Alex Kirkby article - How to successfully (and unsuccessfully) attack Josh Norman in the passing game

[MartinC]

For those who don't know who Alex Kirby is he is an ex College and HS coach who is now an author and contributes to coaching resource sites (like CoachTube -https://coachtube.com/courses/football/).

I subscribe to his e-mail mailing list for new articles. His latest is a breakdown of ways the Broncos tried to attack Josh Norman in the Super Bowl. Nothing earth shattering here but some good reading in a quiet period!

http://www.milehighreport.com/2016/6/27/12039620/how-to-successfully-and-unsuccessfully-attack-josh-norman-in-the

He breaks down a couple of plays that worked against Norman and one that didn't.

On the first example because there is no route that threatens the short zone or flat to Normans side I would say he should have continued to carry the vertical route. In Cover 2 the normal rule is the corner stays with any vertical route (route matches) unless there is someone running into the short flat which is his first responsibility.

The second play be breaks down I would say is on the defensive staff not Norman. Its one of the problems with zone that you can allow the offense to dictate match ups and in this case leaving Thomas on a safety was a mismatch - nothing to do with Norman unless he was supposed to switch with the safety and stay with Thomas.

The third play is a Cover 3 look - which is something we use a lot and something Norman excels at. Sitting deep reading the QB and breaking on the ball. If we can get pressure with what should be a good pass rush and allow Norman and Breeland to sit in off coverage in cover 3 hes going to shut down a lot of receivers.

Again nothing radical and the break downs are actually not that in-depth but something to at least show we spent a lot of money on a corner who fits into our scheme like a glove.

[Koolblue13]

It's going to be so nice not to watch teams shifting their WR1, to Blackmons side and having success.

[The Rook]

It's going to be so nice not to watch teams shifting their WR1, to Blackmons side and having success.

 

 

     It took me three times of reading this before I saw the word "not".  Changes the meaning entirely, to say the lest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Rook

[DC9]

Again nothing radical and the break downs are actually not that in-depth but something to at least show we spent a lot of money on a corner who fits into our scheme like a glove.

 

So he is a system guy?

[Wildbunny]

So he is a system guy?

Like almost every player in any sport...

 

Our best thing is that our coaches will work on a system that fits his strengths. Just like last year when they worked on it to have Kyshoen Jarrett on the field.

 

That "system guy" stuff is getting boring.

[DC9]

Like almost every player in any sport...

 

Our best thing is that our coaches will work on a system that fits his strengths. Just like last year when they worked on it to have Kyshoen Jarrett on the field.

 

That "system guy" stuff is getting boring.

 

I know it is.  My sarcasm font wasn't working today.  I agree whole-heartedly with you.

 

Keep it up in Euros, btw

[Wildbunny]

I know it was sarcasm

[Aireskoi]

Moved from Twitter thread...

 

Josh Norman said he's going to be playing more man coverage here, he will not be in the same system as he was in Carolina.  Hopefully he's not a system guy, and I don't think it will be a problem, but just to provide clarity I found these two recent articles.

 

Of course, they did talk some football—the Redskins, like Carolina, run mostly zone coverages, but with a twist. The trash talk of choice for Norman’s wideout foes is to classify him as “a good Cover 2 corner.” In Washington, Norman was told, he would have more opportunity to play man-to-man. “In Carolina everything was defined,” Norman says. “It was black and white and some gray. Here everything is gray—it’s more free. I can not just be in a scheme, but be a football player. I have a little more freedom. The shackles have been broken off, and man, I’m going to show them something they’ve never seen before.”

 

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/05/11/nfl-josh-norman-redskins-how-deal-happened

 

“I’m more free, I think,” Norman said during a recent appearance on ESPN 980. “If I get one wide receiver, I can pretty much play it however I really want to play it, in the concept of the call that [barry’s]  made. I have free range to do that. Even coming over on slot, I’m playing a different combination than I would back in Carolina. Not saying that their defense scheme was bad, at all. It was a good scheme for what it was. Coming here, I just feel like our different coverages, traps and everything are a little bit more to my style of play, man. I’m like a rogue savage out there, so I’m playing ball at the highest level of speed. I don’t need to think much; I just need to go.”

I caught up with Norman Friday and mentioned that I had heard him refer to himself as some sort of savage; “you said it right,” he agreed. So I asked what that meant.

“It means I can be whatever I want to be,” he said. “I can be free. I want to play the game ruthless and violent. If you think about a savage; that’s pretty much where I’m at.”

And does every NFL defense not empower its players thus?

“No,” Norman said. “I mean, every defense has its way, but it’s more freedom [here], man. It’s like if I’ve got a coverage, I’m with that coverage, 100 percent. I’m not like ‘Okay, I’ve got to think about doing something else, I’ve got to think about all these other combinations, if that happens or that happens.’ No. If I get a call,GO. Just go. There’s no ifs ands or buts. Make a play.”

