Frozen Sooner
10/11/2007, 02:03 AM
I know this is something that people around here have been talking about a lot over the last week. Here's a really really good writeup about attacking the cover 2 in the NFL. Yes, I know, he's talking about the Tampa Bay variation on the cover 2, but OU's cover 2 is very similar.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/071009&sportCat=nfl
The tight end, the secret to NFL success
Easterbrook
By Gregg Easterbrook
Special to Page 2
Attention, NFL coaches: There are a couple of guys on your roster who can both block and catch. They're open a lot. So why don't you throw to them? The guys I am talking about are tight ends.
Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Indianapolis, Jersey/A, Kansas City, New England, Pittsburgh, San Diego and Washington are running offenses that feature the tight end. Who's on that list? The NFL's three undefeated clubs, plus a team that put up 41 points at 5,280 feet in Denver on Sunday, plus a couple of other winning teams. Monday night, Terrell Owens was shut down cold and tight end Jason Witten was the Cowboys' receiving star, with nine catches for 103 yards and a touchdown. True, it might be so that the Colts, Cowboys and Patriots are getting good tight end production because they have the league's best offenses right now and every aspect of their play is superior. But Tuesday Morning Quarterback suspects one reason these teams are winning is because they are featuring the tight end.
The Tampa 2 pass defense that has infected the league makes it hard for wide receivers to get open. On most downs against a Tampa 2, there are more defensive backs than wide receivers and the safeties are deep to prevent big plays. (Attention, sportscasters, there is nothing mystical about the Tampa 2; it's basically a zone with each safety covering half the deep field. In fact, it might be easier for audiences if you just called this defense "a zone.") But the same properties that make the most popular defense of the moment hard on wide receivers are inviting to tight ends. In a traditional pass-coverage set, there's a strong safety on the tight end and a free safety deep. In a Tampa 2, there's no distinction between the strong and free safeties and both are deep; this means the tight end is covered by a linebacker. A tight end who's covered by a linebacker is an attractive target: Witten's touchdown Monday night came against a linebacker, not a safety. Add to this the fact that the tight end is a big guy, and quarterbacks love tall targets. Add that the vulnerable area of a Tampa 2 is the "seam" where cornerback responsibility stops and safety coverage begins; the seam is a part of the field of which the quarterback usually has a good view.
Roll these things together, and modern NFL quarterbacks absolutely should be looking for their tight ends in linebacker coverage in the seam. The Colts, Cowboys and Patriots, especially, are doing exactly that, with swell results. Dallas Clark of Indianapolis and Ben Watson of New England each have five touchdown receptions this season; among wide receivers, only Randy Moss and Plaxico Burress have more. Jason Witten of Dallas, Chris Cooley of Washington and Antonio Gates of San Diego have three touchdown catches apiece, outpacing most wide receivers at this stage of the season. This season, teams that feature the tight end are getting great results. And historically, teams that feature the tight end usually do well. Joe Montana and Steve Young were always looking for Brent Jones. Troy Aikman was always looking for Jay Novacek.
So why don't more NFL teams throw to the tight end? One reason is fundamental: Bad teams don't use smart strategy. Another reason, I think, is the dynamic of practices and walk-throughs. During practice, the quarterback wears a red pinny and can't be hit, and defensive backs often are told to allow quarterbacks and receivers to get their timing down. The result is that in practice, quarterbacks look for long throws to wide receivers rather than dropping the ball off to the tight end; completing a long throw in practice gets a round of applause. At game speed, the quarterback might wish he were better at finding the tight end, but by then it's too late. Hank Stram used to stand behind Len Dawson during Kansas City scrimmages and scream, "Tight end! Where's the tight end?" Dawson became really good at locating the tight end under game pressure; more coaches should teach this.
Another factor that's taking tight ends out of offenses is that with the increasing emphasis among offensive coordinators on preventing sacks -- teams have so much bonus money invested in quarterbacks that it's bad economics to let them get sacked -- tight ends are being kept back to pass block. The call "max protect" has been heard almost as much this season as "shotgun spread." The teams making good use of their tight ends as receivers also tend to be teams with the best offensive lines. Indianapolis and New England have surrendered a league-low three sacks apiece; because the offensive line performs well, the tight end is free to run patterns. The Redskins, Cowboys, Chargers, Ravens and Giants are low sacks-allowed teams, and hence are free to use their tight ends. After this Sunday's game against Tennessee, Falcons tight end Alge Crumpler blew up about his diminishing role in the Atlanta offense. The Falcons have surrendered 18 sacks; Atlanta coaches are keeping Crumpler in to block. Want to drive defenses to distraction with your tight end? First, build a good offensive line.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/071009&sportCat=nfl
The tight end, the secret to NFL success
Easterbrook
By Gregg Easterbrook
Special to Page 2
Attention, NFL coaches: There are a couple of guys on your roster who can both block and catch. They're open a lot. So why don't you throw to them? The guys I am talking about are tight ends.
Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Indianapolis, Jersey/A, Kansas City, New England, Pittsburgh, San Diego and Washington are running offenses that feature the tight end. Who's on that list? The NFL's three undefeated clubs, plus a team that put up 41 points at 5,280 feet in Denver on Sunday, plus a couple of other winning teams. Monday night, Terrell Owens was shut down cold and tight end Jason Witten was the Cowboys' receiving star, with nine catches for 103 yards and a touchdown. True, it might be so that the Colts, Cowboys and Patriots are getting good tight end production because they have the league's best offenses right now and every aspect of their play is superior. But Tuesday Morning Quarterback suspects one reason these teams are winning is because they are featuring the tight end.
The Tampa 2 pass defense that has infected the league makes it hard for wide receivers to get open. On most downs against a Tampa 2, there are more defensive backs than wide receivers and the safeties are deep to prevent big plays. (Attention, sportscasters, there is nothing mystical about the Tampa 2; it's basically a zone with each safety covering half the deep field. In fact, it might be easier for audiences if you just called this defense "a zone.") But the same properties that make the most popular defense of the moment hard on wide receivers are inviting to tight ends. In a traditional pass-coverage set, there's a strong safety on the tight end and a free safety deep. In a Tampa 2, there's no distinction between the strong and free safeties and both are deep; this means the tight end is covered by a linebacker. A tight end who's covered by a linebacker is an attractive target: Witten's touchdown Monday night came against a linebacker, not a safety. Add to this the fact that the tight end is a big guy, and quarterbacks love tall targets. Add that the vulnerable area of a Tampa 2 is the "seam" where cornerback responsibility stops and safety coverage begins; the seam is a part of the field of which the quarterback usually has a good view.
Roll these things together, and modern NFL quarterbacks absolutely should be looking for their tight ends in linebacker coverage in the seam. The Colts, Cowboys and Patriots, especially, are doing exactly that, with swell results. Dallas Clark of Indianapolis and Ben Watson of New England each have five touchdown receptions this season; among wide receivers, only Randy Moss and Plaxico Burress have more. Jason Witten of Dallas, Chris Cooley of Washington and Antonio Gates of San Diego have three touchdown catches apiece, outpacing most wide receivers at this stage of the season. This season, teams that feature the tight end are getting great results. And historically, teams that feature the tight end usually do well. Joe Montana and Steve Young were always looking for Brent Jones. Troy Aikman was always looking for Jay Novacek.
So why don't more NFL teams throw to the tight end? One reason is fundamental: Bad teams don't use smart strategy. Another reason, I think, is the dynamic of practices and walk-throughs. During practice, the quarterback wears a red pinny and can't be hit, and defensive backs often are told to allow quarterbacks and receivers to get their timing down. The result is that in practice, quarterbacks look for long throws to wide receivers rather than dropping the ball off to the tight end; completing a long throw in practice gets a round of applause. At game speed, the quarterback might wish he were better at finding the tight end, but by then it's too late. Hank Stram used to stand behind Len Dawson during Kansas City scrimmages and scream, "Tight end! Where's the tight end?" Dawson became really good at locating the tight end under game pressure; more coaches should teach this.
Another factor that's taking tight ends out of offenses is that with the increasing emphasis among offensive coordinators on preventing sacks -- teams have so much bonus money invested in quarterbacks that it's bad economics to let them get sacked -- tight ends are being kept back to pass block. The call "max protect" has been heard almost as much this season as "shotgun spread." The teams making good use of their tight ends as receivers also tend to be teams with the best offensive lines. Indianapolis and New England have surrendered a league-low three sacks apiece; because the offensive line performs well, the tight end is free to run patterns. The Redskins, Cowboys, Chargers, Ravens and Giants are low sacks-allowed teams, and hence are free to use their tight ends. After this Sunday's game against Tennessee, Falcons tight end Alge Crumpler blew up about his diminishing role in the Atlanta offense. The Falcons have surrendered 18 sacks; Atlanta coaches are keeping Crumpler in to block. Want to drive defenses to distraction with your tight end? First, build a good offensive line.