Why Don't More Teams Play Their Best CB (1 Viewer)

[packersfan]

I've never understood why more teams with at least one standout CB don't match him up against the other team's top WR regardless of where the receiver may be lining up. That has never made any sense to me. For example, in the Colts-Jags game today, Jacksonville's top CB, Rasheen Mathis, spent nearly the entire game locked up on Anthony Gonzalez.

Anthony Freaking Gonzalez.

So what does Manning do? He ignores Gonzalez and throws all day long to Reggie Wayne, who absolutely destroyed the Jaguars. Fortunately for Jacksonville, Mathis really shut down Gonzalez, holding him to just one catch on a couple of targets.

I'll be they're pretty damn happy they shut him down.

Seriously, I've never understood this line of thinking. Mathis is a very good CB. Wayne obviously is the top WR on the Colts right now and arguably the only WR the team has who's worth a damn. So why not put Mathis on Wayne and force Manning to beat them with lesser talents if he can? Doesn't that make more sense than letting Wayne run wild against the defense's lesser players?

Maybe the Jaguars still lose the game today if Mathis is matched up on Wayne. But it seems to me it would be a much more intelligent move to try and make Anthony Gonzalez beat you then to take him out of the game and give Reggie Wayne freedom to tear your defense apart.

 

[FantasyTrader]

It's possible for a defense to run their shutdown corner man up on an opposing offenses top option but that defense has to be extremely well versed in their assignments. The thing that's easy to overlook is that when the wideout goes in motion and your "shutdown guy" goes with him, he's now just vacated an area and the assignments of 2, 3 or even 4 defenders have now changed.

You can see how that could create several scenarios of blown assignments and late arrivals to the ball. All in all, it's generally not something most defenses can pull off. They're better off staying in their assigned spaces and letting the matchups unfold.

Make more sense now?

 

[packersfan]

It's possible for a defense to run their shutdown corner man up on an opposing offenses top option but that defense has to be extremely well versed in their assignments. The thing that's easy to overlook is that when the wideout goes in motion and your "shutdown guy" goes with him, he's now just vacated an area and the assignments of 2, 3 or even 4 defenders have now changed.

You can see how that could create several scenarios of blown assignments and late arrivals to the ball. All in all, it's generally not something most defenses can pull off. They're better off staying in their assigned spaces and letting the matchups unfold.

Make more sense now?

I understand why defenses choose to play this way; my point is that I think it's a bit foolish - especially when it results in a significantly inferior WR being blanketed and the considerably more talented one allowed to roam free in the secondary. I think the potential positives of matching up a top CB against the No. 1 WR greatly outweigh any potential negatives. Today's Colts-Jags game was a prime example of that. Manning had to be thrilled that Mathis was staying on the left side of the defensive field the entire game where Gonzalez was. That meant he could throw all day long to a wide-open Wayne which he did. I'm not sure how happy the Jags can be that their top CB was basically removed from the game plan because he was being matched up against a so-so WR who clearly wasn't going to be utilized by the Colts.

 

[JMJ]

You stated the reason in your OP.

Look what Rashean did to Gonzalez. He made him an absolute non-factor in the game. Having Rashean own, and lock down Gonzalez is supposed to open up and allow the defense to double cover Wayne.

This locks down the opposing team's #2 option while double covering it's #1 option. Obviously the Jags couldn't contain Reggie so it backfired, but that is the thought process behind the move. Normally, two guys covering one should still be better then one guy covering one even when that one player is as good as Rashean Mathis.

 

[packersfan]

You stated the reason in your OP.Look what Rashean did to Gonzalez. He made him an absolute non-factor in the game.

My point is - an ordinary CB could have done the same thing given how Gonzalez isn't a great WR by any means. Why use your top CB to shut down an average (at best) WR and allow an elite WR to run free the entire game? That makes no sense to me. I'd much rather take my chances with Anthony Gonzalez as opposed to giving Reggie Wayne so much freedom.

 

[FantasyTrader]

It's possible the Jags decided Mathis would get owned by Wayne anyway. And they might as well keep him on an option that he can completely negate (Gonzalez). That way they can focus on playing over/under coverage on Wayne (which obviosuly didn't work). I'm just explaining the potential thought process there.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

I've never understood why more teams with at least one standout CB don't match him up against the other team's top WR regardless of where the receiver may be lining up. That has never made any sense to me. For example, in the Colts-Jags game today, Jacksonville's top CB, Rasheen Mathis, spent nearly the entire game locked up on Anthony Gonzalez.Anthony Freaking Gonzalez.So what does Manning do? He ignores Gonzalez and throws all day long to Reggie Wayne, who absolutely destroyed the Jaguars. Fortunately for Jacksonville, Mathis really shut down Gonzalez, holding him to just one catch on a couple of targets.I'll be they're pretty damn happy they shut him down.Seriously, I've never understood this line of thinking. Mathis is a very good CB. Wayne obviously is the top WR on the Colts right now and arguably the only WR the team has who's worth a damn. So why not put Mathis on Wayne and force Manning to beat them with lesser talents if he can? Doesn't that make more sense than letting Wayne run wild against the defense's lesser players? Maybe the Jaguars still lose the game today if Mathis is matched up on Wayne. But it seems to me it would be a much more intelligent move to try and make Anthony Gonzalez beat you then to take him out of the game and give Reggie Wayne freedom to tear your defense apart.

