The Ravens should sign Brandon Flowers.

The Ravens should sign Chris Culliver.

Every year, fans look through the list of available free agents and hope that the Ravens will make a splash in the free agent market. That is not what the front office does. The Ravens pride themselves on finding the right player at the right price – a solid veteran on an undervalued deal.

A great example is Corey Graham.

The primary reason Corey Graham signed with the Ravens was that he was promised with an opportunity to compete for a job on defense. Graham played in the league for 5 years primarily on Special Teams. Let’s apply the same formula that was used to sign Corey Graham to this year’s list of free agent Cornerbacks in search of the next Corey Graham. Starting with the Pro Football Focus list of available Free Agent Cornerbacks, we will add overall grades for special teams. The goal is to find a solid special teams player who played well as a Cornerback on a limited number of snaps.

Chris Cook was eliminated due to his off-field issues and perceived lack of motivation. That leaves us with Javier Arenas, a 27 year old Slot Cornerback who played for the Atlanta Falcons last year. Arenas is a small Corner. He is 5’9″ and 195 pounds. He played College Football for Nick Saban at Alabama. Cornerbacks that played in the Alabama are known for 3 traits:

• Tackling ability
• Man to man coverage
• Play the ball in the air

I’ve taken Javier Arenas’ draft report and modified it based on the game tape from the 2010-2014 seasons. Below is a summary of what he could potentially bring to the Ravens:

Let’s look at some examples of Arenas’ play on the field. Have a comment? Discuss this on the BSL board here. 

Man Coverage

Man Coverage is where Arenas shines. Here is an example against the Colts.

Arenas  challenges receivers on the release and jams the receiver within 5 yards of the LOS to disrupt the route.

This puts Arenas in a position to take control of the route and re-direct or ‘flatten’ the route of the receiver.

Tackling

Arenas is a solid tackler for his size. He wraps up and brings his opponent down in the open field. For his career, Arenas missed 4 tackles out of 97 attempts. Arenas has difficulty bringing down bigger receivers due to his size. He is a solid tackler against the run. Bigger backs such as Le’Veon Bell at 244 pounds may pose problems for Arenas primarily due to size.

Penalties

Javier Arenas plays with great discipline. Arenas was flagged for 3 passing penalties on 184 passes thrown at receivers that he covered. Here is an example of a ball knocked down in coverage.

Weaknesses

Arenas’ biggest weakness is his height. He will struggle against bigger and taller receivers. A great example was his matchup against Tony Gonzalez. Arenas was able to stay on the hip of Gonzalez throughout the play, but was unable to deflect the ball due to his height.

Another area where Arenas struggles is that he does not possess long speed. Receivers are able to beat him on long vertical routes. When he is on the field, there should always be Safety help up top. Bigger receivers similar to Damarius Thomas really pose matchup problems for Arenas in that they can shield him from the ball using their body or catch the ball on deep throws with their height advantage.

The post Finding the Right Player at the Right Price: Javier Arenas, Slot Cornerback appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

With two premier outside Cornerbacks, the Patriots strengths on defense are pass coverage, especially in the Red Zone. When the Ravens are in the Red Zone, look for the Patriots defensive game plan to focus on stopping the run and force Flacco to throw the ball. Let’s examine the Patriots Red Zone passing defense and see where can the Ravens find success.

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The Patriots Cover 1 Defense

Cover 1 is a man to man defense with a single high Safety covering the middle of the field. The Patriots use this coverage scheme to stop the run or the pass. Against the pass, the coverage is designed to take away routes that break to the sidelines and force Receivers to the middle of the field where help comes from Linebackers in Zone Coverage or a Free Safety at the top of the coverage.

The Patriots Man-Under Two Deep Coverage

Man under two deep coverage is another man to man defense, but with two Safeties at the top of the coverage. Each Safety is responsible for covering half of the deep field. The Patriots use this coverage as a method to bracket or double team two receivers. The Safeties can scan the Quarterback’s eyes and drive down onto routes in medium coverage. The safeties also have the ability to help cover fade routes from faster receivers.

How to attack the Patriots Red Zone Pass Defense

Fade Route to the outside Wide Receiver

Using a vertical release, a receiver such as Steve Smith Sr can work on a Cornerback in press-man coverage to get an outside release.  Steve Smith Sr has the strength and quickness off the line to beat either Revis or Browner and compete for the ball in the End Zone.

