Moss and T.O. need to just be covered man-on-man (article)

RyGuy45

RyGuy45

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NT what are your thoughts on this, Easterbrook says the zone defenses used to cover these WRs should not even beattempted...
How do you stop Owens and Moss? Put a man on them!
By Gregg Easterbrook
ESPN.com


Terrell Owens and Randy Moss just cleaned the clocks of the Washington ******** and Buffalo Bills, catching four touchdown passes apiece Sunday. Here is a possible solution when dealing with guys like Owens and Moss: Cover them!
Man-on-man, that is. Perhaps manly-man-on-manly-man. For most of the two contests in which these gentlemen ran wild, the Washington and Buffalo defenses were in some version of Cover 2, meaning zone, meaning no one had the specific responsibility to stick with Owens or Moss. In a Cover 2, the cornerbacks watch the short zone for outs and curls and the safeties watch the deep zone. The Cover 2 is often effective. Its weakness is that no one is specifically assigned to the other team's best receiver. Just as, when splitting a large-group dinner check, each diner might find it convenient to assume the next person will take care of the tip, in a Cover 2, each defensive back might find it convenient to think, "The safety will get him." The result is letting the other team's best receiver fly down the field unguarded.



With Dallas leading 21-16 and the game tense, Owens ran an "up" against a Washington soft-zone look. ******** cornerback Shawn Springs stood there and watched Owens fly past; Springs covered no one, and Owens caught a 52-yard touchdown, providing the game's winning margin. With New England leading 7-0 at Buffalo, Moss ran an "up" against a Bills soft-zone look. Buffalo cornerback Terrence McGee stood there and watched Moss fly past; McGee covered no one, and Moss caught a 43-yard touchdown, sparking what would become a rout by halftime. Randy Moss and Terrell Owens were not covered by anyone going deep. Moss' touchdown was especially ridiculous because the Bills rushed only two on that play. Nine defenders dropped into coverage, yet no one guarded Randy Moss going deep.

Nine guys available and no one guards the other team's best receiver: This sums up the it's-not-my-job flaw of the zone pass defense. And don't tell me the cornerback is supposed to let the receiver go deep so the corner can watch the flat. On both the touchdown passes cited above, there was no receiver in the flat. Both cornerbacks just stood there while the other team's star roared past them for a touchdown. Nor are these two plays exceptions. On several of the eight Moss/Owens scores Sunday, cornerbacks simply watched as these threats raced upfield, covered by no one. Andre Johnson of Houston also was covered by no one as he started upfield, against a soft zone, for what would become a 73-yard touchdown.

The soft zone works for disciplined teams such as Indianapolis, but for sketchy teams such as Washington and Buffalo, it seems to promote it's-not-my-job thinking. Hey, he wasn't my man! If the Cover 2 doesn't prevent deep strikes -- and that's supposed to be the big virtue of playing Cover 2 -- then what is being accomplished? Defensive coordinators, pick your best cornerback and tell him: Wherever Moss or Owens goes, you go. You're on him like glue, and it's your responsibility, no one else's. Challenge your best defender: That's the way to counter a great receiver. And before you say, "Man coverage can be burned deep," what exactly did we observe Owens and Moss doing to soft zones? Play man-to-man. It's manly!
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Well after this week can you even argue it
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You defintely can't leave either guy one-on-one though. It's too easy for them to beat their man, espically in the red zone (fade)
 
People don't read TMQ every week? Underrated article...neway...covering Moss/T.O. man-on-man is an easier task said than done...
 
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I know, i think we all can conclude they are men among boys right nowand it doesnt really matter....

However he brings up interesting points for a change of pace. I didnt play football so Im not well versed in zone coverages and their details, but it doessound like a lot of assuming on the players' parts, and you dont really have a man shadowing a stud WR.
 
^didnt really burn him, just kinda stiff armed him away on like quick screen type pass. anyways covering Moss and Owens man to man wouldnt make a difference,b/c brady and romo find ways to buy time unlike anybody else thus giving their receivers more time to gain separation.
 
It wouldnt make that much difference honestly.
The saftey in that deep zone should never get burned because its his job not to. Not to mention cover 2 puts him in a great position to make a play on theball.

But all of it is for nought if you dont get pressure on the QB. If Moss or TO have time to complete their routes and they arent double covered they will bepretty much open.

and Moss more so then TO has shown a jump ball in double coverage isnt in the DB's favor because he will just jump over them.

Honestly who would you rather have going up against Moss or TO on a jump ball? Your 5'10 corner or Sean Taylor?
 
man, that might be the best corner tandem in the league right now, Owens will not go nuts against the Packers, you can't believe that.

and as far as playing man on man, teams need a corner with the ability, but most importantly the attitude of not being afraid to get burned.

Just somebody who's willing to put hands on Moss right at the line.
 
yeah, i was just thinking this watching the highlights of all TO and Moss's TDs

the problem is the safeties were reading the QB too hard... when the QB turns to the left side of the field the left safety would squeeze towards the middleinstead of widening as he backs up... left TO and Moss wide open by the time he could recover. on Moss's wide open TD, i think the safety was actuallycreeping up on an inside route, and he was kinda flattening as he was running, instead of staying deep.

its true that you cant leave that middle route wide open, but you gotta remember who's lined up on the outside and that they are a favorite option of theQB.
 
cover moss man on man? that's ludicrous! i think people would have realized by now that stopping randy is im-MOSS-ible. corners can only brace themselvesand pray that moss has a quiet game, and the only two players to pray hard enough are leigh bodden and eric wright of the browns.
 
champ wasn't 100% that game and TO only had one big play on him.
No Champ he had 2 or 3 big plays on you and they took you out the game if I remember correctly. I'll give I do remember him having an injury.

Honestly who would you rather have going up against Moss or TO on a jump ball? Your 5'10 corner or Sean Taylor?

I don't know about TO but I swore Taylor already got juxed by Moss on a jumpball?

I'll say this about Al (I still remember him from the Eagles) Harris and Woodson (He's good) if the pass rush doesn't get to Romo its going tobe curtains for both of them also. I just think that means Witten will have a good game.
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I don't know about TO but I swore Taylor already got juxed by Moss on a jumpball?
Of course and vice versa but that isnt the point I was trying to make.

Having your Saftey between Randy Moss and the endzone is more in your favor then having Randy Moss in the middle of your 5'10 corner and the endzone. Ifyou got a corner that is going to be physical with him then you can play man but if your scared to get beat you better zone up or its going to be a longggggday for you.
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Are you kidding me? Moss was catching TD's against Miami in triple coverage, you cant guard these dudes. Moss is faster than all of them and oh by the way,has the average CB by around 6-8" and TO? Dude is a beat, period.
 
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