Coaches Film Analysis: 2018 Season

Originally posted by thl408:
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.

That's just a piss poor job of team pass rush. No gap integrity. I felt like the guys almost went rogue here thinking they had this one already. Saleh has talked about how disruptive it is for QB's to have those 2 trees in the middle and how it makes it hard for them to see, then both trees move out of the middle on their pass rush......Why Buckner tries to work outside doesn't make sense and I feel like if you're going to stunt someone, sent Marsh around and have AA push that G into the T a la Justin Smith style. The ability of Stafford to step up is what makes this play. I feel like the DLine left the secondary out to dry on this one.

Originally posted by jonnydel:
That's just a piss poor job of team pass rush. No gap integrity. I felt like the guys almost went rogue here thinking they had this one already. Saleh has talked about how disruptive it is for QB's to have those 2 trees in the middle and how it makes it hard for them to see, then both trees move out of the middle on their pass rush......Why Buckner tries to work outside doesn't make sense and I feel like if you're going to stunt someone, sent Marsh around and have AA push that G into the T a la Justin Smith style. The ability of Stafford to step up is what makes this play. I feel like the DLine left the secondary out to dry on this one.

The best way to beat cover 3 is the flood routes but they take time. Problem is that our "Almost There" defense gives the QB too much time.

C3 vulnerability is in the undercoverage, depending on how many are rushed there are typically only 4 defenders to cover across the field sideline to sideline... many ways to stretch those 4 defenders across the field...

How should the 49ers have played that Post-Wheel combo? Spoon pass the Post off to the middle safety then cover the wheel? I find this the best way but very difficult for Spoon. As soon as #1 goes vertical, Spoon's job is to stay with the #1 as close as possible. It's a lot to ask for him to peek back at what #2 is doing and adjust.
Is KWilliams (curl/flat) supposed to carry the Wheel up the sideline?

Originally posted by riverrunzthruit:
C3 vulnerability is in the undercoverage, depending on how many are rushed there are typically only 4 defenders to cover across the field sideline to sideline... many ways to stretch those 4 defenders across the field...

Originally posted by thl408:
How should the 49ers have played that Post-Wheel combo? Spoon pass the Post off to the middle safety then cover the wheel? I find this the best way but very difficult for Spoon. As soon as #1 goes vertical, Spoon's job is to stay with the #1 as close as possible. It's a lot to ask for him to peek back at what #2 is doing and adjust.
Is KWilliams (curl/flat) supposed to carry the Wheel up the sideline?

If you look at #27 FS Adrien Colbert, when he sees Stafford break contain, he jumps up and starts to defend the run and go after Stafford, and when Stafford sees that he throws over Adrien. If Adrien stays disciplined and drops back, I think he'd have made the throw more difficult to Tate or perhaps Stafford would have eaten the ball and just slid down.

Originally posted by thl408:
How should the 49ers have played that Post-Wheel combo? Spoon pass the Post off to the middle safety then cover the wheel? I find this the best way but very difficult for Spoon. As soon as #1 goes vertical, Spoon's job is to stay with the #1 as close as possible. It's a lot to ask for him to peek back at what #2 is doing and adjust.
Is KWilliams (curl/flat) supposed to carry the Wheel up the sideline?

That's why I think it is such a great combo versus C3.... puts 2 defenders in the column to defend three, someone has to be open

Just like you said nothing Spoon could do, with the Post skinny like that he has to go with it, the flat defender has to release the wheel and can't sink back because the bench is right in front of him...

I think with with a slot formation like that they should have checked to Sink C2, Quarters would have gotten smoked on the play as well...

Originally posted by Giedi:

Originally posted by riverrunzthruit:
C3 vulnerability is in the undercoverage, depending on how many are rushed there are typically only 4 defenders to cover across the field sideline to sideline... many ways to stretch those 4 defenders across the field...

Originally posted by thl408:
How should the 49ers have played that Post-Wheel combo? Spoon pass the Post off to the middle safety then cover the wheel? I find this the best way but very difficult for Spoon. As soon as #1 goes vertical, Spoon's job is to stay with the #1 as close as possible. It's a lot to ask for him to peek back at what #2 is doing and adjust.
Is KWilliams (curl/flat) supposed to carry the Wheel up the sideline?

If you look at #27 FS Adrien Colbert, when he sees Stafford break contain, he jumps up and starts to defend the run and go after Stafford, and when Stafford sees that he throws over Adrien. If Adrien stays disciplined and drops back, I think he'd have made the throw more difficult to Tate or perhaps Stafford would have eaten the ball and just slid down.

