A lot was made last season about the major point of imphasis put on the chuck rule last year. just to clarify, you were never supposed to be able to touch a reciever after 5 yards. for the last few years ref's weren't calling it, and in turn i think that coaches were teaching bad TECHNIQUE. I am about 290 pounds of mean ex-lineman, and i can easily cover all my reciever friends in any 20 yard box using press coverage for less than 5 yards, turn, and run. after about 10 yards in any direction the speed differential catches up with me, i think you get the point but the technique is still what i picked up listening in on db practice.
When you go back and look at film, you see that when you shock the reciever within 4 yards, turn and run, you are always in a better position to make a play on the ball. I frankly got tired of seeing pass defenders pass up interceptions so they could ride the reciever out of bounds. there was actually a demonstration of this using tape of Ty law, on the same fade route, from the colts game the year before implimintation. On the first play he rode the guy out of bounds with no flag. on the second play he had what would now be considered legal technique, (was not trying to play patty cake with the wide out) had his head turned for the ball, and made the interception. I think this is the year with the most corners breaking 4.4, and it is the best combine in history bare none for sub 4.3's. these kids were making deon look like a safety. It may not look like it and call me crazy, but i think in the long run as coaches adjust technique instead of scheme, you will not only see man coverage come back to the mainstream, but also the next generation of hall of fame corners.
I personally think that the rule in of itself, (which was only a five yard infraction) did not make that much of an impact, coaches going to that cover 4 shell stuff that does not even look like it would ever work was the culprit this past season. There used to be a major point of imphasis on not blocking with your hands when Lombardi was still coaching, did you see them go to some all out pass offense; no, they taught them to pinch there jerseys while run blocking. And to this day, running the ball is still the staple of winning. I think that it was the coaches andcoordinators fault for letting the refs take them out of their style of play. I think that some of the younger corners who were coming in learning the proper technique had great years. the young kid from south carolina that played for the texans as a rookie had 6 picks. Rasheen Mathis, my favorite player (I got his qutograph at the NFL experience) had 5. I think it's because they are young and fast and were more concerned about making plays on the ball than they were holding hands with the reciever downfield. I think that some of the old veterans, particularly some of the ones who got signed to big contracts, were still a little used to the old way of things and could not adjust. I don't know how Champ Bailey got into the Pro-bowl this year but hey it's politics.
When you go back and look at film, you see that when you shock the reciever within 4 yards, turn and run, you are always in a better position to make a play on the ball. I frankly got tired of seeing pass defenders pass up interceptions so they could ride the reciever out of bounds. there was actually a demonstration of this using tape of Ty law, on the same fade route, from the colts game the year before implimintation. On the first play he rode the guy out of bounds with no flag. on the second play he had what would now be considered legal technique, (was not trying to play patty cake with the wide out) had his head turned for the ball, and made the interception. I think this is the year with the most corners breaking 4.4, and it is the best combine in history bare none for sub 4.3's. these kids were making deon look like a safety. It may not look like it and call me crazy, but i think in the long run as coaches adjust technique instead of scheme, you will not only see man coverage come back to the mainstream, but also the next generation of hall of fame corners.
I personally think that the rule in of itself, (which was only a five yard infraction) did not make that much of an impact, coaches going to that cover 4 shell stuff that does not even look like it would ever work was the culprit this past season. There used to be a major point of imphasis on not blocking with your hands when Lombardi was still coaching, did you see them go to some all out pass offense; no, they taught them to pinch there jerseys while run blocking. And to this day, running the ball is still the staple of winning. I think that it was the coaches andcoordinators fault for letting the refs take them out of their style of play. I think that some of the younger corners who were coming in learning the proper technique had great years. the young kid from south carolina that played for the texans as a rookie had 6 picks. Rasheen Mathis, my favorite player (I got his qutograph at the NFL experience) had 5. I think it's because they are young and fast and were more concerned about making plays on the ball than they were holding hands with the reciever downfield. I think that some of the old veterans, particularly some of the ones who got signed to big contracts, were still a little used to the old way of things and could not adjust. I don't know how Champ Bailey got into the Pro-bowl this year but hey it's politics.
