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MOtorboat
09-20-2008, 03:55 PM
http://www.nfl.com/news/story;jsessionid=C82A58CE306CE5DB6773AB68A63BB729? id=09000d5d80aec5fd&template=with-video&confirm=true

Videos at the link...


Anatomy of a Play: Royal times two

NFL Films

Last weekend in Denver, head referee Ed Hochuli made a huge mistake on a call that many are saying cost the San Diego Chargers the game.

Still, after Hochuli's premature whistle, San Diego -- which had already allowed 34 first downs and nearly 500 yards of offense -- had two more chances to win the game. On fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line, the Broncos went with a spread formation. Brandon Marshall was the only receiver split to Jay Cutler's right. To Cutler's left were three receivers in a bunch: Tony Scheffler in the middle, Brandon Stokley on the inside, and Eddie Royal on the outside.

Scheffler ran a corner route to the back pylon, Stokley ran a quick out to the flat, and Eddie Royal ran what is referred to as a "jerk route." A jerk route is when the receiver releases hard inside like he will attack across the field, stops as if he will break back to the outside, and then starts again in his original direction. The stopping and starting nature of the route makes it ideal for a quick receiver such as Royal.

The Chargers dropped eight defenders into coverage and rushed Cutler with only three; 309-pound Igor Olshansky was the eighth pass defender. Before the snap, he aligned as a defensive tackle. But after the snap, he dropped into coverage, turned toward the bunch, and looked to cover any underneath route coming at him.

Royal's jerk route was heading right for Olshansky and the defensive lineman was forced to match up. Expecting Olshansky to cover Royal is like asking Shaq to guard Allen Iverson. Saying it's a mismatch is an understatement. When Royal stopped, so did Olshansky. When Royal started again, Olshansky didn't, and Royal was wide open. A so-so pass by Cutler was still an easy touchdown and the Broncos closed the gap to one.

But coach Mike Shanahan didn't want one.

Not only did he go for two, Shanahan called the exact same play as the touchdown. It was the same personnel, formation, and route combination. Again, Eddie Royal was Jay Cutler's primary target, running a jerk route.

The difference was in San Diego's defense. The Chargers dropped seven and rushed four and did a better job guarding Royal. It was a good matchup, with athletic safety Eric Weddle responsible for the jerk route. The four-man rush pressured Cutler, forcing him to slide left and make an off-balance throw. Weddle did a decent job on Royal, but the rookie receiver still managed to make a play.

There are reasons why the Chargers deserved to win the game and reasons why they deserved to lose it, like their inability to cover Eddie Royal on two jerk routes.

Benetto
09-20-2008, 04:09 PM
I watched this about 6 times in the past 6 days.

MOtorboat
09-20-2008, 04:47 PM
I watched this about 6 times in the past 6 days.

Yeah, I thought it was pretty awesome...it was the top story today on NFL.com.

Benetto
09-20-2008, 05:58 PM
Yeah, I thought it was pretty awesome...it was the top story today on NFL.com.
As it very well should be.

Tned
09-20-2008, 06:25 PM
According to Cutler on the Jay Cutler Show (CBS4 and FSN Rocky Mountain), Royal was not the primary receiver. In both cases, Marshall was the primary receiver and if he was single covered, then Cutler would throw one of those high fade passes to the back right corner for Marhsall.

Then, Stokely was the second option, running a sideways curl (Cutler called it something else, but I forget, where Stokely ran like he was going for the back left corner, but then curled back and stopped to catch a pass right on the goal line. Royal running the Jerk route was the third option.

MOtorboat
09-20-2008, 06:36 PM
According to Cutler on the Jay Cutler Show (CBS4 and FSN Rocky Mountain), Royal was not the primary receiver. In both cases, Marshall was the primary receiver and if he was single covered, then Cutler would throw one of those high fade passes to the back right corner for Marhsall.

Then, Stokely was the second option, running a sideways curl (Cutler called it something else, but I forget, where Stokely ran like he was going for the back left corner, but then curled back and stopped to catch a pass right on the goal line. Royal running the Jerk route was the third option.

That's funny, because according to Marshall on the Dan Patrick show on Monday, Marshall wasn't even one of the first three options...that Eddie was the No. 1 on both, according to him.

Tned
09-20-2008, 06:45 PM
That's funny, because according to Marshall on the Dan Patrick show on Monday, Marshall wasn't even one of the first three options...that Eddie was the No. 1 on both, according to him.

Well, Cutler drew out the play (both of them) on the telestrator, and claims he told Marshall that if he was single covered, to be ready for a pass into the corner.

G_Money
09-20-2008, 06:46 PM
Scheffler ran a corner route to the back pylon, Stokley ran a quick out to the flat, and Eddie Royal ran what is referred to as a "jerk route." A jerk route is when the receiver releases hard inside like he will attack across the field, stops as if he will break back to the outside, and then starts again in his original direction. The stopping and starting nature of the route makes it ideal for a quick receiver such as Royal.

