I found an important point difficult to articulate without showing the film. So pull up a chair next to me as we look at a single play that turned the tide in the Jets at Steelers game, but it could’ve been so much more.
Situation
- Pittsburgh 20 - New York 10
- 4th quarter
- 3rd and 6 yards to go
- Football on the Jets own 23 yardline
The Steelers are playing Cover 1 Robber. The two safeties are rolling toward the circles, which shows the robber safety reading Zach Wilson’s eyes and the other safety playing the deepest part of the field. The other arrows show man coverage for the other defenders not rushing the passer. Defenders with square shoulders to the receiver is a tell that it’s man coverage.
The Jets are running a version of Spear. The Red path is Elijah Moore, who ran a vertical route but couldn’t beat the defender. Therefore, he converted the route into a comeback. Michael Carter is the green path, and he is checking pass protection before he releases into his route. Tyler Conklin is the gray path into the immediate flat. Corey Davis is the blue path, who widens his defender before breaking to the inside. Garrett Wilson is the orange path running the spear route, a deep crosser gaining ground across the field. The Jets have a good play call on here for man coverage with Wilson as the initial read and Davis as the secondary read for 3rd and 6 yards to go.
Just as Zach Wilson is releasing the football, he has two very good options. The orange circle is Garrett Wilson winning on his route across the field, and the blue circle is Corey Davis turning around his defender. Zach Wilson picked the first read in the progression to Garrett Wilson.
Wilson, the orange circle, caught the pass and broke a tackle attempt from his defensive back. He only has the free safety, black circle, to beat to score a touchdown.
This is where Wilson tries to do too much by deciding to cut back inside.
He succeeds in making the initial defender, the black circle, miss but the time required to pull off the move allowed for another defender, the purple circle, to close the gap and make the tackle at the 42-yard line.
From another view, this is just after the initial defender misses his tackle, and you can see the other two safeties circled. Wilson could’ve potentially scored if he used his space and speed more efficiently with the orange path. That was a good play by Wilson, but it could’ve been great.
Am I being too critical? Well, these are the decisions that often happen throughout games that determine the outcome. The Jets were down 10 points here in the 4th quarter. I also wanted to bring you into the life of being a coach and digging deep into the film. It’s all about the small details, techniques, and decisions that players make each play.
With that said, let's dive into the quick-hitting analysis this week as I picked two games of young quarterback play and also wanted to see how these rookie running backs are doing. I will discuss the New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans games this week.
Disclaimer: Coaches are critical by the nature of the profession. I will reveal the good and bad about players. It doesn’t mean I’m a homer or a hater, so the kids say. It’s just honesty.
New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers
Fairly messy game with six interceptions thrown, but that is expected from young quarterbacks. Neither team ran the football very effectively either. Mitchell Trubisky started the game, but Kenny Pickett took over in the second half to give Pittsburgh the lead. However, Zach Wilson led the Jets to two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to win.
Mitchell Trubisky
The Good
-
Subtle movement in the pocket bought him enough time away from pass rushers to deliver the football
-
Threw a couple of seeds deep down the field
The Bad
-
third-down target short of the marker
-
High target that got tipped and led to an interception
-
Missed high on another pass that should’ve been intercepted
-
Forced a pass into double coverage on 3rd and long, but missed the open basic route
-
Takes some bad sacks
Takeaway
- Trubisky made an effort to push the football down the field and had some nice passes, but he’s simply too inconsistent. He missed high on multiple passes and struggled to maintain drives, which is why he got benched. This was Trubisky’s last chance to be a starter without injuries happening.
Kenny Pickett
The Good
-
Used his legs efficiently to buy time and also scramble for yardage
-
Throws the ball on time
-
Willing to throw in the face of pressure
The Bad
-
Threw a pass in double coverage on 1st and 10
-
Will take abuse from defenses running the football
-
Threw late to the wide side of the field, and it got tipped and then intercepted
Takeaway
- Up and down performance was expected from a rookie in his first action in a regular season game. He gave Pittsburgh a spark with improved quarterback play and energy with scrambling. I’m slightly concerned he could take unnecessary hits running the football. Pickett did turn the football over twice on passes he shouldn’t have thrown, but overall he threw the football in rhythm and helped the offense. Pickett should lift up this offense more than Trubisky.
