Dawgs By Nature
The Cleveland Browns lost to the Minnesota Vikings this weekend in London by a score of 21-17, and it came on the back of a blown play by Denzel Ward in coverage at the 26-second mark in the 4th quarter.
Everyone knows that Ward is one of the absolute best cornerbacks in the league, but he’s shown the ability to have some mental lapses from time to time, and this was a huge one. For whatever reason, Denzel Ward has always had trouble with different cover 2 variations. It’s almost as if he forgets what his responsibilities are and whether or not he has help over the top in some cases.
On what ended up being the game-winning touchdown pass from Carson Wentz to Jordan Addison, Ward hesitated halfway through the route and didn’t run with Addison down the sideline. This play was 100% on Ward because he didn’t know what to do here. Ward should’ve immediately flipped his hips and ran with Addison instead of backpedaling and keeping his eyes on Wentz. The quarterback should never be able to sway the movements of a cornerback in this situation if they use proper technique.
Yes, Ronnie Hickman could’ve gotten more width, but Addison was Ward’s man. It’s almost as if Ward tried to bait Wentz into making the throw, but he didn’t realize that he wasn’t deep enough to actually break up the pass. If this is true, then Ward needs to learn from this and recognize that he can’t get “cute” like that in those types of crucial situations.
Things like this happen every season with Ward in different areas of the field, and he needs to do a better job of understanding his responsibilities in C2 shells. Safety help only triggers at certain points, and he has a bad habit of blurring those lines from time to time.
In unfortunate cases like this one, it can cost Cleveland a win.
Do you agree with this Denzel Ward assessment? Join Fellow Browns fans in the comment section below.
