National Football League

NFL Week 2: Film Study

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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It’s time to dive into the film after a crazy NFL Week 1 slate.

The NFL is an incredible spectacle to take in while the games are going on. Sunday becomes this wild time of a dozen or so games being played out at once, in real time. Because of all the chaos across the country, it becomes very difficult to understand why something happened in a given game. There is only enough time to digest what happened. Big difference.

In this weekly space, we will look at three plays from different games that turned fortunes. Let’s get into the film and understand football a bit better.

Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens

It’s the second quarter and Baltimore leads buffalo 3-0 at M&T Bank Stadium. With 10:43 to go in the first half, the Ravens face 3rd and 1 from their own 34-yard line. Buffalo is in its base 3-4, believing Baltimore will run. The Bills only rush three and drop the four linebackers into shallow zone coverage. The secondary is in man coverage with a safety dropped into the box (41-yard line). Joe Flacco knows he has single coverage all the way with no help over the top.

This play can be broken down in this frame. Buffalo has the four linebackers underneath, but are left to guard no one. Meanwhile, Buffalo has locked up two of the receiving threats but has left Mike Wallace in man coverage with safety Duke Williams (arrow). look at Williams’ hips. He’s turned to the sideline, believing Wallace will break to the outside. Instead, Wallace runs down the hashmarks. Flacco has plenty of time, sees the mistake, and loads up.

Wallace catches the ball at the 35-yard line, a perfectly thrown ball by Flacco that travels 40 yards in the air. All that’s left is to beat Williams.

Stiff-arm. Touchdown. This was the game-winning score in Baltimore’s 13-7 triumph.

Green Bay Packers at Jacksonville Jaguars

It’s the fourth quarter and Jacksonville is trailing 27-23 with 23 seconds to go. It’s 4th and 1 at the Packers’ 14-yard line, and the Jaguars are in their 11 personnel (tight end and running back). Jacksonville has Allen Hurns slot right and Allen Robinson wide right. The Packers are in man coverage across the board.

In essence, this is a basic play. Jacksonville wants Hurns on a bubble screen with Robinson blocking down on his man, safety Micah Hyde. Damarious Randall is covering Robinson, playing off-man coverage. Green Bay is bringing seven on the play, an all-out blitz. It’s an all-or-nothing call for the Packers.

Just before the catch, we see Robinson get a good block on Hyde. If Hurns can shake Randall, the Jaguars win the game. At this point, Green Bay has to hope a second-year man can bring down a 1,000-yard receiver in open space.

It’s worth noting that this would have been a great time for quarterback Blake Bortles to audible Robinson into a slant route. Look at the first picture and note Randall playing outside technique. It’s risky considering Jacksonville is out of timeouts, but there is enough time to spike the ball if a tackle takes place.

Randall wraps Hurns’ legs up, halting any forward progress. Hyde doesn’t get off the block by Robinson but does enough to push him back, creating less running room for the ball-carrier. At this point, ample Packers are in pursuit.

The end result is no gain, and a Green Bay win. These types of plays, a direct result of coaching and technique, is the difference between winning and losing.

Oakland Raiders at New Orleans Saints

This play didn’t change the fame because Oakland ended up winning, but it could be a huge play in the season. Midway through the third quarter, the Saints are leading 17-10 and have 1st and 10 at their own 2-yard line. New Orleans has six offensive linemen in the game and keeps the back in to block, leaving a three-man route combination.

In this scenario, Oakland brings four on the pass rush and drops another four into zone coverage. It’s a classic Cover 3 look, with zone principles from the linebackers.

Off the snap, the Raiders are in massive trouble. Look at the bottom of the screen, where Sean Smith is guarding Brandin Cooks. Smith, who was playing his first game with Oakland after signing a four-year, $40 million deal, is supposed to get a bump on Cooks before bailing. You can see here that he completely whiffs, and the race is on. Reggie Nelson is looking to his left, not seeing the impending disaster.

Here’s a look at where Cook is when Brees throws the ball. He already has Smith beaten by a yard, and Nelson’s hips are turned the wrong way. He’s looking to drive on the route instead of playing a deeper angle to stop Cooks. Smith, who’s strength is typically playing press coverage, isn’t fast. He has no chance.

Once Brees hits Cooks in stride at the 28-yard line, the only Oakland hope is that Nelson can play the angle and get there.

Nelson can’t get there by a long stretch, and it’s six points.

So why does this matter in a game the Saints lost? It was the impetus for Raiders coach Jack Del Rio to bench Smith barely two quarters into his expensive Oakland career, after he was torched repeatedly. This is a situation that bears monitoring for a team with very high expectations.