An x-factor is Torrey Smith. Smith has the speed to beat a defender in man coverage, but does he have the quickness off of the line to get a clean release with outside leverage?

“You have some talented guys that we have a lot of respect for,” Smith said. “But, we go against NFL corners all the time, and obviously, Darrelle is one of the best. We also have to go against [Browns cornerback] Joe [Haden] throughout the year, who is one of the best, as well.” – Torrey Smith

Catch the ball underneath and get yards after the catch

Against a cover 1 or Man under 2 deep coverage, the Ravens can take advantage of Torrey Smith’s speed and get him the ball underneath the coverage. Use blockers to allow him to gain yards after the catch.

Move the Free Safety from middle of field

Against a cover 1 defense, Flacco can move the safety from the middle of the field with his eyes as he goes through his progression reads. Flacco can also throw a fake pass to one side of the field to get the Safety moving, and then throw to the other side of the field.

Bunch Formations

Bunch formations offer the Ravens offense several advantages against the Patriots man defense. Condensing the receivers can open space on the outside. A Receiver has room on the outside to outrun the Cornerback to a spot where this is room to run after the catch. The Cornerback does not have the protection of the sideline and has to defend against inside routes as well as outside breaking routes.

The post Ravens Can Attack the Patriots Red Zone Defense by Passing the Ball appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

Melvin is a 6-2 Cornerback that went undrafted in the 2013 draft. Melvin’s biggest strength is his football IQ. He is a smart player that exhibits good awareness, play recognition and can react to plays very quickly. Melvin is primarily suited to play in a Zone Defense. When the play is in front of him, Melvin has a good burst of speed and can challenge for the ball in the air.

Although Melvin claims to prefer playing Press man coverage, he is weak in that coverage scheme. Deeper routes, especially those that break outside toward sideline, give him trouble. He can also be burned by double moves. WR, even those who aren’t necessarily quick, are able to get separation.

Let’s take a look at how Melvin was used in Dean Pees’ defense and where he excelled or struggled. Send me your comments on the BSL board here.

Cover 1 – Press Man Coverage

Defensive Coordinator, Dean Pees, has been relying on man coverage from the Corners with a single high Safety as his base defense over the last three games. Against in an inexperienced Quarterback, Pees could afford to leave his Corners on one-on-one coverage with a Receiver while creating an 8-man front to stop the run or rush the Quarterback with more than 4 Pass Rushers.

Playing Press Man Coverage is where Melvin Struggles the most. In a press technique, the Cornerback plays up close to the receiver before the snap. The CB’s goal is to jam the receiver at the snap of the ball in an attempt to throw off the timing between the WR and the Quarterback. Another reason for press man coverage is to stop receivers from breaking towards the middle of the field while Linebackers are blitzing the QB.

Against the Texans, Melvin tries to jam Andre Johnson, but misses. Johnson is able get inside leverage on Melvin. With inside leverage on a Cornerback, the Wide Receiver can easily catch a ball from the Quarterback. What saves the defense is the poor eye discipline by the Texans Quarterback, Keenum. He stares down Johnson during the entire play. The result of this play was an interception due to the inexperience of the Quarterback. A more savvy veteran would have froze the Safety in the middle of the field and then threw to the open Receiver.

Let’s take a look at another example of Melvin’s ability to play Press Man Coverage. During the Browns game, Melvin is able to obtain inside leverage on the Receiver, but fails to jam or disrupt the timing of the route. Melvin is also late on opening up his hips and running with the receiver. The result is that the receiver was able to obtain separation from Melvin and could have scored. Luckily for the Ravens an undrafted rookie was under center for the Browns and chose to throw a 3 yard pass. While Connor Shaw missed the opportunity to throw to an open receiver, a veteran Quarterback in the playoffs will take full advantage of the coverage miss.

Cover 1 – Off-man Coverage

If Pees decides to stick with man coverage, he is better off asking Melvin to line up in Off-man coverage. In off-man coverage, the Cornerback gives a 7-8 yard cushion to the Receiver. After the ball is snapped, the Cornerback doesn’t move until the WR takes 3 steps into his route. The Cornerback then ‘catches’ the route as it develops. This technique allows Melvin to diagnose the route and react accordingly. Pees can also disguise man coverage to look like a typical Cover 3 formation.

