Stampede Blue: All Posts by Eric Miller

What I Learned from Week 15

2012-12-18T19:00:31Z

I didn't get to watch a lot of football this week, but the Colts game, highlights and results taught me some things. While most of these do apply to the Colts game, I saw them in other games this week to, especially the Sunday night game.

The NFL needs to add helmet to helmet contact to the review-able plays list. The penalties are very steep, as they should be, but the plays happen to fast to know for sure what happened. On at least 3 plays during the football I watched yesterday, the offense was awarded a 1st down on a 3rd down stop by the defense for something I would NOT consider helmet to helmet. You can see if the helmets make contact on each and every replay. Give the coach a chance to challenge.
Andrew Luck must win the rookie of the year this season. While Luck didn't do enough to win this game, he has done it how many times this year. RG III is a great player but the Redskins won this week without him. That hurts any case that people would make for him. Kurt Cousins came in and led the Redskins to the win. Could Drew Stanton could do the same with the Colts roster? I think that proves, beyond doubt, that Luck is more deserving of the award.
The NFL needs to watch more carefully the cut blocks on engaged linemen. On Arian Foster's long run in the second half, the hole was opened by an illegal block combination. I saw the same thing at least two more times both in-game and during highlights. If the rule is still in the rulebook, it needs to be enforced. While the competition committee looks and new rule changes and possible expansion of the playoffs, the low block issue will be the most critical one discussed this off-season.
Vince Wilfork and J.J. Watt are the most unblockable defenders in the NFL. I few years ago I would have added Dwight Freeney to that list, but not anymore. Any offensive line scheme that doesn't plan on accounting for these guys with extra players is bound to fail. Even when the guard "wins" the battle, it can easily tun into a loss. Unbelievable.
Throw first QBs who have the ability to run (ie. Griffin, Luck, Kapernick) will change the way football is played the way Manning, Brady and Manning changed the game a few years back. When Peyton revolutionized offensive football with the "muddle-huddle" and winning by outsmarting the defense, the other QBs that could do it, did. The same is happening with the first-year starters for this year. I see it changing football the way the "Brain Gang" did.

Those are my thoughts for this week. What are yours? Who you got for most dominating defender? How will the NFL change in the three years?

All-22 Colts Defensive Breakdown - More Trends, Observations Of The Hybrid 3-4

2012-12-15T23:05:31Z

I know what you are saying...sorry it has been so long. Family commitments over the Thanksgiving Holiday, the beginning of my busiest work month of the year (December) and a 6-month old with a head cold and an ear infection just ate up all my time.

Anyway, here's my plan for this article: First, just some general observations from the last few games. Then a breakdown of something new, something good, and something that we will see a lot of on Sunday.

Observations:

Moise Fokou is terrible in pass coverage. It's in my notes from EVERY game. He comes in in Nickel situations and seems to be targeted by opposing QBs. Always a step behind.
Double moves will beat any of our corners, especially Cassius Vaughn. They are always trying to jump the underneath route and our new, single high safety look doesn't always get there in time to help.
We have a few really creative blitzes in the playbook. The majority of the time we do not use them. Our pass rush this year depends on rushers winning 1-on-1 match-ups.
Our defensive discipline is better than I have seen it in a long time. The cutback lanes that used to get us gashed are consistently filled now. See the Chris Johnson runs from last week.
We need to watch the 3rd down penalties. In the second half of the Tennessee game, we allowed 3 drives to continue via penalty when the defense had made the stop to get us off the field. Not good!
Kavell Conner was all over the field against the Titans. Maybe he didn't like the fact that Pat Angerer was listed as the starter for that game.

All-22 Film:

First, let's look at a new formation we have been using during the past couple weeks and the play we ran out of it against the Titans. This formation is only used on 3rd and long situations. First, a look at the defensive alignment against Detroit.

This is a look from the end zone and what the O-line would need to account for. Basically, we have a three-down set-up (Robert Mathis is standing in the picture above) and we walk all 4 LBs to the outside to show blitz. Here is it against Tennessee.

A unique look for a team that used to just sit in basic 4 down setup. In this picture it ever looks like we might have a man unblocked if all 7 come on the blitz. We haven't run that play though. Next, we see what the Colts scheme looks like. I see it as a cover three deep with only three of seven potential rushers actually coming.

Finally, we see how the offense attacked this. By running the outside receiver on a skinny post, they find a window for a throw and potential completion. The good reaction to the throw by Vaughn saves a long completion.

While this alignment might confuse the O-Line a bit, Is has not created pressure on a QB yet. I would like to see some variations used to keep the opposition guessing.

Next, let's take a look at one of those creative blitz packages I mentioned we have, but don't use often. Most of the time we line up in a 3-4 alignment and Dwight Freeney puts his hand on the ground before rushing. It ends up looking like a 4-3 that is just off center from the offense.

