Anatomy of an Adjustment: A Defensive Back by Any Other Name...

Super Nomario

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http://central.sonsofsamhorn.net/nfl/anatomy-of-an-adjustment-a-defensive-back-by-any-other-name/
 
 

NFL coaches and commentators routinely talk of “making adjustments.” But what does that really mean? This series of plays from the Patriots’ 30-7 victory over the Vikings illustrates how the Patriots defensive coaching staff makes in-game adjustments..
 
 
If using Patterson as a decoy was so successful, why didn’t the Vikings do this all game? The answer can be found in the last play in the first quarter, when Minnesota attempted to use this tactic again.

This time, the secondary makes the right adjustment. Ryan, who was in man coverage on Patterson on the offensive right side, drops to the middle of the field, effectively playing free safety. McCourty charges in to pick up Patterson leaking out of the left side. It’s essentially the same defense as it was pre-snap, just with Ryan and McCourty swapping roles and sides. Revis and Tavon Wilson (in for Chung) stay in man coverage. Patterson is accounted for and there’s safety help deep, so no one has to cheat anywhere to help. Everyone can just do their jobs, and the defense stays fundamentally sound. Since the trickery doesn’t open any holes in the defense, Minnesota is unable to get anyone open, and the New England pass rush hauls down Matt Cassel for a loss of three.
 

riboflav

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Jan 20, 2006
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Dave, Thanks for this. I'm curious if the Vikings used the Patterson deception after that last play in the first quarter or did they completely abandon it? Did they do something similar by adding a wrinkle or was that truly it?
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Jan 10, 2004
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This is great. I always thought that corners and safeties had the most difficult and complicated jobs on the field after the QB, and I have always wanted to know more about the technical aspects of playing defensive back.

Really enjoying this series.
 

neil

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Jul 31, 2007
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Fascinating stuff. When the Asiata TD happened my thought was that it was poor LB play rather than the Patterson motion that opened up that huge gap. Again, really makes you wish for better more insightful replay on the live coverage.
 
With the adjustments in the 2nd half. Where is that typically coming from? Players just making the right choice or the coaches saying "if you see this again do <x> rather than <y>".
 

Byrdbrain

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Jul 18, 2005
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Well the Asiata TD was poor LB play though the scheme was mostly to blame.
It looks to me that Skinner had him in man coverage but he got caught up in the seam route and was never close to the play.
 

Jettisoned

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Byrdbrain said:
Well the Asiata TD was poor LB play though the scheme was mostly to blame.
It looks to me that Skinner had him in man coverage but he got caught up in the seam route and was never close to the play.
Nah, it was 100% the playcall.  If Skinner runs over and covers Asiata, the left TE would have been wide open in the middle of the field.   The Pats rushed 4 and by the time Cassel was 7 yards behind the LOS, they had committed 4 defenders to the side Patterson ended up on.  Every other eligible reciever went to the other side, which left 3 defenders covering 4 receivers.  They were going to give up a bunch of yards regardless of what Skinner did.
 

Byrdbrain

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Skinner wasn't covering that TE anyway, that looked to be the other LBs guy(is that Hightower?). Coverage was clearly completely blown as people followed Patterson but Asiata was open because Skinner caught caught up in the seam. If Skinner does get there(not sure he could have even if he played it well) then yes that TE is wide open because another guy also blew his coverage. 
 
I agree playcall mostly to blame but multiple LBs were nowhere near where they should have been so bad LB play was a factor.