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Rufio's Playbook: Breaking down Tracy Porter's Pick Six of Peyton Manning

I've been having computer issues so this is a little late, but hopefully still somewhat relevant.

 

Late in the 4th quarter with the Colts driving, Tracy Porter made a play he will remember for the rest of his life.  It was a huge play, and all but sealed the Colts' fate and the Saints' first Super Bowl victory.

Star-divide

 

Pre-snap, the Saints were showing a MOFC look with a single high safety over the top.  They were still in position to be able to play a cover-3 as I have diagramed below, or even possibly something with a cover-2/MOFO shell.  From his position in the photograph below, the SS still has a shot to get back to play a deep zone.

1-1_medium

Peyton does his fake snap, and the defense shows its hand, shifting a few LBs and bringing the SS all the way up to the line.  He has a little time to adjust and think.  At the snap, you can see the SS still up close to the line, indicating a single high defense*. 

*with a pretty high probability, but nothing pre-snap is ever 100% certain

2_medium

The Colts sent WR Austin Collie in motion before the snap, passing under WR Reggie Wayne shortly after the snap. You can see Collie passing under Wayne below, while Wayne releases vertically.

3_medium

In the image above, you can see the Saints' cover-1 man look materializing.  Off to Manning's left, you can see the CBs bracketing Collie and Wayne.  You can see Peyton reading this half of the field on his three step drop.  He probably knew a blitz was coming because the Saints had been sending the blitzes at him all night in passing situations, and they showed blitz before the snap.

Note how there are three Saints defenders who could all be guarding RB Joseph Addai or TE Dallas Clark man to man.  What is the other one doing?  Blitzing?  Faking a blitz and dropping back in to a zone?  Could one of the defensive linemen to Peyton's left be dropping back in zone coverage after faking a pass rush?

4_medium

A lot of the time in passing concepts where two receivers on the same side of the formation both break in toward the middle of the field, you want to hit the outside receiver.  This is because the inside receiver (Collie, here), will usually draw any such "robber", "rat", or "robot" (all names for an underneath zone defender), usually leaving the outside man with a winable matchup. 

At this point I am guessing Peyton doesn't think he has to worry about what the extra defender is doing because he knows 1. he is getting rid of the ball as quickly as possible on a 3 step drop, and 2. his receiver is in a matchup he should win every time.  So he doesn't care about reading the entire defense, and he really doesn't have the time.  We do.

Below, you can see that there are actually no underneath zone defenders, and that the Saints got what they wanted: two pass rushers with only Addai left to block them while three Colts block only two Saints elsewhere.  If Manning did not get rid of the ball, he was probably going to take a huge hit.

5_medium

Also in the image above, you can see Manning "peek" at Clark, who is releasing vertically and running either a normal seam route or some sort of seam/middle read.  I am guessing that if Peyton sees this as being more open, he throws it.  Instead, he sees the deep safety react toward Clark, and goes back to Wayne.

The play is intelligently designed because of the way CBs typically line up according to a "divider".  This is material best saved for another post, but the basic idea is that if an offense wants to create space to pass toward the sidelines, they move the receiver closer to the formation.  To create more space over the middle, the offense pushes receivers further wide.  Because of this, CBs are often coached to take away that space through their use of leverage.  Note the relative positions of the CB to the WR below:

1te_202wr_202rbnarrow_20split_medium
Wide_20split_medium


The Colts know this, and probably designed/called this play with that knowledge in mind. Sure enough CB Tracy Porter has outside leverage on WR Reggie Wayne (he was the outside man of the "bracket").  Note how Porter appears to be straddling the bottom of the numbers, while Wayne is somewhere in the top-middle of the numbers

5_medium

I think that Wayne was supposed to run an "in" here.  Watching the video of it, he clearly chops his feet, indicating that he did not intend to make a "speed cut" where he would have just rolled off to the inside with one step.  You can see him "gearing down" a bit below:

6_medium

Wayne may have thought he was supposed to run a "hitch" or a "stop" route where he simply stops and turns around and the ball is there, whereas Manning thought he was supposed to go across the field more as diagrammed above.