Cover 3 – Zone Coverage

Dean Pees has used Cover 3 as his base formation throughout the season. Cover 3 is made up of a three Defensive backs in deep zone and four Linebackers and Safeties in under zone.  This scheme is used in early down-and-distance situations. It allows the defense to create an eight-man front to stop the run, rush 4 and drop 7 into coverage or rush 5 and drop 6 into coverage. In the standard three-deep zone both cornerbacks drop to the outside third with the free safety playing the deep middle of the field (or middle third). Zone Coverage is ideal for Melvin. He likes to play downhill and can read and diagnose plays fairly well.

Cover 2 – Zone Coverage

Cover 2 is a two-deep, five-under zone defense. Pees uses cover 2 in pure passing situations. If the Ravens have a lead in the 4th Quarter expect to see a lot of Cover 2.

By rushing four, and dropping seven into coverage, the defense can take away deep routes and and force the ball underneath to the flat or check-down. Similar to Cover 3, Melvin fits into this coverage scheme very well.

The post Steelers Game Plan on Attacking Rashaan Melvin appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

Over the last 4 games, the Ravens have used the 21 personnel on 46% of their snaps. For the Ravens, the 21 personnel can maintain a strong threat of the run while still allowing the offense to pass.  Coach Kubiak can either call a running set with a fullback and a running back in an I formation or call a passing play in the Ace formation. With a top 10 Rushing Offense, the Ravens use Play Action Passing to exploit mismatches in the defense.  Let’s take a look at some play calls using the 21 personnel and the match-up problems it caused for the defense.

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Up by 2 points in the 3rd Quarter, the Jaguars line up to stop the run on 1st and 10. Recognizing the off-man coverage by the Safety, Flacco checks out of the run and passes the ball to Marlon Brown.

Nursing a 2 point lead, the Jaguars line up to defend the run on a 1st and Goal play. Using a play action pass, the Ravens take advantage of an aggressive Jaguars defense and throw to Owen Daniels for a Touchdown.

On this Play Action pass, the Ravens take advantage of the coverage void in the Flat caused by their Receivers running vertical routes. The Titans LBs crash down into the box leaving Juszczyk open as he runs a Flat Route.

The Ravens revert to the Power Running scheme to close out the Dolphins. The Ravens personnel allows them to utilize zone blocking and power running based on the down, distance and time left.

When defenses adjust and cover Juszczyk in the flat, they leave a coverage hole in the middle of the field for the TE. The reason is that the LBs are covering a potential run while the FS helps cover receivers running vertical routes.

The post Ravens 21 Personnel Pose Match-up Problems for Teams appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

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The key to this defensive scheme is the pass rush of the front four. Over the last 4 games against Baltimore, opposing Quarterbacks are under pressure an average of 42% against total dropbacks. Let’s look at a couple of plays against the Dolphins where pressure by the front four and two deep Safeties helped the Defense.

Pressure generated by the front four lead to a sack.

Safety help up top forces Tannehill to throw to his check down receiver.

Safety help up top in conjunction with pressure from the front four leads to a hurried throw to the check down receiver.

The post Expect Dean Pees To Utilize 2 Deep Safeties Against Jaguars appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

(Thoughts? Send me your comments on the BSL board here.)

Pass / Run Ratio in the Red Zone

Over the previous 4 games the Ravens ran a total of 28 plays in the Red Zone. On the surface, the play calling was very balanced. Fourteen plays were called for the Pass and 14 Plays were called for the Run. Looking at the personnel on the field and the play called will show a completely different result. The Ravens Red Zone offense is predictable based on the personnel on the field.

When the Ravens Offense has a Fullback and Running Back on the field, they are going to run 90% of the time. If there is only one Running Back on the field, Coach Kubiak will calling a passing play over 75% of the time.

Take What the Defense Gives

Since the Ravens are more likely to pass when there is a single RB in the backfield, teams are putting more defenders in deep coverage to protect from the deep throw for a touchdown. This leaves more underneath routes available for the Ravens offense. Unfortunately, Kubiak will call for a passing play that targets the strength of the Defense’s coverage.

An example of this play call can be seen against the Bengals. On a 3rd and 8 on the 19 yard line, the Ravens run a play where the slot receiver is designated to run a seam route drawing the Free Safety’s attention. This leaves the WR running a curl route under the Slot Receiver open. On defense, the Bengals are lined up in a cover 3 formation. In a cover 3 formation, the field is covered by 3 defenders in deep coverage and 4 defenders in intermediate coverage. A cover 3 defense allows for short / underneath routes – Drive, Hitch, Stick, Flat.