I didn't see that... I saw AC shade align to the slot, but open up to the field side expecting something to come his way, and he never even looked back to see if the post was coming his way, not sure if he is taught that or he made a mistake, not sure why he didn't back pedal straight so he could see the entire field... only way this play gets shutdown if is AC sees the post early and shuts it down allowing Spoon to let it go so he could slam the wheel route

Originally posted by riverrunzthruit:
I didn't see that... I saw AC shade align to the slot, but open up to the field side expecting something to come his way, and he never even looked back to see if the post was coming his way, not sure if he is taught that or he made a mistake, not sure why he didn't back pedal straight so he could see the entire field... only way this play gets shutdown if is AC sees the post early and shuts it down allowing Spoon to let it go so he could slam the wheel route

Just minor correction. It was Tartt (29) that was the middle deep safety on that play. Colbert was weakside Hook. Yeah it's a tough play for this coverage. I have to think SEA saw this at some point in their years of playing this style of Cover3.

Originally posted by thl408:
How should the 49ers have played that Post-Wheel combo? Spoon pass the Post off to the middle safety then cover the wheel? I find this the best way but very difficult for Spoon. As soon as #1 goes vertical, Spoon's job is to stay with the #1 as close as possible. It's a lot to ask for him to peek back at what #2 is doing and adjust.
Is KWilliams (curl/flat) supposed to carry the Wheel up the sideline?

I don't have a problem with how the secondary played it. I have a problem with how our pass rush didn't rush as a unit. In response to another post as well, I'm fine with an, "almost there" pass rush in this situation if you don't give the QB a lane to escape. That's been our Achilles heal against R. Wilson for years now. We allowed a lane of escape. CHI kept him in the pocket all game last week and he is almost non-functional if kept in the pocket.

Stafford would've had to make a really good throw from a very unstable pocket if our guys simply close down the rush lanes. They definitely were not disciplined in their rush lanes and it cost the team. That, to me, is the result of a group of young guys(none of those guys have more than 35 starts under their belts, in fact, Buckner had more starts than any of our rushers on that play) not staying disciplined on 3rd and 17. We hold DET there and it's a blowout win for our team.

Originally posted by thl408:

Originally posted by riverrunzthruit:
I didn't see that... I saw AC shade align to the slot, but open up to the field side expecting something to come his way, and he never even looked back to see if the post was coming his way, not sure if he is taught that or he made a mistake, not sure why he didn't back pedal straight so he could see the entire field... only way this play gets shutdown if is AC sees the post early and shuts it down allowing Spoon to let it go so he could slam the wheel route

Just minor correction. It was Tartt (29) that was the middle deep safety on that play. Colbert was weakside Hook. Yeah it's a tough play for this coverage. I have to think SEA saw this at some point in their years of playing this style of Cover3.

They did and if the front 4 didn't get there it would work. I believe C. Kelly ran this play against them or what's his butt, the OC during Tomsula. I remember Gabbert hitting this play off PA to Celek IIRC. Seattle wouldn't see it too much because one thing they do really well is stay disciplined and rush as a unit. Very few QB's could get out and run against them and they all collapse the pocket. They didn't have a ton of speed rushes, just 4 guys compressing that pocket quickly and making QB's really nervous.

I think of the Monday night game of the fail mary when A. Rodgers got sacked 9 times.(oh yeah, sometimes when a team plays really good coverage even good QB's get sacked a bunch). The SEA D-line mauled GB's offensive line all night. It wasn't speed rushes, it was straight up bullying that offensive line. We have the horses to do that they just have to play with that kind of nastiness and ferocity when the time comes.

Originally posted by jonnydel:

Originally posted by thl408:
How should the 49ers have played that Post-Wheel combo? Spoon pass the Post off to the middle safety then cover the wheel? I find this the best way but very difficult for Spoon. As soon as #1 goes vertical, Spoon's job is to stay with the #1 as close as possible. It's a lot to ask for him to peek back at what #2 is doing and adjust.
Is KWilliams (curl/flat) supposed to carry the Wheel up the sideline?

I don't have a problem with how the secondary played it. I have a problem with how our pass rush didn't rush as a unit. In response to another post as well, I'm fine with an, "almost there" pass rush in this situation if you don't give the QB a lane to escape. That's been our Achilles heal against R. Wilson for years now. We allowed a lane of escape. CHI kept him in the pocket all game last week and he is almost non-functional if kept in the pocket.

Stafford would've had to make a really good throw from a very unstable pocket if our guys simply close down the rush lanes. They definitely were not disciplined in their rush lanes and it cost the team. That, to me, is the result of a group of young guys(none of those guys have more than 35 starts under their belts, in fact, Buckner had more starts than any of our rushers on that play) not staying disciplined on 3rd and 17. We hold DET there and it's a blowout win for our team.

Agree to your point about the pass rush being the primary break down. Really, Stafford should not have had that much time to throw, and also he shouldn't have had that much room to run, buy time and throw. I also don't know how the DB's should have covered that either, but from what I can see, Adrien was just too aggressive defending the run on a 3rd and 17 -- and he should have known to only drop coverage *after* Staford's passed the LOS. Having said that, it's hard to stay disciplined when a guy like Stafford has that much room to run. As you and the rest of our knowledgeable experts here said, they are newbies and have a lot to learn this year.

