Coaches Film Analysis: 2018 Season

Great thread as always, jonny! Thanks for taking the time - we appreciate it and threads such as these are main reasons why I visit the 'Zone. Yeah, that 3rd & 17 play for Detroit early in the 4th was a key play...the Niners had all the momentum, the Lions were pushed back and seemed on the ropes, and then that play happens. If it doesn't and they have to punt, it could've been ballgame and the Niners win more comfortably. But, they're learning and were missing some key players on O & D as you mentioned. A W is a W, and pulling out games like this is what's really important for the growth of a young team.

Originally posted by jonnydel:
Here's the very next play which was a sack. I'm not going to break it down cause there's not much to it. You'll see. Not. One. person. Open.

He wants Kittle on this play but Kittle gets bear hugged at the top of the route. Not sure how it wasn't called.



Best case scenario....throw it away. Either way, it didn't affect the outcome with him taking a sack vs throwing it away. We still made the FG.

Both sacks, you see, he had no where to go. Not one place.

vs Cover 1 Robber
This is the key moment when the LB hugs Kittle. Jimmy pumps, it moves the robber, then Jimmy is about to throw it to the inside shoulder of the robber, but McG gives up the pressure.

Here's the bad call I put on Saleh that gave up a crucial TD. It's late in the game, DET is down by 10, 3:30 left to go and 3rd and goal from the 15. You've just had a sack from Buckner and forced an incomplete pass. What does Saleh do? Stick with the same defensive play? Play the goal line and force them to throw it short? Nope.....



We run a lot of cover 2-zone inside the 20. without the deep stretch possible you have 5 underneath defenders and your safeties are still close enough for run support. Knowing DET knows this, Saleh mixes up his defense, but with another very similar defense. DET runs 3 post/DIG routes(hard to tell exactly, they kind of round off their routes. They're looking for 3 guys to be at the goal line for a horizontal stretch vs 2 deep safeties. We run cover 6(2+4). Sherm and AC are in quarters coverage and Tartt and Ward are in cover 2 on their side. Why? Why? Why give up half the field in the endzone on 3rd and 15?



Warner does a good job with his mid-read and carries the middle receiver. Tartt should widen more, but he also has to respect the vertical from the inside receiver. Ward is eyeing the TE's vertical release.



AC has to stay wide not to give up the seam too much and Warner is squeezing the vertical up the middle. However, this vertical holds Tartt and Ward sees the RB leak out and jumps the route. Tartt is put in a 2 on 1 situation with a lot of room for the TE to work outside. Meanwhile, Saleh called a looping stunt that's taking a while to develop. Nevermind that Buck was beating his man all day long with straight rushes.....



Ward and Lee are playing their underneath responsibility. This gives way too much room for the TE. I get that players still have to understand the down and distance and all that, but they also have to be put in good positions to succeed. Don't give them a flat responsibility and then expect them to play quarters.



Because of the looping stunt, Stafford had enough time to set and throw away from the safety.



........



Players have to be put in good situations. Look at the stunt they pull. They're asking AA to loop around from the opposite side over the guard along with giving up half the endzone. This is just a plain old bad, bad, bad call.

I've been one who's been, "meh" on Saleh. Haven't hated, haven't loved. But this play has me salty. You just don't do crap like this.

3rd and 15, you were winning with what you're doing and then you go and try and get cute and this happens.

That might be all from me for today. We'll see if I have time later this PM

Originally posted by jonnydel:

So, had to show the Pettis big play to set this up. The first sack of the game. Bear in mind, we would've hit Kittle for a TD but the defender holds and it slows up the timing of the play. They were flagged for 5 yards and an automatic first down - worth it considering it saved 4 points.



So, we've now burned or almost burnt the Lions on two double moves plays. They start getting wise to this operation. We're going to motion Garcon inside, fake a zone-read and look for Pettis on a deeper ZIG route.

DET is in cover 1-man. We'll max protect again to try and give the receivers as much time to win these battles. You have to give these guys time to work against man-coverage like this.



We run the PA again, it holds the LBers and sells the underneath route again. Garcon routes stems inside to hold the safety to give Pettis as much room to work as possible.



Pettis works inside but his defender, this time, does a good job of maintaining his outside leverage. Also gets a little grabby.



He doesn't bite on the double move and Pettis doesn't win.



Jimmy moves to Garcon, but he's bracketed.



This is just a split second later. I have a hard time faulting Jimmy here. He does all the right things. He stuck with Pettis through the break, reset his feet to look to Garcon, but both guys are covered. He exhausted the play and the play wasn't there. If anything, he should've thrown it away here. Instead, he tries to escape and gets sacked.



pure coverage sack. DET had gotten wise to our games.....lol.

2 receiving options and everyone staying in to help in pass protection against a banged up DL with no Ansah.

Originally posted by jonnydel:

That might be all from me for today. We'll see if I have time later this PM

Thanks JD!!!

Here's the 3rd sack taken.
Stick-Nod to the left + Shallow Cross over the middle vs Cover 1 Robber (blue)
Jimmy will again look to Kittle to beat his man on a double move (Stick-nod).


Jimmy has to wait for Kittle's route to develop. Kittle is starting his double move and Eli Harold is trying to bust through the B gap between Staley and Tomlinson. Kittle doesn't really sell the outside break (Stick) as his face never turns to the left. Gotta sell it good by turning the head as if he wants to break to the left.


