Press Coverage

[ZachMN]

Can anyone tell me why we don't use this? I'd like an intelligent analysis on this matter from this board as I respect the football i.q. I read here. Thank you.

[Maxie the Taxi]

Can anyone tell me why we don't use this? I'd like an intelligent analysis on this matter from this board as I respect the football i.q. I read here. Thank you.

Well, that leaves me out.

[pbmax]

House is the only guy comfortable in press most of the time but he doesn't start. Shields plays it some, Williams occasionally. Its not Hayward's best technique. Bush does play it and can stick with people, but he can never recover to find the ball. No idea about Hyde, but given he gets the tough TEs, he might be playing some bump.

I think Capers/Whitt gives them the option of what to play most of the time an insist only on a certain technique in certain circumstances (big blitzes, zone calls, etc.)

Beside player preference, the other reason you don't see it a ton is that when they do play a single technique across the board, its usually 2 deep man, and they are all playing trail coverage, which is man coverage underneath 2 deep safeties, but the object is to force a throw over the DB and lead the throw and WR into the safety.

Also, there is no more Woodson.

Hope that helps.

[gbgary]

al and chuck were the last dbs who lived on that. miss it.

[mraynrand]

When you are a small market city like Green Bay, you naturally get less press coverage.

[woodbuck27]

Can anyone tell me why we don't use this? I'd like an intelligent analysis on this matter from this board as I respect the football i.q. I read here. Thank you.

Send that memo to Dom Capers.

Thank You.

[Tyrion Lannister]

The Bump N Run Pistol Force died when Bob Sanders got canned.

[KYPack]

The Bump N Run Pistol Force died when Bob Sanders got canned.

Still don't know what it is, eh Shutdown?

I thought all that time on Google would've educated you by now.

[mraynrand]

BRING BLACK SLOWIT!!!!

[KYPack]

Part of the reason is personnel driven. There really aren't a lot of DB's that can play press cover. The classic press cover where you deliver a blow, then get in the WR's hip and run with him is an almost extinct species. Richard Sherman, Brandon Browner type guys are almost the exception to the DB population. Most DB's are active, quick, but smaller guys that can run the field. Press cover is risky for the DB of smaller stature. DC's want consistency in the coverages. If a DB is hitting the receiver at the line, there is a chance he will be defeated and another "hole" in the cover can be fatal to the overall defensive scheme.

In addition there any number of tall, rangy WR's that are gonna win more battles at the line than the DB is gonna win. Holding Julio Jones is tough enough with a full complement of coverage men, but giving him the free run after he beats a DB attempting press cover is almost suicidal.

The last great press cover defense was the Eagles of the '90's. They had Troy Vincent, Bobby Taylor, with Al Harris as the nickel back. Those boys could play press for all 4 quarters. Nice if you have those kind of guys, but they had to change their scheme if any of them were out due to injury.

The Packers play very little (to none) press cover. They do effectively play jam cover wherein the DB delivers a blow off the line to disrupt the slant or shallow cross. We've been playing a lot more cover 3, so the "jam man" hits the receiver and then rotates back into his coverage in the cover 3.

In a nutshell, we don't have the troops and press cover is evolving out of the NFL.

[pbmax]

Press and bump are different animals though. Eagles played bump, which is where Al learned it. Woodson played press as did Champ Bailey.

The idea in press is to not take a chance on missing the bump and letting the WR get the release and leverage the O wants (or that the D cannot have because of the alignment and roles). In press you sit in a technique (inside or outside leverage and you force the WR to release in a direction the D prefers. You then stick to him like glue with help from your knees, hips, elbows and hands. Anything to match speed, anticipate direction change, impede progress, redirect or alter timing.

Bump, before rules changes, was Mel Blount beating you like a stump all during the route. After the Blount rule (5 yard zone of permissible contact), after a bump on the LOS and a careful one within five yards, you had to run and cover more like press you see today unless you are the Seachickens or Patriots.

[ZachMN]

Thanks guys for the analysis. I figured its not the easiest technique to use but seems like I see some D's using it against us effectively and wish ours would use it sometimes as it seems like receivers get too much of a free release.