Football question for the true X and O fans out there! (1 Viewer)

[hotboyz]

I'm watching this game tonight and I saw some of Bengals game against Bears game last wk. I have a question why is AJ Green always open? I watch other star Wr and they are treated different. I like to think I'm a student of the game I never quite understood this.

When you watch Calvin Dez Larry they always seem to get press coverage with safety help. The Giants Double Teamed the hell out of Dez but someone like Aj Green who has mediocre WR around him always goes against off coverage and it seems like he doesn't face as much double coverage. It's this way for Victor Cruz as well but I kno it's harder to press him coming out of the slot.

To me the way teams are not committed to the running game anymore I don't understand why more teams don't just play cover 2 man press underneath!! Maybe the teams with the big physical studs don't scheme to get these guys open they just rely on the wr athleticism I'm not sure what the answer is. If I'm the cowboys I would not let you double my best player I would do everything in my power to make sure he touched the ball 10 times a game at least!!

 

[Kool-Aid Larry]

well, dez did catch 9 balls

 

[hotboyz]

He did catch 9 it just seems more often than not hrs double teamed and pressed he was pressed all game yesterday why is Aj green allowed such free releases

 

[Doubledown1313]

Chicago usually let's tillman handle Calvin one on one. Although they do give safety help at times.

Same is true tonight only Ike Taylor is on Green and is letting him catch short passes instead of getting beat on a longer route.

 

[Stompin' Tom Connors]

Same is true tonight only Ike Taylor is on Green and is letting him catch short passes instead of getting beat on a longer route.

I agree, if only looking at tonight's game. Give AJ a lot of credit as Ike has been draped all over him on most plays, but Taylor does seem to be playing off of AJ instead of bump and run at the line. Add to this that AJ is a phenomenal route runner, and is very quick and precise in his short drags, digs and outs -- when given a 5 yard cushion, these quick hits are almost automatic. Steelers seem more willing to let Ike Taylor use his aggressive nature to limit Green to these 3-5 yard plays than to risk him getting beat deep.

 

[hotboyz]

Well maybe that's the answer teams areole sure if they give Aj green the short stuff they can tackle him maybe they fear Dez or Calvin run after the catch so they don't wanna give him the short stuff

 

[JMJ]

The more fearful you are of getting burned deep by a guy, the more willing you are to play off of him to protect the long ball and allow him the shorter stuff. AJ Green is possibly the best deep threat in the NFL right now so it seems like that is the strategy Pitt was using last night.

It could also be a ton of other factors:

I don't know a ton about AJ's game, but some WRs are amazing at getting off the line and beating the press. Others struggle with this and it is the only way to slow them down. AJ might excel at that.

It could also be Dalton. Guys like Romo, and Stafford, and Palmer have proven time and time again that they can use their arm to beat people deep to any receiver or TE that is open. That respect combined with the fear of a guy like Dez, Calvin, or Fitzgerald burning you deep can keep a team in press, man under 2 defenses for a large majority of a game. The biggest knock on Dalton however his entire career has been his arm strength. If you don't fear Dalton's arm, and AJ is the only deep threat you are worried about him being able to consistently get the ball to, you might be willing to play more exotic defenses that include blitzers. So if a guy like Ike Taylor knows he's gonna be on a man defense assignment versus AJ Green with little or no help over the top, playing press is like playing Russian roulette with multiple bullets in the chamber. Playing him off allows you to hopefully confuse Dalton as planned while only giving a short gain and not a TD if you don't.

There are many, many other reasons but I think you get the point.