Kelsay and the defensive scheme...

[ColdBlueNorth]

I have read a few comments that have knocked a defensive scheme that has Kelsay covering a TE.

 

Personally, I don't think the defensive scheme called for Kelsay to cover a tight end releasing. The reason I don't believe that is because Houston ran that same play 4-5 times (each time successfully gobbling up a bunch of yards) and none of our linemen on the other instances dropped into coverage.

 

What I think happened on that play was that Houston (once again) executed the naked bootleg off a double-tight formation leaving the back side TE to hang around a wait for everyone to commit to the fake stretch run play. Kelsay recognized what was happening when the TE released and knew no one was behind him in coverage (makes you wonder about our scheme having no one covering the back door or the football IQ of our linebackers and safeties where no one stayed home) so he tried like heck to cover him. You watch the play and you see someone reacting, not playing a designed defensive assignment.

 

For that I think he deserves probably a bit more slack than I have given him in the past - it probably was a heads-up move, but he just did not have the wheels to prevent the reception.

 

Either way, all that proves is that there are still to many missed assignments and sloppy play in our secondary (linebackers, safeties, and DBs).

[peterpan]

Its not the offensive scheme that would have dictated Kelsay in coverage. We may have ran a zone blitz on that play and with a zone blitz it is common for a DE to go into coverage.

 

PS: Has kelsay ever diagnosed a bootleg (or reverse or counter) in his entire career? I sure haven't seen it, ever.

 

And another thing, if it was a naked boot - then there wouldn't be any receiver out, thats what the naked part means - its a designed QB run with no option to pass. Otherwise, its just a boot leg.

[ColdBlueNorth]

Its not the offensive scheme that would have dictated Kelsay in coverage. We may have ran a zone blitz on that play and with a zone blitz it is common for a DE to go into coverage.

 

PS: Has kelsay ever diagnosed a bootleg (or reverse or counter) in his entire career? I sure haven't seen it, ever.

 

And another thing, if it was a naked boot - then there wouldn't be any receiver out, thats what the naked part means - its a designed QB run with no option to pass. Otherwise, its just a boot leg.

 

I understand that most everyone is in a crappy mood, but to all your points above:

 

It was not a zone blitz because we were not playing zone we were playing man and stacking the box against a run formation. Also Kelsay did not drop into a area, rather he saw a TE release and chased after him.

 

Yes, I have seen Kelsay diagnose and defend a bootleg - he is usually pretty good at staying home and sealing the end.

 

A bootleg is simply the QB running towards either sideline with the ball behind the line of scrimmage - a naked bootleg means no blockers go with him. Before he crosses the line of scrimmage the QB always has the option to throw or run it himself (as for other viable options you could probably add hand it off, pitch it, lateral it, get crushed, fumble, or take a knee).

[K-9]

I can't really fault our DEs that got sucked in on those bootlegs yesterday. Houston is a superior team and Kubiak is a master at setting it up. Their run action earlier really sells that play fake later on and Schaub is a master at execution, as is the entire Houston Oline, especially their LT. I saw Kelsay, Merriman, and Moore all bite on that same action and not because they suck. Rather it's because that LT sold it so well. That end man on the LOS is the DE's first read and when he sees that kind of pulling action, his responsibility is to crash that backside AGGRESSIVELY, as they did. I give full credit to Houston for their execution. Better defenses than ours fall victim the same way.

 

GO BILLS!!!