Film Breakdown: Jordan Reed vs Bears

Dec 17, 2015

Follow @SamuelRGold

Follow @NFLbreakdowns

When Jordan Reed is on the field, he is a dynamic receiver for the Redskins. He has a natural ability to create separation at the top of his stems using quick cuts and basketball-style movements to free himself in coverage. Unfortunately, “when” is the key word. In his first three seasons, Reed has never played more than 11 games in a single season due to various injuries. Barring an injury in practice this week (knock on wood!), Reed will play in his 12th game this season against the Bills after a fantastic performance against the Chicago Bears. In this game, he collected over 100 yards through the air for the third time in his career. Additionally, he scored his seventh touchdown on the season while helping the Redskins remain atop of the NFC East. Let’s take a look at some of his plays from this game.

Play 1
Situation: 2nd and 12 at CHI 18 (6:57 1st)
Description: (Shotgun) K.Cousins pass short middle to J.Reed for 18 yards, TOUCHDOWN. The Replay Official reviewed the runner broke the plane ruling, and the play was REVERSED. (Shotgun) K.Cousins pass short middle to J.Reed to CHI 1 for 17 yards (S.McManis)

The Redskins are in in their favorite 3×1 set using three wide receivers on the right side of the field, with #86 Jordan Reed on the left by himself.
Bears use #31 Chris Prosinski as the deep center safety while running a hi-low zone on the left side of the field. This is meant to guard against any smash-concept the Redskins would use here.
Cousins, after the snap, finds the deep safety and stares him down. This holds him here while Cousins recognizes that the coverage’s weakness is over the center of the field.
At the top of his stem, Reed steps outside to pull cornerback #23 Kyle Fuller outside by opening his hips, then cuts inside on his post-route. This is what creates the clean break into the middle of the field combined with Prosinski’s deep placement over the middle of the field.
Cousins places the ball perfectly. It’s an incredible throw with velocity right on the money to Reed as he comes out of his break.
After the catch, Reed fights his way and it takes four of the Bears’ defenders to bring him down. Reed almost scores, but his elbow touches the ground right before the goal line. What an incredible show of strength.
On the right side of the field there is a coverage breakdown. Watch as Crowder gets a clean release into the endzone. Cousins reads the play as a Cover 3 shell and if the defender did not screw up his zone responsibility then there would be someone waiting for the throw.
As a side-note, watch #11 DeSean Jackson grab his right knee after he cuts on his route. This is the play where he initially injures his leg and consequently hobbled around for the rest of the game.

The Redskins would get the touchdown on the very next play with a one yard run by Alfred Morris. It was Morris’ first touchdown on the season.

This is my favorite play by Jordan Reed against the Bears.

Play 2
Situation: 2nd and 10 at WSH 38
Description: (13:29 3rd) (Shotgun) K.Cousins pass short middle to J.Reed to CHI 30 for 32 yards (S.McClellin)

Reed, from the right side of the formation, releases cleanly inside on a slant-route behind #11 DeSean Jackon’s deep corner route.
LB #58 Jonathan Anderson is playing the underneath zone. Thinking he recognizes the route combination, Anderson attacks the flat, but gets completely burned with Reed’s juke step back inside.
Reed catches the ball cleanly and powers his way up the middle of the field for a 32 yard gain on the play surrounded by five of the Bears’ defenders.
How was Reed so open independent of Anderson’s blown assignment? The Bears actually are in a Cover 2 shell, but since they respect DeSean Jackson’s ability to make deep plays, the Bears use bracket coverage with #21 Tracy Porter and #31 Chris Prosinski to take him out of the play. Simply having a deep threat as capable of DeSean Jackson opens up the field for other players as this is the perfect example of how stats can be a terrible measure of effectiveness for football players.

Play 3
Situation: 3rd and Goal at CHI 5
Description: (8:00 3rd) Jordan Reed Pass From Kirk Cousins for 5 Yrds D.Hopkins extra point is GOOD

In the third quarter, the Redskins use Reed on a designed rub concept underneath the trips formation on the left side of the field.
The Bears recognize the play and attack Reed to get in the way of a potential quick throw underneath.
Cousins is patient with the football waiting in the pocket that his blockers did a great job of setting up for him. He finally sees his opportunity as #58 Anderson leaves his zone over the middle of the field in an effort to slow down Reed. Reed, however, is too quick and breaks free behind Anderson for the touchdown pass.
Give credit to the Redskins’ offensive line here as they kept this play alive long enough for Cousins to find Reed.

All game long Jordan Reed helped the Redskins move the chains against the Bears. In this play, Reed lines up underneath #11 DeSean Jackson and runs a quick-out to the left sideline. Since the Bears are in a Cover 4 defensive shell only dropping three in zones underneath, Reed is open as cornerback #21 Tracy Porter follows Jackson on his corner route.

This is a smash-concept designed to attack Cover 2 and Cover 4 defenses. Cousins recognizes the defense quickly and uses Reed to get away from the poor field position while collecting a first down on 2nd and 10.

Here is another example of Jordan Reed gaining 28 yards on a short crossing route underneath the Redskins two-man concept sending #14 Ryan Grant and #88 Pierre Garcon deep. Reed simply has an ability to make people miss especially when Cousins is accurate with the football. This allows him to gain yards after the catch in this West Coast offense.

Now his official stats on ESPN will say that Reed only has 9 targets. So why do I say 10?

If you watched the game you will remember a “Manziel”-heave across the field by Cousins. This ball was actually intended for Reed, but Matt Jones ended up catching it. You can see in the film below that Reed has his defender’s back turned, so Cousins attempts to give Reed the “opportunity ball” (his words, not mine).

As much as I have liked Cousins’ decision-making this season, this is one of his worst decisions he has made all season. Cousins is desperate to make the play on 3rd and 6, but the Redskins are winning 24-21 with 4 minutes left in the game. Why make this throw?

The play is busted due to #91 Eddie Goldman’s bullrush into the backfield on LG #61 Spencer Long. Cousins really should just toss it at the feet of his receiver (commonly known as a “McNabb”) to avoid the sack and just move on or even slide and take the sack to waste more time. Unlike the Redskins in the past, they were actually rewarded not once, but twice on this play.

Matt Jones made a great catch off the hands of the defender, but then he (stupidly) tosses the ball on the ground without being touched and it somehow returns to him. Their luck wouldn’t last, however, as they punted on the next set of downs.

Overall, Reed was fantastic showing quickness off of the snap and crisp route-running that opened him underneath the opposition all game. When the Redskins paired DeSean Jackson and Reed together they were unstoppable. Jackson did not catch his first ball until the 4th quarter, because Reed was so effective and open for most of the first half due to the game planning against this defense. Look for him to continue to be a factor in this offense as the run game continues to struggle.

Follow Samuel Gold on Twitter: @SamuelRGold.