Originally posted by Giedi:
Agree to your point about the pass rush being the primary break down. Really, Stafford should not have had that much time to throw, and also he shouldn't have had that much room to run, buy time and throw. I also don't know how the DB's should have covered that either, but from what I can see, Adrien was just too aggressive defending the run on a 3rd and 17 -- and he should have known to only drop coverage *after* Staford's passed the LOS. Having said that, it's hard to stay disciplined when a guy like Stafford has that much room to run. As you and the rest of our knowledgeable experts here said, they are newbies and have a lot to learn this year.

Poor AC keeps getting blamed, lol. He wasn't that guy, that was Fred Warner if I remember right. Colbert is the guy who takes off like a rocket after Tate in the GIF and Tate is stiff arming near the end.

Which, check out that speed by AC.... He shoots across the field with a different level of speed.

Originally posted by jonnydel:

Originally posted by thl408:

Originally posted by riverrunzthruit:
I didn't see that... I saw AC shade align to the slot, but open up to the field side expecting something to come his way, and he never even looked back to see if the post was coming his way, not sure if he is taught that or he made a mistake, not sure why he didn't back pedal straight so he could see the entire field... only way this play gets shutdown if is AC sees the post early and shuts it down allowing Spoon to let it go so he could slam the wheel route

Just minor correction. It was Tartt (29) that was the middle deep safety on that play. Colbert was weakside Hook. Yeah it's a tough play for this coverage. I have to think SEA saw this at some point in their years of playing this style of Cover3.

They did and if the front 4 didn't get there it would work. I believe C. Kelly ran this play against them or what's his butt, the OC during Tomsula. I remember Gabbert hitting this play off PA to Celek IIRC. Seattle wouldn't see it too much because one thing they do really well is stay disciplined and rush as a unit. Very few QB's could get out and run against them and they all collapse the pocket. They didn't have a ton of speed rushes, just 4 guys compressing that pocket quickly and making QB's really nervous.

I think of the Monday night game of the fail mary when A. Rodgers got sacked 9 times.(oh yeah, sometimes when a team plays really good coverage even good QB's get sacked a bunch). The SEA D-line mauled GB's offensive line all night. It wasn't speed rushes, it was straight up bullying that offensive line. We have the horses to do that they just have to play with that kind of nastiness and ferocity when the time comes.

Oh snap. The bolded jogged my memory so I looked back at that film thread and saw this (2015, Geep what's his butt). Similar route combo vs Cover3.


Boldin takes the sideline deep 1/3 to the Post. #88 breaks outside to become the new #1.


The C/F defender matches and runs with the #2 vertical!


Pass overthrown. What's different on this play is that there isn't a route to the flat to distract the C/F defender. The C/F defender is free to match the vertical from #2.

Originally posted by jonnydel:

Originally posted by Giedi:
Agree to your point about the pass rush being the primary break down. Really, Stafford should not have had that much time to throw, and also he shouldn't have had that much room to run, buy time and throw. I also don't know how the DB's should have covered that either, but from what I can see, Adrien was just too aggressive defending the run on a 3rd and 17 -- and he should have known to only drop coverage *after* Staford's passed the LOS. Having said that, it's hard to stay disciplined when a guy like Stafford has that much room to run. As you and the rest of our knowledgeable experts here said, they are newbies and have a lot to learn this year.

Poor AC keeps getting blamed, lol. He wasn't that guy, that was Fred Warner if I remember right. Colbert is the guy who takes off like a rocket after Tate in the GIF and Tate is stiff arming near the end.

Which, check out that speed by AC.... He shoots across the field with a different level of speed.

I could have sworn it was AC. Oh well. Either way it was

Originally posted by Giedi:

Originally posted by jonnydel:

Originally posted by Giedi:
Agree to your point about the pass rush being the primary break down. Really, Stafford should not have had that much time to throw, and also he shouldn't have had that much room to run, buy time and throw. I also don't know how the DB's should have covered that either, but from what I can see, Adrien was just too aggressive defending the run on a 3rd and 17 -- and he should have known to only drop coverage *after* Staford's passed the LOS. Having said that, it's hard to stay disciplined when a guy like Stafford has that much room to run. As you and the rest of our knowledgeable experts here said, they are newbies and have a lot to learn this year.

Poor AC keeps getting blamed, lol. He wasn't that guy, that was Fred Warner if I remember right. Colbert is the guy who takes off like a rocket after Tate in the GIF and Tate is stiff arming near the end.

Which, check out that speed by AC.... He shoots across the field with a different level of speed.

I could have sworn it was AC. Oh well. Either way it was

That's why I label the players with their jersey numbers