Back again with another play breakdown. I hope you really enjoy this one it took the most work for me as I watched every trips play the Panthers ran against the Saints from wild card weekend to get a better idea of the meta game and set up involved to make this homerun possible. There were nearly 20 plays run from trips by the Panthers this game and only 1 true out of backfield concept thrown to 22 the whole game and this was it. They set them up and were able to get their best play maker on his best route against the best possible coverage in the most desperate situation in the game. 4:20 down 2 scores 2nd and 10. You will see how this was a great call to have there but probably should have called more out of backfield stuff for Christian instead of split out wide where he was covered more easily by DBs. He may be a better pass catcher than runner right now but he is still better catching out of the backfield vs on the edge.

TL;DR

• Trips to have team show coverage
• Texas concept to get RB out of backfield 1:1 with Backer
• Catch on the run
• Hit the boosties and get the tuddy

• TV Copy of Play
• TV Copy of same concept in College
• Coaches Film with Players of Sideline and Endzone

Hi again, back with another TD breakdown. I chose this one because instantly the play looked familiar to me. It was like Deja Vu for any Stanford fan. It also shows the what I believe are differences between the NFL and the College game and then where they meet again. In the play against the Saints its wild card weekend against a rival you have already played twice. The Saints will have a play for Christian coming out of the backfield after seeing it multiple times.

The Panthers ran over 9 plays in 3×1, and 8 plays in 1×3 (TE is on the solo side) with Christian to the side of the solo side. He never release on a pass other than a screen, and he stayed in to block to outside release every other play. They set this play up through monotony to the defense throughout the game to break out a possible home run right when they needed it most. Put one of your best playmakers in a position to win at his best route concept but don’t waste it early. Set it up and prime that WILL LB and the defense to forget about the biggest threat for the right moment. To me thats the NFL mindset of the meta game.

Here we see a near identical play. Route concepts at other spots may be different but it gets the same point across. But this is the FIRST play of the game. Iowa had a month to prepare for this 1 play but they still couldnt stop it with bracket coverage. Thats the college game. You know who your best players are and who their weak players are and you just attack those spots over, and over, and OVER again.

• Pre Snap Sideline Gif
• Pre Snap Sideline Image

Let’s start with the Name of the play:

Trips Left 2 Jet Scat Texas F Smash

Trips: Z, F, Y all to one side of the field

Left: Indicates where the Strength/Y should go

2:Direction of the play

Jet: 6 man protection where line accounts for 4 down plus outside backer. Man side to number, Sift side opposite of the number

Scat: Removes RB from Jet protection. Still Man, Sift but block 5 most dangerous of 4 down lineman + MIKE SAM

Texas: Tells RB to run Texas/Angle Route (have had arguments with people over this route name but just called different things by different people. Texas is the concept but can also be used for the route. Angle is a name for the route) Something else that is unique is that it tells other positions to do certain things as well. FOR Carolina it tells the Y to run a skinny post, and X to run Fly

F: indicates a this position has a specific route

Smash: F runs an Corner and Z runs a Curl to create a Smash Concept

Trips is a great formation to try and get the defense to give you a tell of what they are running. They have to adjust to the overloaded side of the field and here the adjustment by the defense is to rotate the Strong Safety (S/S) all the way down to the F. It shows their hand easily and has the Free Safety (F/S) in the middle of the field. With Middle of the field closed you get either Cover 1 (man coverage based defense) or Cover 3 (Zone based defense)(I know this is rudimentary but it helps for beginners). There is another tell for what coverage this is with the SAM Having eyes on the QB the whole time. He never once looks at the Y. It’s also a Nickel SAM who is not often brought on blitzes so he isnt as good at disguising.

This gives Cam the indication that there will be 1:1 man coverage with the RB on the WILL. You take your 8th overall pick on his best route any day of the week

• Mid Play Sideline Gif
• Mid Play Sideline Image

Here to me is probably the most interesting part of the sequence. RB makes a great move to get the WILL to jump outside (WILL has also only seen RB cut outside all day). What is really weird to me is the because the defense doesnt want to leave Olsen (Who already scored on a skinny post in the redzone) they have the MIKE turn his back and run over to him. If he cuts outside he probably runs with him. But then he has a rule to let the Y go if he runs deep into the Safeties zone.

The Smash concept is only to bail out the QB if the coverage is disguised. You then have a good concept on the other side for a profit.

• End Play Sideline Gif
• End Play Sideline Image

Rant incoming

Here is why you draft 8th Overall. Now most of you will say “Well Kamara in the same spot probably scores a TD too, he probably doesnt get caught right at the end either”. But my argument is the draft is not a solved problem by any stretch of the imagination. No one truly knows what they are doing, its weird to me that the position of GM even exists! But you want a guarantee in that first round, especially in the top 10. You want to see what happens in college will be everything and more at the next level. You can’t get mad at your mutual fund for giving you a 10% return because you didnt find the Penny stock that went crazy. Be happy your fund did great like it was supposed to

Rant over

Here is where McCaffery displays his athleticism and heart to keep his team in the game. He catches the ball and is instantly surrounded by 3 defenders. He uses his speed and is able to run past all of them and their angles and is smart to run towards the pylon on his angle instead of straight up the field (its probably like Tecmo Bowl where its faster to run diagonal than straight right?)

I love watching players do what they do best and translate their game from the college level to the Pros. great pick up by the Panthers and will be a great player for them for a long time

• Pre Snap Endzone Gif
• Pre Snap Endzone Image

This is a great angle to see what Cam sees on the interior. He sees that the SAM is coming and knows he has the right protection to pick it up. Scat protection is often given a Kill to go from side to side so you can make sure you are sliding the correct way. He also is able to see the WILL 1:1 with RB.

Another great use of this angle is you are able to see the MIKE turn his back to where a normal cover 1 MIKE Zone would be. Because he needs to replace the SAM man on the Y he turns his back and is covering the out or the stop. Once he goes deep he lets the F/S have him.

• Mid Play Endzone Gif
• Mid Play Endzone Image

Here you can see how close it is in pass pro. Tackle gets beat with speed but at tackle thats where you would prefer to get beat. If you can time it up right you can punch and run a player by the QB because you know where his launch point will be.

Here you get to see the exact moment the WILL’s soul left his body. Christian gives him a head fake and a jab step outside and cuts at an angle into the soft zone vacated by the MIKE. Cam puts the ball on him, could have probably lead him a little, but still makes the right throw to get the ball in a playmakers hands.

You can get another look at the 3 guys converge on the RB. Here is a bad display of a key recruiting metrics from one of my coaches: NCOSATPOR

Noticiable Change Of Speed At The Point Of Recognition

MIKE and F/S both see 22 get the ball but don’t have great speed at adjusting to the new development on the field. Gotta be able to flip your hips and get him. But again…thats why you draft this kind of player at 8th overall. Look forward to great things.

Hope you all enjoyed this. Below are the Stills of the plays and examples of trips run throughout the game. and the longer form video of coaches film. Let me know what you think.