When Kittle breaks upfield, there is no separation as the defender doesn't bite on the Stick portion of the route. At this point, a nice checkdown would be to the Drag route, the other man coverage busting route (Pettis).


But Jimmy kinda of panics and isn't sure what to do. No other route can bust man coverage here, it's either the Stick-Nod or the Drag. Taylor's route is to bust zone and how he drew three defenders is funny. The two routes to the outside (Garcon/Juice) have run out of real estate. This is easily the best sack of Eli Harold's career. All his 49er sacks were when he was unblocked. Looking like Von Mack here.

Originally posted by jonnydel:



Ward and Lee are playing their underneath responsibility. This gives way too much room for the TE. I get that players still have to understand the down and distance and all that, but they also have to be put in good positions to succeed. Don't give them a flat responsibility and then expect them to play quarters.

Players have to be put in good situations. Look at the stunt they pull. They're asking AA to loop around from the opposite side over the guard along with giving up half the endzone. This is just a plain old bad, bad, bad call.

I've been one who's been, "meh" on Saleh. Haven't hated, haven't loved. But this play has me salty. You just don't do crap like this.

3rd and 15, you were winning with what you're doing and then you go and try and get cute and this happens.

jonnyd, I'm putting this one on Ward. Players do have to understand down and distance and adjust accordingly. There is absolutely no reason for Ward to feel threatened by the RB in the shallow flat. It's 3rd and Goal from the 15. The vertical release from the #2 has to tell Ward to sink with that TE to help his Cover2 safety. Make the QB take you to the flat. A zone defender has to be smart and Ward was not smart on this play. Credit DET for dialing up a route combo against a Cover 2 safety, but Ward hung Colbert out to dry here imo.

Originally posted by jonnydel:

Yeah, I'll get to those maybe this evening. A couple, he does need to at least throw it away. It's hard when you don't want to risk an even worse negative play, like a strip sack or getting hit while throwing and give up an INT or something.

Agree with that, gotta make sure you're out of the pocket when throwing it away though (or at least throw it near someone)....sometimes a sack is better.

On this play I wish Jimmy would have been looking at the shallow cross concept portion. If he was the drag wouldn't have been the check down it would have been the quick or at worst a secondary look and it looks like Pettis got some seperation.

This is the 4th sack.
Double Ins vs Cover 1 Robber
Taylor clears the middle for Garcon to work.


Taylor goes for an outside release and the CB on him does a good job of staying in front of Taylor. What this does is impede Garcon from being able to break inside and throws off the timing of the play. Taylor eventually tosses the CB to the side, but into Garcon's path.
At the LoS, the LB over Person rushes, then backs off. In this screenshot, the LB has already backed off. So with no one to block, Person goes to help McG.


As Garcon waits for his path to clear of Taylor and Taylor's defender, the Robber (blue) has time to come downhill to take away the intermediate middle of the field. This causes Jimmy to hold onto the ball because if he targets Garcon now, the Robber is a threat to intercept, or take off Garcon's head.


The delayed rush by #52 tricks Person and the fake rusher becomes an unblocked rusher. Jimmy wanted Garcon but Taylor's fight with the CB at the LoS ends up being a huge factor in the play.

And the 5th sack.
I think the 49ers are trying to clear the right side of the field with Pettis' route for Garcon to catch and run. vs Cover 1 Robber


Jimmy completes the playaction and looks up to see this. He is looking at Garcon, but Garcon is being mauled by the CB.


After a quick peak at Pettis, who is doubled, Jimmy looks to Kittle on the deep curl. If he wants Kittle, the throw must be now, as Kittle enters his break. It's a long throw from the far hash, but with timing it can be done since the safety isn't looking and is playing over the top.


Jimmy doesn't pull the trigger on Kittle and looks back to Garcon. But the robber takes away Garcon's route. Also pressure is coming up the middle.


I think this play is designed to get Garcon in space on a crossing route, but the grabby CB and the robber takes that away. Jimmy had a small window on a far timing throw to Kittle, but decided against it.

This is about DET playing a bear front and how I don't think that was a good idea against Kyle's 49ers. Harbaugh's teams saw this because they ran between the tackles a lot. Here's a goaline situation where a bear front is useful to prevent tough yards up the middle as it puts a 0tech over the Center, and uses two 3techs - all three inside the OTackles. This is to help defend runs in the A and B gaps.
Inside Zone vs Bear front


No where to go.


No gain.

So the 49ers try to exploit DET's bear front by attacking the edges of the formation.
Outside zone left vs Bear front


Tomlinson is able to get his helmet to the outside of the playside 3tech. Can't go anywhere without your head, so with the 3tech's helmet pinned to the inside, he's reach blocked.


A benefit of playing a bear front against outside zone is that the LB(s) are kept clean since all three interior OLmen are covered and it's difficult to get to the second level - in theory. That means the backside LB (blue) better flow and make the play since he's protected by the 0t and two 3techs.


But if that backside LB doesn't make the play, the the edge is there to be taken. Breida had a few chances last season to bust a big one but would either get tripped by a shoestring tackle, or got taken down with an arm tackle. Here he makes it through the hole.


+20

Originally posted by thl408:

+20

Not a single wasted step by Breida. Alex Gibbs would be proud.