Seattle Seahawks Analysis

Four Quarters with Jamal Adams: (Most of) The Fourth Quarter

By John Morgan Aug 25, 2020, 7:00am PDT

More than a third of Dallas’s plays on offense came in the fourth quarter. We will look at most of the fourth quarter today. Whatever is left over will be added to tomorrow’s post, in which I attempt to summarize my analysis.

We left off with Jamal Adams getting a bit chippy with the Cowboys’ backup running back.

1ST & 10 AT NYJ 23(15:00)

(15:00) (Shotgun) D.Prescott pass incomplete deep right to J.Witten [L.Williams].

Elliott motions out of the backfield, briefly creating this nightmare mismatch for Adams.

Not even Ed Reed could cover Elliott and Jason Witten simultaneously. Dak Prescott is oddly unaware of this opportunity, so seemingly focused is he on reading the defense. It reminds me of Richard Wiseman’s famous study about the nature of luck. Inevitably, after a bit of shuffling, Adams moves out wide to defend Elliott. (For the record: That does not make him a cornerback. Many safeties follow tight ends or backs when they motion wide.)

His coverage of Elliott is ... fine.

Elliott appears to be running a decoy route intended to draw one of the safeties in. In that sense, it works. Adams, savvy enough to realize that, mostly ignores Elliott choosing instead to read Prescott. Witten runs a meandering fade route.

Were he quicker or Prescott more accurate, this would have been a touchdown.

2ND & 10 AT NYJ 23(14:56)

(14:56) E.Elliott left tackle to NYJ 22 for 1 yard (Q.Williams).

Sometimes you shoot the gap and all you get for it is a neutralizing block.

This looks dangerous.

But it fizzles after Blake Jarwin misses a block on Neville Hewitt.

Great hustle by Quinnen Williams allows him to catch Elliott attempting to cut back and ends the play after only one yard gained. But that edge was busted, badly.

3RD & 9 AT NYJ 22(14:17)

(14:17) (Shotgun) D.Prescott pass incomplete deep left.

Adams blitzes. Hooray, right? I will talk a bit more about that tomorrow, but for today, let’s just say this is awesome and give it its proper due.

In under three seconds, Adams will loop all the way around from the right C gap to attack the left B gap. Adams is the son of former NFL running back George Adams and Jamal played running back in high school. Check the way he uses Hewitt as a lead blocker.

Before finding the hole with a wicked juke.

Almost as cool as Jamal’s wicked lean is Elliott looking like he just tried to tackle Barry Sanders. I would feature this play more but the skycam obscures the best parts.

Prescott does not really throw early, Gallup could be open, but he doesn’t throw to Gallup. He throws outside the numbers left. Gallup runs an in-breaking route.

The expression on Dak’s face as he looks to the sideline leads me to believe he doesn’t know who messed up. Which means in some way or another, he messed up.

I’m gonna go ahead and award Adams credit for causing the incomplete pass.

Maher misses the field goal.

1ST & 10 AT DAL 16(11:21)

(11:21) D.Prescott pass deep left to T.Austin to DAL 32 for 16 yards (B.Poole). PENALTY on NYJ-K.Phillips, Roughing the Passer, 15 yards, enforced at DAL 32.

This is the other half of the story of a so-called creative defensive coordinator. Guys out of position. Guys doing nothing. Guys played against their strengths. And lots of single coverage.

Adams bears no responsibility for his exile.

1ST & 10 AT DAL 47(10:58)

(10:58) E.Elliott left guard to DAL 48 for 1 yard (Q.Williams; K.Phillips).

Sometimes you’re just a box safety in a play which never reaches you. This is one such time, for Jamal Adams.

2ND & 9 AT DAL 48(10:26)

(10:26) (Shotgun) D.Prescott pass short left to D.Schultz to NYJ 46 for 6 yards (D.Roberts).

Adams begins dropping deep prior to the snap.

Perhaps he’s searching for Kurtz. Boy that was a disappointing book.

The spongy coverage which allows for an easy completion underneath is not in any way his fault.

Darryl Roberts levels Dalton ~~Schultz~~ with a shoulder tackle. Which inspires Adams to uh strut.

Dude loves football.

3RD & 3 AT NYJ 46(09:45)

(9:45) (Shotgun) D.Prescott pass short right to C.Wilson to NYJ 41 for 5 yards (B.Poole).

Adams does nothing wrong but is well away from the action.

1ST & 10 AT NYJ 41(09:17)

(9:17) E.Elliott right tackle to NYJ 40 for 1 yard (B.Cashman; F.Fatukasi).

Adams closes from about ten yards away.

He does a good job of engaging and when necessary disengaging from #72 Travis Frederick.

But the play’s over before he arrives.

2ND & 9 AT NYJ 40(08:48)

(8:48) (Shotgun) D.Prescott pass incomplete deep right to B.Jarwin [J.Jenkins].

Adams never gets involved in this play.

3RD & 9 AT NYJ 40(08:44)

(8:44) D.Prescott pass short left to J.Witten to NYJ 24 for 16 yards (B.Cashman).

Adams does a good job of shadowing Elliott while watching Prescott. Dak passes to the opposite side of the field.

1ST & 10 AT NYJ 24(08:14)

(8:14) (No Huddle) D.Prescott pass short left to M.Gallup to NYJ 13 for 11 yards (D.Roberts).

Adams is caught somewhere between covering Elliott and providing underneath coverage.

He whiffs a Peanut punch.

But it’s a good attempt.

1ST & 10 AT NYJ 13(07:43)

(7:43) E.Elliott left guard to NYJ 8 for 5 yards (J.Adams; N.Hewitt).

Oh hell yeah.

I don’t love his tackling form, of course, but his reaction, awareness, close, angle, the way he pushes Elliott back toward the middle, and the way he’s able to turn a likely touchdown run into a five-yard gain is all excellent excellent excellent. The Seahawks love for their LEO end to rush the passer with abandon. A box safety who can control the edge helps make that possible.