In this alignment, we have walked the middle LBs down to show a double A-gap blitz. With 6 guys in range to blitz, the back has to commit to helping out the left side of the O-Line before he does anything else.

In the next picture, we see the Colts actual design on the play. Antoine Bethea comes on a safety blitz but waits until the offense has made it's initial adjustment to tip his hand. Freeney and Moises Fouku actually back off into soft zones and the right side of the O-line is overloaded by four blitzers.

Here we see the effect this has. the Colts have sent six pass rushers, the Titans have six blockers, but the Colts have the Titans out-flanked.

Since the back committed to helping the left side of the line, the overload on the right side allows Robert Mathis a free rush to the QB. If you go find this play in the game, Moise Fouku got called for holding on the play and the Titans still got a 1st down, but the design is good. With our lack of consistent pass rush, we need to be inventive.

Finally, we take a look at a play I am certain we will see many times on Sunday. We all know the Houston Texans love to pass off of play action with the roll-out. It was this play that lead to the infamous "Rosen-chopper" a few years ago. It just so happens that Tennessee ran their version of this play once on Sunday. Here's a look:

First, play design. Stretch left action. Key for the offense is to seal the rusher on the back edge so the QB has a place to roll out to. The flow of the defense will be to the right so crossing routes that move across to the left of the defense are tough to cover. Jerry Hughes is the defender assigned to drop back to stay underneath the crossing route and he actually does a good job during this play.

The key to this play for me is the person in at the end spot. In our 3-4 alignment, that player is not often asked to rush the QB. In this instance, if they can get pressure or even just contain on the QB, it could be a great defensive play.

In this example you can see that the DE is getting pushed inside and Locker has a free run and clear passing lane to the outside. You can also see Pat Angerer looking at Chris Johnson in the backfield. This play actually makes him choose who he will cover, the RB releasing late or the crossing route behind him.

The Colts must have a plan for how to cover this. If they don't, it will be a long afternoon in Houston.

All-22 Breakdown: Defensive Lessons From The Last Colts V. Jaguars Game

2012-11-08T16:09:48Z

I know I normally break down the most recent game. I was at the Miami game and was fairly pleased with what I saw. I will get to that one later in the week. I decided to jump back and look at the game we played against Jags during week 3.

This one should haunt Colts fans. Can you imagine being 6-2 at this point? We should be. We played the Jacksonville Jaguars in week 3 and were 80 yards and 0:56 and, as it turns out, 1 play away from winning the game. First some general comments about what I saw on the film.

We need to have a great plan for taking on the FB. The Jags used a blocking FB on nearly every run last time. Our ILBs need to be strong and shed that blocker to close up holes. I expect Pat Angerer to excel at this. He didn't play in week three and could make a big difference this time around.
For years offenses have tried to negate the Colts pass rush by using quick drops and getting the ball out of Blane Gabbert's hands. I expect that to continue again this week. No crazy stunts that take too long to develop. Quick, well timed blitzes should be the only extra pressure plays called.
The defensive line did a great job in game 1 of winning when they had a 1-on-1 matchup. This needs to continue. The Jags have many run designed that use double team blocks to open holes up. If the defenders find themselves in a single blocker matchup, they need to win.
Backside run support discipline, as always, will be key. If the cut-back lanes are not controlled, it could be a long night for the defense. Looking at the first game, we showed great discipline on some plays and terrible on others. Consistency will be key.

On to some film breakdown.

1st Quarter, 3:39 remaining, 1st & 10 on the JAX 20

Here is an example of good backside discipline and the defensive line winning a 1-on-1 matchup. First, a look at the defensive scheme on the play.

Look at Vontae Davis down at the bottom of the picture. His first responsibility is the TE on that side of the field. If that TE runs a route, he has that coverage. It is also key that the two ILBs fill their gaps well.

Here we see the TE stayed in to block the rushing OLB. The OT moved Cory Redding to the inside, opening up a cutback lane for MJD. Davis recognized that opening and made his way up to fill that gap.

Davis fills the gap, Redding sheds the block, play stopped for short game. THIS is how we need to play defense.

3rd Quarter 12:16 remaining, 1st & 10 on the JAX 41

This is an example how not to play defense. Similar concept to the previous play. It's Jerraud Powers at the bottom of the screen this time. Again, his first responsibility is to cover any receiver that comes out to his side of the field. His read is on the TE and WR to that side of the field.

This time, Powers reads an outside run and comes around the outside of the line. As the TE and OT start on a double team on Redding, the FB comes and wipes out the OLB. The two ILBs try to fill gaps and the OT releases to the second level and the pulled guard from the opposite side opens a seam. Also check out the WR on the left side of the picture. He makes no move to the outside, but comes inside to block the safety. Even though you can't see Powers, he is unblocked on the outside.

If Powers had read the WR correctly, he would have followed the WR to the inside and had a better angle on the play. Instead, Powers misreads the play and leaves a lane open. Result, touchdown Jags.

