So, it' s being reported today that Mario Fannin has been named the Auburn Tigers' new punt returner. This is not big news in a strict football sense, but it is big news to anyone who has followed Auburn football for the last decade and has been wondering how the 2009 Tigers would differ from the Tuberville-coached Tigers of the past. Tuberville was notorious for his baffling and inexplicable choices for who would return punts for his team. Choices like Tre Smith and (gasp) Markeith Cooper made it very clear that Tuberville considered punt returns a simple nusance best done away with all together (kinda like offense) and, if that couldn't done, treated with sheer contempt at all times.
Excepting the times he allowed Cadillac Williams to return punts during their undefeated 2004 season (coincidence?), Tuberville's criteria for a punt returner seemed to be something like: (1) Is he under 5'7"? (nothing wrong with that); (2) Can he catch the ball?; (3) Does he possess a fuzzy understanding of the rules regarding fair catches? (Markeith Cooper once fair caught a ball on the one-yard line. This is not an exageration. I was there.); (4) Are we absolutely sure he is not a threat to return the punt for a long gain? If the answer to all of those was a resounding "YES," then Tubby had his man.
I'm sure the new Auburn staff will differ from the previous one in many ways, but allowing Mario Fannin - probably the most gifted skill position player the Tigers have - to return punts is the starkest difference I've seen so far.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Can the Tampa 2 Become the Tennessee 2? (Part II)
PART II: Does Tennessee Have the Personnel to Run the Tampa 2?
Before we can answer this second question, we must first determine what type of personnel a team needs to successfully run the Tampa 2. Let's take a look at it from the line of scrimmage backwards.
Due to it's strong preference for full zone coverage, the Tampa 2 does not typically employ a great deal LB or DB blitzes, since doing so would leave the blitzing player's zone vulnerable to attack. As a result, getting backfield pressure is primarily the responsibility of the defensive front four - especially the DEs. It's really the first key to making the entire defense work. If the defensive line puts pressure on the QB, the offense is forced to resort to a short passing game, which is exactly what the tight zones of the Tampa 2 were designed to stop. On the other hand, if the line fails to generate pressure, the offense will have more to exploit the holes that are inevitable in any zone scheme.
The Vols might be in good shape here. The reports out of camp indicate that DE Chris Walker (JR - and a good Memphis boy, I might add) has been virtually unblockable in the new scheme. On the other side, the Vols moved linebacker Gerald Williams (JR) to DE, probably to add some much-needed speed to the position, and he appears to have prospered. On top of that, it's pretty clear that Kiffin plans to actively rotate his D-lineman, hoping to keep them all fresh. So, the Vols seem set to generate the type of pass rush that the Tampa 2 demands. So far, so good.
As for the LBs, the Tampa 2 generally requires two things: run-stopping outside linebackers (OLBs) and a dynamic middle linebacker (MLB). Since the Tampa 2 does not like to bring a safety into the box (they have deep coverage responsibilities, remember), that means that it rarely features an 8-man front. This puts added pressure on LBs to shut down the run, especially between the tackles. Furthermore, since the MLB has deep middle responsibility (more on that in a bit), a great deal of the run responsibility falls on the OLBs. To my mind, this is one of the greatest faults of the Tampa 2 (more on that later as well).
As for the MLB, the Tampa 2 requires a fast, dynamic player - one who equally adept at stopping a power rushing play and a deep passing play. Check Part I of this series again and look at the graph of the Tampa 2 coverages. Look how much space the MLB is charged with guarding - from his starting position 3-5 yards off the line of scrimmage all the way back to the deep middle of the field, possibly 20-30 yards from where he started. So, the MLB obviously has to be fast to cover his pass responsibilities, but he must also have a diverse enough skill set to be equally adept at playing the run. Also, he has to be smart and perceptive. He cannot be easily sucked in by play-action, or the deep middle will be ripe for exploitation. It's an incredibly demanding position and largely the key for the entire defense.