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2016/06/09/im-like-a-rogue-savage-out-there-josh-norman-is-having-fun-with-the-redskins/

[MartinC]

 

“No,” Norman said. “I mean, every defense has its way, but it’s more freedom [here], man. It’s like if I’ve got a coverage, I’m with that coverage, 100 percent. I’m not like ‘Okay, I’ve got to think about doing something else, I’ve got to think about all these other combinations, if that happens or that happens.’ No. If I get a call,GO. Just go. There’s no ifs ands or buts. Make a play.”

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2016/06/09/im-like-a-rogue-savage-out-there-josh-norman-is-having-fun-with-the-redskins/

 

Be interesting to see how this plays out. I think this talks to freedom to route match within an overall zone scheme and to show zone and then switch to trap coverages to create specific match ups. But its totally possible we see more man as well - I'd very surprised though if we are still not in zone more than man. Last year we were in zone 70% of the time, maybe that drops a bit but not THAT much IMO. 

[skinny21]

Yeah, it's going to be interesting to see, Martin. I agree it's likely we're in zone more than man. I also think the talk of being more aggressive - being able to rush more guys (and more often) - such as blitzes from the ILBs, means more man coverage.

With solid corners, Hall's ability to cover, and Cravens and Smith inserted into the lineup (along with Kerrigan and Galette), I can see the talent lending itself to man coverage more than last year.

[JaxJoe]

Be interesting to see how this plays out. I think this talks to freedom to route match within an overall zone scheme and to show zone and then switch to trap coverages to create specific match ups. But its totally possible we see more man as well - I'd very surprised though if we are still not in zone more than man. Last year we were in zone 70% of the time, maybe that drops a bit but not THAT much IMO. 

 

I read that quote not so much as dictating what system Norman will be playing in or not playing in, but more so that all four DBs and maybe a LB will have to be communicating and committing to which player each has responsibility for in their zone as opposed to just sticking with your zone's responsibility; regardless of the system.  I'm not sure if I'm making any sense but I think the coverage for each snap will have a scheme dictated by the DC, but that each DB will be claiming a particular route and / or receiver. That way every receiver is accounted for and there's no confusion as to who has what.

[Aireskoi]

Be interesting to see how this plays out. I think this talks to freedom to route match within an overall zone scheme and to show zone and then switch to trap coverages to create specific match ups. But its totally possible we see more man as well - I'd very surprised though if we are still not in zone more than man. Last year we were in zone 70% of the time, maybe that drops a bit but not THAT much IMO. 

 

I'm not sure if the 70% zone is an estimate, but based off that number I don't know how much that will change.  I wouldn't have guessed they were playing man coverage that much last year.  

 

My hope is that there is enough carry over from what he was doing to allow him to be who he was for Carolina, and that 'something we've never seen before' will be a good thing.  This could all just be talk from Josh based on his perceived reputation as a cover-2 only guy.  Corners are the new divas (not in a bad way) these days it seems, WR's used to be the ones, but the NFL's corner group has more of those characters now.  

 

In Washington, Norman was told, he would have more opportunity to play man-to-man. “In Carolina everything was defined,” Norman says. “It was black and white and some gray. Here everything is gray—it’s more free. I can not just be in a scheme, but be a football player. I have a little more freedom. The shackles have been broken off, and man, I’m going to show them something they’ve never seen before.”

[MartinC]

I'm not sure if the 70% zone is an estimate, but based off that number I don't know how much that will change. I wouldn't have guessed they were playing man coverage that much last year.]

66.9% is the actual number based on a breakdown.

[Master Blaster]

On the first example because there is no route that threatens the short zone or flat to Normans side I would say he should have continued to carry the vertical route. In Cover 2 the normal rule is the corner stays with any vertical route (route matches) unless there is someone running into the short flat which is his first responsibility.

 

 

 

Disagree here.  Based on scheme/playcall, the CB generally won't go past 10-15 yards from the LOS. 

[Aireskoi]

That's really a lower zone percentage for us than I thought.  Carolina was in zone about 11% more than we were last year based on that, but that really only works out to 3 times more per game in man for us.  Should I assume "others" would be the combo coverages?

 

Based on the chart it wouldn't take much more man coverage than we were in last year to be considered a change for Norman, maybe another 2-3 times per game.  It's going to be hard to know how this is going to play out until the season, and even then I'm sure it will evolve.  The media won't be able to discuss scheme (good), and preseason will be vanilla.

 

I'm super excited about having Norman, he could prove to be our best player.

[MartinC]

Disagree here.  Based on scheme/playcall, the CB generally won't go past 10-15 yards from the LOS.

If they pattern match (which they do a lot in the NFL) the corner carries any vertical route unless there is a route in the short area. Does depend on play call though and from Normans comments it seems Carolina did not give their corners much flexibility so you could be right.

To change the topic slightly looking at the coverage breakdown for Carolina and the Redskins I posted the thing that jumps out to me is how much cover 4 the Panthers ran.

[TheGreek1973]

So he is a system guy?

yea and so is Brady.  I mean how successful can he be running the wishbone offense. 

[MartinC]

Should I assume "others" would be the combo coverages?

 

 

I wold guess others will be combo coverages like Cover 6 (which is 3 deep but half quarter quarter - so a a combo of cover 2 and cover 4), Cover zero blitzes etc.