Week 3 Arizona Cardinals coaches film analysis

jonnydel won't be joining in this week so I'll try to highlight some of the lowlights in this game and try to get a feel for whether the mistakes are correctable due to player mistake, player inability, or poor scheme. When the best play of the game is a punt return, you know it was a craptastic game from a 49er standpoint.

First off Kap. All his INTs were the correct read, but they were all thrown so poorly. Whether the throw was late, inaccurate, or both, the throws were downright pathetic. Some mentioned that it was due to pressure and that was the reason he couldn't put power into his throw. This is true, but the pressure affected the throw because the throw was so late. Had the throw been on time, on rhythm, pressure wouldn't have played a big factor, if at all. We all saw how quickly the game got out of hand with the two pick6s. Usually we can count on kap to shake it off, but he was clearly shaken up and that affected him the rest of he game, especially on the 4th INT (underthrown to Torrey). He saw a lot of cover1 blitz which is no surprise, that's what ARI does.

Some key failures help put this game to rest early. Three notable plays were the Patton personal foul which killed that drive, a key failure to convert offensively on 3rd &1 (Devey fails on a block), and the INT to end the 1st half (Kap's 3rd). Had the 49ers gotten a FG, it would have been 28-10 going into the half with the 49ers getting the ball to start the 2nd half. Some hope. Instead, Kap throws his 3rd INT and ARI gets the end of half field goal to make it 31-7. That was a huge swing that killed team confidence.

I will show some offensive plays, but wanted to try and focus more on Mangini's defense - which I think is the most alarming aspect to the 49ers two recent blowouts. The game started off with a chunk play +21 yard gain to Fitz, and that would be a reoccurring thing. Fitz made a living behind the LBs and in front of the safeties. Palmer also made some pinpoint throws into zones, something I hope Kap can do at some point in his career. I'll show how Palmer throws to open spots of grass which was way too abundant in Mangini's zone coverages. 49ers came with a lot of Fire Zone blitz and ARI did a nice job picking up the extra rusher. Combine a vet QB, with a vet WR like Fitz that understands the soft spots, and a pass rush that can't get home, and it's pitch and catch for the ARI offense.

Tidbits:
Can't forget to mention shoddy tackling, especially from Reid. This guy must be scared to notch another concussion or something. Boldin and VD had a tough time getting separation versus ARI's man coveage. Brock is not looking at all like 2013 Brock - dude got a fat deal and checked out. Bethea seems to have lost a step, or is thinking too much. The safeties went from lining up too shallow (PIT), to playing too deep. Hyde continues to be the lone offensive bright spot. Patrick Peterson followed Torrey all around the field no matter where Torrey lined up and did a good job. I'll try to show Kap's INT's, some of the key plays that determined the outcome, and the 49er's defensive coverage this game. If it hurts to watch, just look away.

Originally posted by thl408:
jonnydel won't be joining in this week so I'll try to highlight some of the lowlights in this game and try to get a feel for whether the mistakes are correctable due to player mistake, player inability, or poor scheme. When the best play of the game is a punt return, you know it was a craptastic game from a 49er standpoint.

First off Kap. All his INTs were the correct read, but they were all thrown so poorly. Whether the throw was late, inaccurate, or both, the throws were downright pathetic. Some mentioned that it was due to pressure and that was the reason he couldn't put power into his throw. This is true, but the pressure affected the throw because the throw was so late. Had the throw been on time, on rhythm, pressure wouldn't have played a big factor, if at all. We all saw how quickly the game got out of hand with the two pick6s. Usually we can count on kap to shake it off, but he was clearly shaken up and that affected him the rest of he game, especially on the 4th INT (underthrown to Torrey). He saw a lot of cover1 blitz which is no surprise, that's what ARI does.

Some key failures help put this game to rest early. Three notable plays were the Patton personal foul which killed that drive, a key failure to convert offensively on 3rd &1 (Devey fails on a block), and the INT to end the 1st half (Kap's 3rd). Had the 49ers gotten a FG, it would have been 28-10 going into the half with the 49ers getting the ball to start the 2nd half. Some hope. Instead, Kap throws his 3rd INT and ARI gets the end of half field goal to make it 31-7. That was a huge swing that killed team confidence.

