- Admin
- #1
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2003
- Messages
- 8,233
- Reaction score
- 15,709
- Age
- 40
Offline
Since most people seemed to really enjoy this last time, I've got some more clips of WR/DB 1-on-1s to break down. This time, we're gonna pick on CGJ, and I'll touch a little on what makes playing the nickel/slot a little more of an asymmetrical matchup than playing perimeter CB.
I recommend watching the clips at half-speed.
First up: Harty vs. CGJ (Comeback)
youtube.com
This is a good rep with Harty doing what he does best. You can see CGJ playing hard press (inside leverage, feet slightly wider than shoulder width, firmly planted). Harty's first move is an outside slide step. CGJ stays disciplined, sliding with him (not crossing his feet) to maintain that inside relationship. A DB should never react to the WR's first move off the line, and CGJ doesn't (he stays square and slides, again, to maintain the same leverage relationship that he had at the line).
Even though this isn't a "slot rep" (judging by alignment just inside the numbers... could be a slot rep to the boundary), the way CGJ plays it (either out of habit or discipline) is as a slot defender. A perimeter CB playing press would typically be a little more aggressive here on a lateral slide like that, opening their hips and funneling the WR wide (leveraging the sideline as an 'extra defender'). CGJ knows that that first step outside can often be used by the WR to then cross the DB's face and get back inside (on a slant, crosser, post, etc.) and he rightfully doesn't commit.
Harty sets him up well here with a hesitation step, then a hard release to the outside fade, gaining enough width to avoid CGJ getting his hands on him. Where he wins the route is when he looks back over his inside shoulder to sell the fade, before pounding his foot, coming hard out of his break, and separating on the Comeback route to the front pilon. The ball is well-placed and on time, and results in a TD.
Olave vs. CGJ (Fade) (trigger warning: someone's grandma was filming this)
youtube.com
Here we get a speed release to the fade from Olave. Where Harty used an outside slide step, Olave squares CGJ up at the line to try and freeze him, then explodes to the outside vertical stem. The advantage here is that he is not giving as much ground off the line (which is what Harty did with the initial slide step outside) and that leaves the QB more space to throw the fade.
CGJ plays this well, closing on Olave's hip and getting in phase. What we see from Olave here, on the contested catch, is an example of what I discussed in my previous article 'The little things' about what separates Chris Olave from other WRs. You can see him gearing down, looking for the back shoulder throw. However, the ball is not placed back shoulder (where Olave expected it), and fortunately his reaction is on-point, with a well-timed jump and late hands (or hand, in this case) to secure the 50/50 ball.
Of course you'd love to see the WR go up with both hands, but Olave is already opening for the back-shoulder ball and using his inside hand to feel out the defender. When the ball came front-shoulder, he didn't have time (or body position) to go up with both. The end result is a great one-handed snag and a TD--a great catch vs. great coverage.
Jarvis Landry vs. CGJ (Fade)
youtube.com
You get a little bit of a combo of both Harty and Olave's releases here: Slide step, square up, release to the fade. GREAT wiper hand by Landry when CGJ tries to punch (such a subtle, veteran move), clearing the jam and throwing CGJ briefly off balance.
CGJ recovers to get in phase. Like Olave, Landry is looking for the back-shoulder throw on the fade. He uses the same feeler hand as Olave, but this time it lands right on CGJ's facemask, which would have/should have drawn a flag (though it's probably 100% incidental). The ball placement here is great, high and to the outside (I always tell my QBs, when they're throwing back shoulder, to try and peg the WR right in the back of the helmet). He displays great body control, going up, extending and adjusting to the back shoulder throw for the TD.
A GREAT veteran route, but likely would have resulted in an OPI/illegal hands to the face call.
BONUS: Can't Guard Mike
youtube.com
Speaking of back-shoulder fades, let's take a look at the best in the business. I believe MT is going against Adebo here, and it looks like Adebo may have learned his lesson about trying to out-muscle the man. He doesn't even attempt to jam MT off the line, instead focusing on using his speed to stay in phase and hopefully break up the pass.
What makes MT great on this is he never even gears down. A lot of this is repetition and communication between the WR and the QB (being able to discuss and understand exactly what each other want/expect)--and just MT possessing the size and catch radius to instill confidence in his QB. Because he never has to gear down and show through body language that he wants the ball back-shoulder, the DB can't anticipate it.
Thanks to his extraterrestrial-level body control, MT is able to adjust to the throw at the very last possible second. Doesn't matter if it's Adebo, Lattimore, or Deion Sanders, no CB would have a chance at preventing this catch.
I recommend watching the clips at half-speed.
