing 5 catches for 21 yards and receiving one of the highest playoff grades from PFF.

Vontae Davis had a fantastic season, yielding 0 TD’s and intercepting 4 passes. However, interceptions can be misleading at times due to tipped passes and bad throws. I decided to go back and check out the film to see how dominating Davis really was this past weekend. He didn’t disappoint.

Play 1: 2nd & 12. -24. 4:38 1st.

Defensive Formation: Nickel

Coverage: Cover 2

Offensive Personnel: 11 Personnel

The Colts are in a Cover 2 defense. Davis is guarding his flat zone to the right. The TE on Davis’s side runs a “Post” in order to split the defenders, while the opposite slot WR runs a drag route. The WR lined up across from Davis run a fade route, a Cover 2 beater due to the throwing window between the CB and the FS. In a Cover 2 defense, the CB is taught to pass off the WR to the Safety after a certain yardage, Davis does not do this on this play. He carries the WR up the sideline in order to eliminate the throwing window that I referred to earlier, a very heads up play on Davis’s part.… Article continues here

Tony Romo vs Green Bay - 15/19, 191 yards, 2 TDs

After a week of spotty inaccuracy versus the Lions in the Cowboys’ wildcard match-up, Tony Romo and the Cowboys traveled to Lambeau Field to play the Packers in this divisional match-up. Tony Romo looked excellent all game completing the vast majority of his passes while looking poised in the pocket. A controversial play ended the season for Dallas, but Romo’s performance was not the reason why the team lost. In this breakdown, we will take a look at the scoring plays, the final three plays that ended the game, and how Tight End Witten was used extensively throughout the game to move the chains.

Stats
Romo - 15/19, 191 yards, 10.1 ypa, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 4 sacks for 21 yards

First let’s take a look at the touchdowns in Plays 8 and 10.

Play 8
Situation: 1st and 1 at GB 1
Description: Q1 - (1:09) T.Romo pass short right to T.Clutts for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN [C.Matthews].D.Bailey extra point is GOOD, Center-L.Ladouceur, Holder-C.Jones.


Offense Formation: I-formation Jumbo
Offensive Grouping: 23
Defense Formation: Cover 3

Cowboys line up in a 3-TE set on 1st down so the Packers’ defense sells out on the run stop. Garrett’s play-action on first down completely fools the defense, so it allows FB44 Clutts and actually TE82 Witten to be completely open on their routes. After TE82 Witten and TE89 Escobar on the right side of the line start their route multiple defenders crash through that hole. RB29 Murray’s cut block is what stops LB52 Matthews from sacking Romo immediately.… Article continues here

Russell Wilson vs Carolina - 15/22, 268 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs

Russell Wilson and the Seahawks played their divisional matchup against the Carolina Panthers at home. The Seahawks took the lead in the 2nd quarter and never looked back beating the Panthers 31-17, while advancing to the NFC Championship. Wilson was efficient with the football completing a high percentage of his passes and throwing with anticipation. Outside of some great plays made by Wilson, he struggled with deep ball accuracy underthrowing it on multiple occasions. Even though this was the case, Wilson made the important throws and had flawless decision-making all evening allowing his wide receivers to make the plays necessary for the win.

Stats
Wilson - 15/22, 268 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 1 fumble, 7 rushes for 22 yards, 2 sacks for 20 yards

Let’s take a look at some plays where Wilson was efficient with the ball and made the necessary throw to keep the drive going.

Play 12
Situation: 2nd and 10 at SEA 34
Description: Q2 - (5:47) (Shotgun) R.Wilson pass short middle to M.Lynch to SEA 37 for 3 yards (L.Kuechly; M.Addison).


In this play, Wilson’s first read is the slant on the right side of the field, but there is a linebacker sitting in zone coverage underneath ready for the interception. Instead, Wilson pump-fakes and feels the pressure through RG64 Sweezy who was getting bull-rushed backwards by DT92 Edwards into the pocket.

