Coverage Plus Ball Skills, Fail-Safe Screen Passes and Rodgers Drives the Lane on Bryant

We will finish this drive tomorrow.

1-10-GB 24 (8:26) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete deep right to 85-G.Jennings (23-M.Trufant).

This was the play of the game for me. Marcus Trufant shadows Greg Jennings up the right sideline and turns in time to compete for the ball. He only gets one hand into the action and so he has to reach and hook it out of Jennings' grasp, but this play is Trufant at his best. He puts himself into position through his cover skills and still has the awareness, ball skills and athleticism to make a play for the ball.

2-10-GB 24 (8:20) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short right to 25-R.Grant to GB 32 for 8 yards (36-L.Milloy) [59-A.Curry].

I am going to start referring to this as a fail-safe screen. I am not sure that is how this play is designed but I think the screen is a kind of advanced outlet pass.

Aaron Curry wrestles with right tackle Mike Tauscher and eventually breaks through and puts himself in position to sack Aaron Rodgers. Behind him, Ryan Grant is slow-playing a screen. That is the wrinkle: the blockers do not chip and pull like a typical screen. The blockers create a pocket and only when the pocket collapses do they pull into a screen. Rodgers passes as Curry attempts the tackle and Grant receives behind guards Daryn Colledge and Josh Sitton. Curry is sucked in. Chris Clemons and Craig Terrill are nowhere to be found. Red Bryant breaks from the pile but stumbles forward and past Grant. He doesn't seem to see the screen anyway.

Grant has blockers. David Hawthorne does his best, but his best is being forced back by Sitton and then pancaked by Colledge. At this point, the play looks on the brink of total disaster. Then, firing from the third level, is Lawyer Milloy with the saving tackle. He hits Grant low and Grant fights forward for extra yardage, but Milloy turns a developing screen into a short reception.

3-2-GB 32 (7:38) 12-A.Rodgers scrambles right end ran ob at GB 35 for 3 yards.

Rodgers ran a 4.71 forty according to NFL Draft Scout. He's pretty quick for a quarterback. Rodgers averaged 5.4 yards per carry, ran for 316 yards total and had a long run of 35 yards in 2009. Let's not panic.

Seattle sets up a rare coverage sack opportunity. There's a body on a body everywhere I can see -- everywhere Rodgers can see. Rodgers fades towards the right sideline. Clemons is approaching from the far left. Bryant beats Tauscher and commits to rush Rodgers. Bad decision. Rodgers sidesteps Bryant, is now clear up the right sideline and effortlessly evades Clemons for an easy first.

I am not sure Bryant makes the wrong decision, but he makes the wrong decision for Red Bryant. Barreling towards Rodgers breaks contain and pits himself one-on-one against a quicker, more agile man.