The good news is that the Vols appear comfortable with the talent they have at the OLB position. Rico McCoy (SR) and LaMarcus Thopmson (JR) appear to have the spots nailed down. McCoy made 2nd Team All-SEC last year and has 193 tackles to his credit over the last 2 years. Thompson is not nearly as accomplished, but he does have 2 years of experience. Unfortunately for the Vols, that's where the good news about the LBs ends. At the all important MLB spot, it appears the Vols plan on starting Nick Reviez (JR). I'd say it's a puzzling choice, considering Reviez has started exactly one game at LB thus far in his career, but it doesn't look like they had all that many options. From what I gather, highly touted freshman Jerod Askew was expected to compete for the position, but Reviez beat him out - possibly because the coaches were uneasy about starting a true freshman at such a vital position. Perhaps Reviez has dramatically improved since walking-on to make the team in 2006. Perhaps the fact that Kiffin mistook him for a kicker the first time they met isn't that big of a deal. Maybe a short, slow guy with lots of hustle will fit just perfectly in the role - as a fellow short slow guy, I'll certainly be rooting for him. However, as it stands, the Vols have to be concerned about having their biggest question mark on defense just happened to fall on the most important position. How Reviez (or whomever else) fills the MLB spot is easily the question of the year for the Vols' defense.
The CB position in a Tampa 2 differs from that in a lot of other defenses due to the near exclusive use of a 2-deep zone in the Tampa 2. This relieves the CB of any high-pressure man-to-man responsibilities. Furthermore, the fact that the safeties and MLB are primarily responsible for deep coverage means that the CB are free to play receivers in their zone tightly, without fear of getting burned deep, which can give them a lot of interception opportunities. Of course, that deep coverage scheme also means that CBs in a Tampa 2 absolutely, positively HAVE to be major players in the run defense, since the safeties and MLB are going to be occupied. This means they must have excellent recognition and closing speed, as well as be excellent, aggressive tacklers. Think Rhonde Barber, not Deon Sanders.
It's unclear even now who exactly the Vols will be looking to to fill the CB position. Brent Vinson (JR) was supposed to be a surefire starter, but nagging injuries have kept him out of practice for much of the fall. Besides, Vinson is a pure speed guy (4.39 40) designed for man coverage and light talking duty (only 40 tackles in two years of playing time) - not exactly your prototype Tampa 2 corner. Other names I've read in connection with the position are Art Evans (SO) (who has also had nagging injuries this fall), Anthony Anderson (SO) and Mike Edwards (FR), a smallish, somewhat lightly recruited true freshman. Yikes! It will be interesting to see how this position plays out. My best guess is they will rotate those guys and possibly another 2 into and out of the game depending on the situation. For example, on obvious passing downs, they could go with their smaller, faster guys and then sub in their better tacklers in anticipation of runs. Another thing to keep in mind is that the CBs will be essential in defending any outside option plays, something a little team known as the Florida Gators are quite fond of. We'll get to that in the next section.
The safety position in the Tampa 2 is one of the most interesting from a strategy perspective. Technically, their only responsibility is to cover their deep section of the field, but since a great number of plays do not directly challenge the deep section of the field, that can leave the safeties without a lot to do. This is especially interesting in Tennessee's case since the Vols' greatest player by far is strong safety (SS) Eric Berry (JR). The last thing Kiffin wants to do is run a scheme in which his best player is easily avoided by simply ignoring his deep half of the field. So, I expect Kiffin will use Berry a lot like the Indianapolis Colts have used SS Bob Sanders. Because of Sanders' unique combination of speed and power, the Colts have allowed him to creep forward from his tradition safety position up near the box. This is to allow Sanders to be more involved in the Colts run defense as well as giving them an extra blitzing option on obvious passing downs. They can do this because they know that Sanders is so dynamic that even if he starts the play creeping towards the line of scrimmage, he will still be able to retreat to cover his deep zone if the play requires him to. I think Berry has many of the same gifts that Sanders has and I expect Kiffin to use him the same way the Colts do. It would be interesting if Kiffin decided to use Berry's considerable talents to compensate for the Vols' deficiencies elsewhere - say MLB, for instance. When your watching the Vols play this year, see if Berry is lined up shallower and more towards the center of the field than the other safety. This would cut down on the space the MLB had to cover and, since Berry is Berry, his regular deep zone responsibilities wouldn't have to suffer. Whatever the plan, Kiffin must find a way to make Berry's SS position - traditionally not a central player in a Tampa 2 scheme - a focal point for his defense.
