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By Alex Byington Sports
TUSCALOOSA — Alabama’s defensive backs have been often picked on by both fans, referees and opposing offenses this season.
Thursday, during his weekly radio show, Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban — who also routinely works exclusively with the cornerbacks in practice — explained why.
Part of it has to do with how Alabama plays coverage.
Alabama grades whether or not a defensive back should turn and look for the ball by where they are in relation to the line of scrimmage. Usually, Tide coaches teach defensive backs to avoid looking for the ball within the first 18 yards, or the “move area,” especially if they’re playing tight, in-phase coverage.
“You have to stay in-phase with the guy until you get through the move area, which we usually tell our guys is 18 yards down field. Then you can become the receiver and look for the ball if you’re in-phase,” Saban said Thursday. “If you’re out-of-phase, you have to play the ball through the man, which means you’re not going to turn and look for it until you get back in position to look for it through the man.”
Alabama’s coverage philosophy can sometimes be exploited by offenses that try to take advantage of that “move area.” And that can often lead to pass interference calls, even when the Tide defensive backs are doing what they’re taught.
That’s what happened when Alabama senior cornerback Cyrus Jones was called for pass interference on Mississippi State’s second offensive series Saturday.
“I think he played it correctly. He was in-phase but he wasn’t through the move area,” Saban said. “We know they throw back-shoulder throws to (De’Runnya Wilson), so we were playing it that way, and the ball was thrown poorly. Who initiated the contact? I don’t know but they always call that pass interference on the defense.”
Jones had an opportunity to redeem himself a few plays later when he played Wilson properly in a goal-line pass from MSU quarterback Dak Prescott that fell incomplete because Jones stayed out-of-phase the entire time and played the ball.
“Coach always preaches in-phase and out-of-phase so if we’re in-phase with the guy, we’re taught that we can turn and look for the ball and try to make a play on them,” Jones said in September. “If we’re out-of-phase, meaning the guy has horizontal or vertical kind of separation from us, we’re taught to kind of play the ball through their hands so it depends. You’ve just got to use your own judgment and instincts.”
Because, at least the way Alabama teaches coverage, it’s ultimately all about having the proper instincts when the ball’s in the air.
“There’s a lot of things that go into this that you can’t just say, ‘Why isn’t the guy looking for the ball?’ Well there’s a lot of reasons,” Saban said. “And a player has to be confident in playing the ball and judging the ball.”
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Thursday, during his weekly radio show, Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban — who also routinely works exclusively with the cornerbacks in practice — explained why.
Part of it has to do with how Alabama plays coverage.
Alabama grades whether or not a defensive back should turn and look for the ball by where they are in relation to the line of scrimmage. Usually, Tide coaches teach defensive backs to avoid looking for the ball within the first 18 yards, or the “move area,” especially if they’re playing tight, in-phase coverage.
“You have to stay in-phase with the guy until you get through the move area, which we usually tell our guys is 18 yards down field. Then you can become the receiver and look for the ball if you’re in-phase,” Saban said Thursday. “If you’re out-of-phase, you have to play the ball through the man, which means you’re not going to turn and look for it until you get back in position to look for it through the man.”
Alabama’s coverage philosophy can sometimes be exploited by offenses that try to take advantage of that “move area.” And that can often lead to pass interference calls, even when the Tide defensive backs are doing what they’re taught.
That’s what happened when Alabama senior cornerback Cyrus Jones was called for pass interference on Mississippi State’s second offensive series Saturday.
“I think he played it correctly. He was in-phase but he wasn’t through the move area,” Saban said. “We know they throw back-shoulder throws to (De’Runnya Wilson), so we were playing it that way, and the ball was thrown poorly. Who initiated the contact? I don’t know but they always call that pass interference on the defense.”
Jones had an opportunity to redeem himself a few plays later when he played Wilson properly in a goal-line pass from MSU quarterback Dak Prescott that fell incomplete because Jones stayed out-of-phase the entire time and played the ball.
“Coach always preaches in-phase and out-of-phase so if we’re in-phase with the guy, we’re taught that we can turn and look for the ball and try to make a play on them,” Jones said in September. “If we’re out-of-phase, meaning the guy has horizontal or vertical kind of separation from us, we’re taught to kind of play the ball through their hands so it depends. You’ve just got to use your own judgment and instincts.”
Because, at least the way Alabama teaches coverage, it’s ultimately all about having the proper instincts when the ball’s in the air.
“There’s a lot of things that go into this that you can’t just say, ‘Why isn’t the guy looking for the ball?’ Well there’s a lot of reasons,” Saban said. “And a player has to be confident in playing the ball and judging the ball.”
Decatur Daily—Continue reading...