Posted in April:

Double moves, quick hitches, WR screens, pitches...Eddie Royal is gonna win. In the open field, Eddie's likely to win. Corners who like to bite on angles? Eddie can change direction FAST - he's gonna win.

Where he's not gonna win are jump balls, Deep routes w/o double moves (That give the faster cb's time to recover), and currently sharp post routes (he rounds off routes right now which will allow DBs recovery time as well - Stokley will teach him how not to do that).

Press coverage shouldn't bother him too much - that's the reason he's a strong, STRONG dude, to make up for his size that way.

I look forward to watching Royal take WR screens to the same side that Marshall is on and having Giant Marshall seal the side for Royal to explode down the sideline.

That should be fun.

Double moves making a guy look stupid as Royal stops and starts again while the DB's shoes are falling off should also be amusing.

We'll see how much of that we see from him the first year and how much has to wait for year 2+ as he learns his way around the pros.

Between Hall getting embarrassed the first week and the touchdown and 2-point conversion the second week, I'm so glad we don't have to wait for year 2 like I was expecting. And Eddie's change-of-direction ability is being put to immediate use by our offense.

He's soaked up pro coaching like a sponge and is spitting it all back out on the field in points and yards come game day.

I love it. :D

~G

Skinny
09-20-2008, 07:01 PM
A 300 pound DT on Royal is a match made in heaven.

Benetto
09-20-2008, 07:11 PM
Cutler is probably throwing up some smoke screens saying Brandon was #1 option...

Shanny taught him good.

honz
09-20-2008, 07:11 PM
I like how there were 3 DBs on Marshall's side of the field on the TD and then 2 guys blanketing him on the 2 point conversion. Marshall's beastliness totally opened up the middle of the field on both plays.

Tned
09-20-2008, 07:41 PM
I like how there were 3 DBs on Marshall's side of the field on the TD and then 2 guys blanketing him on the 2 point conversion. Marshall's beastliness totally opened up the middle of the field on both plays.

Which is exactly what Cutler said. Marshall being on the side by himself was designed to draw coverage over there, but if they decided to single cover him, then Cutler would go to him, like he had 18 times earlier in the game, but if Marshall drew double coverage, then Stokely and Royal were the options.

elsid13
09-20-2008, 07:44 PM
It nice that right now Denver has options in the passing game. Double cover Marshall means Royal, Stokely, and Scheffer have the opportunity to make plays. Play a zone to cover all four, let Marshall destroy his defender.

I still am concern about the ability to run the ball right now.

honz
09-20-2008, 07:58 PM
It nice that right now Denver has options in the passing game. Double cover Marshall means Royal, Stokely, and Scheffer have the opportunity to make plays. Play a zone to cover all four, let Marshall destroy his defender.

I still am concern about the ability to run the ball right now.
Our RBs are averaging 5.3 YPC as a group right now. Our running game has been pretty decent, but we just haven't had to run very much.

Lonestar
09-20-2008, 10:44 PM
Our RBs are averaging 5.3 YPC as a group right now. Our running game has been pretty decent, but we just haven't had to run very much.


wait till they have to run and I suspect that the 5.2 will not hold up..

MasterShake
09-20-2008, 10:50 PM
wait till they have to run and I suspect that the 5.2 will not hold up..

Jrwiz, are you one of those guys who says, "It's gonna rain" every day until the day it does rain and then says, "See?! I told you it was gonna rain!"

Just kidding buddy! I like the fact that you try to ground expectations, but you gotta admit that even at only 2 weeks in the Broncos are looking pretty special so far. If we keep this up until the bye (after the New England game) things should get interesting. I was hoping to fly under the radar and snipe a few teams in the playoffs, but the Force is now telling me that we might be in the spotlight as a team to beat soon.

honz
09-20-2008, 10:53 PM
wait till they have to run and I suspect that the 5.2 will not hold up..
:tsk:

Lonestar
09-20-2008, 11:02 PM
Jrwiz, are you one of those guys who says, "It's gonna rain" every day until the day it does rain and then says, "See?! I told you it was gonna rain!"

Just kidding buddy! I like the fact that you try to ground expectations, but you gotta admit that even at only 2 weeks in the Broncos are looking pretty special so far. If we keep this up until the bye (after the New England game) things should get interesting. I was hoping to fly under the radar and snipe a few teams in the playoffs, but the Force is now telling me that we might be in the spotlight as a team to beat soon.


Had my dreams dashed by this team for the most part over the 48 seasons I have been a fan of the Broncos..

After the last super bowls and watching mikey lie to the fans each year about his goals and the talent level, then watching everyone lap up his koolade after each draft and FA acquisition.. I thought I'd start analyzing it myself and realize my expectations were to high after his press conferences

I decided to take the approach of look at it from the worst case scenario and IF it came in better then I'd be pleasantly surprise..

