The Colts will give your team's safety fits
by Brad Wells on Jul 15, 2010 12:48 PM EDT
in Colts Analysis
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PrintAnother excellent off-season article by National Football Posts' Matt Bowen, this time discussing the changing impact of safety play in the NFL:
Take the Indianapolis Colts as an example. They run their entire offense out of basically two personnel groupings: Ace, or 212 (2 WR, 1 RB, 2 TE), and Posse, or 311 (3 WR, 1 RB, 1 TE). And, when they run 212 onto the field, they use TE Dallas Clark as the No. 3 WR — aligned away from the core.The easy and quick response from the defense: bring the nickel sub package onto the field. A good play in a third-down passing situation, but what about 2nd and medium or even a 1st and ten situation? Herein lies the issue. The offense spreads the field and forces the defense to bring in a third corner, or a nickel corner, and now the entire playbook of one-back (or "nickel runs") is at their disposal.
Think about it. You are now looking at a defense with a linebacker standing on the sidelines. Easier to run the inside or outside zone, the inside trap, etc
And thus, the genius of the Moore-Manning offense. No trickery. No gimmicks. No silly "Wild Cat" formations, motion plays, or spread-offense-QB-option crap. The Colts simply use their diverse player personnel to drive other teams' defenders and coaches insane.
An example of the "Posse" personnel grouping causing major problems for an opponent was the 2006 AFC Championship Game against the Patriots. Defensive "genius" Bill Belichick had absolutely no answer for the Colts running a three-wide set with tight end Dallas Clark as the fourth wideout. The Colts switched to this base set in the second half after the Patriots built up a 21-6 halftime lead.
Because the Colts opted for their "Posse" formation in the second half, the Patriots (who normally run a base 3-4) were forced to take a linebacker out and replace him with a DB to cover Clark. The results were the Colts scoring 32 points in the second half and completing the greatest comeback in NFL Championship Game history.
Dallas Clark caught 6 passes for 137 yards in that game while Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes ran for a combined 125 yards on 28 carries. Addai's fourth quarter TD run was the game-winner.
I recommend reading the rest of Bowen's article. It's quite good.
Oh, and Peyton Manning is the greatest QB of all time, and Tom Moore is one of the most under-appreciated geniuses ever to coach in this league. Just thought I'd throw that out there.
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just a annoying point to make..
a slight brain fart, you accidentally wrote defensive genius instead of offensive. Agree it was a good read.
Best defense is an amazing offense?
And the Colts certainly have a great offense!
by Richard Hill on Jul 15, 2010 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Also...
…I’m plugging my ears and going, “lalalalalalalalalala.”
by Richard Hill on Jul 15, 2010 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Hopefully this year's Colts will give all defenses fits
Trips left AND right!!!
How can you not love a team that does this?
careful, dear, you'll fall down.
oh, TRIPS… nevermind.
Careful what you wish for... "A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have." Gerald Ford, 38th US president
I'm pretty sure the Patriots are going to try and emulate your offense...
…with Aaron Hernandez. He’s a 6’2, 250 lbs TE who can split out wide. You have to admit, Moss, Welker, a potential Dallas Clark, a big TE in Gronkowski, and Kevin Faulk makes for a pretty sweet theoretical offense. Hopefully it can click.
TO is offering to play alongside Moss for less to Join Pats, Thats alot of deep threat, THINK MOSS HAPPY ABOUT HAVING TOM AS A TEAMATE ?
sorry , should have saved link. No responce was noted by the Pats
Please Read My 1st paragraph of profile to realize my multiple disabilities making it hard to type correctly if there are many typos etc
Meant TO as teamate, he already has a TOM
Please Read My 1st paragraph of profile to realize my multiple disabilities making it hard to type correctly if there are many typos etc
Yeah, Moss wants nothing to do with TO...
