Anatomy of a First Play 56 Yard Reception

by John Morgan on Aug 23, 2010 12:23 PM PDT

Earl Thomas was beat, but how many safeties in the NFL could have defended Greg Jennings? The damage started behind the line, where Aaron Rodgers waited for Jennings to win a foot race.

A lot of my fears for this defense were distilled into the very first play by the Packers offense.

1-10-GB 29 (13:27) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep middle to 85-G.Jennings to SEA 15 for 56 yards (29-E.Thomas).WATCH HIGHLIGHT

Here's how this goes down:

Green Bay starts in a run of the mill formation: Wide receiver (left), tight end (left), wide receiver (right) and back in "I" formation.

Seattle is in a 4-3 over with Aaron Curry playing up towards the line and "over" the tight end.

Red Bryant is playing the primary pass rush position: right defensive end.

Colin Cole is playing nose.

Craig Terrill is playing the three tech.

Chris Clemons is the "Leo" or weakside or, in this case, left defensive end.

Prior to the snap, tight end Jermichael Finley motions from left to right. This is where the entire play breaks down.

Curry and the linebackers move into a neutral stance.

[Snap]

Finley single blocks Chris Clemons. Green Bay now has five offensive linemen to block three pass rushers, and those pass rushers are Bryant, Cole and Terrill.

Aaron Rodgers motions play action and then rolls to his right.

Greg Jennings runs from the right up and into a very-deep post pattern. He runs past Marcus Trufant. Rodgers just needs to wait for him to outrun Earl Thomas, and Greg Jennings can outrun Earl Thomas and does.

It looks like Seattle is in cover three. Trufant covers the deep right and picks up the left receiver running a cross. Kelly Jennings breaks from the deep left towards Greg Jennings but only after Greg is burning up the middle. With more experience, Thomas could get better depth and better anticipate the deep pass, but inevitably, the player with the best sense of where the ball is going, the best speed and the longest arms is going to make the catch, and that's Greg Jennings. We can expect better out of the secondary, but even a 75% success rate would be damaging. Giving a offense as much time as they need to complete a pass is a recipe for failure.

The Seahawks must be able to create pressure and not allow Rodgers and Jennings time to play catch. Seattle can not hope to field a good defense if a team can neutralize its primary pass rusher with a tight end. After pointing out how effortlessly the Titans responded to Chris Clemons and the Leo package, it was my worst nightmare in action watching him swallowed up by Jermichael Finley.

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Comments

Too many Jennings.

Had to re-read that second to last paragraph to figure it out.

Now with more lemon bars!

by Fear on Aug 23, 2010 12:30 PM PDT reply actions

Good point.

by John Morgan on Aug 23, 2010 12:33 PM PDT up reply actions

This is speculative

but I think Seattle was running a cover three and Jennings did not blow his assignment. Greg Jennings ate up Earl Thomas in single coverage.

by John Morgan on Aug 23, 2010 12:36 PM PDT reply actions

I was going to make this comment

by cro-mag! on Aug 23, 2010 1:24 PM PDT up reply actions

Greg Jennings should not be single-covered by Earl Thomas.

Thomas should be able to help in some one-on-one matchups and cover typical slot-receivers and perhaps #2-type WRs, but one-on-one vs. Jennings is a lot to ask. Getting a jam might help in those situations – one way or another.

This is the type of scheming that I feared would eat up Milloy, not so much Thomas. I still think that’s true and we’ll see it in the regular season.

Red Bryant: surprise us!

by Misfit74 on Aug 23, 2010 2:04 PM PDT up reply actions

Thing is...

it’s unclear that there are any answers to our pass rush woes on the roster. Even with Tapp we still have this problem (though admittedly, perhaps not quite as bad). Maybe Davis develops into a solid rotation player, but that’s hardly anything to count on.

Sure, we might blitz more once the season starts but I don’t see us being able to generate much rush with our base personnel.

I just don’t know what moves there are to be made. I have a fear of Carroll and Schneider on bended knee in front of Aaron Schoebel’s house.