I will show some offensive plays, but wanted to try and focus more on Mangini's defense - which I think is the most alarming aspect to the 49ers two recent blowouts. The game started off with a chunk play +21 yard gain to Fitz, and that would be a reoccurring thing. Fitz made a living behind the LBs and in front of the safeties. Palmer also made some pinpoint throws into zones, something I hope Kap can do at some point in his career. I'll show how Palmer throws to open spots of grass which was way too abundant in Mangini's zone coverages. 49ers came with a lot of Fire Zone blitz and ARI did a nice job picking up the extra rusher. Combine a vet QB, with a vet WR like Fitz that understands the soft spots, and a pass rush that can't get home, and it's pitch and catch for the ARI offense.

Tidbits:
Can't forget to mention shoddy tackling, especially from Reid. This guy must be scared to notch another concussion or something. Boldin and VD had a tough time getting separation versus ARI's man coveage. Brock is not looking at all like 2013 Brock - dude got a fat deal and checked out. Bethea seems to have lost a step, or is thinking too much. The safeties went from lining up too shallow (PIT), to playing too deep. Hyde continues to be the lone offensive bright spot. Patrick Peterson followed Torrey all around the field no matter where Torrey lined up and did a good job. I'll try to show Kap's INT's, some of the key plays that determined the outcome, and the 49er's defensive coverage this game. If it hurts to watch, just look away.

He just doesn't look like the same guy from year 1 flying around making plays. He looks tentative like he's not playing at full speed. I wonder if he's thinking retirement in the back of his mind.

of Kap's INT's only the 1st one can't be solely placed on him. He's a bit late getting to VD on his read but not as late as he ended up being on the 2nd INT. Didn't help that Marcus Martin got blown up yet again after getting beat BADLY on the first 2 plays of the game before that 1st pick.

2nd pick is maddening because Kap takes so long getting off his read to the left on Vernon who is clearly covered from the get-go, meanwhile AB is getting open quickly on the right. By the time Kap sees him if he reacts quickly and steps into the throw MAYBE he hits AB, but instead double clutches (perhaps recognizing HoneyBadger's presence) then throws anyways completely off balance for the 2nd pick 6.

3rd and 4th picks are pretty much perfect picture plays that should have ended on TD's if not for Kaepernick under-throwing for reasons I'll never understand. There were more missed plays in the game, some of which I pointed out on twitter last night.

and I'm glad to see you mention Mangini and his defense because you won't convince me we win this game even if Kap doesn't throw those pick-6's. Nope.

Originally posted by vrabbit:
of Kap's INT's only the 1st one can't be solely placed on him. He's a bit late getting to VD on his read but not as late as he ended up being on the 2nd INT. Didn't help that Marcus Martin got blown up yet again after getting beat BADLY on the first 2 plays of the game before that 1st pick.

2nd pick is maddening because Kap takes so long getting off his read to the left on Vernon who is clearly covered from the get-go, meanwhile AB is getting open quickly on the right. By the time Kap sees him if he reacts quickly and steps into the throw MAYBE he hits AB, but instead double clutches (perhaps recognizing HoneyBadger's presence) then throws anyways completely off balance for the 2nd pick 6.

3rd and 4th picks are pretty much perfect picture plays that should have ended on TD's if not for Kaepernick under-throwing for reasons I'll never understand. There were more missed plays in the game, some of which I pointed out on twitter last night.

and I'm glad to see you mention Mangini and his defense because you won't convince me we win this game even if Kap doesn't throw those pick-6's. Nope.

That 4th INT still perplexes the hell amount of me. He rolled outside of the pocket, had Torrey wide open all the way downfield, he just completely whiffed and underthrew it. That was the worst one of all IMO. I was wondering if maybe he was injured or something because he had nothing on that pass.

