I posted this on the "Whats Wrong With Eli" Thread, but it really is a different conversation.
On Mike and Mike this morning, two of Eli's INTs last night occurred when the Bears brought a DB on the blitz. This tells me three things.
1. Eli and or the WRs are not making consistent pre-snap reads
2. WRs are not making good blitz adjustments to the route (changing the depth of their route, changing the route)
3. Both QB and WR are not reading the post-snap coverage as the defense rolls and adjusts post blitz.
Mike Gollick provided the following (I've added my insights as well):
On the first INT, Eli is blitzed from his right, meaning the WR to the right side of the field is the "hot" receiver as that part of the field is affected by the blitz. I don't know which WR is on the right during this play (probably Nicks) but he does not make the proper route adjustment (run a slant, run a hitch, or whatever the hot route call is).
This forces Eli to go off his hot route and go to his secondary option, which is Reuben Randle on the left. Randle looks to be running a very nice curl route, but there is one problem, he hasn't read blitz either. True, he is not the hot WR as his side is not affected by the blitz, but when blitz is recognized every receiver is expected to adjust their route. For the WR affected by the blitz, it's often a route change. For other WRs, you are expected to shorten your route stem by 2-3 yards (couple of steps) in anticipation that the ball is coming out more quickly. Eli throws the ball in Randle's direction, where he expects the WR to be and where he should be given the blitz. But...Randle's not there as he has not come out of his break yet.
Also, not surprising to anyone, while the Oline played better last night, protection issues still continue, which is disrupting the timing of the passing game.
Not trying to absolve Eli as you can say perhaps he should not have thrown the ball, but you can't blame him for expecting the WR to be in the right spot. A QB needs to trust that his WRs see the same thing he does and are where they are supposed to be. Eli is let down by the WR running the hot route and by the far side WR not adjusting his route to the blitz.
I'm not even going to get into the 2nd INT, which was 100% a miscommunication between Eli and Randle. You can say what you want about whether Eli should have thrown the ball, but the coverage was Cover 3, and Eli made the right read. Randle did not.
These types of mistakes have happened a lot this year and while they cannot account for all 16 of Eli's picks, it is a fair number. (At least 5 according to Mayock, and I actually think it's more.) This passing game could be prolific. When it looks good, it looks real good, but it appears to be one brain cramp away from disaster on every series.
Ill advised throws, throwing off his back foot, that shovel pass to Scott last night that remarkably didn't turn into another pick-6, etc. All the result of trying too hard to eliminate a sack and making something worse happen instead.
Once the ball is hiked, the wr has options on the play.
Is this incorrect?
In situations when the play call is a pass, but the blitz is one, the QB can change to a run, depending on the front, but he may decide a pass is the better option given the down, distance, and front and will rely on the WRs to make the proper site adjustments. The WR or WRs affected by the blitz will often run the designated hot route (usually a slant, hitch, or fade) while WRs not affected will shorten their route to account for the collapsing pocket. Eli could have checked to a run on the play mentioned above, but he likely concluded the WR to his right would run the proper hot route, which honestly could have gone for a big gain if executed properly. An offense who has less confidence in its passing game would probably have checked to a run, but there is no reason for the Giants to fear employing their trio of WRs as they are the best weapons on offense. They just all need to be on the same page and execute better.
A good example is your typical curl route. Let's say Victor Cruz is running a curl. If the DB jams him on the line and Cruz beats it with no safety over the top, he is probably cleared to take the top off for a big gain. Essentially your curl has become a go or a fade.
Let's say Victor is running a curl and the DB gives him a free release in zone coverage. Cruz will probably take the initially stem up to 8 yards, start his curl, and sit down to the inside of the DB and find the open spot in the zone based on where the safety, OLB, and CB are sitting.
If Cruz is running a curl and gets free release in man coverage he will run the similar 8 yard stem, but if the DB comes up at this point to his inside, his curl will now become a fade. If the DB comes to his outside, he will continue with his curl (with the top hook coming up to 12 yards or so) and then flatten out to the inside. If the ball is not instantly in his hands when he comes out of the curl, he will drift left or right, depending on coverage.
You see similar reads in post routes, corner routes, and flat routes.
They're all doing it
With our OL issues, there should be a pre snap short route on almost every passing play. If there is a blitz and the short route or the hot read is covered, Eli needs to throw the ball away.
If Jacobs continue to play better / well (I don't expect another 100 yard game), at least Eli will know someone in the backfield "has his back". With Jacobs in the backfield (vs Wilson) he has someone who knows were to be to pick up the blitz, and at 260+ lbs, can actually do something about not only a blitzing LBers, but a D lineman as well.
on the other teams running "option route" there is no way the designs are similar.
those teams use such a variety of formations, they intentionally get single coverage for certain players and are always throwing passes less than 5 yards.
those systems are completely different, to say anything other than they have "options" would be a farse
I never said those offenses were similar in design.
Obviously, this makes reading the route options even more difficult for QB and receivers.
Teams do this regularly, it was much easier to see on last night's TV coverage.
2. WRs are not making good blitz adjustments to the route (changing the depth of their route, changing the route)
3. Both QB and WR are not reading the post-snap coverage as the defense rolls and adjusts post blitz.
That's enough for this system to make things highly ineffective. Moreover, this system offers ZERO margin for error. So a fuck up, or better phrased, "miscommunication" will always result in an Int in this system. Factor in bad throws or decisions by Eli, not running routes properly like Nicks, or odd shit like the ball bouncing off a foot into the air, and you get a big time shit show.
This is why I loathe the system when you analyze the above 3 critical factors. Rivers, Ben, Romo, and Ryan all have had system changes to their respective offenses. I am still waiting.. more like praying, I get to see ELi in a new system before he retires.
The opposition does not fear this play because we DO NOT HAVE IT IN OUR PLAY BOOK. This is a Gilbride issue of course. We have sucked at screens even when we used to try but I believe their design has simply been poor.