4th Quarter 12:04 remaining, 1st & 10 on IND 24

A little about play design here. Manusky sends a blitz here that rattle Gabbert. A look at design first. A basic alignment we'd used all day with 3 down linemen and 2 OLBs pushed up to rush. Both ILBs show blitz before the snap. Man coverage underneath with a "robber-1" concept in the secondary.

Here's a look from Gabbert's perspective. You can see the Colts have "outflanked" the Jags. 5 defenders that could rush v. 4 blockers on that side of the line. Good design. Where it falls apart for me is on the other side of the line. With the OLB rushing the passer, the TE gets a free release off the line. As you can see, no one is covering him.

Let's look at the wide angle again. With the rushers bearing down on Gabbert, he has to make a snap decision. There are still 2 receivers wide open with one defender unsure of who to cover. If Gabbert had read the release of the TE, this play could have been a TD.

A better design would have let the OLB jam the TE at the line. We still would have had the advantage that allowed the free rusher and better coverage in the secondary. This play actually resulted in a defensive PI call that gave the Jags another 1st down, but it had the potential of being a better if the design was just changed slightly.

I realize this game will be totally different than the last. Powers and Davis are not playing. Angerer and Freeney are playing. MJD is out, but Jennings still worries me.

It was quite difficult to watch this game again. This is one that got away. We played well all game and just had a couple of lapses that ended up costing us the game. Visits to Jacksonville always worry me. Let's hope the Colts solidarity as a team helps lead them to a win.

Colts Defense All-22 Breakdown: The Pressure Problem

2012-11-03T14:42:15Z

Welcome to your weekly All-22 breakdown of the Colts Defense. First off, some observations from the game against our division rival Tennessee Titans.

The defense was only on the field for 23 plays in the second half. By far the least in a half so far this year. That's a tribute to both the defense making plays and shortening drives and the offense extending drives and running the ball with some authority.

The Kendall Wright TD should not have been. 1) There should have been an OPI flag. Cassius Vaughn had great coverage until Wright pushed off for separation. 2) The ball was not secure as Wright came to the ground. Should have been incomplete.

Jerraud Powers struggles in press coverage. He is improving and getting better as a Man-to-Man corner, but he is more successful when he leaves a bit of room to work with. He was targeted and beat consistently when pressed up against the Titans receivers.

We struggled to get pressure all day. The Titans plan was to get the ball out quickly and it kept the pass rush at bay most of the day. It was not the only factor though. My breakdown for this week shows that it is not just effort, but some really stage play design that may be effecting our pass rush.

1st Quarter 8:47 remaining, 2nd and 16 from Colts 23

I picked this play for a couple reasons. First, I am quite glad Cory Redding is playing again. He understands this defense and knows how to work within it. This play goes down as a sack for Drake Nevis, but Redding makes the play possible.

Check out the play design. Basic Man under cover 2 coverage. Redding and Nevis are have a stunt game going here. Redding engages the right guard and center. Nevis takes a step forward to lock in the other guard and then has a short path to the QB thanks to Redding.

Now in the last picture, you can actually see the successful rush from Nevis that leads to the sack on the play. You can see the huge rush lane opened up by the great work along the line by Redding. The design is good as well leaving a player blocking no one and a rusher on a free path to the QB.

Unfortunately the design was no that good all game. I could tell that Manusky was trying to get pressure all day, but he got a little out there with some of his rush designs.

Quarter 1 0:18 remaining, 3rd and 4, ball on Ten 26

This would have been a great chance to get the Titans off the field. Manusky tries to dial up the pressure, but tips his coverage hand to the veteran Hasslebeck.

Look at all those lines from the defensive line. Hughes and Freeney are on straight paths. Nevis loops all the way around Freeney and Redding loops around Nevis. Crazy play that takes way to long to get pressure.

Look how far Nevis and Redding are asked to go. Seems insane to me. It also seems to give the defensive enough time to adjust to the rush and negate any confusion that may have been caused.

Check out the Titans play design. Easy completion here. With the motion to the stacked formation, the man coverage the Colts were using became easily beatable. The LB maned up on the back crosses paths with the CB in charge of the WR. This little rub route is something we used for years. The Titans execute it perfectly. The strange part of the play is the pressure design. Not a fan of that.

Here's another one that confused me.

Quarter 4 11:18 remaining, 3rd and 11, ball on IND 12

Another great time to get pressure. 3rd and long is the time to pull out your best stuff. While the play did end up as a success for the defense, it's not because of the pressure on the QB. Check out design first.

Yeah, those arrows are correct. Basically, the right side of the picture rushed for the opposite side of the offensive line. The two rushers on the left side of the picture loop around the rushers on the right side. Talk about a slow pass rush. Check out the lack of rush and clean pocket that Hasslebeck has.