"Those who fear disorder more than injustice inevitably produce more of both." -- Rev. William Coffin

by dcrockett17 on Aug 23, 2010 12:38 PM PDT reply actions

I think they are going to try and solve the pass rush problem this upcoming offseason

Golden!

by Carl Shinyama on Aug 23, 2010 12:48 PM PDT up reply actions

It's why I'm keeping my eye on guys like Robert Quinn

Golden!

by Carl Shinyama on Aug 23, 2010 12:48 PM PDT up reply actions

Leo DE?

He’s too light in the ass to be a 5-tech. I haven’t seen much of him, I’ll check out some highlights. I’d like to see what kind of speed he has.

by ErictheHawksFan on Aug 23, 2010 12:50 PM PDT up reply actions

Precisely. He'd be a Leo DE.

I will admit that I haven’t seen much of him besides what I can find of him on his highlights, but that’s why I want to keep an eye on him this year.

A lot of scouts and analysts say that he is a speed rusher, but I don’t see it, at least, not from what I have seen on his highlights. He certainly is fast for a DE, but doesn’t have that explosive first step, nor does his feet have a quick turnover. That said, what he does excel at is his ability to separate after he’s been engaged and to track the quarterback or ball carrier, most by leaning and running around the tackle. This makes it hard for tackles who don’t move well laterally to block him.

I have seen very little hand technique from him, swim moves, or him going inside the tackle rather than outside. He looks like a first round talent, but if I had to project him, it would be in the later stages of the first round, not the top 10 where a lot of the “experts” have him.

But alas, all the more reason to keep an eye on him this year.

Golden!

by Carl Shinyama on Aug 23, 2010 1:13 PM PDT up reply actions

There are quite a few nice prospects for the D-line this year.

Though, not a Suh or Gerald McCoy type (yet). Quinn, Romeus, and Heyward are three.

Red Bryant: surprise us!

by Misfit74 on Aug 23, 2010 2:06 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm prety sure Heyward is a 3-4 end.

Golden!

by Carl Shinyama on Aug 23, 2010 2:49 PM PDT up reply actions

The Seahawks managed 28 sacks last season

I’m not sure they’ll be able to hit that mark this season if not struggle to hit 25. They’ll probably get the bulk of their sacks against guys like Bradford, Freeman, and if possible some scrub backup QB like Boller and struggle to get 1 against any team with an above-average line.

Toronto FC - Where road games are forfeited and we STILL have no idea how to play from behind.

by SSreporters on Aug 23, 2010 12:48 PM PDT reply actions

Greg Jennings is actually on the right side.

Trufant has him and he burns right through his zone. Did Texas play zone? It makes me wonder if Thomas didn’t expect a man to be his so quickly. But Kelly Jennings is on the far offensive left, and just gets to the play in time to be blamed.

The best part of the play for us, though, is how quickly Lawyer Milloy is on it. Before the snap. He definitely was communicating how Thomas ought to be reacting to the motion. That was amazing. Dunno if he can play, but that was instantaneous.

But almost as impressive is you catching on to what Tennessee did, by motioning so that weak becomes strong, anticipating Green Bay doing the same thing, and then them doing it. I am bowled over. And concerned. It was afear before, but I feel certain enough to say pass rush hamstrings the entire season, out of the gates, unless they have a bunch of blitzburgh up their sleeves. And if they do, it’s still a very fuzzy prospect to bring about results.

by jacobstevens on Aug 23, 2010 12:59 PM PDT reply actions

You're right about Greg Jennings

but Trufant picks up the left receiver running a cross. I do not think Trufant was burned.

by John Morgan on Aug 23, 2010 1:03 PM PDT up reply actions

It looks like Jennings ran right at Thomas and Seattle was in a cover three.

by John Morgan on Aug 23, 2010 1:07 PM PDT up reply actions

I was just about to write

in my just-posted response below, that I think Milloy is sending Thomas to cover the deep right third. Anyway, good learning experience for him, hopefully.

by jacobstevens on Aug 23, 2010 1:09 PM PDT up reply actions

I didn't mean to suggest he got burned.

