Coaches Film Analysis: 2018 Season

When you're so afraid of Richard Sherman you won't even look his way to see he's been beat, LOL. This was a 3rd down and he throws an incomplete pass to Golden Tate over the middle.....

Almost sacks are people too.....LOL. Just kidding. But, you can see, getting pressure on the QB can still change the game. This was the last play on offense for the Lions and sealed the game. Stafford doesn't look very comfortable, does he? While the ball still might possibly have been caught, compare this to the 3rd and 17 earlier on a very similar play and that's the difference. Even though this isn't a sack, it ends the game.

Don't get me wrong, I want sacks and lots of them. But, I'll take this too.

Originally posted by jonnydel:


Almost sacks are people too.....LOL. Just kidding. But, you can see, getting pressure on the QB can still change the game. This was the last play on offense for the Lions and sealed the game. Stafford doesn't look very comfortable, does he? While the ball still might possibly have been caught, compare this to the 3rd and 17 earlier on a very similar play and that's the difference. Even though this isn't a sack, it ends the game.

Don't get me wrong, I want sacks and lots of them. But, I'll take this too.

Yeah but almost sacks tire the defense out more.

Armstead made that last play. But no props?

Originally posted by jonnydel:
There's been a lot of flak given to anyone who says, "almost sacks count too". But, they're not wrong. Disrupting the QB is just as important as actual sacks and can still positively affect the game.



We come with a zone blitz and E. Lee's pressure and beating the RB forces a bad pass from Stafford. He throws it behind his open receiver. This was 3rd down and got the defense off the field.

Meh, Stafford's throws are usually off. He is one of the lesser accurate top QB's in the league.

This is the final of the three plays I wanted to show where Jimmy faced zone coverage in a game where DET played lots of man coverage.
Double Dig (Trail) vs Cover3


After playaction, Jimmy looks up to see this. He's first looks to the middle of the field. What Jimmy doesn't see is that the boundary deep 1/3 CB (blue) has blown his coverage because he bit hard on the playfake. I'm not sure if this is a progression read or coverage read.
If this is a progression read, then I'm pretty sure it's inside-out. Progression is yellow to red.
If this is a coverage read, then the key defender is the middle deep safety - which ever route (yellow/red) that safety shades over to, throw it to the other one.


The safety stays in the middle of the field, not moving over to Garcon, so Jimmy targets Garcon. Had Jimmy saw the blown coverage and put the ball where the yellow star is, it could have been a bigger gain to Pettis.


+20. So against zone, the 49ers had gains of 16, 16, 20. The biggest passing play of the day was Pettis' 37 yarder (vs man) cut up earlier in the thread. But with three sizable gains versus zone, it's no wonder DET went with man coverage as their gameplan.

Originally posted by Joecool:
Meh, Stafford's throws are usually off. He is one of the lesser accurate top QB's in the league.

Haha lesser accurate top qbs? Which is it lesser accurate or a top QB? Or is it the truth ain't the truth?

Originally posted by Izyniner:

Originally posted by Joecool:

Meh, Stafford's throws are usually off. He is one of the lesser accurate top QB's in the league.

Haha lesser accurate top qbs? Which is it lesser accurate or a top QB? Or is it the truth ain't the truth?

I haven't checked his numbers but I think Stafford throws for a lot of yards which makes him a top QB but he also throws a lot of passes. He has never had a running game and for a while he had megatron where could just throw up the jump ball and 9/10 times megatron was coming down with it.

Originally posted by insanemike27:

Originally posted by Izyniner:

Originally posted by Joecool:
Meh, Stafford's throws are usually off. He is one of the lesser accurate top QB's in the league.

Haha lesser accurate top qbs? Which is it lesser accurate or a top QB? Or is it the truth ain't the truth?

I haven't checked his numbers but I think Stafford throws for a lot of yards which makes him a top QB but he also throws a lot of passes. He has never had a running game and for a while he had megatron where could just throw up the jump ball and 9/10 times megatron was coming down with it.

It still doesn't answer the question is he a lesser accurate passer or a top qb? I n comparison Brady has a career comp per. of 64 and stafford has a career comp. of 62. So if that makes Stafford a top qb I would also say he is an accurate passer. Which indicates that Armstead chasing Stafford out of the pocket and causing him to make an inaccurate throw is actually a great play and don't fit the narrative.