Rashean Mathis plays LCB in the Jags scheme. That won't change. The real issue here is that Reggie Wayne was wide-open all day long. With the faith Manning has in him, it's no wonder that he threw to him early and often. The biggest problem for the Jags is that they are a team that relies on the front four to pressure the QB. That aspect of the defense is lacking and good QB's, such as Manning, will pick that apart.And, FWIW, Rashean Mathis is clearly still bothered by his groin injury.

 

[FantasyTrader]

You stated the reason in your OP.Look what Rashean did to Gonzalez. He made him an absolute non-factor in the game. Having Rashean own, and lock down Gonzalez is supposed to open up and allow the defense to double cover Wayne.This locks down the opposing team's #2 option while double covering it's #1 option. Obviously the Jags couldn't contain Reggie so it backfired, but that is the thought process behind the move. Normally, two guys covering one should still be better then one guy covering one even when that one player is as good as Rashean Mathis.

I meant Yeah, what he said.

 

[FantasyTrader]

You stated the reason in your OP.Look what Rashean did to Gonzalez. He made him an absolute non-factor in the game.

My point is - an ordinary CB could have done the same thing given how Gonzalez isn't a great WR by any means. Why use your top CB to shut down an average (at best) WR and allow an elite WR to run free the entire game? That makes no sense to me. I'd much rather take my chances with Anthony Gonzalez as opposed to giving Reggie Wayne so much freedom.

They did not BELIEVE that double teaming Wayne was allowing him to "run free the entire game". They had a plan. It failed.

 

[packersfan]

You stated the reason in your OP.Look what Rashean did to Gonzalez. He made him an absolute non-factor in the game.

My point is - an ordinary CB could have done the same thing given how Gonzalez isn't a great WR by any means. Why use your top CB to shut down an average (at best) WR and allow an elite WR to run free the entire game? That makes no sense to me. I'd much rather take my chances with Anthony Gonzalez as opposed to giving Reggie Wayne so much freedom.

They did not BELIEVE that double teaming Wayne was allowing him to "run free the entire game". They had a plan. It failed.

Exactly. Had they played Mathis on Wayne - at least some of the time - perhaps the plan wouldn't have failed. By keeping Mathis on one side of the field against a lesser talent they put themselves in a hole right from the outset.

 

[FantasyTrader]

Perhaps. Or pehaps Wayne beats Mathis anyway and now Gonzalez is being covered by a lesser defender creating even more opportunities. We can hypothesize this all night. You asked why defenses do it. I think that's been answered.

 

[packersfan]

Perhaps. Or pehaps Wayne beats Mathis anyway and now Gonzalez is being covered by a lesser defender creating even more opportunities. We can hypothesize this all night. You asked why defenses do it. I think that's been answered.

And I pointed out why it's often a highly suspect move to make. Like I said - I realize why defenses do this - my question was more rhetorical in nature. I simply believe that it often puts your defense at a disadvantage. That was definitely the case today in the Colts-Jags game.

 

[smcindoe]

Not sure if this is the case with Mathis, but many teams put their top CB on the left side all game to force a right-handed QB to throw to his wrong side all game.

 

[SSOG]

Part of it is the thinking that 2 mediocre players are better in coverage than 1 amazing player. If I have 3 defenders covering two receivers, I think the ideal combination is the #1 defender on the #2 receiver, and the #2 and #3 defenders on the #1 receiver. I suppose you could go with the #1 and #3 defender on the #1 receiver and the #2 defender on the #2 receiver, but the problem then is that Mathis is used to playing LCB, which means he's used to defending the run on that side, behind those defenders. Continuity is the key to chemistry, in my opinion. Also, QBs are better at throwing to their right (assuming they're right-handed), so it makes sense to "over-cover" the player on that side of the field.

 

[AllVolUT]

Not sure if this is the case with Mathis, but many teams put their top CB on the left side all game to force a right-handed QB to throw to his wrong side all game.

That is an interesting point I never really thought of. Still, I have to be curious as to why Mathis didn't do more work on Gonzalez...even though I understand the above comment (which makes perfect sense). Brian Williams is a very physical receiver who might have been able to shut-down Gonzalez equally well, leaving Rasheen to do a better job on Wayne. I thought JDR might have made a half-time adjustment to covering Wayne, but he still ended up netting 4-71.

FWIW, Clark seemed to present the most difficult matchup for the Jags. He is too quick for outside LBs like Daryl Smith, yet too big for Jax's Scotty Starks and Terry Cousin and other nickel backs.

 

[Tau837]

It's possible for a defense to run their shutdown corner man up on an opposing offenses top option but that defense has to be extremely well versed in their assignments. The thing that's easy to overlook is that when the wideout goes in motion and your "shutdown guy" goes with him, he's now just vacated an area and the assignments of 2, 3 or even 4 defenders have now changed.

You can see how that could create several scenarios of blown assignments and late arrivals to the ball. All in all, it's generally not something most defenses can pull off. They're better off staying in their assigned spaces and letting the matchups unfold.

Make more sense now?

This is the reason. On Thursday night, the NFL Network had Deion on and asked him why with Woodson out Harris didn't cover Owens all over the field, and Deion said it is really hard to do that both for the individual corner and for the entire defense, as stated above. Basically, while the matchup on Owens/Wayne might be improved, the other coverages would likely be less effective, possibly creating a negative overall effect.