While it just happens that the coverage on the back end is good during this play. The rush takes way to long to get anything done. That's asking a lot of your defensive backfield.

What does this mean for the game this weekend?

Pressure is one of those things that could be a key to every game in the NFL. It's like saying that winning the turnover battle is important. In a league where passing rules, pressure negates that. Especially going up against the 'Phins QBs who have not been great under duress.

If you at the plays again, all of these rushes are from a 4-down defensive front. While I understand that Manusky is trying to confuse the block scheme of the offense, I think those long routes to the QB are not the answer. I would prefer to see backers press and then not come. Linemen move around and show overloads and then come from the opposite side. That creates the confusion, not designing rushes that take 5 seconds to develop.

As with each one of these breakdowns so far, I have seen positive things on the film. There are plays where we look like a formidable team. That play by Redding and Nevis is exciting and doesn't compromise the backend defense. We need more consistency, not just from players, but coaches as well.

One a personal note, I'll be at the game on Sunday! I want to see a win! Let's Go Horse!!!

NFL.com All-22 Breakdown: Colts Defensive Trends And The Pat Angerer Effect

2012-10-26T20:14:23Z

All-22 Breakdown: Colts V. Jets, Week 6

Wow.

The Week 7 Jets game was hard to watch. Even worse the second time around. The adage in the NFL goes: "You'll never win if you score FGs and allow TDs to your opponents." Never more what was on display in that game. Yes, the numbers look bad. Yes, the performance was horrible. Is there anything we learned from the game film? Most Assuredly!

First, a look at the alignments we used during the game. In our breakdown of the Colts dramatic victory over the Packers in Week 5, we were able to see the defensive staff make adjustments at half time that changed the game.

Against the Jets, the front adjustments were:

Colts Defense @ Jets
1st half					2nd half
Players	Down	Near	Sent	Press	Players	Down	Near	Sent	Press
1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0
2	0	0	0	0	2	2	0	0	1
3	18	0	1	3	3	16	0	0	7
4	16	7	9	7	4	8	6	5	5
5	0	19	18	0	5	0	12	11	0
6+	0	7	6	0	6+	4	12	14	0

A few points here:

Our "standard alignment" for this game was a 3 down with the two OLBs pressed up on the line. Dwight Freeney actually stood up more often than any other game this year, and was not effective. Was it because he was standing up or because he was injured? Hmmm....
The defense appears to have sold out to stop the run the majority of the game and still couldn't do it. It even increased in the 2nd half to no avail. 6 plus guys in a blitz position 7 out of 34 plays in the 1st half and 12 out of 30 plays in the 2nd half. Not a good sign for things to come.
The Colts played more press combination on the outside. There were times when half the field would be pressed up and the other would be backed off. Such variation was pleasing to see. It was rather obvious that the Colts coaches did not see the Jets passing game as a huge threat.

The problems with the Jets game were two fold:

A number of times we were out-schemed by offensive coordinator Tony Sporano and the Jets offense.
A couple times the defense blew assignments on running plays. At least one, we showed the ability to do better. That's the killer. We have the ability and talent to perform better than this and didn't.

How about an few examples of each!

Example One: 2nd Quarter, 5:59 remaining 1st and 10, Ball on NYJ 30

First, check out the alignment. Tim Tebow is at the QB position while Mark Sanchez is still on the field, split out wide to the far side of the field. With Tebow in, the Colts defense is obviously on alert for QB keep and run. Freeney has his hand down and, at the snap, jumps inside. The problem is, his responsibility is outside contain. The play is well covered to the other side by both inside LBs jumping inside to contain Tebow.

As the play develops, Sanchez does nothing, but keeps a defender over with him. That means the Jets offense has a man advantage for blocking. Tebow reads Freeney's jump down inside and gives the ball to Green. If Freeney had taken his contain responsibility, he would have been in position to make the play.

Now Greene has the corner with blockers in front of him. The play design got the Jets an advantage, and one missed responsibility (Freeney) let the play blow wide open.

Example Two: 2nd Quarter, 3:40 remaining, 1st and 10, Ball on IND 39

Same drive as the previous example. It shows how well some plays went for us. Again, a fairly standard alignment for this defense. 4 down and nickel personnel in the backfield. First thing I see is how "norma"l this looks. Freeman is not pressed up, showing blitz. With the silent count used by the Jets, Freeman is able to time his blitz just right and change the play.

Here's the Jets' scheme for the play. Its not great. They are counting on the TE coming across to take out Freeman on a trap block. With Freeman's timing being so good on the play, there is no contest.

Final Picture. Freeman has beaten his block and is ready to blow up the play. Also notice Hughes has set the outside edge and does not allow a cutback lane around the outside. Good design and good execution.

THIS is what the new defense should look like.

Example Three: 4th Quarter, 6:39 remaining, 1st and 10, Ball on NYJ 20

This is an example of poor design by the Colts coaches AND the timing being not quite right.