But my sentence definitely suggests it. I just was trying to describe how quickly Greg Jennings got deep, and wanted to note it’s clear Trufant was in zone, explaining why he wasn’t chasing Jennings down. I didn’t think about why he was staying under, but now the crossing route makes sense.

by jacobstevens on Aug 23, 2010 1:08 PM PDT up reply actions

Thanks for the correction.

I think Jennings had Thomas in his sights from the second he took the field.

by John Morgan on Aug 23, 2010 1:30 PM PDT up reply actions

Im being optimistic this year about the D

I think the hawks will surprise people a little. Im optimistic every year, but atleast Pete looks like he might play guys to there strengths. I think our run D will be stout with the big guys upfront and a more productive offense will dramatically help. Last couple of years our offense rarely gave the D time to breathe. The D looked constantly beat down and playing in horrible field position. I think we can find some decent value rotating the Leo with Reed, Clemons and Davis. Playing the hot hand week to week and keeping guys fresher throughout the year. As always, injuries will be the key. If we lose a few big guys for a good part of the year, it will really expose us.

by FisteeFisterer on Aug 23, 2010 1:20 PM PDT reply actions

Even though Thomas was not in position yet,

It is impressive how he was still able to position himself so that the pass had to be in stride and diving to make it. If it is underthrown at all, even the slightest breaking of stride, ET was in position to stop it. That won’t help against a good QB WR combo, but we don’t face that many of those this season. It may take rose colored glasses to be that happy about that play, but its been a long time since we have seen a safety even do that well.

by stufr on Aug 23, 2010 1:31 PM PDT reply actions

I love his range

He’ll learn some hard and fast lessons this year to be sure against guys like Brees and Rivers, but Thomas has talent, speed and instincts. He’ll be a great player for us even in his rookie season but especially as his career develops. In terms of our secondary as a whole I believe we have the pieces, but those pieces need time to develop. I have visions of Trufant and Thurmond on the corners with Thomas and Chancellor playing safety with Josh Wilson as our Nickel.

by ErictheHawksFan on Aug 23, 2010 1:36 PM PDT up reply actions

On the other hand,

that was a really low-percentage play. Even for top offenses. Approaching the bounds of both Rodgers’ and Jennings’ physical ability. And they pulled it off, flawlessly. Seeming to target Thomas so specifically, I don’t think there’s any room for a bright side, regarding execution.

But yes he has range and talent and potential and none of that has changed. It’s not an indicting play. Just a “welcome to the NFL” kind of play.

by jacobstevens on Aug 23, 2010 1:51 PM PDT up reply actions

Completely agree

Hopefully Thomas can learn to use his tools and even a little bit better position to start with and he beats that play. Also, there is not combo in the NFC West that can pull that play off on even an inconsistant basis. So at least our secondary will have a soft landing this year.

by stufr on Aug 23, 2010 2:19 PM PDT up reply actions

Was this play more about the Seahawks impotent pass rush failing to pressure Rodgers

or did the play action fake do us them in?

by Culter on Aug 23, 2010 2:09 PM PDT reply actions

Play action might have hurt more.

It’s hard to say because Rodgers rolled out so deep. And the play runs long. Bryant makes big movement but doesn’t seem it’d help anything on a different play. Terrill cuts in, eventually. Maybe that helps flush a QB out of the pocket Cole was bad. Clemons definitely was going for the run. Or at least was not defending against a rollout, until way too late. Even if he had, I dunno that it’d have made a difference.

Unless he’s faster in the open field than I think AND Rodgers is shaky with a DE screaming in yet yards from his face. And even then, only because the play would only work over the safety, not underneath, and it was over a fast safety with range, so the play had to run long. All of which is circling back around to say, yeah, better pass rush could have stopped this play.

by jacobstevens on Aug 23, 2010 2:33 PM PDT up reply actions