The Ravens can’t take advantage of what the defense gives them because all three routes run by the receivers are into the coverage zones of the defenders. The result of this play is a coverage sack.

On other similar plays, Flacco will try to force the ball into a receiver, throw out of bounds or scramble for a couple of yards. There are only 4 defenders rushing the Quarterback, so Forsett can become the check down receiver.

Even when the Ravens have an open receiver underneath, Flacco will still try to throw deep instead of taking what the defense gives. On this 1st down against the Falcons, the Ravens try to isolate Forsett using WR routes to draw away the defenders.

A defender doesn’t bite on the play and starts to cover Forsett. Instead of passing the ball to Forsett and allowing him to make a play, Flacco holds onto the ball looking to throw to Smith Sr in the end zone.

By the time Flacco throws the ball to Forsett, it is too late. The defender is able to contest the ball.

Kubiak can also call for more running plays when there is a single Running Back on the field. Over the last four games, Justin Forsett averages 4.5 yards per carry. Mixing in more runs will allow the offense to take advantage of the defense playing in deep coverage.

Exploiting Coverage Alignments

An example of an excellent adjustment to a coverage scheme was against the Titans. The Ravens were lined up for a running play. Flacco recognized that the defense was lined up to stop the run and that the DB covering Smith Sr had a 5 yard cushion.

After the ball is snapped, Flacco immediately throws the ball to Smith Sr who is running a slant route. The result was a 5 yard gain. Two plays later Forsett ran into the end zone for a Touchdown.

Throw to Juszczyk

Coach Kubiak has gotten away from taking advantage of Juszczyk’s pass catching abilities in the Red Zone. Against the Browns, Kubiak designed this play that isolated Juszczyk and allowed him to get an easy Touchdown.

With 90% of plays being called for a run when Juszczyk is on the field, a pass play would to Juszczyk would allow the Offense to take advantage of a Defense that has not prepared for this type of play call.

Let’s see if Coach Kubiak introduces some new wrinkles in the Ravens Red Zone offense over the remaining 6 weeks to make it less predictable.

The post Improving the Ravens Red Zone Offense appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

Steelers Game Plan Included Attacking Franks and Brown

Dominique Franks and Chykie Brown were responsible for giving up 3 touchdowns against the Steelers. The Steelers game plan included plays to take advantage of their poor coverage skills. Let’s break down 3 TDs and show how Franks and Brown were responsible. 

Dominique Franks in Zone Coverage

On 1st and 10 from the Baltimore 19, the Steelers take advantage of Franks’ poor coverage discipline. The Steelers run a hitch route with the receiver in front of Franks while the slot receiver runs a corner route into Franks’ zone area.

On this play, the Ravens are in a Cover 3 formation. In a cover 3 formation, the outside cornerback must initially show press coverage on the receiver in front of him and bail out into deep zone coverage if the receiver is not running a vertical route (fade, post or corner).

Franks doesn’t bail out into his coverage zone and remains in front of the receiver running the hitch route. He allows the Slot receiver running the corner route to get behind him for the touchdown.

Another example of Franks’ poor coverage discipline is on this 3rd and 9 play on the Baltimore 19 yard line. On this play, Franks bails out into his zone area. The Steelers run two post routes on Franks’ side of the formation. The inside receiver will draw the attention of the Safety. The outside Receiver will break towards the goal post after running vertically for 15 yards. Unfortunately, Franks allows too much separation between himself and the receiver.

Franks is unable to close the distance between himself and the receiver and allows a reception on the 1 yard line. Franks is unable to make a sound tackle since he is out of position and takes a bad angle toward the receiver. Bryant is able to walk in for a touchdown.

Chykie Brown in Man Coverage

On 3rd and 9 from the Pittsburgh 46, the Steelers isolate Brown in coverage by motioning Heyward-Bey away from Brown. This leaves WR Antonio Brown in isolation with Chykie Brown.

Chykie Brown cannot keep up with Antonio Brown and allows Antonio Brown to gain separation. Chykie also takes a bad angle and completely misses on the tackle allowing Antonio Brown to eventually score a touchdown.

Quarterbacks had a passer rating of 137.5 and 112.1 when throwing at Chykie Brown and Dominique Franks. Combined, both cornerbacks gave up 4 touchdowns for the season. When the opposing team can scheme against specific players with great success, then it is time to make a change.