Wilson feels the pressure and dumps the ball off to RB24 Lynch for a short-gain to set up a more manageable 3rd down.… Article continues here

Kam Chancellor vs. Panthers

Kam Chancellor got a lot of press this week for a play he didn’t make, but what about all of the plays that he did make? Chancellor left his finger prints all over the game this past Saturday in the passing game, whether it was covering Greg Olsen or coming up and making bone crushing hits on receivers; as well as the run game. Chancellor finished the game with 10 total tackles as well as the game clinching interception which he promptly returned 90 yards for a TD. Let’s take a look at the film to see what Chancellor did to help the Seahawks win the game.

To start off, let’s talk about the Seahawks overall defense, so the responsibilities and alignments make a little more sense. The Seahawks base defense is a 4-3 Under, with Bruce Irvin (the Sam LB) basically playing the position of rush LB. Chancellor is in a unique situation with being secondary mates with Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas, being in this secondary allows Kam to spend most of his time playing down in the box, almost as a fourth LB (as seen in the diagram below) giving the appearance of a 5-3 defense. The size and athleticism of Chancellor allows him to match TE’s stride for stride in coverage as well as to fill the hole and stuff the run.

Play 1: 1st & 10. -11. 4:20 1st.

Defensive Formation: 4-3 Under

Offensive Personnel: 22 Personnel

The Panthers are running a classic Power play, where the LG pulls to lead the RB while the rest of the offensive lineman “down block”.… Article continues here

Daniel “Boom” Herron vs. the Bengals (22 touches, 141 yards, 1 TD)

The Colts have had a number of problems with their running game this season. Their breakthrough back in 2012, Vick Ballard, has missed two consecutive years with injury. Ahmad Bradshaw, who they picked up in 2013, has also hit injured reserved in each of the last two seasons. Trent Richardson, who they traded a first round pick for in 2013, has decidedly been a bust. This made room for Dan Herron, a former Ohio State Buckeye who was indicted with Terrelle Pryor in selling game memorabilia. Despite missing about half of his senior year, he was drafted in the 6th round of the 2012 Draft by the Bengals. He spent a year on their practice squad, then spent 2013 with the Colts. This year, he got his first significant playing time in week 12 against the Jaguars.

Herron made a big impact in his first career playoff game against the Bengals both on the ground and in the passing game. Let’s take a look at what he did, starting with the running game and then moving on to the ground game.

Running Game

2-10-CIN 40 (Q1, 13:09) (Run formation) D.Herron left end to CIN 13 for 27 yards (D.Kirkpatrick; R.Nelson).

On this play, Herron takes a pitch to the left, follows his blocking, and picks up 27 yards. The play is successful because Herron follows his blocking until a hole opens up at the edge fro him to get upfield.

From this picture, we can see the Colts have three players (LT Costanzo, LG Mewhort, and RT Reitz) pulling to the side of the run while Fleener, Holmes, and Lance Louis all block the man in front of him.

… Article continues here

Jonathan Stewart vs Cardinals - 24 carries, 123 yards, 1 TD

Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams combine to form an epic duo in the Panthers’ backfield, but in this game Stewart in particular carried the load against the Cardinals’ stout run defense. The Cardinals’ run defense was ranked 7th overall according to DVOA rankings, so this was certainly a tough test for the Panthers’ offensive line. This post will breakdown Stewart’s use of vision and hard cutting ability to make decisive moves in the backfield.

Stats
Stewart - 24 carries, 123 yards (5.1 ypc), 1 TD, 1 reception on 1 target for -3 yards

Play 4
Situation: 1st and 10 at ARI 13
Description: Q1 - (5:29) (No Huddle, Shotgun) J.Stewart right tackle for 13 yards, TOUCHDOWN.G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-J.Jansen, Holder-B.Nortman.

Running Play: Shotgun Read-option Right End Pull

Newton reads the right edge rusher DE98 Rucker and decides to hand the ball to Stewart due to the presence of the defender. The backside LG68 Norwell pulls across the formation to trap block Rucker.

Stewart takes the ball outside and sees LB94 Acho playing contain in the flat so he cuts upfield.

Stewart makes a great juke inside to avoid being tackled and continues to progress outside to set up his spin move. Stewart then puts his foot in the dirt and spins around TE88 Olsen. Olsen does a good job of blocking LB50 Foote out of the play.

Once Stewart gets around Olsen all he has to do is beat FS26 Johnson to the endzone with another quick spin move for the score.… Article continues here

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