This time they staff appears to be selling out to stop the run. 9 players in the box trying to stop the run. My problem with design is that the Jets have an even alignment, but the Colts have overloaded the far side of the field. Again, the play design relies on the OLB to set the edge. If that doesn't happen, there is no help to stop a big gain.

Jerry Hughes gets taken out of the play by a perfect down block from the Jets TE. the only people left to make a play are the 2 LBs and Safety that were positioned on the other side of the field.

Another big play for the Jets in the running game. Why isn't Zibikowski on the other side of the LBs? The key to the play is Freeman again. He is not blitzing on this play, but reacts properly to the run he sees and almost blows it up. Again, timing is everything. One step closer and the play is stopped for a loss. A better design and the play is stopped for a minimal gain.

All in all, this was a game to forget! Tough to watch and tough to watch again and breakdown. Sometimes, the Colts defense looked like a team that really wanted to win. Other times, they forgot assignments and got taken out of plays too easily.

All-22 Breakdown: Colts V. Browns, Week7

General Observations

Tom Zibikowski was great all day long. Coverage, tackling, blitzing. There wasn't one play that I was upset with where he was or what he was doing.
The Colts played a lot more single high safety than I can ever remember. The CBs were on an island an awful lot.
Standard nickel package during this game was a 3-3-5 alignment. Ricardo Matthews, Drake Nevis and Dwight Freeney playing the line. Jerry Hughes, Jerrell Freeman and Pat Angerer at LB. This was different from Indy's 2-minute package defense which was also a base nickel. Moise Fokou was in for Angerer in the 2-minute drill situations.
With Fokou in, the Browns ran crossing routes in front of him and seemed to target him.
The starting linebackers (until Robert Mathis comes back) are Jerry Hughes, Pat Angerer, Jerrell Freeman and Dwight Freeney, in that order. When the outside guys switch sides bases on the alignment of the offense, but the inside guys switch as well in order to keep that order intact. Angerer is always next to Hughes and Freeman is always next to Freeney.
Cleveland's playcalling after the Andrew Luck fumble in the 4th confused me. 1st and 10 - pass for 9 yards. 2nd and 1 (run formation) shot down field, incomplete. 3rd and 1 (run formation), shot downfield, incomplete (should have been TD). Punt?!??! Why punt? It's 4th and 1. Your defense has stymied the Colts offense for most of the half. If you are going to take two shots downfield, go for it on fourth down.

The Pat Angerer Effect (aka, Pat Angerer v. Kavell Conner)

Pat looked good against Cleveland. You can really tell he was excited to be back on the field. His energy was a huge lift for the defense. Angerer played 20 of 60 defensive snaps. I'm sure that was planned.

The biggest surprise for me was the ability and timing Pat showed while blitzing. This is something he hasn't gotten to do often here in his career. His runs were well timed and right in line with the defensive scheme of the play. He does need to watch lowing his head as he reaches the QB. He was close to a "driving the QB into the ground" penalty twice in this game. Careful!

When it came to comparing Angerer with Kavell Conner, the All-22 tape made it easy for me. Cleveland ran the same play twice during the game with the Colts in the same defensive ailment each time. The first time, Conner was in at ILB. The second, it was Angerer.

Conner in at ILB: 1st Quarter, 7:17 remaining, 1st and 10 ball on Browns 10

This was the Browns first offensive play of the game. The first picture shows the defensive coverage and offensive play call. Fairly simple on both fronts.

Colts are in a Man-Under 1 concept. Zibikowski has deep centerfield with the LBs and CBs in man coverage underneath that. Jerry Hughes is standing up and will rush the passer while Freeney has his hand down on the opposite side.

The Browns run a deep hitch (15 yards) on the near side and a go on the far side. The near TE crosses the middle of the field while the opposite TE stays in to help on Freeney. The RB wheels out of the backfield. The play is designed to either confuse the man coverage between the safety and the linebacker, or have a hitch open in the case of zone.

The play design works here because Kavell Conner and Antoine Bethea both follow the TE underneath. With the corner cleared out by the deep hitch and Zibikowski held by the deep routes, the RB has 10-20 yards between himself and nearest defender.

Here's the last shot when you can see Conner realize that he has blown his assignment on the play. Easy completion for ~~young~~ rookie Weeden and 9 yards on the first play from scrimmage.

Angerer in at ILB: 3rd Quarter, 3:19 remaining, 1st and 10, ball on Browns 20

Well, would you look at this. Same alignment, same defensive scheme, same play. Hell, it's almost the same spot on the field.

This time Angerer stays with his assignment on the play and is in the flat to cover the back before the ball is delivered. Weeden actually reads this and goes to the second option on the play. You can see the coverage on the play is quite good all around.