Originally posted by vrabbit:
of Kap's INT's only the 1st one can't be solely placed on him. He's a bit late getting to VD on his read but not as late as he ended up being on the 2nd INT. Didn't help that Marcus Martin got blown up yet again after getting beat BADLY on the first 2 plays of the game before that 1st pick.

2nd pick is maddening because Kap takes so long getting off his read to the left on Vernon who is clearly covered from the get-go, meanwhile AB is getting open quickly on the right. By the time Kap sees him if he reacts quickly and steps into the throw MAYBE he hits AB, but instead double clutches (perhaps recognizing HoneyBadger's presence) then throws anyways completely off balance for the 2nd pick 6.

3rd and 4th picks are pretty much perfect picture plays that should have ended on TD's if not for Kaepernick under-throwing for reasons I'll never understand. There were more missed plays in the game, some of which I pointed out on twitter last night.

and I'm glad to see you mention Mangini and his defense because you won't convince me we win this game even if Kap doesn't throw those pick-6's. Nope.

The first INT was on a famous ARI triple A gap blitz. Martin did fine as he did the only thing he could, block the NT. It's the two rushers that came in once Martin was taken aside. This presented Hyde with a 2v1 situation. Kap did not throw on rhythm. Had he did so, the pressure would have been irrelevant to the throw. I have this play cutup and will show how Kap threw late, and because he threw late, the pressure didn't allow him to step into his throw. Agree with your takes on INTs 2-4.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by vrabbit:
of Kap's INT's only the 1st one can't be solely placed on him. He's a bit late getting to VD on his read but not as late as he ended up being on the 2nd INT. Didn't help that Marcus Martin got blown up yet again after getting beat BADLY on the first 2 plays of the game before that 1st pick.

2nd pick is maddening because Kap takes so long getting off his read to the left on Vernon who is clearly covered from the get-go, meanwhile AB is getting open quickly on the right. By the time Kap sees him if he reacts quickly and steps into the throw MAYBE he hits AB, but instead double clutches (perhaps recognizing HoneyBadger's presence) then throws anyways completely off balance for the 2nd pick 6.

3rd and 4th picks are pretty much perfect picture plays that should have ended on TD's if not for Kaepernick under-throwing for reasons I'll never understand. There were more missed plays in the game, some of which I pointed out on twitter last night.

and I'm glad to see you mention Mangini and his defense because you won't convince me we win this game even if Kap doesn't throw those pick-6's. Nope.

That 4th INT still perplexes the hell amount of me. He rolled outside of the pocket, had Torrey wide open all the way downfield, he just completely whiffed and underthrew it. That was the worst one of all IMO. I was wondering if maybe he was injured or something because he had nothing on that pass.

bro

On the first INT, you would have to give the Cards some credit on making that play. On the second one, a lot of things went wrong for that to happened. You don't want to telegraph your throw, but especially to the outside. When Kaep looked to Boldin then double clutched, it was pretty much over. And what made it worse was Kaep trying to avoid the rush by stepping backward as he throws, the zip on the ball that was needed to beat the closing defender was gone. Easy pick 6

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:
That 4th INT still perplexes the hell amount of me. He rolled outside of the pocket, had Torrey wide open all the way downfield, he just completely whiffed and underthrew it. That was the worst one of all IMO. I was wondering if maybe he was injured or something because he had nothing on that pass.

Old Kap can hit that easy..on a tight rope....... I hope the new one is just working out the kinks of his *new* mechanics and putting everything learned together.

Originally posted by thl408:

Originally posted by vrabbit:
of Kap's INT's only the 1st one can't be solely placed on him. He's a bit late getting to VD on his read but not as late as he ended up being on the 2nd INT. Didn't help that Marcus Martin got blown up yet again after getting beat BADLY on the first 2 plays of the game before that 1st pick.

2nd pick is maddening because Kap takes so long getting off his read to the left on Vernon who is clearly covered from the get-go, meanwhile AB is getting open quickly on the right. By the time Kap sees him if he reacts quickly and steps into the throw MAYBE he hits AB, but instead double clutches (perhaps recognizing HoneyBadger's presence) then throws anyways completely off balance for the 2nd pick 6.

