Football has a funny way of testing theories. Last season Bowles was "wasting" CB talent by playing too much zone with guys who were man corners, like Dean.
Dean has three picks this season, all in zone? For sure the 49ers and Lions picks are Tampa 2. Both of them he's the underneath corner in the zone scheme. I am pretty sure the pick 6 is the same.
(amazing what $ will do!)
Isn't he just shuffling more between zone and man this year?
I thought I read that we're playing more man but maybe I'm wrong.
Isn't he just shuffling more between zone and man this year?
I thought I read that we're playing more man but maybe I'm wrong.
You’re correct.
We are running man at a higher clip than last season.
Going into Week 8 last year, we were ranked:
26th in percentage of man coverage (5th in zone)
This year:
14th in man and 18th in zone
Isn't he just shuffling more between zone and man this year?
I thought I read that we're playing more man but maybe I'm wrong.
Now, you're correct. More man this year overall, but all 3 of his INTs in zone.
Isn't he just shuffling more between zone and man this year?
I thought I read that we're playing more man but maybe I'm wrong.
Now, you're correct. More man this year overall, but all 3 of his INTs in zone.
That's what makes zone more effective. I think Bowles is getting back to keeping people off balance
Agreed.
Bowles also realizes that Dean needs to be rotated like LVD and Evans as he has an old man's body. That is why you see Morrison out there often on the boundary.
Dean is top in many statistical categories
https://www.sisdatahub.com/leaderboards/CB
Joined by the rest of the secondary, all top 20
Joined by the rest of the secondary, all top 20
McCollum is the only player in the defensive backfield who play nearly all the snaps last season
Tykee Smith replaced Jordan Whitehead and is currently 97% of the S snaps
Antoine Winfield was only 47% of the snaps in 2024, now 99%
Dean was 62% is 65% BUT a big part of that is splitting reps with Morrison (25%) (previously Hayes and others)
Jacob Parrish is 70% of the snaps, previously filled by Smith and platoon of guys
AND EVEN WITH WEAL COVERAGE FROM THE ILBS you can see the difference in the pressure up front and the increase in MAN coverage (although Dean's INT come in zone)
Dean is playing better and we have the depth to provide him breaks.
Bowles is on to something with mixing it up between man and zone.
Hopefully he keeps it up because it looks like we won't be the offensive juggernaut we were last year.