Welcome Danny Gorrer and Tramain Jacobs

Let’s take a look at new cornerbacks Danny Gorrer and Tramain Jacobs

After the Ravens released Gorrer at the start of the 2012 season, he went on to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions. He played in 19 games for both teams lining up as an outside Cornerback as well as a Slot Cornerback. In his last three games with the Lions, Gorrer was targeted 3 times allowing 2 receptions for 41 yards where 8 yards were allowed after the catch.

Tramian Jacobs is an undrafted free agent rookie from Texas A&M. He played for 2 years at Texas A&M netting 1 interception and 11 pass deflections. Jacobs chose the Ravens after considering the Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns and the New Orleans Saints. During the preseason, Jacobs allowed 7 receptions on 10 attempts for 62 yards. He lined up as the outside Cornerback on all 4 preseason games.

Danny Gorrer in Man Coverage

Gorrer has the speed and discipline to keep up with premier receivers such as Randall Cobb. On 3rd and 3 from the Packers 27, Green Bay tries to get a pick on Gorrer by allowing the outside Wide Receiver to block the outside Cornerback as the Slot Receiver runs a wheel route.

Gorrer maintains his discipline and has inside leverage on the receiver. Without committing any penalties, Gorrer is in position to track the ball and deflect the pass. The result was an incomplete pass.

Danny Gorrer in Zone Coverage

Gorrer will typically play with a slightly larger cushion between himself and the defender. In three seasons, Gorrer averaged yielding 5.4 yards after the catch. For comparison, Ladarius averages giving up 4.7 yards after the catch and Jimmy Smith gives up an average of 2.1 yards after a catch. Gorrer will typically keep the receiver in front of him. On 28 receptions allowed, Gorrer has given up two Touchdowns and obtained one Interception.

On this 3rd and 7 play on the Detroit 37 yard line, the Saints throw underneath the Lions zone coverage. Gorrer lines up as the Slot Cornerback. As the slot Cornerback, Gorrer’s primary responsibility is to defend the Seam or Curl route in the middle of the field.

After the ball is snapped, Gorrer does an excellent job of making sure that his primary responsibility is covered. Gorrer then picks up the underneath receiver. The result of the play is a 6 yard gain, but Gorrer allowed 0 yards after the catch.

What to expect from Danny Gorrer

Gorrer is a fundamentally sound defensive back. He is a decent system player and should fill in adequately in the Ravens defensive backfield. He will give up yards, but will not give up the big play. Gorrer does ‘panic’ at times and will hold a receiver when he is out of position.

Tramain Jacobs in Man Coverage

With no access to the NFL preseason games, let’s review Jacobs play against Auburn during the 2013 season. On this passing play, Auburn runs a Hank passing concept that will attack 3 levels of the Aggies defense – Deep, Intermediate and Shallow.

Jacobs maintains excellent discipline and does not leave his assignment to pursue the other two receivers in his area.

What to expect from Tramain Jacobs

There is very little information on Tramain Jacobs. From the Auburn game, he has good discipline and can play in man coverage fairly well. Expect to see him lined up on the outside primarily. There are two concerns with Jacobs.

At times, he takes a poor angle to the receiver while trying to tackle. This results in a missed tackle.

When in isolation, Jacobs may panic and challenge the receiver before he has a chance to catch the ball. This could result in defensive holding or pass interference. This is typical of young Cornerbacks.

The post A Look at the CB Changes appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

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Steve Smith Sr.

Steve Smith Sr is the best Wide Receiver on the Ravens roster. He can line-up outside of the numbers (Plus Split, Numbers Split), inside of the numbers closer to the Quarterback (Reduced Split) or inside the numbers in the Slot Position. Smith Sr is Joe Flacco’s go to receiver on critical downs. Flacco has a QB rating of 118.6 when targeting Smith Sr. Smith Sr is the most complete receiver that has ever been on the Ravens roster. He can stretch the field vertically and horizontally.