So, all in all, the Vols appear to have enough pieces to make the Tampa 2 at least functionally possible. The glaring deficiency at MLB is obviously a concern, but, as discussed, Kiffin has some options of limiting their vulnerability there. Next up, we'll discuss the specific challenges Kiffin will face adapting the Tampa 2 to stop the college offenses he'll be facing. Have a great weekend.
Before we can answer this second question, we must first determine what type of personnel a team needs to successfully run the Tampa 2. Let's take a look at it from the line of scrimmage backwards.
Due to it's strong preference for full zone coverage, the Tampa 2 does not typically employ a great deal LB or DB blitzes, since doing so would leave the blitzing player's zone vulnerable to attack. As a result, getting backfield pressure is primarily the responsibility of the defensive front four - especially the DEs. It's really the first key to making the entire defense work. If the defensive line puts pressure on the QB, the offense is forced to resort to a short passing game, which is exactly what the tight zones of the Tampa 2 were designed to stop. On the other hand, if the line fails to generate pressure, the offense will have more to exploit the holes that are inevitable in any zone scheme.
The Vols might be in good shape here. The reports out of camp indicate that DE Chris Walker (JR - and a good Memphis boy, I might add) has been virtually unblockable in the new scheme. On the other side, the Vols moved linebacker Gerald Williams (JR) to DE, probably to add some much-needed speed to the position, and he appears to have prospered. On top of that, it's pretty clear that Kiffin plans to actively rotate his D-lineman, hoping to keep them all fresh. So, the Vols seem set to generate the type of pass rush that the Tampa 2 demands. So far, so good.
As for the LBs, the Tampa 2 generally requires two things: run-stopping outside linebackers (OLBs) and a dynamic middle linebacker (MLB). Since the Tampa 2 does not like to bring a safety into the box (they have deep coverage responsibilities, remember), that means that it rarely features an 8-man front. This puts added pressure on LBs to shut down the run, especially between the tackles. Furthermore, since the MLB has deep middle responsibility (more on that in a bit), a great deal of the run responsibility falls on the OLBs. To my mind, this is one of the greatest faults of the Tampa 2 (more on that later as well).
As for the MLB, the Tampa 2 requires a fast, dynamic player - one who equally adept at stopping a power rushing play and a deep passing play. Check Part I of this series again and look at the graph of the Tampa 2 coverages. Look how much space the MLB is charged with guarding - from his starting position 3-5 yards off the line of scrimmage all the way back to the deep middle of the field, possibly 20-30 yards from where he started. So, the MLB obviously has to be fast to cover his pass responsibilities, but he must also have a diverse enough skill set to be equally adept at playing the run. Also, he has to be smart and perceptive. He cannot be easily sucked in by play-action, or the deep middle will be ripe for exploitation. It's an incredibly demanding position and largely the key for the entire defense.
The good news is that the Vols appear comfortable with the talent they have at the OLB position. Rico McCoy (SR) and LaMarcus Thopmson (JR) appear to have the spots nailed down. McCoy made 2nd Team All-SEC last year and has 193 tackles to his credit over the last 2 years. Thompson is not nearly as accomplished, but he does have 2 years of experience. Unfortunately for the Vols, that's where the good news about the LBs ends. At the all important MLB spot, it appears the Vols plan on starting Nick Reviez (JR). I'd say it's a puzzling choice, considering Reviez has started exactly one game at LB thus far in his career, but it doesn't look like they had all that many options. From what I gather, highly touted freshman Jerod Askew was expected to compete for the position, but Reviez beat him out - possibly because the coaches were uneasy about starting a true freshman at such a vital position. Perhaps Reviez has dramatically improved since walking-on to make the team in 2006. Perhaps the fact that Kiffin mistook him for a kicker the first time they met isn't that big of a deal. Maybe a short, slow guy with lots of hustle will fit just perfectly in the role - as a fellow short slow guy, I'll certainly be rooting for him. However, as it stands, the Vols have to be concerned about having their biggest question mark on defense just happened to fall on the most important position. How Reviez (or whomever else) fills the MLB spot is easily the question of the year for the Vols' defense.