Najee Harris
The Good
-
Shows good burst for his size
The Bad
-
Isn’t running under balance behind his blockers
-
Questionable vision/decision-making at times
-
Hesitates, and it allows for the defensive pursuit to close gaps and space
Takeaway
Najee Harris is trying to do too much and isn’t in rhythm with his blockers and scheme at times. He’s over-cutting holes, he’s running up the back of his blockers, taking too many steps and hesitations which limit holes and yardage. On the season, Harris is -0.78 YPC less than expected on every carry. He’s underachieving, and I’d be looking to trade him before the bottom falls out.
George Pickens
The Good
-
Boxed out Sauce Gardner on a slant route to secure the reception
-
Very good body control at the catch point
-
Reliable hands and a large catch radius
The Bad
-
Didn’t high-point a deep target, which gave the defender the space to bat it away
-
Uses more toughness after the reception instead of running away from defenders
Takeaway
- The Steelers made it a point to highlight Pickens in this game with targets and favorable concepts. He didn’t high-point a deep target early in the game, or his stats would’ve been much higher and potentially a touchdown. Also, he had a 27-yard reception late that was pure prevent defense. Pickens has a good skill set to win with his athleticism, route running, body control, and hands. He’s a tough player. Pittsburgh has a crowded group of pass catchers and I’m concerned that the fantasy football hype is higher than what should be expected from him on a weekly basis.
Diontae Johnson
The Good
-
Such a gifted route runner
-
Quick twitch player who uses hesitation to his advantage
The Bad
-
Pass went through his hands and was intercepted
-
Tries to do too much after the reception
Takeaway
- Diontae Johnson’s route running is very fun to watch. He threatens defensive backs' leverage to create separation and has the quickness they can’t match. He can try to do too much sometimes, but that comes with the territory when you possess that athleticism. Johnson did have a football tipped and then it went through his hands for an interception. The only concern I have in fantasy is the rapport with Pickett and how many targets will come his way moving forward.
Pat Freiermuth
The Good
-
Uses his body to shield the defender from the football to increase his odds of a reception
-
Good catch outside of his frame
The Bad
-
Doesn’t offer much after the reception
Takeaway
- Freiermuth is a solid tight end, but not spectacular due to his lack of burst after the reception. He reminds me of Jason Witten. However, Pickett threw to Freiermuth often, and that’s a good sign for fantasy moving forward.
Zach Wilson
The Good
-
Threw a deep out on time
-
Good hands catch for a TD
-
Quick release
-
Looks natural when throwing the football on time
The Bad
-
Locked onto his first read too long and didn’t convert on 3rd down, but missed a huge gain or potential touchdown elsewhere
-
Scrambled into pressure
-
Lacks a plan on off-script plays
-
Missed on the big play and didn’t take the easy completion
-
Late on a deep out that should’ve been intercepted
-
Floats passes late, which led to an interception on a deep crosser
-
High target got tipped and led to an interception
-
Off-target on simple throws
Takeaway
- Very up-and-down game for Zach Wilson, which I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt because he missed so much time due to the knee injury. He’s got a talented arm and looked great when throwing the football on time. But when his initial read isn’t there, he struggles and looks frantic scrambling without a plan. He missed on a few passes high and late, but also led the Jets back to win this game. Give him a few weeks to show us who he is this year.
Breece Hall
The Good
-
Avoided early penetration and got downhill with power
-
Very good burst when a hole opened up for a big gain
-
Best run was when they needed it most
-
Confident hands
The Bad
-
Reached over the goalline and fumbled, but after it was ruled a touchdown
-
Break more tackles
Takeaway
- Running lanes were minimal, but Hall made good choices and showed good movement skills. He’s an asset in the passing game and made plays when they needed them. Didn’t break as many tackles as I’d like for the opportunities. His fantasy arrow is pointing upwards.
Garrett Wilson
The Good
-
Advanced route runner for his age
-
Good athlete
The Bad
-
Tries to do too much with the football in his hands
Takeaway
- Wilson only had two receptions in this game but had one huge catch. I highlighted in the introduction his big play that could’ve been better. He’s going to be a good NFL player.
Corey Davis
The Good
-
Smart route runner who uses time, space, and leverage well
-
Works off script to get open
-
Large catch radius with reliable hands
-
Caught a ball in traffic despite taking a hit
The Bad
-
Missed multiple times because he’s not the first read
Takeaway
- Davis looked good on the field and healthy. Wilson spread the wealth around, but Davis worked his way open multiple other times as well. He could be a sneaky play in fantasy the rest of the season for a very cheap price.
Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans
In a game featuring two young quarterbacks, we saw everything on display. Great passes, questionable decisions, staring down receivers, and inconsistent play. The Chargers were up 27-7 at the half, but the Texans scored 17 unanswered to make it a game. Then the Chargers put it out of reach.
Davis Mills
The Good
-
Not athletic, but can make small movements in the pocket to buy time
-
Played his best when he was more aggressive with his decisions
-
Showed nice touch to fitting in a ball over a linebacker but in front of the safety
-
Delivered a strike knowing he’d take a big hit
-
Correct read on the free safety and delivered a great deep ball for a big gain
-
Threw on time, which allowed enough space for a touchdown pass to Cooks
The Bad
-
His drop in the pocket doesn’t always match the routes, which can make things off rhythm
-
Gets off of his first read too quickly, which can lead to not converting first downs
-
Threw high over the middle with a defender in his face, and it led to an interception
Takeaway
- When Mills is conservative, he’s a very replaceable quarterback. But when the Texans were down, he became more aggressive and started delivering some good passes down the field. He didn’t take the steps I thought he would this season and will likely get replaced this offseason in Houston.
Dameon Pierce
The Good
-
Keeps feet moving on contact to add yardage
-
Displays solid hands
-
Set up blocks with his late cuts
-
Good balance
-
Houston’s run blocking is a positive
-
Got skinny to get through a hole
The Bad
-
Expected more broken tackles due to agility and power
-
Doesn’t offer a ton after the reception in the passing game
Takeaway
- Pierce runs the outside zone concept very well, and Houston created some big lanes for him. He shows the patience, balance, and cutting ability to set up the second-level blocks for big gains. Besides the 75-yard touchdown run, Pierce had several other good runs. He’s a solid all-around player and reminds me of James Robinson. Not sure he’ll ever be really good, but he’ll be solid.
Brandin Cooks
The Good
-
Nice catch in traffic when he knew he’d take a hit
-
Settles down in zones
-
Technician as a route runner
The Bad
-
Body catches more than necessary
-
Lacks power after the reception
Takeaway
- Cooks is a lot like Tyler Lockett. Both are savvy veterans who know how to get open versus zone and man coverage but don’t like to take hits. Play Cooks with confidence because he hasn’t lost a thing on the field due to his age.
Justin Herbert
The Good
-
Multiple progression read for a touchdown to Everett
-
Very talented arm in both strength and accuracy
-
Athletic enough to buy time and be creative off script
The Bad
-
Stared down a read and still threw it directly to a defender, who dropped the INT
-
Locked onto his top target on third down and missed open receivers
Takeaway
- I don’t throw terms out lightly. Justin Herbert is a special player. His arm talent and decision-making are top-notch, allowing him to tear up this league for years. He can place the football in tight windows deep down the field and make many passes seem routine.
Austin Ekeler
The Good
-
Quick burst
-
Patient runner, who makes good jump cuts to daylight
-
Difference maker in space
-
Confident hands
The Bad
-
Can only break an arm tackle
-
Struggles at times in a crowd
Takeaway
- The Chargers got him the football in space, paying off with touchdowns. When he’s used in the interior of the defense, it doesn’t lead to great results. Ekeler seems to have a reduced overall role, and now might be the time to sell him off of a three-touchdown game.
Mike Williams
The Good
-
Uses his body to box out cornerbacks from the football
-
Herbert trusts him to get open
-
Owns the middle of the field
The Bad
-
Limited after the reception
Takeaway
- Williams owns the middle of the field in terms of getting open and being a reliable target. His limited speed isn’t on display as much here because he uses his frame, route running, and veteran smarts to get open. Not to say he can’t get open on the outside, but the middle of the field is his bread and butter.
Gerald Everett
The Good
-
Release off the LOS allowed him to stack Jalen Pitre and catch a touchdown
-
Used his body to lean into the defender to create separation on the top of his route
-
Uses his hands well
-
Showed good athleticism for his size
The Bad
-
Pushed off at the top of a route that should’ve been called offensive pass interference
-
Dropped a pass on third down that would’ve moved the chains
Takeaway
- Impressed with Everett’s athletic ability, usage, and route running within this offense. This game, compared to his previous contests, confirms that he’s not a mirage. Everett is a top-five-tight-end candidate for the rest of the season. Acquire Everett if someone is still having doubts.