Note how at this point if Peyton throws the ball to the point where Collie is now (or a little past where Collie is now), it looks like Wayne should easily make the catch for a first down.  Unfortunately for the Colts, it doesn't go down that way. Porter jumps the route, and makes a better break on the ball than Wayne does.  Here is a diagram of what I think the called play looked like:

Wayne either slips or runs the wrong route or (in a less likely scenario) Peyton got the route wrong and threw it anyway.  My money is on Wayne being at fault, that he simply ran a poor route.  Instead of getting inside position on Porter (which should have been automatic for a guy as good as Wayne), Porter is able to jump the route and pick the ball off.

9_medium

And the rest is history, as they say.


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Nice breakdown, Rufio.

I agree that it looks like Wayne ran the wrong route rather than slipped. It seems that he’s pulling up for the hitch and only turned in when he saw Porter making for the ball.

by JustBob on Feb 19, 2010 9:17 PM EST reply actions  

Rufio= football genius.

by emily522 on Feb 19, 2010 11:09 PM EST reply actions  

Awesome write up.

Rufio is Jaws.

by Bernie19Kosar on Feb 19, 2010 11:12 PM EST reply actions  

Pfft. Jaws wishes he could be Rufio.

If I hear "There's always next year" one more time...

by SpecialBrownie on Feb 19, 2010 11:54 PM EST up reply actions  

Great analysis.

One thing I’ve noticed about Peyton, and I’ve been seeking clarification, what I believe is referred to here as “his fake snap”: Peyton steps and sort of rocks into position before taking the snap. Now, two things: first, he never seems to be getting set to me; and, secondly, even if he were to be considered the only man ‘in motion,’ he seems to be moving in the direction of the line of scrimmage. Is this nitpicking the rules, are there certain exceptions for QBs or is my football acumen really as low as I suspect it probably is?

by Western Reserve on Feb 20, 2010 10:35 AM EST reply actions  

You mean it doesn’t really simulate a snap because he would need to be set for 1 second before he actually receives the snap?

I was just referring to the leg lift/stop thing he does, which you would do as a kind of shotgun “hard count”. I would bet a lot of QBs aren’t completely set for a full second before the snap occurs in the ‘gun. I don’t think it would really be called as a penalty unless it affected the play. If Cribbs was taking a running start toward the line as he got the snap, I think we’d get flagged. Peyton maybe pivots forward, probably nitpicking.

Also, I don’t know the exact wording that defines “set”.

"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein

by rufio on Feb 20, 2010 11:44 PM EST up reply actions  

Oh, I don’t take any issue with you referring to it as a “fake snap”; I was merely using it as reference.

Yeah, okay. It obviously never gets called nor will it ever be; just was a curiosity.

by Western Reserve on Feb 21, 2010 2:19 PM EST up reply actions  

Are you referring to how he sometimes rocks forward as if preparing to communicate with his line right before the snap? If so I’ve wondered about that as well.

They gone have to stop sleeping on me one day.. I gotta be one of the best

About 3 hours ago by Eric Wright Cleveland Browns – Cornerback

by Villeslgr on Feb 21, 2010 2:20 PM EST up reply actions  

Yes, exactly. The step and then the rocking forward.

by Western Reserve on Feb 21, 2010 10:02 PM EST up reply actions  

It does look like Wayne had plenty of space underneath Porter to get inside position, that would bring me to the same conclusion that you reached. Peyton was pretty clearly upset with Wayne after the play.

by Roger Dorn on Feb 20, 2010 11:51 AM EST reply actions  

…and a little whiplashed from the block in the back.

by Chief WaDrew on Feb 20, 2010 1:20 PM EST up reply actions  

Very good play analysis.

