Play 1: 2nd & 8. -23. 14:21 1st.
Defensive Formation: 3-4 Okie
Coverage: Cover 1
Offensive Personnel: 12 Personnel
The Colts come out with a trips formation to the field, the Patriots are in their base Cover 1 which they will run for most plays. The Colts run a 3 Vertical concept with their trips grouping, although the outside WR runs a deep comeback. Revis is in man-to-man coverage with the outside WR. As the WR gets off the line of scrimmage, you see Revis allow the outside release. Revis allows the WR to get even with him due to the help he is receiving over the top from his FS. The WR breaks his route off at 18 yards. You see as he settles his hips and begins to make his break, Revis mirrors his movements and settles his hips with the WR, staying in his hip pocket and not allowing a throwing window.
Play 2: 3rd & 8. -23. 14:16 1st.
Defensive Formation: Nickel
Coverage: Cover 1
Offensive Personnel: 12 Personnel (Empty)
Revis has now moved into a slot position due to a RB being split wide to the field, with a LB covering him. The Colts now also have a bunch formation to the field. As we saw last week in the Kam Chancellor article, teams sometimes switch players as the play develops out of a bunch. The Patriots however seem to do it differently. With the Patriots almost strictly running man-to-man coverage, they feel that their defenders are talented enough to sort through the traffic and follow their man and rarely switch, especially when it comes to Revis. You will see on this play that the outside man of the bunch runs a “Drag” under the point man. Revis is responsible for this “Drag” and he does a nice job of recognizing the route concept and following his assignment.
Play 3: 1st & 10. 33. 5:11 1st.
Defensive Formation: 3-4 Under
Coverage: Cover 1
Offensive Personnel: 12 Personnel
Once again, the Patriots are in Cover 1 while the Colts have twin WR’s aligned to the boundary. Out of their twin set, the Colts run a “Post-Wheel” combination, a play used for a big gain. Aligned on the outside, Revis is in press coverage with the “Post” player. With this player being the deep-threat of the team, Revis stays on top of the WR in order to not get beat on a “Go” route. What makes Revis so special is what happens next. The WR breaks inside for the “Post” beating Revis’s over top coverage. Watch as Revis flips his hips without losing ground or coverage and remains in the hip pocket of the WR and still not allowing for a throw.
Play 4: 2nd & 10. 33. 5:05 1st.
Defensive Formation: Dime
Coverage: Cover 1
Offensive Personnel: 12 Personnel (Empty)
Once again the Colts split their RB wide, taking a LB with him and moving Revis into the slot. And once again the Colts try to beat Revis with a crossing route. He sticks right with the WR as he crosses the field, no throwing window once again.
Play 5: 3rd & 10. 33. 4:59 1st.
Defensive Formation: Dime
Coverage: Cover 1 Robber
Offensive Personnel: 11 Personnel
The Colts continue their trend of bunch formations with cross routes in order to beat the Patriots man-to-man coverage. The Patriots DB’s covering the bunch do a nice job staying on different “levels”. Staying on different levels causes the players to not run into each other during crossing routes and to keep their coverage. Revis once again does a nice job on this play. Even guarding a bigger WR who tries to push off of Revis. Revis absorbs the push and stays right with the WR, locking him down again.
Play 6: 2nd & 5. -25. 0:50 1st.
Defensive Formation: Nickel
Coverage: Cover 1
Offensive Personnel: 11 Personnel
The Patriots are in Cover 1, but during this play you see that the Patriots have really been shading their over the top FS towards the Colts number one WR (#13). Doing this puts Revis on an essential island if he is not the one who is on the coverage of WR13. On the play, Revis faces a deep post. Opening his hips towards the field gives the WR only one way to release. Tracking the WR up the field, Revis reacts to each break of the route hanging in their the best he can. Although Revis doesn’t have air tight coverage on this play, the route is long enough developing and the coverage is good enough that their is still no throw.
Play 7: 1st & 10. -33. 0:10 1st.
Defensive Formation: 3-4
Coverage: Cover 1
Offensive Personnel: 12 Personnel (Empty)
With the RB once again aligned to the outside, Revis moves into the slot. The WR runs a straight “Go” route on this play. To start the play, the WR stems inside and Revis jams him with his outside hand. The WR has moved in to set up his outside move next. The technique Revis displays here is another one that makes him so special. As the WR outside releases, Revis switches his jam hand without breaking stride in order to get back on top of the WR and the route, shutting it down completely.
Play 8: 2nd & 10. -33. 0:05 1st.
Defensive Formation: Nickel
Coverage: Cover 1
Offensive Personnel: 11 Personnel
With Revis now on the single WR side, he should expect no FS help over the top which means he will have to adjust his coverage. At the beginning of the play Revis does a great job of staying square and making the WR declare which way he wants to go. As soon as the WR decides to release to the outside, Revis immediately gets his hands on him in order to defeat the route and stay on top of the WR. The ball gets thrown to the other side, where you see the coverage isn’t as good but the ball still falls incomplete.
Play 9: 3rd & 10. -33. 15:00 2nd.
Defensive Formation: Dime
Coverage: Cover 1 Robber
Offensive Personnel: 11 Personnel
On this play you really take note of Revis’s physicality. He gets his hands on the WR immediately and shuts the route down before it even gets started. The WR is not able to get Revis’s hands off and is not able to release into his route, even when he is 10 yards down the field. Plays like this are why WR’s cannot get open on Revis and how he can shut down players and teams.
Play 10: 2nd & 1. -16. 8:34 2nd.
