Peppers rotating to safety

Submitted by GBBlue on

If I heard Brian right in this week's podcast, when the slot Peppers is covering goes in motion, Peppers doesn't follow him across the formation. Instead, Peppers rotates to safety and Hill takes the slot receiver. 

Does anyone have any insight on the advantages/disadvantages of this?

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rwatson

September 7th, 2016 at 2:56 PM ^

This is common on defenses where they are confident in their personal in switching responsibilitites, and being able to still be in good shape. I played 4 years in D3 we never had a guy go in motion with the motion back. We would simply make a call to change the strength, and or coverage, and switch responsibilities. This way the motion is not getting you out of position. 

Now if we are playing someone with a Slot receiver who is incredible, and in man coverage, then you may see peppers, JL, etc go in motion with the receiver to lock him down. 

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Hotroute06

September 7th, 2016 at 2:58 PM ^

I thought Delano Hill looked great physically to start the season. Looked leaner and faster. Other guys who stuck out noticeably to me was Jake Butt and Henry Poggi. I'm sure there's many others but all three of those guys looked like they really stepped it up in the offseason and are in amazing shape.

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BlueWolverine02

September 7th, 2016 at 3:50 PM ^

I've said all off season that too much was being made of Peppers moving to lb. he is the same player he was last year, capable of doing the same things. it's not like he isn't capable of playing S just because he is a lb now.

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Brandon_L

September 7th, 2016 at 4:09 PM ^

Is that when a team uses motion to create a matchup they want, or to move a guy like peppers away from the play side, keeping peppers in place does not allow the offense to dictate where Peppers will line up. It also can help disguise coverages.

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steve sharik

September 7th, 2016 at 6:34 PM ^

Just b/c a defender lines up over a receiver doesn't mean it's man coverage. Moreover, just b/c it's man coverage doesn't mean a defender will follow the receiver--some guys like to have their defenders follow receivers, some like to rotate (trade, switch, etc.) the cover guy.

Additionally, this defensive system can have that defender run with or trade depending on the type of defense (or play) called.

Only thing you can know for sure is that if the defender does run across the formation with the receiver's motion, it's some form of man coverage (with zero, one, or two safeties behind it).

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Carcajou

September 8th, 2016 at 12:05 AM ^

If he doesn't go across with the motion man it just means they aren't in a locked man coverage.

It could be still be man where guys are switching off assignment. Or changing the coverage. But yes, it's more likely it's a zone, or some hybrid.

It would often mean he's playing like a 3rd safety (double-monster, or like you'd see in a 3-3 or 4-2 defense, wth a WS, SS and FS), depending on the concept being used at the time.

They may not want him to run across because they want to maintain the integrity of the run defense, or they want him defending the wide or short side of the field for that particular call.
 

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