Torrey Smith

Torrey Smith’s primary role in the Raven’s offense is to provide the vertical threat. Smith averages 17.1 yards per reception. Smith primarily lines up in a Numbers Split on the line of scrimmage. Smith can be considered as the X-receiver. Lining up in this position allows Torrey Smith to release immediately into his vertically oriented routes. On running plays, Smith is also in a good position to block his defender at the line. The major difference between the 2013 season and 2014 season is that Defenses are placing a safety over the top to help the Cornerback cover Torrey Smith. Last year, Torrey Smith was targeted 41 times on routes of 20 yards or more. This year, he is on pace to receive 22 targets on routes of 20 yards or more. This defensive scheme is forcing Torrey Smith to run more slants and dig routes. Running shorter and intermediate routes are an area where Torrey Smith has historically struggled. He is not a refined route runner. Three of Joe Flacco’s seven interceptions this year are a result of an attempt to force the ball into Torrey Smith’s hands in the middle of the field.

Kamar Aiken

Kamar Aiken is slowly emerging as the number 3 receiver. Why? He is as versatile as Steve Smith Sr. Aiken can play inside the numbers and outside the numbers.

As an outside receiver, Aiken runs a lot of routes breaking towards the middle of the field. He doesn’t have straight line speed (40 yard dash – 4.59s). The Ravens do not need another speedster. The Ravens need a receiver that can catch the ball underneath and in coverage. These needs are the strengths of Kamar Aiken.

As an inside Receiver, Aiken can line up in the Reduced Split. A Reduced Split is where the Receiver is aligned inside of the numbers closer to the center of the formation. This allows Aiken to create room for passes outside of the numbers (such as the Stick Route or Fade Route). Aiken has reliable hands. He has only dropped one pass this year (week 8 – 1st Quarter, 4th down on goal line) . Aiken’s snap count has been steadily increasing over the season. In week 1 Aiken was on the field for 13 snaps. In week 8, Aiken was on the field for 33 snaps. Aiken has just as many targets (16) as Jacoby Jones and Marlon Brown combined (17). Expect to see Aiken continue to play all over the field and firmly entrench himself as the third receiving option for Joe Flacco.

Mike Campanaro

The 2014 7th round pick has gotten almost a third of the snaps in the past three weeks. Campanaro is a solid route runner and is an ideal Slot Receiver. Campanaro is effective at running drive routes and flat routes. He can also stretch the field horizontally (drive route) and vertically (dig route) when the Ravens run crossing routes. Campanaro has been able to find open spots in zone coverage. Campanaro has also made himself available when Flacco is flushed from the pocket.

Marlon Brown

Marlon Brown is not a major target in this offense. Brown has 6 targets so far this year compared to 150 snaps. Brown’s primary role in the offense is as a decoy drawing attention of the Linebackers or Safeties in the middle of the field. Brown is usually brought onto the field when the Ravens line up in Empty or Spread formations. The Ravens use this formation in their 2 minute offense.

Jacoby Jones

After dropping 3 passes in week 1 and 5 passes overall this season, Jacoby Jones is not really a part of the offense game plan. Jones’ snap count has diminished to 8 in week 8. When he is on the field, Jones is used purely as a vertical threat running seam and post routes out of the slot position. Jones has lined up in the slot 72% of the time this season.

The post Position Breakdown: Wide Receivers appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

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Ravens Pass Rush Masked Secondary Play

Situation: 1st Quarter with 10:52 remaining, 3rd and 10 on the Tampa Bay 35 yard line

After giving up a Touchdown on the Ravens’ opening drive, the Buccaneers looked to tie up the score on their opening drive. The Ravens give a cover 3 look during the Pre-Snap read by Mike Glennon. The Buccaneers attack this by using a Hawk Concept on their passing play. This concept works well when the defense is in man coverage or in cover 3. The Hawk Concept is a combination route by two receivers. The outside receiver stretches the field vertically taking the cornerback with him. The slot receiver will run an out route. The idea is that the receiver running the vertical route will take the CB with him and will force the Safety to help out on deep coverage. This leaves the slot receiver open as he runs to the sideline.

The Ravens pass rushers overload the weak side of the defense where 3 defenders rush towards two pass defenders. This results in a pass rusher with an unobstructed path to the QB. Buccaneers QB Mike Glennon is forced to throw the ball early. Jimmy Smith is able to see the ball thrown by the Quarterback, leave his assigned Receiver, and get an interception.

Situation: 1st Quarter with 8:03 remaining, 3rd and 11 on the Tampa Bay 19 yard line

On a passing down with 3rd and long, the Buccaneers attack the middle of the field using the Hi-Lo passing concepts. The Hi-Lo is a vertical passing attack with a high and low read by the Quarterback. The Hi-Lo concept is run out of a stack alignment such as a Bunch Formation. By running out of a stack alignment, offenses can get a “pick” in man coverage. The FS is taken out of the play by the vertical route run by the outside WR on the weak side. If the FS drops down into the middle of the field, the QB can target the WR who has one on one coverage with the CB.

