Moving Picture Pages

I always knew I had trouble following some of the picture pages, but wasn't quite sure how to make them better. These are absolutely fantastic for even the densest of readers, like me.

Thanks!

Makes it a lot easier to follow, and Brian's notes are of course spot on. 

That's really great.  The boxes help a lot for those of us that are a little slower.

i regret that i have but one plus one to give you.  also, for the future, diary this.

Nice work. I would suggest slowing the video down just a bit more for some of the longer pieces of text.

Thank you.. +100

The more I look at this it looks like a pick play. Demens did a good job to not get completely picked.

This is amazing and makes it so much easier to follow.

This is amazing.  I also had trouble following some of the picture pages, I thought it was just me.

Thanks for posting the first video and making it pause in certain spots; it helps underscore a few things about our defense.

1.  I'm not sure if Sagesse got minused on this play for getting pushed back, but he actually wasn't single-blocked by the C on this.  Iowa was attempting to combo/scoop block him; the RG ignores RVB and moves down the line to help the C block Sagesse (it's the RT that tries to block RVB, but RVB is too good of a player to get sealed by a player aligned outside of him).  Sagesse may have gotten pushed back, but he stayed in the way of the C thus preventing the C from releasing onto Demens; Demens also did a fantastic job of being decisive so that he could avoid the block and hit a hole when the opening presented itself.  Contrast Sagesse's work with Banks's work on the play; Banks did hold up closer to the LOS but imagine if he was able to stay on the LT and prevent the LT from releasing onto Mouton.  Mouton would be unblocked and ready to make a solo tackle on the RB.

2.  The work by Sagesse on this particular play is what we need out of our DT and NT when we run our 4-man fronts; the second DT doesn't have to be a Mike Martin-type player who splits doubles and makes tackles himself (although that would be awesome if we had two Martins).  He just needs to be someone who occupies blockers so that our LBs stay clean as they pursue the RB; obviously it is preferred that the DT doesn't get blown back 4 yards while doing this, but Sagesse's contribution to this play is net-positive as he allowed Demens an opportunity to make a play.

3.  The endzone angle with the giant yellow box showing all the room to the outside does a very good job of showing that this play should also be either Kovacs (-1) or RPS (-1) and also shows why Mouton cannot immediately run to the outside of this blocking LT.  If Kovacs breaks off his blitz closer to the LOS and somehow manages to stalemate the FB (e.g. taking him on or cutting/chopping him), there is a two-person pile exactly where that yellow box is.  While he won't make the tackle, Kovacs will either cause the RB to cut up inside into Mouton or cause the RB change his path so that he is running parallel to the LOS for a couple steps (i.e. forces the RB to take a wider angle to the outside).  Either of these things happening makes it far more likely that Demens and/or Mouton is able to tackle the RB short of the touchdown.  Instead he heads upfield which allows the RB to break contain as if Kovacs wasn't even there in the first place.

4.  Same endzone angle.  The reason why Mouton is not contain on this play is because he starts the play lined up over the LG (this is the same exact alignment that you would see out of an inside linebacker in a 3-4).  Mouton is an inside linebacker in this 4-4; Kovacs is the outside linebacker.  Again, contain responsibilities are on the outside linebacker (Kovacs); as an inside linebacker, Mouton is supposed to pursue inside-out.  Also, Mouton's needs to be mindful of that B gap (gap between the G and T) which is essentially one of the gaps he is supposed to fill, the other gap being the A gap (gap between the G and C); this being because he is originally lined up over the G which means he has one of the gaps on either side of that G. 

When we see the outcome of this play, it is easy to see the vast opening to the outside and blame Mouton for not immediately running there, but had Mouton ran immediately to the outside of the LT, the RB would have cut it up into the now cavernous B gap.  Demens was there this time as illustrated by point #1 above, but if this doesn't happen and Demens gets caught in the wash, we would all be yelling at Mouton for leaving the B gap wide open for a touchdown or big gain.  So in review: the vast opening is not his gap; he is supposed to pursue inside-out meaning that he can't just jump to the outside shoulder of a blocker; Demens and Sagesse did a very good job as detailed in point #1 above to allow Demens to avoid the wash, but you can't expect Demens to clear the wash every time; Banks does a very crappy job on this play as he gets hooked and blocked out of the play, he's not even in good position to make the tackle if the RB cuts it up into the B gap (I would give Banks a (-2) on this play for not just getting combo'd but for getting completely sealed/controlled by the second blocker, Banks needs to do more on this such as stretching the play out).  I will say that Mouton does a pretty lame job of getting off of the LT's block and it would have been awesome if he abandoned his responsibilities and fought through to the outside shoulder of the LT, causing the RB to cut up into a pursuing Demens for short a gain but outcome would be considered lucky and probably unrepeatable because of the abandonment of individual responsibilities.  So in short, yell at Mouton for not getting off the block, not for failing to keep contain.  This was likely to be a big play either way b/c of the horrible work of Kovacs, Banks and to a lesser extent, Mouton.

5.  RPS (-1) b/c GERG was either (a) expecting the run action to go to the other side (strongside) and he wanted Kovacs to cover a bootleg or pursue the play from the backside or (b) GERG thought that Kovacs could blow up the play.  If it was (b), I would much rather have had a bigger LB in the game, but I'm assuming GERG was guessing (a).  To GERG's credit, he doesn't really have much of a choice on this play.  He has to gamble with run stunts/blitzes b/c half our line has show an inability to occupy blockers and keep our LBs clean.

Thanks again for posting these videos.  The 2nd video was too painful to watch so I didn't even bother.

That is helpful.  To the OP - instead of slowing the video down even more, I'd suggest that users can just hit pause on the frames w/ text to absorb it and hit play when ready to move on.

I mostly lurk, but this is REALLY REALLY helpful.

Thank you for taking the time.

Chris that was just incredible, way to take things to the next step.  Really great work, highly highly appreciated.

Aug

Cocktails to you, sir.

ARRRGH!!!   That's the most frustrating part of the D this year.  It's not like they just get killed on every play, it's that they do good and then have a stupid mistake and get gashed.  It'd almost be easier to stomach if they just flat out sucked, but showing signs of competence followed by something that is exactly the opposite is like giving you hope and then suddenly having it dashed.  Just be good or suck!  I can't take this luke-warmness! 

I guess on the positive side though, there is some good things they're doing and improving on which for the long-term gives me optimism that it will some day, some season, get better. 

Your efforts to overlay the UFR comments with the video are greatly appreciated. Thank you.

MightandMaainWeCheer's comments run contrary to the UFR and conclusion that Mouton's failure to contain was the main error on the play. Hard to know how to evaluate the play.

This is awesome. Possum.

i really like this. but a part of me is sad.  I see the break down and read what you type, but i can't hit the circle button on my ps3 to take over for Mouton and get off that block! As for Avery, he did a good job, but still for a split second he wanted to play man.  If I select circle on him in time of re-routing the wr downfield, he could of hit the truck stick and made the stop!

I had to multitask by viewing the plays and speed reading the captions simultaneously. But then I discovered the pause button that made things much easier.

Great idea and I look forward to the movie book version of Brian's' UFRs. Thanks for doing all this work.

And I second the requests above to slow down the tape - substantially, if possible.  I'd suggest pauses at least twice as long to allow the reader/watcher sufficient time to read the caption, identify the players involved, and then prepare for additional game action.

Again, bravo.

Please keep doing these.

Please do this more.