It takes a very good throw and a great catch from Greg Little to gain the yards on that one. Check out the last picture. The defensive line also did good work to clog the throwing lanes on the play. No one was going to get to the QB this time, but we got people in the way.

While the play still turned into a first down for Cleveland, it was much more work. Weeden had to make a top-notch throw, with people in his throwing lane. All players in the NFL are professionals. We cannot win if we let things be easy for people. Blowing coverages on the first play on the field is unacceptable in this league. It will lead to losses.

Angerer showed me on Sunday that he is back. His burst was there. His timing was on. His tackling was solid. His motor was as high as ever. While I'm sure the play discussed above is not the only reason for giving Pat more snaps, it does illustrate the fact that Angerer was better on Sunday.

In the end, that's what matters.

Follow Eric Miller's weekly All-22 write-ups about the Colts here at Stampede Blue. An All-22 breakdown of the Colts offense is available here.

Breaking Down The 2012 Indianapolis Colts 'Hybrid' 3-4 Defense

2012-10-12T14:32:12Z

I, like most of you I'm sure, was dumbstruck at half-time of Sunday's game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Green Bay Packers. On pace for a 42 - 6 final score something had to change. The Colts were not getting any pressure and the Packers looked content to ride the wave to another W.

Then came the second half. Now, the old leadership of the Colts would have attributed the second half turn around to people doing "their jobs" better and "working harder." All of that is true, but it's not the whole story.

If this season has taught us nothing about the new regime in Indy, it has shown us that they are not afraid to change things up. I noticed it while watching the game live, so I decided to use the new All-22 feature from the NFL's Game Rewind product to take a look.

First, I looked at a few simple things. How many down linemen did we have? How many people were in a blitz position? How many people rushed the QB? What coverage where we showing (just a simple observation like press or off)?

Here's a chart of what I saw (what good is a breakdown without a chart?).

Colts Defense v. Packers
1st half					2nd half
Players	Down	Near	Sent	Press	Players	Down	Near	Sent	Press
1	1	0	0	1	1	2	0	0	0
2	1	0	0	1	2	2	0	1	1
3	6	0	0	4	3	6	1	1	4
4	23	11	20	12	4	22	5	15	5
5	0	14	9	0	5	0	15	12	0
6+	1	7	3	1	6+	0	11	3	0

First big thing. The Colts still have 4 linemen down 55 out of 64 defensive snaps. That comes from trying to keep Freeney comfortable. Is it working? Jury's still out. We haven't gotten to see him for a couple weeks.

Second, look at the change in people near the line and people sent after the QB in half two. We started showing more pressure and sending more creative pressure. I think this will be a continuing trend. I've got a specifc play that I'll show you in a bit.

Last point on the chart. Look at the pressed DBs. 19 out of 32 plays in the first half (nearly 60%) of the corners pressed against the Packers receivers. Second half, 10 of 32 plays (31%). Big shift. That's the coaching staff sending a trend and adjusting to it.

On to a couple of plays to illustrate my point:

2nd quarter 4:27 left, 3 and 10 Packers Ball on the Colts 31

Picture 1 - The Colts show up in a simple alignment here. No question to me that it's man across the board. Especially after Randall Cobb goes in motion.

Picture 2 - It's as simple as Madden. Man coverage on a quick receiver running a slant = no chance for the defense. Wes Welker has made millions doing this. Notice the terrible angle Antoine Bethea takes to try and make a play. Easy score because of the simple read we gave Rogers.

Picture 3 - Here's a look from quarterback Aaron Roger perspective. Notice the max protect line call in front of that give Rogers a clean pocket and a wide open throwing lane. Impossible for a defense to stop.

Result: TD Packers

This was the case throughout the first half. The receivers beat the press coverage and the protection of the Packers stopped our pass rush. They knew right where the pressure was coming from and how to neutralize it.

Let's look at a play from the second half as an example of how things changed.

4th quarter 14:57 remaining, 3rd and 15 Packers Ball on the Packers 23

1st Picture - Notice the alignment. 6 guys showing blitz. Corners back. Granted it's on 3rd and 15, but still. 3 guys appear to be coming from each side. I diagrammed what the defense will do. Check the next picture for what Rodgers would have seen.

Picture 2 - This one from behind the line. Rogers feels comfortable seeing a hat on a hat if all 6 Colts come on a blitz. What ends up happening when the LB goes to cover the TE is that the Packers ended up with a blocker doing nothing.

Picture 3 - Still behind the line. Look at Rogers head. He is looking right at the TE, who he thought might be uncovered. He sees the LB coming across for coverage and has to hold the ball or risk a pick. Also check out the loop run on the line. Early in the game, Rogers hurt the Colts by breaking some contain on the line. This time, two Colts linemen engage 3 Packers linemen and allow the end to loop and fill the escape route.

Robert Mathis flushes Rogers up in the pocket right into the bull-rush of Dwight Freeney. The defense confused Rogers by showing an even number of blitzers on each side and simple coverage that ended up being not simple.