The Ravens rush 5 defenders and they are able to force QB Mike Glennon to make a hurried throw. Glennon’s throw is inaccurate and could have been easily intercepted, but S Darian Stewart drops the ball. If Glennon would have had time to throw, the middle of the field would have been open as Stewart was playing too deep and CB Ladarius Webb was in trail man coverage.  

Safeties Exposed for Big Gains by Buccaneers Offense

When the pass rush is picked up by the offensive line, the Ravens Safeties continue to be exposed by the opposing teams’ offense.

Situation: 1st Quarter with 12:10 remaining, 3rd and 10 on the Tampa Bay 20 yard line

On a passing down of 3rd and long, the Ravens line up in a 2 Man Coverage formation. In this formation, the Cornerbacks and Linebackers will play in man coverage with help at the top provided by two Safeties. The Buccaneers offense attempt to isolate Ravens FS Terrence Brooks using a Mesh Passing Concept. The offense floods the underneath coverage with three receivers forcing the Linebackers to remain underneath in coverage. In order to take away the other Safety, Darian Stewart, the Buccaneers run a vertical route by the outside receiver. This forces Stewart to help out on coverage. The Buccaneers attack the weakness of the defense by throwing to the deep middle of the field. The Cornerback will play underneath in an attempt to sit on the route knowing that Safety help is up top.

As the Receiver breaks toward the middle of the field, Brooks is slow to react to the play. It is the FS responsibility for driving down to the receiver making the inside cut. The result is a 31 yard gain by WR Mike Evans.

Situation: 3rd Quarter with 13:59 remaining, 1st and 10 on the Tampa Bay 35 yard line

Down 38-0, the Buccaneers rely on their deep passing attack to score points in an attempt to make a comeback against the Ravens. The Ravens align in a Cover 1 formation with a single high safety, Matt Elam. The Buccaneers attack Matt Elam by sending two Receivers (WR and TE) in the middle of the field. The Wide Receiver runs a post route attempting to draw the attention of Elam. The TE runs a Seam Read route where he gets vertical going over the LB and then under the Safety.

Elam sits in deep coverage too long and is slow to react to the TE Seferian-Jenkins who has gotten behind Daryl Smith and underneath Elam. This results in a 30 yard gain.

Conclusion

The Ravens are very close to being considered as contenders, but need improved play from their Safeties. With a true Free Safety Will Hill returning to the lineup this week, it will be interesting to see if the Ravens secondary improves. Will Hill allows Matt Elam to move back to his normal SS position. Earlier this summer, I broke down Will Hill’s abilities as a Free safety here.

The post Breakdown: Buccaneers Offensive Gameplan Targeted Ravens Safeties appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

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Pre-Snap Read: Cover 1

In the first half, Flacco was sacked 3 times with an Offensive line that was very shaky against the Colts pass rush. On 3rd and 11 on the Baltimore 45 yard line, the Ravens line up with their Posse personnel consisting of 3 WRs, 1 TE and 1 RB. Flacco is in the shotgun formation since the down and distance dictates a passing down.

On defense, the Colts give a cover 1 look to the Offense. This look is key to the interception. Against the cover 1 defense, the Ravens call a ‘High-Low Opposite’ passing concept playcall. This passing concept calls for two receivers to run routes that break toward the center of the field at different levels in order to vertically stretch the defense. The High-Low passing concept typically run against Cover 1 defenses. Each Cornerback will be in man position and will trail the receiver as they break into the middle of the field. The Free Safety will be takes out of the play by the Slot Receiver, Brown, running a vertical route.

Post-Snap Read Cover 2

After the ball is snapped, the Colts move into their actual defense – 2 Man Coverage. In this defense, there are two safeties. Each Safety will cover half of the field in deep coverage. The Safety will give help to the Cornerback up top. This allows the Cornerback to undercut a route that breaks towards the middle of the field.

By disguising their coverage during the Pre-Snap read, the Colts were able to intercept Flacco as he attempted to pass the ball to Torrey Smith breaking toward the middle of the field. It is also worth noting that Torrey Smith did not run a crisp route on this play and this may have factored into the interception.

The post Breakdown: Flacco’s Interception Against the Colts appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.