…and neither do any of the other receivers. Wes Welker was asked what he thought and he said something along the lines, “I like the group of guys we have because I know they’ll work hard and help each other.” AKA: GTFO TO
by Richard Hill on Jul 15, 2010 7:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Typo
Tom Moore is one of the under apprecited offensive geniuses, it should read.
The 3-3-5 formation is something all DCs have tried against Manning, including Greg Williams of the Saints recently in the SB. The ultimate question is, who can execute it the best. It does help to have 2 good man corners so that it helps with your blitzing without losing much in coverage. Believe it or not, the Saints do have 2 good ones in Tracy Porter and Jabari Greer. BB had only 1 good one in Asante Samuel (Ellis Hobbs is serviceable), Rex Ryan had only 1 good one in Darelle Revis.
The key to defeating the 3-3-5 successfully is have enough double moves called on those plays where blitzes are called (Saints started playing more aggressive and more man in the 4th quarter once they got the lead and saved some of their blitzes for then and it worked for them) and the key that we had against BB in 2006 that we did not in 2009 was being able to run very well against that nickel package. Calling runs and executing them is a different thing. We stuck with the run in 2006 even when we were behind and executed them. We did not in 2009.
I still believe that with 5:42 to go in the game, with the Colts down 17-24, there was no need to call 7 consecutive pass plays, the 7th of which was picked off by Tracy Porter for an INT TD. That was the difference between the 2006 & 2009 team, sticking with the run even when you were behind.
The 3-3-5 doesn't get consistent enough pressure on the Colts.
The Colts did not get pressure that much by it in the Super Bowl. It still worked, I guess, but it is no better than a 4-2-5, in my opinion.
EVH+DLR=BFFs........ God I Hope So!!
The only way to get pressure is the blitzing
Having the 2 man corners allowed Greg Williams to blitz using a couple of his LBs while keeping one LB and 3 other DBs in coverage.
Pressure is not always getting to the QB, pressure can be those situations where you force the QB to make a quick decision and hope that he makes a bad one at some point in time, which happened for Manning.
Re the SB play calling
Yeah, seven consecutive passes, but like Belichick’s 4th and 2 call inthe regular season, it might have been a bit of panic because our D was not stopping Brees with Freeney hobbled…
Or it might have been an attempt to make up for those three consecutive runs in our last possession of the first half—failure to convert, punt the ball back, give them three and some momentum…. you know the deal.
arrrrgh.
I hate Joe Namath. That's how long I've been a Colts fan.
to quote Brian Urlacher,
“Don’t blitz him, dumbass.”
by Heeringa on Jul 15, 2010 2:50 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
I love that quote!
Rec’d
"I throw, you catch. It's NOT that hard!"
Peyton Manning, SNL, 2007
by peytonsthebest on Jul 15, 2010 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Fine article, sir
but you make no mention of the 2010 0-5-0 alignment in which Anthony Gonzalez and Joe Addai play bughouse chess against Clark and Brown, while the other WRs run wild on the D.
I seriously tink Tom Moore should be the first assistant (?) inducted into the HOF, and they should do it while he’s still playing since he refuses to retire (thank God) and should be voted in while he can still enjoy the honor. If you’re gonna set one precedent, might as well smash a few other rules along the way.
I hate Joe Namath. That's how long I've been a Colts fan.
this is the year
that I wish the NFL had the same rules as the CFL with respect to movement behind the line of scrimmage… could you imagine the 5-man bullrush of (in no particular order) Wayne, Garcon, Gonzo, Collie, and Addai?
How can you not love a team that does this?
That 5-man combination
Excuse the crude male expression (and no I’m straight) gives me a “hard on” when I think of the possibilities with the offense!
"Lomu's the Brent Spar with attitude. A figure who inspires hero worship among even those who think a fly-half is a glass of beer consumed when 'er indoors is looking the other way." - Robert Philip Daily
by rangerover76 on Jul 16, 2010 3:44 AM EDT up reply actions
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