It is easy, and correct, to say that the defense "just played better" in the second half. They were more disciplined and it shows in the things they were able to do.

I would expect this to continue throughout the season. I have not looked at what we did the rest of the year as far as disguising coverage and blitzes. I do think this is a clue into what this defense can be as they continue become more comfortable playing together.

I have to say, love having more defensive interest to look at and break down. This is not Tony Dungy's Tampa-2 anymore. I can't wait to see it evolve throughout the year.

The Replacements - Referee Edition

2012-08-30T16:36:46Z

You all remember that unbelievably bad movie with, in my opinion, the greatest actor of our time (where is that sarcasm font) Keanu Reeves, Gene Hackman and Jon Favreau, right? An NFL players strike prompts a team owner to bring in a group of rag-tag, never-were castoffs to keep the games going. "Hilarity" ensues as a these folks come together and beat an actual team of NFL players as the strike ends. A feel good story if I've ever seen one.

If only all Replacements could be so good. The NFL Referee's Association lockout that is currently wreaking havoc on our national past time has shown us that this is real life, not a Hollywood script.

I come at this story from a unique perspective as I spend 5 months a year as a baseball umpire in Northeast Indiana. I have worked everything from 6 year old tee ball up through NAIA level college ball. While this means I have sympathy for officials because I understand what they are going through on the field, I also tend to hold them to a high standard of knowing the rules and calling them as they are written.

NFLRA officials are paid well (average $149,000 per year, still the lowest of all the major sports leagues) so they should know the rules and be prepared to take the pressure. The fight, as always revolves around money and benefits. I find the fits points boring so I won't even bother.

My beef right now is with the NFL.

When the NFL last had a lockout of the NFLRA (through regular season week 2 in 2001), they "called up" officials that were on a "waiting list" for NFL games. These folks were high-level D-I officials that had put in the work to be ready for NFL level games. They did a fairly decent job. Not so this time.

The Replacements this time around are officials that worked in leagues like the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and (I was actually unaware there was such a league) the Lingerie Football League. These are leagues at least 5 steps away from the NFL. As anyone who has worked in any field will tell you, there is a pecking order to these things. To get from the Lingerie League to the NFL should be a 7 year process, with time to get comfortable at each level. The NFL has thrown all that out the window. They gave them 3 months.

What the NFL is doing here would be like Major League Baseball calling me to work the Cubs game next weekend. While I would try my hardest, as I am sure these replacements are, I would not be prepared to work at the highest level. I like to think I would hold my own, but I know there would be things I'm not prepared for. The speed, the athletic ability, the knowledge and quick reference to past situations would not be there. I would be drowning. That is what is happen right now with these officials.

We are at a tipping point where comedy (missed holding calls and punts downed at the 4 called touchbacks) could turn into tragedy (helmet to helmet hit ending a career). Pre-season speed in nowhere near regular season speed. If things are being missed now, what will happen then?

Players will always try to push it to the next level, try to see what they can get away with. These officials do not have the respect of the players and the coaches, and therefore, do not have control. (I'm think of a game this pre-season where the officials looked at a ball spot replay and confirmed the spot. Then a coach challenged the same thing. The Replacement said " There's a challenge so we'll take another look.") Why not just give the coach a flag and let him throw it from the sideline. Or better yet, let the players call their own fouls (Can't you see Freeney pulling a flag out and dropping during a speed rush around the end?).

My umpire supervisor has a saying, "The biggest game you work should not be the highest level you've ever worked." It keeps officials from feeling in over their heads. It is clear to anyone watching the games that these Replacements are in too deep. These are both the biggest game and the highest level they have worked. Not a good combo.

I make this plea to the NFL; Fix this dispute with the refs. Not only is it messing with our favorite game, but the lack of control shown so far is going to lead to someone getting hurt. Get to the table and negotiate.

2012 NFL Draft - AFC South Recap

2012-04-29T12:00:32Z

The draft is over and the UDFA wave is underway. As we get info about the undrafted players, we will post it, but this is to recap what was done with the picks we made during the draft itself.

Indianapolis Colts -

Round 1(1) - Andrew Luck QB Stanford
Round 2(34) - Coby Fleener TE Stanford
Round 3(64) - Dwayne Allen TE Clemson
Round 3(92) - T Y Hilton WR Florida International
Round 5(136) - Josh Chapman DT Alabama
Round 5(170) - Vick Ballard RB Mississippi St.
Round 6(206) - LaVon Brazill WR Ohio
Round 7(208) - Justin Anderson T Georgia
Round 7(214) - Tim Fugger DE Vanderbilt
Round 7(253) - Chandler Harnish QB Northern Illinois

The first pick for the Colts today had many saying that we spent the first 2 days on offense and were now going to concentrate on D. Taking the big NT from Alabama in the 5th is finding a BPA that fit a need. The rest of the draft many Colts fan screaming in the open threads. All of the armchair GMs felt like we were passing on other defensive talent that fit what we saw as needs, to pick more offensive weapons.

