AndyJohnson: The point is very simply this.
WE DO NOT RUN A DEFENSE where a corner is told he has deep help and a safety can decide whether to give deep help or not.
Either it is the SAFETYS JOB to play over top of that corner, or it is not. Under no circumstances would a corner think he has deep help but a safety think its up to him to give it or go somewhere else
I agree with that, but what he said was very basic and simple and may have confused some people. What he said is true to an extent, obviously it is much more complex and every man has certain assignments. BUT in certain zone coverages the Pats do trust the over the top Safety to play center field, I think thats all he was trying to say. Of course both corners know they only have one safety to help them both.
This is what he said(my comments in CAPS)
If the corner that was to receive deep help is in good position and the other corner appears to have either jumped a route or been duped into thinking he has picked up a key and changed coverage but left himself open to a deep route the FS must play the percentages and move to help the corner in trouble. This is why the FS is generally positioned in the center of the field and deep.
A CORNER WHO IS 'TO RECEIVE HELP' IS COVERING BASED ON THAT HELP. FURTHER IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A SAFETY TO WAIT AND SEE HOW CORNERS ARE COVERING TO DECIDE WHO TO GIVE HELP TO, ESPECIALLY WHEN HE HAS BEEN ASSIGNED TO HELP ONE SIDE. FINALLY, THE ENTIRE PREMISE IS THAT THE OTHER CORNER HAS NO IDEA WHAT HE IS DOING AND ACTS RANDOMLY SO WE NEED TO DEDICATE A SAFETY TO COVER FOR A PLAYER NOT KNOWING HIS ASSIGNMENT.
Hobbs many times was doing his job perfectly with deep help assigned but lost his deep help when the other corner gambled and broke coverage or the defensive scheme called was not followed by the other corner. This resulted in Hobbs being one on one when he should not have been and being beaten deep when he should have had deep help.
ITS RIDICULOUS TO SAY THAT THE OTHER CORNER MANY TIMES SCREWS UP HIS ASSIGNMENT, AND EVEN MORE RIDICULOUS TO SAY THAT BBS DEFENSIVE SYSTEM ASSIGNS A SAFETY TO GO COVER FOR THE GUY WHO DECIDES NOT TO PLAY WHATS CALLED. WE DONT PLAY 10 MEN ON D AND HAVE THE 11TH RUN AROUND LOOKING FOR WHO DIDNT WANT TO DO THEIR JOB. IF THE ABOVE WERE TRUE THAT OTHER CORNER WOULD BE ON THE BENCH, BB WOULDN'T DEDICATE A PLAYER TO COVERING FOR THEGUY WE ALLOWED TO PLAY HIS OWN DEFENSE.
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST LUDICROUS COMMENTS EVER MADE ON THIS BOARD.
If a corner has deep help he plays inside the receiver forcing the QB to put air under the ball and allow the deep help to move into position and either break up the play or intercept it. If a corner plays inside the receiver when he has no deep help he forces the FS to decide who needs the help the most. Guessing is never good.
AGAIN, SAFETIES ARE NOT OUT THERE TO WATCH WHAT THE CORNERS DO, AND THEN DECIDE WHICH ONE TO GO HELP. PLAYS HAPPEN TOO FAST. BY THE TIME A SAFETY WATCHED HOW COVERAGE WAS GOING (TYPICALLY OUR CORNERS ARE 5-7 YARDS OFF AND BACKPEDALLING) BEFORE CHOOSING WHAT TO DO, HE WOULD NEVER, EVER GET THERE IN TIME. ON TOP OF THAT, HE IS DESCRIBING WHAT A CORNER WITH DEEP HELP DOES. YOU CANT HAVE A CORNER PLAY AS IF HE HAS DEEP HELP, THEN BE ARBITRARY IN GIVING IT.
I WOULD ACCEPT POTENTIAL VALIDITY TO THIS IF IT SAID THAT OUR CORNERS HAVE IT TOUGHER BECAUSE THEY NEVER ARE ASSURED OF HELP AND HAVE TO PLAY AS IF THEY WILL GET NONE....ITS NOT TRUE IN OUR SYSTEM, BUT ITS AT LEAST POSSIBLE. TO SAY A CORNER IS INSTRUCTED TO PLAY AS IF THERE IS DEEP HELP, THEN NOT ASSURE HIM OF IT, IS JUST PLAIN STUPID FOOTBALL, AND WE DO NOT PRACTICE THAT VERSION OF FOOTBALL HERE.