Defensive Formation: 3-4 Under
Coverage: Cover 1
Offensive Personnel: 22 Personnel
With only 1 WR on the field during this play, Revis moves down the line to match-up with the Colts skilled TE. Initially Revis backpedals off the line, as he may not be able to press the TE as he would a WR. Once the TE declares his route (Drag) he immediately jumps into his hip pocket not allowing a throw.
Play 11: 1st & 10. -31. 8:01 2nd.
Defensive Formation: 3-4
Coverage: Cover 1
Offensive Personnel: 13 Personnel
Revis is once again matched up with the bigger TE, this time as a split out WR. Revis allows the TE a release to the inside by opening his hips to the field. This is what the TE wants because his ultimate route is a “Post”. The TE does a nice job getting on top of Revis and uses his strength the fend off the much smaller corner. Revis is caught trailing on this one but still, there is no throw to his match up.
Play 12: 3rd & 8. -33. 7:15 2nd.
Defensive Formation: Nickel
Coverage: Cover 1
Offensive Personnel: 11 Personnel
With the WR inside releasing on this play, he ultimately wants to come back to the outside. Revis does a nice job of immediately getting into the WR as he gets upfield. Staying right on his hip and running with the WR waiting for a break to either side. when the WR breaks to the outside Revis undercuts the route which could have proved costly with no over the top help but the ball has already been thrown and no damage was done.
Play 13: 3rd & 7. 28. 6:17 2nd.
Defensive Formation: Dime
Coverage: Cover 1
Offensive Personnel: 11 Personnel (Empty)
The FS is once again driving on the route of WR13, in the slot to the field, leaving no help over the top. Revis is on the outside WR who will be running a “Post”. The WR makes a nice move off the line of scrimmage to get Revis to jump to the outside before breaking back to the inside. Fortunately for Revis, he stays square on the initial move and is able to open his hips to the inside break and get right back into the WR. The WR comes free for a split second when he breaks to the “Post” but once again not enough room for a throw.
Play 14: 1st & 10. 23. 6:11 2nd.
Defensive Formation: Nickel
Coverage: Cover 1
Offensive Personnel: 12 Personnel
The Colts run a combination of crossing routes on this play, to really try to beat the Patriots man-to-man coverage. Revis is aligned on the single WR to the boundary. The WR runs a “Sit down” route in the middle of the field. All Revis has to do is follow the WR sit down with him. This route is used to defeat zones, so it is easy for Revis to defend.
Play 15: 2nd & 10. 23. 6:06 2nd.
Defensive Formation: Nickel
Coverage: Cover 1
Offensive Personnel: 11 Personnel
This time, although their is a WR to the outside, Revis is in the slot in man-to-man coverage. This play is textbook coverage. Revis stays square while the WR tries to make a move off the line, making the WR pick his release. Once he releases inside Revis does a great job in a trail technique and when the WR breaks for a “Corner” route, Revis is right in his hip and their can be no throw.
Play 16: 3rd & 8. -25. 9:08 3rd.
Defensive Formation: Dime
Coverage: Cover 1 Robber
Offensive Personnel: 12 Personnel (Empty)
Revis knows on this play that he will have over the top help, this will allow him to play trail technique to not allow under throws. Off the line, Revis misses with his initial jam and the WR gets outside of him. This is no matter, because Revis recovers and gets into the WR’s hip pocket again carrying him up the field and giving no room for a throw.
Play 17: 1st & 10. -20. 3:19 3rd.
Defensive Formation: Nickel
Coverage: Cover 1
Offensive Personnel: 11 Personnel
There isn’t much Revis can do on this play. The Colts run a “Smoke-Slant” combo forcing Revis to make an immediate decision. Revis stays with his man since the slant is already being covered. The most Revis could do on this play is try to come under the “Slant” and make a play.
Play 18: 1st & 10. -35. 2:57 3rd.
Defensive Formation: Nickel
Coverage: Cover 1
Offensive Personnel: 11 Personnel
The Colts are in a bunch to the field once again, and Revis is guarding the slot WR. The Patriots strategy of not switching does not work on this play. The WR Revis is guarding inside releases up the seam. This inside release causes the nickel CB guarding the TE to run into Revis and throw him off his coverage allowing a completion.
Play 20: 2nd & 5. -40. 2:31 3rd.
Defensive Formation: Nickel
Coverage: Cover 1
Offensive Personnel: 11 Personnel (Empty)
The Colts run a combination of in breaking routes on this play. Revis is matched up on the outside again this time with the far split WR. The coverage on this play is beautiful. Watch as Revis does not give an inch off the line of scrimmage by keeping his hips square because the WR will not pick a release because he is not going far. When the WR breaks in after 5 yards, Revis is standing right there.
Play 21: 1st & 10. -23. 2:00 3rd.
Defensive Formation: Nickel
Coverage: Cover 1
Offensive Personnel: 12 Personnel (Empty)
The Colts once again run a series of quick in breaking routes. This time, Revis is on the opposite side of the field. When the WR comes off of the line, Revis jams the WR and holds him off the line, not letting him even run his route or even having a chance to get open.
Play 22: 1st & 10. -33. 1:55 3rd.
Defensive Formation: Nickel
Coverage: Cover 1
Offensive Personnel: 12 Personnel
Revis’s second and last target of the day. He is man-to-man with the single WR side. As the WR comes off the line, Revis misses his jam and the WR creates some separation. As the ball is thrown, Revis closes down on the WR and times his jump and defense perfectly in order to break up the ball. A good recovery on this play.
On the next page, we’ll take a look at the few times the Patriots ran a Cover 2 defense.
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