Off-coverage

[bojanglesman]

I've heard rumblings of Rex using more off-coverage schemes for the corners so far in training camp.  I'm no expert, so I don't know how much of this is a function of installing the defense vs. and actual scheme change.  If it is something that Rex is changing (and it seemed he did it with Cro last year, albeit likely due to injury), I wonder what the reasoning is. 

The best reason I can come up with is that it might allow our corners to cover deeper and intermediate routes better with things in front of them, allowing the front 7 more time to get to the QB.  The problem seems that it would have us getting eaten alive on short routes, slants, etc.  There has to be a reason Rex is doing it, and he certainly knows what he's doing.  Maybe it just fits the abilities of our corners better than trying to force them into press coverage 24/7.

[Miamipuck]

I've heard rumblings of Rex using more off-coverage schemes for the corners so far in training camp.  I'm no expert, so I don't know how much of this is a function of installing the defense vs. and actual scheme change.  If it is something that Rex is changing (and it seemed he did it with Cro last year, albeit likely due to injury), I wonder what the reasoning is. 

The best reason I can come up with is that it might allow our corners to cover deeper and intermediate routes better with things in front of them, allowing the front 7 more time to get to the QB.  The problem seems that it would have us getting eaten alive on short routes, slants, etc.  There has to be a reason Rex is doing it, and he certainly knows what he's doing.  Maybe it just fits the abilities of our corners better than trying to force them into press coverage 24/7.

Rex used it in the 2010 playoffs to great effect as Brady and Manning were both literally confused with all the zone looks they were getting. I think it's a matter of having an inexperienced secondary and he doesn't want to give up the big plays.

[dcm1602]

Rex used it in the 2010 playoffs to great effect as Brady and Manning were both literally confused with all the zone looks they were getting. I think it's a matter of having an inexperienced secondary and he doesn't want to give up the big plays.

I also think the fact that our front 7 is nasty, means we'd have significant diminishing returns on using exotic blitzes

Back when our pass rush was horrendous when Rex first got here we legitimately needed the blitz.

Now,  I doubt it would pay off as well

[Heismanberg]

Man coverage is easier to play and harder to beat if both talents are relatively even, which they usually are in the NFL.  But it's also a really easy read unless teams do some bullshit where they'll bail the CB and have to S come up to play man on the WR.  That's very rare though because most safeties can't hang. 

Playing off is way more difficult to read.  Loose (off-man), Sky (cover 3), Cloud (corners play hash to sideline), Brown (corners play the flat), and Orange (quarters) can all look the same pre-snap.  There's going to be a hole in a zone no matter what the responsibilities are, but QBs will make more mistakes against it. 

I think that zone is the way to go against Tom Brady and that dink 'n dunk excrement they do. 

I can go more in depth with this when my brain recharges.

[AlioTheFool]

Man coverage is easier to play and harder to beat if both talents are relatively even, which they usually are in the NFL.  But it's also a really easy read unless teams do some bullshit where they'll bail the CB and have to S come up to play man on the WR.  That's very rare though because most safeties can't hang. 

Playing off is way more difficult to read.  Loose (off-man), Sky (cover 3), Cloud (corners play hash to sideline), Brown (corners play the flat), and Orange (quarters) can all look the same pre-snap.  There's going to be a hole in a zone no matter what the responsibilities are, but QBs will make more mistakes against it. 

I think that zone is the way to go against Tom Brady and that dink 'n dunk excrement they do. 

I can go more in depth with this when my brain recharges.

I'm certainly looking forward to hearing more.

My thought process is along the lines of: doesn't this mask deficiencies in the secondary and help the front-7?

Playing more zone should allow the safeties to be in a better position to bail out a beat corner, which in turn should allow the guys up front (especially the line) to take more chances going after the quarterback, right?

[Andrew Ryan]

We should be able to get more turnovers/sacks with our corners playing off since quarterbacks won't be able to read our coverage pre-snap.

[Heismanberg]

I'm certainly looking forward to hearing more.

My thought process is along the lines of: doesn't this mask deficiencies in the secondary and help the front-7?

Playing more zone should allow the safeties to be in a better position to bail out a beat corner, which in turn should allow the guys up front (especially the line) to take more chances going after the quarterback, right?

In theory, playing off more should create more turnovers.  Our DL is going to get after it no matter what coverage Ryan calls.  From what I've seen, man-to-man creates more coverage sacks than zone.  If the QB doesn't find that whole in the zone by his second read, he'll either have to check down, throw it away, or tuck it.

With quality pressure from the DL and the occasional LB blitz, most QBs are prone to throw the ball too soon in a disguised coverage.  Ryan can really mess with QBs, especially young ones, with this stuff.  They can rock coverage to the strong side and walk up to press pre-snap.

Antonio Cromartie seemed to play loose man on almost every snap.  A lot of people complained about it, but it made perfect sense.  He has long arms, he's fast as hell, and he had the ability to recover if he got beat.  It wasn't his job to jam wideouts.  He was either supposed to force them inside or just not get beat over the top - he did a really good job with it for a while. 

[Johnny English]

Makes a lot of sense that Rex would tweak the scheme to create more turnovers; only the Texans' implosion kept us from being bottom of the takeaway chart last year despite having one of the best defenses in the league.

[Heismanberg]

It's easy to make mistakes in zone as well.  So, that's the counter to making things difficult for a QB.

A good OC and a good QB can find a way to break it or freak with it.  Wheels out of the back field and smash routes can freak with a zone.

[Miamipuck]

The Jets had some absurd # of recovered fumbles last year, I think it was a grand total of 1. If that simply reverts top the mean the Jets defense will be a excrement ton better in that department this coming season.

[Badger]

Makes a lot of sense that Rex would tweak the scheme to create more turnovers; only the Texans' implosion kept us from being bottom of the takeaway chart last year despite having one of the best defenses in the league.

It also makes sense for him to change the scheme to fit the players.

I remember that was a big deal when Rex replaced Mangini, but I always wanted to see it demonstrated more clearly. Looks like that's happening now.

[Badger]

The Jets had some absurd # of recovered fumbles last year, I think it was a grand total of 1. If that simply reverts top the mean the Jets defense will be a excrement ton better in that department this coming season.

Maybe opposing players were just elite fumblers.

[bojanglesman]

Tom Brady- shutdown fumbler.