A note about "number 1" cornerbacks

[Get it shawtaay]

In another thread I saw the following quotation.

You forgot to add the most important note :

Wes drawing the #1 CB of every team we play , lloyd is covered by #2 CB or #3 CB in nickel with the #2 guy covering hernandaz.Keep that in mind when you judge his performance. will he have the same number if say he is covered by the #1 CB of every team?.

Now, I do not mean to pick on the fellow who wrote it. But it has to be said that this is patently false. Lets stop for a moment and look at the teams we faced this season.

-Miami plays Sean Smith at LCB, regardless of matchup.

-Buffalo plays Gilmore at RCB, regardless of matchup.

-Baltimore plays Cary Williams at RCB, regardless of matchup.

-Seattle plays Sherman at LCB, regardless of matchup. The only time Seattle moved him this season was against Calvin Johnson.

-Arizona plays Patrick Peterson at LCB regardless of matchup.

-Jacksonville plays Derek Cox at RCB, regardless of matchup.

-New York moved Cromartie around against us to match him up with Lloyd. When Lloyd was out, they kept him at RCB.

-Houston moved Joseph from left to right to match him with Lloyd, and typically does so. For example, in the WC round he shadowed AJ Green.

-Denver moved Champ Bailey from left to right to match him with Lloyd, and typically shadows the opponents' perceived top outside threat. He never plays in the nickel, partly because Denver has an excellent nickelback in Chris Harris.

-San Fran plays Rogers at LCB, and when in nickel put him in the slot because he is their most agile corner, and put Culliver at LCB, regardless of matchup. Tarell Brown is RCB regardless of matchup.

-Not sure what St Louis was doing. I know they move their corners around and I believe they kick Cortland Finnegan inside to the slot sometimes, but its unclear to me what the pattern is. If someone knows I'd appreciate it.

-Vontae Davis was out during the Indy game but normally plays RCB. Outside of him, Indianapolis does not have any cornerbacks whose locations are worth knowing.

-Tennessee plays Jason McCourty at LCB and Alterraun Verner at RCB, and I think they kick Verner inside in the nickel but I'm not positive.

I know the idea of moving a "number 1" cornerback around is in vogue ever since Rex started doing it with Revis, but it is very rare. Nnamdi Asomugha was considered the best CB in the NFL for a few seasons but he always played RCB, regardless of whether the man across from him was Andre Johnson or Kevin Walter.

So outside of a few exceptions (Jets, Texans, Broncos), when Welker is lined up outside and across from the best corner, he is covered by the best corner. And when Lloyd is lined up outside and across from the best corner, he is covered by the best corner. Any argument that one player performed better on account of being singled out by defensive coordinators is not accurate.

 

[Sicilian]

Also, it trivializes NFL coaches to suggest that they just go, "He's our best, so he's on their best." In reality, you don't cover Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd the same way, and you may have different corners that matchup better with either one. When most people think of a "#1 corner" you're talking about a tall, fast player who can keep up with the outside guys and contend for balls in the air. I don't want those guys (typically) covering Welker, they'll get smoked.

 

[Get it shawtaay]

Also, it trivializes NFL coaches to suggest that they just go, "He's our best, so he's on their best." In reality, you don't cover Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd the same way, and you may have different corners that matchup better with either one. When most people think of a "#1 corner" you're talking about a tall, fast player who can keep up with the outside guys and contend for balls in the air. I don't want those guys (typically) covering Welker, they'll get smoked.

Yep. The guys who can play both inside and out at a high level like a Lardarius Webb or a Cortland Finnegan are RARE. Just like Arrington gets better inside, Cromartie gets a whole lot worse.

 

[Sicilian]

Yep. The guys who can play both inside and out at a high level like a Lardarius Webb or a Cortland Finnegan are RARE. Just like Arrington gets better inside, Cromartie gets a whole lot worse.

And yet he was able to cover Moss when he was on this team, even after Revis went out. It's all about matching up skill sets, and that doesn't even include double coverages and zones. NFL defenses are more complex than people give them credit for.

 

[Ring 6]

And yet he was able to cover Moss when he was on this team, even after Revis went out. It's all about matching up skill sets, and that doesn't even include double coverages and zones. NFL defenses are more complex than people give them credit for.

That is because Moss was in the tank that game.