
The Zone side of this play is the boundary side/weak side. This makes the slot fade (paired with an underneath route) one of the most dangerous and successful play calls against man coverage. Today’s NFL gives huge advantages to the offensive side of the ball, specifically 1-on-1 downfield matchups due to the increased defensive pass interference rules. The slot fade paired with two hitches works to put Crowder (slot WR) in isolation with his man, giving Wilson a chance to throw the 60-40 ball downfield. The Man side of this play is the field-side/three WR side. If it was man, a LB/DB would’ve followed the man in motion. With nobody following the RB, Zach knows right away that he’s dealing with some type of zone coverage. (Pick a Side based on Leverage) play with man coverage progression basis on one side of the field, and a zone coverage progression basis on the other.Īs soon as Wilson puts the back in motion, he’s working to once again get one step ahead of the defense. Now let’s get into the pre-snap processing part of this play design. Lastly, Vyncint Smith runs a glance/slant route to find a soft spot in the zone. The lone TE to the boundary is running a Y-Pop, where his eyes are on the quarterback at all times while heading upfield towards the left hash. 3 from sideline) also runs a hitch to facilitate the slot fade. This helps to create a smash concept-type look for the quarterback. 2 receiver from the field-side sideline) slot fade. The Giants are running fire zone out of nickel with the strong safety replacing the fifth line-of-scrimmage pass rusher.įrom the bottom of the screen, Michael Carter runs a basic hitch to keep his defender from helping on Crowder’s (No. 3 receiver from the formation to the field side. The motion man here is the running back, who gets motioned out of the backfield to be the No. The Jets are running 11 personnel (once again) in empty with a 3×2 look. Get Started: Learn More About Becoming A Jet X Member LaFleur’s design of Kroft motioning across the formation put Wilson one step ahead of the defense before the play even began. Zach nails the throw with perfect accuracy and anticipation, throwing it before Davis could even break off his stem. That’s the post-snap processing part of this play. In addition to already knowing his primary read, Wilson reads the outside cornerback’s inside leverage on Davis, prompting the young quarterback to once again deliver the ball beyond the hashes to his No. Off the snap, Wilson displays a terrific 3-step drop with zero extra hitches, putting himself in an excellent position to hit Davis along the sideline with timing and rhythm. It’s also worth noting that most plays in coach LaFleur’s playbook require both pre-snap and post-snap processing ability. Since a linebacker followed Kroft on his pre-snap motion, Wilson has a clear indication that there’s man coverage, putting his primary read to Davis’ man-beater speed-out. The last wide receiver, Corey Davis, is running a speed out a yard or two beyond the field-side first-down marker. Wilson only has to look at these two spacing routes if no linebacker follows Kroft on the motion. Jamison Crowder runs another spot, this time to the center of the field. The man in motion across the formation into the tight bunch, Tyler Kroft, runs a basic 5-yard spot with an outside stem. Wilson only has to look here if he initially sees an isolation matchup. The Giants are running man coverage across the board from a nickel two-high shell.įrom the bottom of the screen, Keelan Cole runs an outside-release go to clear out his man and the boundary-side safety. The Jets are running a tight bunch to the field side from 11 personnel, with the lone tight end motioning across the formation into attached. Let’s discuss the complexities of each play using All-22 film. While both plays incorporated pre-snap motion, each motion was utilized differently in relation to the design of the play. Two plays in particular really showed off how LaFleur’s play design made Zach’s life much easier.

The 2021 Snoopy Bowl between the New York Jets and New York Giants was one of the more hyped-up preseason games in recent memory for Jets fans, primarily for one reason: It marked Zach Wilson‘s first performance in the NFL.īYU’s former star played two drives, completing 6 of 9 passes for 63 yards with zero touchdowns or interceptions.įor a quarterback who was criticized for having too much time in the pocket at BYU, Wilson was as quick and efficient in getting rid of the ball as ever, doing most of his mental processing before the play began.Ī lot of Wilson’s quick-release success was thanks to offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur‘s usage of a young quarterback’s best friend: pre-snap motion. Mike LaFleur has modernized the New York Jets offense, making Zach Wilson’s life easier
