Advocate staff photo by SCOTT THRELKELD
By Nick Underhill | The Advocate
If you haven’t screamed a version of that phrase at your television, or don't know someone who has, you probably haven’t been watching this team very closely. Some of the criticisms have been fair. It’s tough to see Cam Jordan sitting in a shallow zone when there is no pressure on the quarterback.
But there is a method to defensive coordinators Dennis Allen’s madness. It’s appeared many times this season. A couple of weeks ago against the Buccaneers, Sheldon Rankins dropped into a shallow zone and knocked a pass away intended for wide receiver Chris Godwin. Then, during Sunday’s 31-28 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the defensive tackle sat in a zone, read a pass to wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and ripped it out of his hands for the game-sealing fumble.
Rankins hasn’t heard the criticisms about defensive linemen dropping into coverage on a zone blitz, but he does have an easy answer for them.
“That’s football,” he said. ...
Full Story - The Advocate
