This started out as just wanting to watch Dontae Johnson against Julio Jones to see how DJ did playing some Cover3, assuming Saleh will play some of this. Mangini played lots of Cover3 towards the last half of that season. Bailing and watching everything in front of the CB is a different skillset than watching an individual WR's body movement while playing sticky man coverage. When I looked at DJ's 2015 snapcount and saw that he had a lot of snaps in the CIN and DET games, it became wanting to see three of the physically biggest, premier WRs play, and how DJ did against them.
Dontae Johnson has been kind of a mystery. Seems to play well when called upon, but always behind guys with lesser draft pedigree (Acker, Reaser, Chris Davis). He is now entering the final year of his rookie deal (4th) and has a chance to get a starting role with Brock gone, Ward moving to safety, and now being the most NFL experienced in the CB group. This would be a good year for DJ to make some noise.
There will be some more of DJ vs Julio, AJGreen, and Megatron cut ups. This cut up is to illustrate one assignment that the DBs need to do in Cover3. Robinson and Witherspoon have not put anything like this on film (playing deep zone). At least not that I've seen.
This is Shanahan vs Mangini
Two things that a bailing CB can be tasked to key on are the QB's shoulders, and the #2 WR. As he bails to his deep 1/3, the CB's eyes will be keying whatever they are coached to watch, while keeping #1 WR at the edge of their sight. If #1 goes vertical, match him. If #1 is not vertical, watch for #2 to go vertical, because that would threaten a seam in Cover3. We'll get into Nick Saban's Rip/Liz Cover3 pattern match, which is designed to defend the seams, at some point this offseason.
In this route concept, purple + yellow work to vertically stretch the strongside Hook defender (yellow LB). Red is to stall the deep 1/3 field side CB (DJohnson). Notice the wide split by the #1 WR - far - to keep the deep 1/3 CB far.
Many defenses playing Cover3 will show 2 deep safeties presnap, then rotate one safety down to an underneath zone. When an offense knows this, attack the area that safety came down from, which is what the yellow route does (Julio Jones lined up as the #3 WR).
Blue is deep zones, orange is underneath zones.
Because the presnap #2 runs a drag and crosses under Julio, Julio is now the new #2. When #1 does not go vertical, #1 becomes the responsibility of the strongside curl/flat defender. DJ can now focus solely on the #2. QB looks but doesn't pull the trigger. He had it.
DJ showing alertness, as if he knew the seam was going to be threatened. But there was still a window to be had due to how much ground DJ had to cover from being lined up outside the numbers.
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Below: Later in the same game.
Same route combination versus same Cover3 with a strongside rotation. Orange + yellow trying to vertically stretch the strongside Hook.
Julio is the new #2. DJ has seen this before and hustles upfield.
Hook defender vertically stretched (blue). QB mid windup.
Right picture is the play from earlier in the game. In both pics, Julio is 10 yards into his route.
Left picture is the current play: DJ has more depth and is slightly over the top of #2, in a better position to defend a seam route. Tartt has done much better with his slide to middle 1/3.
DJ played a good number of games at safety in college and here flashes good route recognition and zone awareness. This shows up a number times in the ATL/CIN/DET games.