3rd and 4th picks are pretty much perfect picture plays that should have ended on TD's if not for Kaepernick under-throwing for reasons I'll never understand. There were more missed plays in the game, some of which I pointed out on twitter last night.

and I'm glad to see you mention Mangini and his defense because you won't convince me we win this game even if Kap doesn't throw those pick-6's. Nope.

The first INT was on a famous ARI triple A gap blitz. Martin did fine as he did the only thing he could, block the NT. It's the two rushers that came in once Martin was taken aside. This presented Hyde with a 2v1 situation. Kap did not throw on rhythm. Had he did so, the pressure would have been irrelevant to the throw. I have this play cutup and will show how Kap threw late, and because he threw late, the pressure didn't allow him to step into his throw. Agree with your takes on INTs 2-4.

I hope this has nothing to do with Warner's (and that program) offseason teachings, in comparison/conflict with Steve Logan's teachings.

Warner wanted Kap to recognize the easy throw (pre-snap) and hit it...and move on up from there. Logan, I believe, has said that he likes chunk plays...and doesn't care about stats and completion percentages.

So I'm guessing Kap is going by what Logan/Geep want....and isn't that similar to what Roman would call? long developing plays...which didn't help last year because we didn't have the blocking.

Originally posted by thl408:
The safeties went from lining up too shallow (PIT), to playing too deep.

Well, we wanted an adjustment, LOL.

This is the first play from scrimmage and is a sign of things to come as far as defensive zone coverage. The red route is designed to flash across the face of the MLB (Bow), for the yellow route to work. Somewhat of a Trail concept.
versus Fire Zone blitz. (both OLBs blitz, blue are the deep zones)
(refer to the Concepts thread for additional details on Fire Zone blitz, Trail concept, etc.)


As red flashes across Bow. In Fire zone blitz, there is a lot of pressure on the 3 underneath defenders as they have a lot of room to cover. Any misstep on their part opens up throwing lanes. With the TE crossing Bow's face, he needs to re-direct but stay disciplined to his zone. Bow needs to know that he has Wilhoite to his right, and if that's where the TE is going, then the TE is no longer his responsibility. Don't leave his zone.


Bow follows the TE towards the middle of the field and this will open up a huge passing lane for Fitz's yellow route.


The area Bow vacates is the throwing lane Palmer uses.


ARI keeps in 2 additional blockers and picks up the blitz. +21 yards

Originally posted by Afrikan:
I hope this has nothing to do with Warner's (and that program) offseason teachings, in comparison/conflict with Steve Logan's teachings.

Warner wanted Kap to recognize the easy throw (pre-snap) and hit it...and move on up from there. Logan, I believe, has said that he likes chunk plays...and doesn't care about stats and completion percentages.

So I'm guessing Kap is going by what Logan/Geep want....and isn't that similar to what Roman would call? long developing plays...which didn't help last year because we didn't have the blocking.

it'll frustrate you to see we get the blocking at times and Kap gets picked on a window he shouldn't be coming anywhere close to being picked though

Very much interested in Mangini's coverage scheme, which I feel is killing the defense, in addition to other factors.

Would love to see a break down of the run out of the pistol on the one yard line for the lulz.

I'm going to show all of Fitz's 1st quarter catches to illustrate how spot dropping zone coverage gets killed when the pass rush can't get home.

1Q - more Fitz killing zone coverage
Four verticals vs Fire zone blitz (both inside LBs blitz)
Blue are the deep zones, orange the underneath zones.


The RB picks up the blitz. Notice how Reid starts off aligned to the inside, but maneuvers around to play with outside leverage, just like the underneath zone defender on the other side of the formation (Lynch). This is to funnel routes to the middle of the field where he has help.


The blitz is picked up. +24 yards to Fitz - behind the LBs, in front of the safeties. This is 4 Verticals with the WRs having the option to curl their routes if they see 'over the top' coverage, which they do.