The past couple of years when I hit the season ending record pretty much on the head everyone thought I was nuts..

I have always been able to see flaws in thing I SEE.. From watching someone play golf, to security or issues for my companies I've worked for.. I became a fixer years ago, because I could see things that others took for granted..

Curse or blessing I do not know..

But I'll continue to say this is a 7-9 maybe 8-8 season till proven other wise..If it happens great it it does not well I'm not thinking of shoving a barrel on my mouth like some folks would.. It is a game that I enjoy and will do so till I'm gone from this earth..

Thanks for asking..

BTW where I live it is sunny about 330 days year and it rains a total of 7.5 inches a year..

So thinking doom and gloom rainy NOPE..

Tned
09-20-2008, 11:15 PM
After the last super bowls and watching mikey lie to the fans each year about his goals and the talent level, then watching everyone lap up his koolade after each draft and FA acquisition.. I thought I'd start analyzing it myself and realize my expectations were to high after his press conferences


"Lie to the fans?" Come on, Jr. Shanahan has not 'lied' to the fans anymore than any other head coach, if at all. Does he sometimes get it wrong? Yes. Does he sometimes have high expectations and then the team not reach them? Yes. Does he lie? Come on, what proof do you have that he lies? I know you can't stand Shanahan the GM, but at least face the fact that there are few GM's in football that have been as successful as him.

The great Cowboy's organization hasn't won a playoff game in 10+ years or something like that. Few teams in the NFL have had only two losing seasons since the Broncos last SB.

You yield a pretty wide and insulting brush when you make your "then watching everyone lap up his koolade after each draft and FA acquisition" type comments. Insinuating that everyone that doesn't consider everything out of Shanahan's mouth a like, like you do, is a bamboozled, kool aid drinker.

Maybe for some of us, it isn't black and white, and we can recognize shades of grey.

weazel
09-21-2008, 12:39 AM
awesome post man, thanks for that. They obviously seen what SD's defense was doing throughout the game on those type of formations and held it in the back of their minds for when they needed it.

Thats why they're coaching in the NFL and I'm sitting here working my useless job! LOL

elsid13
09-21-2008, 07:28 AM
Our RBs are averaging 5.3 YPC as a group right now. Our running game has been pretty decent, but we just haven't had to run very much.

Our RBs are getting yards much like Runners in Spread Offense, those quick dashes. At some point in the season, Culter is going to have off game and we are going to need to pound the opponent, I am afraid that to much passing with weaken the mind set of the o-line.

Denver need to get to balance on play calling between the run and pass if they want to win it all.

gobroncsnv
09-21-2008, 07:57 AM
Another tribute to and display of Royal's quickness was shown on the play where he matched up against Asomougha in the Raider game... a guy thought by many to be one of the next great corners in the league, he really is good, as opposed to Hall, who had his butt handed to him with chips.
But the play I'm thinking of, Royal was matched against Asomougha on the left side, we needed about 6-7 yards for a first down. Royal took off, made a double move, against pretty tight coverage (well, it started out as tight coverage), but he got loose for a pretty crucial (at the time) first down, really spun him around. When he did that, I had my first really good look at what Royal is gonna be able to do, and that is, be a great goal-line receiver. To shake someone THAT good loose for a catch in a very short field will be very useful in the red zone.

gobroncsnv
09-21-2008, 08:07 AM
Denver need to get to balance on play calling between the run and pass if they want to win it all.

I kind of think we are featuring the pass now... our run plays are just put in to keep the D honest. Shanny is all about keeping the other guys so off balance, and does so by having a lot of REALLY good options from a single formation. I agree with where you're coming from, though, in that, when the snow starts to fly, we'll have to be able to have a consistent batch of thunder to go with the lightning. The best playoff teams USUALLY have a great run game, and I think ours is not as consistent (nor persistent) as our passing is right now. But I'm not worried, 'cause the guy many thought we should cut (Pittman) is running pretty well when he gets his chances, let alone Hall and Young. Billick did a quick story on NFL Network's AFC playbook, and used examples of our run game from some of this year's games along with some old clips... we still run that stretch/cutback play pretty well.

Bronco9798
09-21-2008, 08:23 AM
As the season progress's, I think our running game will pick up. It's the start of the season and the Broncos have been getting great success with the passing game. Why try to be balanced right now if you are using what works. The run game will be there as we move along here. You exploit and play to the weakness of your opponent. And right now Shanny and the offense are doing a great job of it. If an opponent can't match up with our passing game, then keep throwing and use the running game like they are now to keep teams a little off balance. The confusion our passing game creates right now is almost funny at times. It's a great combination the way it is working right now. I like it, it works, and it's so much fun to watch.