FanPost

Geno Blinders - The Check Down and Half the Field - a Detroit Example




This is just a short post on a play from the Detroit game that stuck out for me. It seems to typify not only Geno success, but also his limitation. In a certain way Geno played this play perfectly, he did what it was designed for, but in another sense it really leads to a reduced vision that makes the Jet Offense easier to defend. And the more film defenses get on the Jets, the easier it will be to hem them in.

The play comes in the 2nd series of the game 3-3. The lst red zone drive was doomed by some poor Breno blocking (or OL scheme), and then this series again, by poor blocking, intially by Chris Ivory. In the first play Ivory whiffs on a pass rusher and the play is blown up, then he whiffs again on a Geno run, again, no yards. The Jets want to move the ball, but it isn't happening because the blocking just isn't there. (And as much as I love Ivory as a runner, we can't completely ignore his impact on the offense off ball, especially with Marty who wants to design deception and option.)

The 3rd play ends in a check down to Amaro. 10 yards are needed, the Jets get 6. You can see Geno jump-throwing (his specialty) to Amaro here:

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The most interesting thing about the play though is seen in the wide view, nearly 1/2 the field is wide open for a potent Geno run:

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click on the image for a larger graphic

As the field view shows, Amaro is already covered well below the 1st down marker. If Geno were to run, he would have basically the linebacker Whitehead to beat to the edge, if he beats him it is open field with only a safety on that side of the field, well-down field.

By play design one can see how limited the Jets are. They put only two players downfield North of the first down marker, against 7 Lion defenders:

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Basically, with the Lions only rushing 4 (faking a blitz) Kerley and Decker (I believe it is them, can't see their numbers) have to beat 3 defenders...or Amaro has to break a tackle to get a first down. The play is deep or nothing really. Despite MM calling a fair amount of short passes for Geno, this one is deep. The read seems to be Decker first, trying to split the CB and the safety, then Kerley on the underneath route, then Amaro safety valve, short,

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But protection breaks down, a big deal for a deep play. Ferguson can't keep his man off Geno. When Geno steps up he is still looking down field:

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Even at this point his mind is saying Decker, Kerley, Amaro. The Jets keep in 7 to defend against only 4 pass rusher, but Ferguson's failure destroys the play. Breno actually ends up blocking nobody on the play, and kind of runs himself out of position, and when Colon's man peels off to put pressure on Geno, Geno doesn't even think or see the right side of the field. The play (and his attention) is completely designed to be center left, with lots of pocket security. When Geno suddenly has a man in his face he immediately goes to safety valve Amaro. He hasn't a clue where the defenders are, its what the play is designed to do, and he does it. Read two WRs, check down.

This isn't really against Geno, it is more about the state of the Jet offense, and that the way it is constructed is for isolated reads, and safe check downs, and often large portions of the field are simply not part of the QB's awareness. They want Geno focusing and executing. This play actually looks a lot like the limited route, max-protect plays that the Jets ran during the 3 game slide last year. The problem is that if defenses themselves game plan for the right areas of the field, and if protection still breaks down, there is nowhere for the Jets go to.

For those that might think that this play doesn't mean much, it does in context. A more relaxed or confident Geno might have seen that half the field was open and this is likely a 20 yard run or more, but instead it was the lst of 5 three and outs by the Jets, the defining offensive theme for the half.

This is a FanPost written by a registered member of this site. The views expressed here are those of the author alone and not those of anybody affiliated with Gang Green Nation or SB Nation.