OT: Are DB's coached on situational football?

[Ron Sellers]

Are defensive backs coached on the situation, depending on the score, time left, down and distance?

Watching the 1:00 games today it doesn't look that way - or if they are, those defensive backs are not listening.

1.) Situation: Miami 29, Tenn 19; Tenn ball, 4th & 20 at Miami 39 w/3:20 left
Young overthrows his receiver deep in end zone. WR is not close to the ball, but Rashad Jones dives for an unnecessary interception. Result is Miami loses 19 yards on the play, starting the following drive at their own 20 rather than close to midfield.

2.) Situation: Jacksonville 24, Houston 24; Jax ball at the 50 w/0:03 left
Garrard throws a hail mary into the hands of Houston's Glover Quin. Though nobody is close to him he decides to knock the ball down rather than simply catch it and go into overtime. Problem is he doesn't knock it down, he simply knocks it forward. Why not catch the ball in that situation?

3.) Situation: Jets 20, Browns 20; Jets ball, 3rd & 14 at own 46 w/1:46 left in OT
Sanchez throws a hail mary just of the goal line. With the receiver draped on his back, Joe Haden jumps up and catches the ball at the 3-yard line. Obviously he had no chance of returning the ball on the play; why not knock it down? It was like calling for a fair catch on a punt inside the five. The best scenario for Cleveland on that play was an incomplete pass; the interception robbed them of a chance to win the game, or at minimum to not lose it.



How do so many highly paid professionals not know what to do in these situations? Even eight-year olds playing little league baseball know where to throw the ball once it is hit to them; these guys not knowing what to do in those situations appear to be less aware than those kids.

 

[TriplecHamp]

you never played football did you? DB's are told to knock the ball down on hail mary passes, not "if there is nobody around you catch it" the DB did the right thing, sometimes you get lucky. As for Haden, hindsight is 20/20.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

Only the first of those 3 examples was truly poor situational awareness.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Depends on the coaching staff and then the player's ability to internalize the situation appropriately

 

[Ron Sellers]

I guess our coaches had different philosophies.

At the youngest level it was simply 'go for the interception on 1st, 2nd and 3rd down; knock it down on 4th'. Later on the coaching was dependent on the score and position on the field.

Perhaps the Jacksonville one was more about bad execution than the decision-making, but I still think if you have a chance to make a clean catch then you go ahead and do it.

The Cleveland one you knock the ball away. He has his entire body between him and the receiver; just go down and let the ball fall to the ground. Now you have a chance for either a blocked punt or a long return to set up a field goal.

 

[Mack Herron]

These are great examples of situational coaching that is coached in the NFL much more so than in College or below. Of course, coaches differ in their knowledge of the probabilities and their approaches to situational coaching. Also, players in the heat of the moment differ in their ability to execute what they are told.

 

[DaBruinz]

The reason why the interception was the correct thing in the Cleveland game is because if he just knocked it down, the Jets could try for another long bomb on 4th down and hope for a pass interference call. I

 

[Mack Herron]

I don't think they go for it. It would be 4th and fourteen. It is unlikely that they make a first down. If they do not make it, they turn the ball over to the Browns for one possession in all likelihood. At that point, Jets are playing for the tie. But it is an interesting discussion.