I don’t need to belabor the issue over the final offensive play of the 2010 season for the Birds… the GK told me to let it go… but Matt Bowen has given me permission to describe the play from the defensive point of view…
And the point is— sometimes you have to give the opposition credit for making a big play.
Tramon Williams, CB, 5-11, 191, 5th year out of Louisiana State, made a big play against Michael Vick and Riley Cooper in the previous season’s playoffs…which Matt Bowen says was a product of film study and athletic reaction… and not so much a bad throw by Vick.
Matt Bowen gives us the privilege of seeing the Eagles’ defeat by Green Bay in the 2010 playoffs from the defensive side of the ball…
Let’s go back to Wild Card weekend and check out Tramon Williams’ technique of his game-saving interception vs. the 9 (fade) route…
The Eagles were in their “Jet” personnel (4 WR, 1 RB) vs. the Packers’ nickel sub-package. What we saw from the Eagles was a basic 4-Vertical- route-scheme with Green Bay in a base Cover 4 (“Quarters”) look. Nothing exotic there… Play coverage and react to the offense.
The coverage technique was key from the snap of the ball.
The Pack was in Cover 4…Cover 4 is a zone defense. However, Williams played with inside man-to-man leverage for a simple reason: the split of the No.1 WR (in this case, Riley Cooper)… As you can see if you review the TV tape, the No.1 WR (Cooper) is aligned outside of the numbers and releases with a vertical stem. No need for Williams to play with an outside shade here, because the WR can’t run an outside breaking route from the split… “As a CB, you have to understand splits and alignments—because they always tell a story,” says Bowen. In this situation, Williams had to play for a vertical release or an inside breaking route. That’s it. There was no room to run the out or the 7 cut (corner route) into the boundary.
Williams backpedaled at the snap and then “man-turned” (open hips to the WR) to create that “stacked” look on the WR. This is key, because it forced the WR to adjust his route and keep the CB out of a trail position. Tough to run a 9 route when the WR can’t create separation vertically down the field…. Get on top as a CB and create an advantage when the ball is in the air… which Williams did.
Locating the ball: Toughest thing for a CB, but Williams helps himself because he is “in phase” (on the hip of the WR). Too often, we will see the corner panic at the point of attack and start to reach. Not here, because Williams is able to track the pass from Michael Vick and use an “open angle” technique to flip his hips back to the QB. From a technique standpoint, this is teaching tape… Can’t make a play until you find the ball.
Play the ball at the highest point: How often have we seen a WR go up over a corner in the end zone and take the ball away from him? No matter how well you play your technique as a defensive back, you have to go up and attack the ball at the highest point to prevent the WR from making a play. The point here: finish what you started. No different than DB drills you do at the high school level, because it is a big coaching point when the ball is in the air. Complete the process and make the interception…
Well, it didn’t help Riley Cooper that the ball was slightly underthrown by Vick…and Cooper could not adjust back to the ball soon enough to either contest Williams for the catch or to knock the ball down to avoid the INT… but let’s not cry over spilled chardonay. Fact is,Tramon Williams made the play…and we didn’t.
That being acknowledged, I can only hope that the Eagles offensive brain trust saw everything we just reviewed, and will make the necessary adjustments in not only the playbook but also the WR “emergency defensive technique” manual to compensate…
Meanwhile, this next item courtesy of Yahoo Sports was just such a cherry-pick opportunity, and I couldn’t resist:
“Sorry, but I can’t hate the Eagles: Rival fan’s take”
By Adam Martini, Yahoo! Contributor Network
“As a New York Giants fan, I feel obligated to hate the Philadelphia Eagles. But I’m here to admit that I just can’t do it.
How can anybody, even a Giants fan, hate Eagles head coach Andy Reid?
Wikimedia Commons
“I can’t stand the Dallas Cowboys, I have no love for the Washington Redskins, but there is something about the Eagles that makes me secretly root for them against the other two. It may have something to do with my admiration for Eagles head coach Andy Reid, a real stand-up guy who says the right things, or the swagger of Eagles fans, which in many ways is similar to that of Giants fans. Of course, Giants fans have seen their win three Super Bowls since 1986, but who’s counting?
“By the way, I have every right to hate the Eagles. They have beaten the Giants six straight times, including last season’s epic comeback at the New Meadowlands Stadium in which the Giants blew a 21-point halftime lead before losing on DeSean Jackson’s(notes) punt-return touchdown as time expired. Jackson’s scamper into the endzone on New York’s turf basically killed Big Blue’s 2010 season.Speaking of Jackson, that’s one dude on the Eagles I can’t stand (I didn’t say hate), but he can play for my team any day.
“I realize that Eagles fans are Phillies fans who take joy in taunting my New York Mets. That’s okay. Try sharing a city and the sports section with a team that has won 27 World Series championships. When it comes to being obnoxious, Philadelphia fans have nothing on Yankees fans. As a matter of fact, if there is a rematch of the 2009 World Series in October between the Phillies and Yankees, I’ve got your back, Philly.
“Apparently, there is no love lost between the players on the Eagles and Giants. Earlier this off-season, Philly running back LeSean McCoy(notes) called Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora(notes) “soft” and “overrated.” Umenyiora and teammate Steve Smith fired back at McCoy, who the Giants affectionately have named “Lady Gaga.” Do I hate McCoy? On the contrary, I love that stuff! It’ll be that much sweeter when the Giants tune him up on the field.
“No, I don’t hate the Eagles, but there’s nothing I would love more than seeing the Giants stomp them out this season.”
Nice. It’s a tribute…albeit in a New York state of mind!
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