Gang Green Nation
Over the next couple of days, I’m going to try and highlight some significant Justin Fields plays from the preseason opener against the Packers.
Fields’ first passing attempt of the game came on a third and five play.
The Packers are showing blitz.
By loading up the area near the line of scrimmage with potential pass rushers, the Packers want to trick Fields into thinking they are blitzing. Green Bay is actually only rushing four and dropping everybody else into coverage. If Fields thinks a blitz his coming, he is apt to try and get rid of the ball quickly and throw it into heavy coverage.
If we are going to be honest, this is a very poorly disguised defensive play by the Packers.
For starters, a cornerback is aligned outside all Jets wide receivers on the right side of the offensive formation/left side of the defensive formation.
Most blitzes require the defense to play man to man coverage. Since extra defenders are rushing the passer, there just aren’t enough bodies on the second and third levels to cover all zones.
But a cornerback lines up outside the receivers in zone coverage. He typically tries to direct receivers to the middle of the field because that’s where his help is, the other zone defenders. In man to man coverage, there is no help in the middle of the field so cornerbacks usually try to direct receivers to the sideline.
So this was a pretty big key the Packers are playing zone coverage and unlikely to blitz.
Another key was revealed as Garrett Wilson went in motion.
Instead of a cornerback following him across the field, a linebacker bumps over to the side where Garrett arrives.
We can probably guess that the Packers have no interest in covering Garrett Wilson one on one with a linebacker. The fact that the cornerback didn’t follow him across the formation is a giveaway that it isn’t man coverage, and the Packers are unlikely to blitz. You generally would only bump a linebacker over to have an extra body clogging the zones where most of the receivers are.
This is a good example of why you use motion. Sometimes the simplest motion can force the defense to tip its plan.
On top of all this, a safety who was near the line of scrimmage faking blitz bails before the ball is snapped.
All of this tells us that Fields should have patience on this play. Instead of a blitz forcing him to get the ball out quickly, it will likely take time for something to develop with this many bodies in the back of the defense.
The play call the Jets have here is well-designed for either man or zone coverage.
Had it been man coverage, the closely bunched wide receivers would have created plenty of traffic for Tyler Johnson to slip through the defense.
But even in zone coverage, the other receivers force Green Bay’s defenders up the field, opening up a hole for...
