🏈 What does this mean in simple terms (WR's, routes, defense)?

[BamaDelta]

Can someone make this more simple? Does this pretty much jive with your opinion?

From al.com today-

Tide receivers have seen mostly zone defenses, which limits opportunities to challenge defenders head-to-head. Alabama has taken advantage of short screens opening up small swaths of grass to allow playmakers to find space to break loose.

"Most teams have been playing us press-bail, so they're pressing us at the beginning of the play and bail out before the play starts," Tide receiver Marquis Maze said. "We haven't really gotten any man coverage. ...We're getting open deep, we beat the corner, but they have a safety over the top, which makes it hard for a QB to throw it deep."

 

[LBS]

Basics: "Zone" means that the defender's responsibility is to defend a predetermined area of the field against completed passes. "Man" means that the defender's responsibility is to defend a single player against a completed pass.

What this looks like: Man coverage will begin with the defender being relatively close to the receiver or the line at the snap (in tight) with the intent to ensure that the receiver is covered at all time, even before the ball is passed. Also, should the receiver cross the entire field, the defender will play follow-the-leader and go along with. Zone sees more space until the Quarterback releases the pass, then the defender closes on the ball and receiver. This may have some lonely defender way off by himself while every other player is clustered near one sideline.

Strengths/Weakness: Zone more easily allows quick/short passes, as the receiver is initally "open". Whereas getting deep against the Zone can be tricky because the defender is free to get a head-start getting deep himself. In Man, the short pass is initially a difficult one to complete because of the closeness, while with a good fake or "juke", running good pass patterns, and/or flat out speed can often allow the receiver to win the footrace to the open area deep.

In Bama's case: Julio Jones being so strong means that he can often muscle himself into being open against a defender in Man, or "Man/ Press" and it is sometimes called. Marquis Maze is such a squirrelly guy that he can ofter slip away from a defender at the line of scrimmage in the same coverage. This explains why the defenses would present/show an intital Man-looking defense only to "bail" or ease off a few steps to keep Julios's hands off them and get a head start on Marquis. The "Safety over the top" means that their Safety is positioned deep (12-15 yards) so that if/when the defenders who is closer to the line of scrimmage (i.e. the Cornerbacks) get beat deep, the Safety is there maintaining a positional advantage over Jones or Maze trying to get open 25 yards+ down field.

 

[bamafan4ever]

Well, I doubt UT will show us any man coverage now unless we can figure out the zone.

 

[Duder]

Well, I doubt UT will show us any man coverage now unless we can figure out the zone.

Not a chance. Teams will continue playing a relatively short zone because it keeps players in position for run support and they do not respect Greg's ability to throw deep.

 

[tidenumber1]

Sad, but true. ^^^^