First up: Harty vs. CGJ (Comeback)
✂️ Harty vs. CGJ redzone
11 seconds · Clipped by Coach Dan Levy · Original video "Saints Training Camp 2022 Day 13 Highlights" by Whodatsnation
youtube.comThis is a good rep with Harty doing what he does best. You can see CGJ playing hard press (inside leverage, feet slightly wider than shoulder width, firmly planted). Harty's first move is an outside slide step. CGJ stays disciplined, sliding with him (not crossing his feet) to maintain that inside relationship. A DB should never react to the WR's first move off the line, and CGJ doesn't (he stays square and slides, again, to maintain the same leverage relationship that he had at the line).
Even though this isn't a "slot rep" (judging by alignment just inside the numbers... could be a slot rep to the boundary), the way CGJ plays it (either out of habit or discipline) is as a slot defender. A perimeter CB playing press would typically be a little more aggressive here on a lateral slide like that, opening their hips and funneling the WR wide (leveraging the sideline as an 'extra defender'). CGJ knows that that first step outside can often be used by the WR to then cross the DB's face and get back inside (on a slant, crosser, post, etc.) and he rightfully doesn't commit.
Harty sets him up well here with a hesitation step, then a hard release to the outside fade, gaining enough width to avoid CGJ getting his hands on him. Where he wins the route is when he looks back over his inside shoulder to sell the fade, before pounding his foot, coming hard out of his break, and separating on the Comeback route to the front pilon. The ball is well-placed and on time, and results in a TD.
Olave vs. CGJ (Fade) (trigger warning: someone's grandma was filming this)
✂️ Olave vs. CGJ redzone
14 seconds · Clipped by Coach Dan Levy · Original video "Saints Training Camp 2022 Day 13 Highlights" by Whodatsnation
youtube.comHere we get a speed release to the fade from Olave. Where Harty used an outside slide step, Olave squares CGJ up at the line to try and freeze him, then explodes to the outside vertical stem. The advantage here is that he is not giving as much ground off the line (which is what Harty did with the initial slide step outside) and that leaves the QB more space to throw the fade.
CGJ plays this well, closing on Olave's hip and getting in phase. What we see from Olave here, on the contested catch, is an example of what I discussed in my previous article 'The little things' about what separates Chris Olave from other WRs. You can see him gearing down, looking for the back shoulder throw. However, the ball is not placed back shoulder (where Olave expected it), and fortunately his reaction is on-point, with a well-timed jump and late hands (or hand, in this case) to secure the 50/50 ball.
Of course you'd love to see the WR go up with both hands, but Olave is already opening for the back-shoulder ball and using his inside hand to feel out the defender. When the ball came front-shoulder, he didn't have time (or body position) to go up with both. The end result is a great one-handed snag and a TD--a great catch vs. great coverage.
Jarvis Landry vs. CGJ (Fade)
✂️ Juice vs. CGJ redzone
6 seconds · Clipped by Coach Dan Levy · Original video "Saints Training Camp 2022 Day 13 Highlights" by Whodatsnation
youtube.comYou get a little bit of a combo of both Harty and Olave's releases here: Slide step, square up, release to the fade. GREAT wiper hand by Landry when CGJ tries to punch (such a subtle, veteran move), clearing the jam and throwing CGJ briefly off balance.
CGJ recovers to get in phase. Like Olave, Landry is looking for the back-shoulder throw on the fade. He uses the same feeler hand as Olave, but this time it lands right on CGJ's facemask, which would have/should have drawn a flag (though it's probably 100% incidental). The ball placement here is great, high and to the outside (I always tell my QBs, when they're throwing back shoulder, to try and peg the WR right in the back of the helmet). He displays great body control, going up, extending and adjusting to the back shoulder throw for the TD.
A GREAT veteran route, but likely would have resulted in an OPI/illegal hands to the face call.
BONUS: Can't Guard Mike
✂️ MT backshoulder redzone
5 seconds · Clipped by Coach Dan Levy · Original video "Saints Training Camp 2022 Day 13 Highlights" by Whodatsnation
youtube.comSpeaking of back-shoulder fades, let's take a look at the best in the business. I believe MT is going against Adebo here, and it looks like Adebo may have learned his lesson about trying to out-muscle the man. He doesn't even attempt to jam MT off the line, instead focusing on using his speed to stay in phase and hopefully break up the pass.
What makes MT great on this is he never even gears down. A lot of this is repetition and communication between the WR and the QB (being able to discuss and understand exactly what each other want/expect)--and just MT possessing the size and catch radius to instill confidence in his QB. Because he never has to gear down and show through body language that he wants the ball back-shoulder, the DB can't anticipate it.
Thanks to his extraterrestrial-level body control, MT is able to adjust to the throw at the very last possible second. Doesn't matter if it's Adebo, Lattimore, or Deion Sanders, no CB would have a chance at preventing this catch.
Last edited:
