Originally posted by thl408:
Originally posted by NCommand:
It's not so much about the height/size of the CB's re: press. It's about their technique and physicality. Both Brock and Culliver (and perhaps Wright and Cook) are best, IMHO when they are up tight at the LOS and being physical with the WR's and dictating things rather than reacting to clean routes by WR's off the LOS. Both Brock and Culliver are very physical and have the ability to do this while keeping their eyes in the backfield. A perfect example of Brock's aggression was in the Falcon's game that lead to Bowman's pick-6 on Monday night. It was one of the first times all year I saw a Niner CB keep body-position with the WR, keep his eye's in the backfield and MAKE A PLAY ON THE BALL. If he's playing off coverage there and only focused on the WR, the WR catches the ball uncontested and is immediately tackled for a 3 yard gain (our M.O). I truly feel we'll see a different philosophy this year. We'll have a new SS learning our defense, a FS in his second year most likely calling the pre-snap reads and young guys in Brock, Culliver, blue-chip CB, Wright, Morris, Cook, etc. playing together for the first time as a unit. Playing single high and press outside is a good way to play to everyone's strengths and simplify coverages. Will it predominant? Probably not...more like a regular wrinkle BUT if they start to show lots of success with it, then you have a similar Cover 3 and press-scheme like Seattle made a living from. And we'll get back to the old Niner's defenses that used to "dictate" offenses rather than "react" to them.
NC, watch that play again. Brock was playing off his man with a 7 yard cushion. This allowed him to watch Ryan at the snap of the ball and jump the route when Brock saw that it was going to be a quick throw. Had he been playing press, there is no way Brock can watch Ryan. He'd have to watch the WR at the snap of the ball to avoid being beat off the LoS.
I agree with what you said about it being more about the physicality/technique and strength of the CB more so than the actual length, although length helps. Brock, although not tall is a physical CB and as I watch him in press man in the ATL game, he rises to the challenge when asked to press. He even got a holding call in this game from being too hands on.
I knew you were going to say that and should have qualified that statement! LOL...IIRC (and I could be remembering wrong) he wasn't playing very far off the LOS and jumped the route and played the ball. The WR didn't fly off the LOS (in fact he barely moved) to a soft slant. The point here was that even in press, the CB isn't always right in the face of the WR, up tight, contesting every move off the LOS. Sometimes they do...other times they are within a couple yards (like Sherman) and in the general area staying on their hip, cutting off routes, guiding the WR OOB or establishing position. Whether it was a clear off-coverage (most likely) or a soft press, I was very impressed with his ability to keep good positioning on the WR, stay within a coupe yards of him, keep his eyes in the backfield and make a play on the ball once he saw the QB's arm coming forward (a near INT himself).
PS: I'll take the 1 for 20 times, "Prior to the pass, holding by the CB...5 yard penalty, first down," every time!
PSS: Thanks t...he was playing off further than I remembered inside the RZ on that play. Maybe what we can take from that is that he started out (clearly) in off coverage and at the snap sprinted up keeping his eyes in the backfield and maintaining position.
[ Edited by NCommand on Mar 21, 2014 at 4:13 PM ]
