All Twenty-Tuesday: Monken’s Masterpiece

The Buccaneers’ game plan and execution of it was a lot of fun to watch.

Right out of the gate, the Buccaneers came out passing the ball. They set themselves up with two wide receivers to the left, one to the right and the tight end off the line in a wing formation. The play was a completed pass, but more than that, the alignment of where each receiver was allowed them to diagnose the type of coverage the Saints were going to deploy on that drive.

The Saints ended up breaking off into Cover 3 with one of the outside corners (Marshon Lattimore) in press technique close to the line of scrimmage.

On the play immediately after that, a second-and-4, the Bucs ran the ball, but notice the type of coverage the Saints once again deployed: pure single-high coverage with only one deep safety.

That was two times in a row.

On the third play of the game – I’m not going to break down every single play, I promise – Ryan Fitzpatrick took a quarterback sneak for a first down.

I absolutely loved this play. i have no idea why Bill Belichick, with his 40-year-old quarterback, is the only head coach who chooses to quarterback sneak on every third-and-short or fourth-and-short to a high rate of success, but seeing offensive coordinator and play-caller Todd Monken dial that up made me smile.

But, once again, notice the coverage. Very aggressive, close, physical, and single-high with only one deep safety.

That all lead to this.

I guarantee Monken called the play above and got the message to Fitzpatrick to hold the safety to Mike Evans’ side for a second before bombing it to DeSean Jackson – out of the slot – the other way, knowing there would be no one there to catch him.

The Bucs knew the Saints were going to come out single-high again, and they also knew how to manipulate it. By putting Jackson in the slot, they could disguise most of his route in the zones that the linebackers were covering. Knowing Evans’ (on the outside) is the Bucs’ primary receiver, looking to him right away froze the free safety as Jackson made it past the linebackers. By the time the safety saw Jackson wasn’t just staying at the linebacker level, it was too late, and with no second safety to help in deep coverage, Jackson caught the ball uncontested and jumped into the end zone.

That, my friends, is play calling – it’s the details.

The Bucs went 8-for-13 on third downs against the Saints, which was really good.

On the play above, they were facing a third-and-4. That down and distance is tricky, because it’s not quite short enough to expect to pick up the yards needed with a run, and it makes passing somewhat difficult, knowing the pressure is likely coming. But it’s not difficult when you have a guy like tight end O.J. Howard.

He’s good, man. He’s so good. The Bucs can do that all day if they have the quarertback to put the ball where it needs to go. Howard is a mismatch nightmare.

On the very next third down situation, which was a third-and-2, the Bucs passed the ball again. I didn’t love that decision in a vacuum, but the Saints were playing so aggressive with their cornerbacks in man coverage that if you have your guy 1-on-1, especially with the talent the Bucs have, you have to take it.

It paid off time and time again.

Immediately after that first down to Evans, I loved the fact that the Bucs stayed aggressive and passed right out of the gate on the new set of downs. And, once again, when it’s to a guy like Howard in single coverage, you have to like your chances. The Bucs put their pieces in the best places to succeed on Sunday. The yards and points reflected such.

There were so many more plays that I could highlight from this game, but I want to focus on one more series to close things out.

The series above was at the start of the fourth quarter. After picking up yet another first down, the Saints finally decided to switch up their coverages. As you can see in the play above, they adjusted their safety play from a single-high look to a two-deep coverage concept.

On the next play, the Saints once again played two-deep, even on a run play. The safeties were not creeping up at all and even took a second or two to help in run support after running back Shaun Wilson made it through the line for a 6-yard gain.

That was two plays in a row with the same switched up coverage concept.

Third play in a row. Two-deep safety look in Cloud Coverage with the LCB (Marshon Lattimore) in man coverage instead of a zone in the flats. The pass ended up going incomplete, but three times in a row was all Monken needed to see.

That play above – Jackson’s second touchdown – could not have been anymore perfect in its design and execution against that type of coverage.

It actually all starts with Evans at the top of your screen running a go route u the left sideline. That not only took the one cornerback all the way down the field, but also forced the free safety to shade to his side and not help in the middle entirely. Then, the 10-yard dig route by Adam Humphries over the middle with Jackson on the same side forced the strong safety to also not be able to occupy a deep middle zone because he had to come up and play Humphries over the intermediate middle. Meanwhile Jackson went over the top and right by his cornerback, who, because of the offensive design, had no help. A perfectly executed “Mills” concept.

It didn’t matter what the Saints were running on defense. The Buccaneers not only had a counter for it in their playbook, but the plays were called perfectly with the rhythm of the game.

Monken’s masterpiece on Sunday earned the Buccaneers that win, and they’ll likely need a few more as this season goes on.