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Tight End Usage on the Goal Line

As is par for the course in Southern California this time of year, the early indicators point to another drought over the summer. Water rationing will kick in sooner or later, and that means being especially mindful of usage habits. There's another drought going on as well, but in the news community. There really hasn't been anything of value with respect to Seahawk football for several days. What does that mean? Back to the Football Outsiders playbook! This time, goal line plays involving the tight end.

On the first play, the option rollout, there are some similarities with the screen package from last time. Whereas Mark Campbell had to sell run long enough to get the defense to bite on screen action, Heath Miller now maintains his run block to both sell play action and cause his coverage defender to sell out on the run. The play fake by Roethlisberger holds coverage and his rollout allows Miller to slip open. Again, we also see the coordinated subterfuge of a lineman and the fullback, helping to sell the run by creating a would-be rushing lane for Willie Parker. It's not enough to just set up and block.

The next play design takes advantage of the short field to cause confusion amongst the coverage team. Because interior linebackers usually share responsibility on a back headed into the flat (as he could go either direction), one is left trying to cover Tony Gonzalez. Because Larry Johnson sweeps out toward the strong side of the formation, the far linebacker then has to cover a considerable amount of ground through traffic to get near Gonzalez. He can't.

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Nice read.

This is the kind of ‘nuts-and-bolts’ stuff I enjoy around here. Granted, it may spark less discussion, but the discussion that does happen is usually good.

I like the Gonzo play, and when I read about it, I wonder how Seattle would cover such a play. Those plays the attempt to lose linebackers in traffic or the pick your poison scenario of that play actually excite me about our corps at that position. My hope is that our defensive line has improved to such a degree that we won’t have to stack the box as much and allow what sounds like the spacing required to successfully defense such a play effectively. Though, I’m not sure how much space you can get on goal line plays. I appears one of the LBs run-blitzes on that play and one thing I love about our team is the (football) IQ of Tatupu in the middle. It seems that his generalship could affect the decision-making required of a situation like is described. The athleticism of our LBs overall is exciting and it may be plays like this that allow that to be revealed.

I’m curious of the route tree that Carlson runs and how that may change this year.

Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevon Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200

by Misfit74 on May 29, 2009 11:22 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

It's exciting

Having as many red zone targets as we do. I just hope the running game can help us get there!

The demise of the Broncos in '09 is our future. Pray hard.

by Nick Andron on May 29, 2009 12:45 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Very good read.

Personally, I was fond of that goalline play vs. the Bucs were it looked like were going to ram in it, smashmouth style, with Duckett, Weaver (or was it Schmitt?), two TE, etc…and then ended up running a playaction to Carlson in the corner.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on May 30, 2009 2:27 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

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