Can anyone comment on Fred Warner in this game? I think I heard his name once or twice, but he was basically invisible compared to week one. Anything worth noting on Fred? Did they scheme him out? Did they give him extra attention?

Originally posted by thl408:

Originally posted by jonnydel:

Originally posted by thl408:

Originally posted by jonnydel:
I'm finishing up the 3rd QTR now. Lots of good stuff to go over

What's up with all the bear fronts DET was coming with? Why do that against a team that likes to run outside zone?

Not sure. I feel like Patricia was more worried about the cut-back inside than the outside run. It bit them when Breida gashed em for 20 one play and 66 the next.

Exactly the sequence I was referring to. Also the first play of the game when Breida went for 28. Although that wasn't outside zone. Did Patricia think he was playing Harbaugh's 9ers? I don't think I've seen a team do that against the Kyle 49ers between the 20s.

They're trying to disrupt the combo blocks of the Oline. Basically trying to ensure the Offensive guards can't get to the 2nd level or get any pin/pull action.

Lot of teams are doing this to zone based runs. In college you will see a lot of defenses go to a base 4-man front with double 2i's or double 1's, or a 3man front going to bear or double 4i's to dictate where the ball should go, free up the LBs, and mess up zone schemes.

Originally posted by jgarf08:
They're trying to disrupt the combo blocks of the Oline. Basically trying to ensure the Offensive guards can't get to the 2nd level or get any pin/pull action.

Lot of teams are doing this to zone based runs. In college you will see a lot of defenses go to a base 4-man front with double 2i's or double 1's, or a 3man front going to bear or double 4i's to dictate where the ball should go, free up the LBs, and mess up zone schemes.

Yup. Check out post #47 of the DET film thread if you can. On those two outside zone runs, one play the LB was protected but didn't flow well to the ball (+20 yards). On the big TD run, Tomlinson was still able to get to the second level and impeded the backside LB enough to where the LB couldn't make the play. Didn't work out well for DET in those instances.

Here's the big 3rd & 17 that DET converted to get the ball rolling on their attempted comeback. The telecast pointed out KWilliams as biting on a shallow route to give up the big play. This is actually a good route combination against this coverage. 49ers show a Cover2 look but will rotate to Cover3.
Switch Verticals vs Cover3
The color designation on the WRs will not change throughout the play. Red will stay red, yellow will stay yellow.


As the play develops, the 49ers rotate into Cover3 (blue = deep, orange = underneath). If #1 goes vertical, Spoon will match #1. This is a common assignment for the sideline deep 1/3 defenders in this version of Cover3 - match #1 if vertical. #2 starts to break outwards on his route, across the face of KWilliams.


#1 vertical matched by Spoon. #2 has now released to the outside of KWilliams, the strongside curl/flat defender.


As the red WR breaks to the Post to take Spoon away from the sideline, there is now a new #1 WR. (WR numbering is from sideline inwards). This is a horizontal stretch on Spoon.
At the same time, the orange flat route flashes in front of KWilliams to draw him forward, this is a vertical stretch on KWilliams.


Red WR takes Spoon away from the area they want to attack. Switch Verticals is a common Cover3 pattern match buster and the 49ers fell for it. Tartt with another poor open field angle to the ball carrier adds another 25 yards of RAC.
I don't know if Spoon should be aware, pass off red WR's Post to Tartt, then break off to cover yellow. Or, KWilliams should carry yellow up the field. Defense needs to get it right on how to defend this route combination because for sure they will see it again at some point. +67


E-T stunt with Marsh-AA. There's no containment so it's an easy step up in the pocket.

Great analysis thl408, if you notice Buck was doubled on that 3rd and 17. That shouldn't happen in that situation, Buck needs to move around and break that pass protection scheme and get free from that double.

Originally posted by thl408:

Post-Wheel combo is a great C3 beater, vertical stretch concept outside 1/3 column... post skinnies out with MOFC taking corner and safety with it, curl-flat defender releases the wheel ever so slightly and nobody is there behind him, easy read for the QB top to bottom...