The CB position in a Tampa 2 differs from that in a lot of other defenses due to the near exclusive use of a 2-deep zone in the Tampa 2. This relieves the CB of any high-pressure man-to-man responsibilities. Furthermore, the fact that the safeties and MLB are primarily responsible for deep coverage means that the CB are free to play receivers in their zone tightly, without fear of getting burned deep, which can give them a lot of interception opportunities. Of course, that deep coverage scheme also means that CBs in a Tampa 2 absolutely, positively HAVE to be major players in the run defense, since the safeties and MLB are going to be occupied. This means they must have excellent recognition and closing speed, as well as be excellent, aggressive tacklers. Think Rhonde Barber, not Deon Sanders.
It's unclear even now who exactly the Vols will be looking to to fill the CB position. Brent Vinson (JR) was supposed to be a surefire starter, but nagging injuries have kept him out of practice for much of the fall. Besides, Vinson is a pure speed guy (4.39 40) designed for man coverage and light talking duty (only 40 tackles in two years of playing time) - not exactly your prototype Tampa 2 corner. Other names I've read in connection with the position are Art Evans (SO) (who has also had nagging injuries this fall), Anthony Anderson (SO) and Mike Edwards (FR), a smallish, somewhat lightly recruited true freshman. Yikes! It will be interesting to see how this position plays out. My best guess is they will rotate those guys and possibly another 2 into and out of the game depending on the situation. For example, on obvious passing downs, they could go with their smaller, faster guys and then sub in their better tacklers in anticipation of runs. Another thing to keep in mind is that the CBs will be essential in defending any outside option plays, something a little team known as the Florida Gators are quite fond of. We'll get to that in the next section.
The safety position in the Tampa 2 is one of the most interesting from a strategy perspective. Technically, their only responsibility is to cover their deep section of the field, but since a great number of plays do not directly challenge the deep section of the field, that can leave the safeties without a lot to do. This is especially interesting in Tennessee's case since the Vols' greatest player by far is strong safety (SS) Eric Berry (JR). The last thing Kiffin wants to do is run a scheme in which his best player is easily avoided by simply ignoring his deep half of the field. So, I expect Kiffin will use Berry a lot like the Indianapolis Colts have used SS Bob Sanders. Because of Sanders' unique combination of speed and power, the Colts have allowed him to creep forward from his tradition safety position up near the box. This is to allow Sanders to be more involved in the Colts run defense as well as giving them an extra blitzing option on obvious passing downs. They can do this because they know that Sanders is so dynamic that even if he starts the play creeping towards the line of scrimmage, he will still be able to retreat to cover his deep zone if the play requires him to. I think Berry has many of the same gifts that Sanders has and I expect Kiffin to use him the same way the Colts do. It would be interesting if Kiffin decided to use Berry's considerable talents to compensate for the Vols' deficiencies elsewhere - say MLB, for instance. When your watching the Vols play this year, see if Berry is lined up shallower and more towards the center of the field than the other safety. This would cut down on the space the MLB had to cover and, since Berry is Berry, his regular deep zone responsibilities wouldn't have to suffer. Whatever the plan, Kiffin must find a way to make Berry's SS position - traditionally not a central player in a Tampa 2 scheme - a focal point for his defense.
So, all in all, the Vols appear to have enough pieces to make the Tampa 2 at least functionally possible. The glaring deficiency at MLB is obviously a concern, but, as discussed, Kiffin has some options of limiting their vulnerability there. Next up, we'll discuss the specific challenges Kiffin will face adapting the Tampa 2 to stop the college offenses he'll be facing. Have a great weekend.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Can the Tampa 2 Become the Tennessee 2?
