Thread: Matt Bowen Break Down Urlacher's Pick for Six; Good Read...........

NFL Week 9: Breaking down the top three plays

Matt Bowen

November 04, 2012, 11:00 PM
Let’s break this down and get into some coaching points.

1. Brian Urlacher’s “pick-six” vs. Titans
Personnel: Posse (3WR-1TE-1RB)
Formation: Empty
Route: Hi-Lo
Defensive scheme: Cover 1 “Rover”

- Cover 1 (man-free) from the Bears with FS Chris Conte walked down over the TE and MLB Brian Urlacher playing the “Rover” (inside hook drop, read the QB). This gives the Bears help on two levels: inside hook and the deep middle of the field. Play with outside leverage and funnel receivers back inside of the numbers.


- Nothing complicated here from the Titans. A Smash-Seam concept to the open (weak) side of the formation with the Hi-Lo to the closed side. The TE will release up the field on the intermediate dig route (Hi) with the slot receiver on the inside shallow crosser (Lo). A concept we see in every club’s offensive playbook.

- By playing the inside hook, Urlacher will take his drop, read the QB and break on the throw. As a “rover” in Cover 1, let the QB take you to the play.
- Hasselbeck can’t throw this ball. I was surprised to see the veteran QB force this one. He is locked in on an inside breaking cut and brings Urlacher right to the play.

- This is exactly how Cover 1 “Rover” plays out on the chalkboard or in the game plan on Wednesday. All Urlacher has to do is read the eyes of Hasselbeck, break on the throw and then get to the sidelines for six points. Just one of the five turnovers the Bears defense produced today as they whipped the Titans 51-20 down in Nashville to move to 7-1 on the season.