Well I hate to see it but this is a very good breakdown of that play. If Wayne completes a route inside he at least has a moving screen created between him and Porter. Slip, tweeked knee, who knows. When I saw the play it looked like he just stopped. Thanks for taking the time to write this up.

by jules62 on Feb 20, 2010 9:46 PM EST reply actions  

I dig dat analysis.

The Browns have always been my favorite AFC team, and I wish you guys a good season in 2010, except when you guys come to the dome!

Snap, place, kick! And it's good! It's good! It's goo-hoo-hood! Pigs have flown! Hell Has frozen over! The Saints are going to the Superbowl!

by Joseph William Stern on Feb 21, 2010 1:22 PM EST reply actions  

Rufio getting some high praise from the other SBN writers. Congrats again on a great write-up.

by Roger Dorn on Feb 21, 2010 2:16 PM EST reply actions  

NICE!

That was an awesome breakdown of what happened. I have a question for you about another SB play that has basically disappeared into obscurity. I have not seen anyone post or talk about this. Late in the game, prior to the Colts losing the ball on downs, Jabari Greer appeared to intercept Peyton Manning’s pass in the endzone. The play was not reviewed and nobody made a fuss about it. However, from what i could see Greer had control of the ball and got one knee down prior to going out of the endzone. Since you did a gorgeous job on this play and appear knowledgeable with regard to NFL rules etc, i was wondering what your thoughts are on this play?

by jray2000 on Feb 21, 2010 3:59 PM EST reply actions  

That play was called correctly and was legal. The difference between an “in – play” catch and a “goal line catch” is that once the ball is in possesion of the receiver and the ball passes the goal line, anyting after is nullified. Much like a RB stretching the ball past the line then fumbling. He pushed it passed the line and the play is therefore completed for a TD regardless of outcomes after it passed the line. Now don’t get this confused with trying to make a catch already inside the endzone. If the receiver’s body is fully in the endzone while making an attempt at the ball, normal catching rules apply.

If I hear "There's always next year" one more time...

by SpecialBrownie on Feb 21, 2010 7:27 PM EST up reply actions  

INT

Are we talking about the same play? I’m not talking about Lance Moore’s 2 pt. conversion.

by jray2000 on Feb 21, 2010 8:42 PM EST up reply actions  

Wow I completely whiffed. My bad.

If I hear "There's always next year" one more time...

by SpecialBrownie on Feb 21, 2010 8:49 PM EST up reply actions  

Honestly, I wasn’t taping the game so I don’t have that play on tape. Can you find it on the internet?

"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein

by rufio on Feb 21, 2010 11:03 PM EST up reply actions  

Uhhhhh....

I’ll check you tube for it and post a link if i can find it. anyone else out there have any ideas where to get this footage?

by jray2000 on Feb 21, 2010 11:59 PM EST up reply actions  

recd..great job rufio!!!

Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
I love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.....159 mph is my top speed..will top that this spring
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
(formerly mathew.40)

by NinjaZX6R on Feb 21, 2010 6:19 PM EST reply actions  

Block in the back

“and a little whiplashed from the block in the back.”

Get real. Manning overran Porter trying to draw the block in the back because he wasn’t going to make the tackle. When Smith’s hands touched the sacred jersey, 6’6" 250lb Peyton crumpled in a way that would make Tim Duncan proud. The refs didn’t buy it and they usually buy everything he sells.

by RobF2010 on Feb 22, 2010 3:55 PM EST reply actions  

Yea, contact looked minimal.

by Roger Dorn on Feb 22, 2010 9:49 PM EST up reply actions  

Goodness!

This is some good work. NFL Network, hire this guy!!!

(And while you’re at it, perhaps let Deion go?)

Thanks for the breakdown. Best I’ve seen anywhere.

by coltsfanawalt on Mar 3, 2010 12:40 PM EST reply actions  

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