The hiring of Lane Kiffin at the
While it’s certainly true that Monte Kiffin is one of the most respected defensive minds in professional football, it is not often mentioned that he has not coached in the college ranks in 27 years. Well, college offenses have changed just a bit in that time and, while they were changing, Monte was in the NFL learning how to stop the offenses that are run there. He did most of that learning at the feet of Tony Dungy – first as a LB coach for the Minnesota Vikings and then as Dungy’s DC in
First things first: what is a
See, it’s just how I described. The two safeties divide the deep coverage between them, leaving the cornerbacks to cover the shallow to intermediate, sideline-to-hash zones while the linebackers cover their respective underneath zones. The Cover 2 is an incredibly popular look on all levels of football (even my high school team ran it…poorly). It’s a fine, time-tested defense. It’s not without its faults, though. Chief among them: it’s very vulnerable to a deep passing threat. It makes sense, really. After all, they only have 2 guys covering the entirety of the deep passing zone. If an offense can get three guys deep (while still keeping the cornerbacks in their intermediate zones), those safeties are screwed. So, what to do? Dungy’s* answer was to create the
As I said earlier, the
* Almost everyone agrees that Dungy did not create the Tampa 2 defense on his own, but rather adapted it largely from the scheme run by the 1970's Steel Curtain defenses he was a small part of.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
I JUST GOT A LITTLE MORE EXCITED ABOUT '09
It just hit me. No more Rascal Flatts! No longer will that absurdity be the first sight and sound of SEC football on Saturday! As long as ESPN Regional's intro doesn't take any cues from this, I think our eyes and ears will be safe.
QB Certainty - Like a Warm Blanket
Anyone who has read even one word on the 2009 Auburn Tigers is fully aware that one of the major questions facing the team is who will be playing quarterback. I won't bore you with all the details about who's in the running and I won't be making any predictions or suggestions about who I think should win the race - there's plenty of places you can go for that kind of discussion. No, I'm here to say one thing: new coach Gene Chizik and his OC Guz Malzahn need to make a decision soon and, more importantly, they need to tell their fans AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
As I stated, there is all kinds of speculation around the interwebs about who will be the chosen one and all of it is meaningless (fun, but meaningless). The only people who have any real idea about who will start are Chizik and Malzahn. There's some speculation out there that they already know who the starter will be and are just keeping it to themselves for now. This is a common tactic coaches use to limit the knowledge their opponents will have about them before they play. It's a tactic that the previous Auburn regime used before the first game of last season. Needless to say, that didn't work out all too well. If that is, in fact, the coaches' plan this year, I submit that they would be making a tremendous tactical mistake.
You see, after the debacle that was last season and the epic, soul-crushing aftermath, the Auburn fanbase is a little like one of those poor dogs that survived Michael Vick's House-O-Fun - scarred, distrustful, overly-sensitive and desperately in need of a little certainty and comfort. Go on the message boards and read the outcries of the Auburn faithful. I've seen families of murder victims await the verdict of their loved one's killer with less nervousness and anticipation. Chizik simply cannot afford to begin his regime (a regime the Auburn faithful wasn't exactly thrilled to see begin, anyway) by teasing his fanbase with a coy, deceptive QB race. Any benefit to be gained by keeping his starting QB a secret (I've always doubted there was much of one) would be offset tenfold by anxiety and anguish such a move would create amongst the Auburn fans. He doesn't need to keep people guessing. He needs to throw the poor, wounded dog a bone.
As I stated, there is all kinds of speculation around the interwebs about who will be the chosen one and all of it is meaningless (fun, but meaningless). The only people who have any real idea about who will start are Chizik and Malzahn. There's some speculation out there that they already know who the starter will be and are just keeping it to themselves for now. This is a common tactic coaches use to limit the knowledge their opponents will have about them before they play. It's a tactic that the previous Auburn regime used before the first game of last season. Needless to say, that didn't work out all too well. If that is, in fact, the coaches' plan this year, I submit that they would be making a tremendous tactical mistake.
You see, after the debacle that was last season and the epic, soul-crushing aftermath, the Auburn fanbase is a little like one of those poor dogs that survived Michael Vick's House-O-Fun - scarred, distrustful, overly-sensitive and desperately in need of a little certainty and comfort. Go on the message boards and read the outcries of the Auburn faithful. I've seen families of murder victims await the verdict of their loved one's killer with less nervousness and anticipation. Chizik simply cannot afford to begin his regime (a regime the Auburn faithful wasn't exactly thrilled to see begin, anyway) by teasing his fanbase with a coy, deceptive QB race. Any benefit to be gained by keeping his starting QB a secret (I've always doubted there was much of one) would be offset tenfold by anxiety and anguish such a move would create amongst the Auburn fans. He doesn't need to keep people guessing. He needs to throw the poor, wounded dog a bone.
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