My thoughts are that the Colts did stick to their BPA strategy. Their BPA just didn't mesh with the big boards of the Colts fans. Grigson had a clear idea of what he wanted to do in this draft. He decided to build the offense around Andrew Luck first. While you may questions that strategy, I don't think you can question the execution.

The RB in the 5th is a strong inside the tackles runner like the Colts have not seen before. The tackle in the 7th has the football IQ and size to switch to NT and be effective, and then move back to the offensive side when a teammate got injured. Flugger is a high motor guy that will boost special teams and could fight for a spot in the 3-4 OLB rotation. All good picks that will improve our team.

The rest of the AFC South after the jump.

Houston Texans -

Round 1(26) - Whitney Mercilus DE Illinois
Round 2(58) - DeVier Posey WR Ohio St.
Round 3(76) - Brandon Brooks G Miami(OH)
Round 4(99) - Ben Jones C Georgia
Round 4(121) - Keshawn Martin WR Michigan St.
Round 4(126) - Jared Crick DT Nebraska
Round 5(161) - Randy Bullock K Texas A&M
Round 6(195) - Nick Mondek T Purdue

After a large amount of wheeling and dealing to move out of the 2nd round and pick up extra 3rd and 4th round picks, the Moo Cows had a very solid day today. Solidifying the OL with Ben Jones and DL with a great value pick in Jared Crick, the Texans improved in the trenches for sure. I really like the Keshawn Martin pick as well. He has a talent for finding a lane after the catch and will be a factor in their return game.

Overall, I must say that I think that Houston did a great job with their draft. They added pieces to increase depth and add talent. The pick of Mercilus to replace Williams in the OLB/DE rotation is a great one. Posey across from Andre Johnson could be nasty. The size of the O-Line with Brooks and Jones has gone up a great deal.

Jacksonville Jaguars -

Round 1(5) - Justin Blackmon WR Oklahoma St.
Round 2(38) - Andre Branch DE Clemson
Round 3(70) - Bryan Anger P California
Round 5(142) - Brandon Marshall OLB Nevada
Round 6(176) - Mike Harris CB Florida St.
Round 7(228) - Jeris Pendleton DT Ashland

After a puzzling finish to 2nd day of the draft, the Glitter Litties didn't have a pick until the beginning of the 5th round. They went will an OLB that will struggle to get into the starting lineup, but could be a solid contributor on special teams. The rest of their picks are depth guys that may or may not make the final roster. I feel like there was talent available at all their picks today and they may have missed out on some.

Overall, Jacksonville got two solid starters in Blackmon and Branch. Both are at areas of need for the team as well. The idea of taking a punter in the 3rd seems absurd to me. I know punters have value, but the talent available at that spot in this draft leaves no doubt in my mind that they will regret that pick in the long run. I can't think of the kind of career a punter needs to have to justify a 3rd round pick. The purely depth picks in the later rounds seems lackluster to me too.

Tennessee Titans -

Round 1(20) - Kendall Wright WR Baylor
Round 2(52) - Zach Brown OLB North Carolina
Round 3(82) - Mike Martin DT Michigan
Round 4(115) - Coty Sensabaugh CB Clemson
Round 5(145) - Taylor Thompson TE Southern Methodist
Round 6(190) - Markelle Martin FS Oklahoma St.
Round 7(211) - Scott Solomon DE Rice

The theme for today's Titans draft picks is athlete. Each of tonight's picks is known for his athletic ability. The Flaming Thumbtacks started off today with a sure special teamer that may take some nickel and dime package reps as well. The TE from SMU has great size and will be a matchup nightmare. I like him as the best pick of the day for Tennessee. Rounding out the day with guys who have potential to crack the starting rotation in Nashville let's me upgrade their draft a little bit.

Overall, I am still not overly impressed with the Titans draft. I have made no secret that I am not a Kendall Wright fan. I also am not a fan of a 2nd round LB that is "allergic to contact." The athleticism that they added in rounds 3 through 7 is good though. I think those players will add much need depth with a load of potential. Their development is squarely on Munchack now.

A final take on the Colts draft:

Going into this draft, we all wondered who we would put around #12. We got that answer loud and clear. This year is about building the offense and seeing what we have on defense. The way I see it, we came out of this draft with 5 penciled in starters and 3 more at least rotational players. I can get on board with that.

I know many of you were looking for more defensive selections. Our defense this season will be so different that I have a problem even evaluating the talent we have on the team. Do the guys we have on the roster fit the new system? What is the new system? How much 4-3? How much 3-4? I trust that Grigson and Pagano have a plan for all this. I will admit, I currently don't see or understand the plan, but I am willing to give them some leeway.