Sack Series - CB Blitz by Derrick Martin
In order to understand who was responsible for each of the 7 sacks that were produced against Miami, I am going to break down all 7 of the sacks (and the 1 QB hit). I will look at all aspects of the play, and give credit where credit is due. Check back this bye week for more...
The next two articles will feature back-to-back sacks, and just as before, the first sack comes on a 2nd and 10. In this case, Belichick calls a blitz for practice squad promotion #26 Derrick Martin. Martin had a really nice game playing in the slot, and Belichick rewarded him with an opportunity to get after the QB. It was obvious that Miami's Tackles did not show up to play, and Belichick attacked them whenever he sensed an opportunity to be aggressive. Let's take a look:
The Patriots are in a Dime package, but interestingly it is #54 Hightower at MLB rather than Mayo. This is a clear indication that the game was in hand, but it was also an opportunity to put Hightower in a position to quarterback the defense. He makes a hand signal, calls for a D-line shift just before the snap, and covers Bush out of the backfield (all things that Mayo usually does).
Otherwise, the coverage is pretty basic. The only tricky thing is the zone blitz with #26 Martin and #25 Chung. Martin blitzes the blindside, and Tannehill does not recognize that his man comes open. Pat Chung gets in position quickly, but Tannehill was preoccupied with looking at the other slot man. #27 Tavon Wilson lets is man get an inside release, and Tannehill could have hit him like a slant, but Miami's Tackles just don't provide any resistance to Scott and Martin off the edges.
As you can see, #94 Justin Francis falls into a zone to take away the weak side escape by Tannehill. The rest of the line (#96 Cunningham, #71 Deaderick, and #99 Scott) tries to overload the right side of the line. The overload rush forces Tannehill to step up into either Francis or Martin, but it also causes enough traffic in the passing lane to the right. This is probably why Tannehill chooses not to test Tavon Wilson
Overall, Tannehill didn't get much help from his offensive line in this game. Even though he never saw Martin come on the corner blitz, his Left Tackle gets bull rushed by a DB, and loses. The Dolphins had nothing to play for in the 4th quarter, and it showed. Nevertheless, this is a good play design. The overload rush helps to protect the inside passing lanes, and the passive rush of Justin Francis clogs the escape lanes. Tannehill just has nowhere to go, and he doesn't see the open man because of a good disguise by the CB Martin.
The next two articles will feature back-to-back sacks, and just as before, the first sack comes on a 2nd and 10. In this case, Belichick calls a blitz for practice squad promotion #26 Derrick Martin. Martin had a really nice game playing in the slot, and Belichick rewarded him with an opportunity to get after the QB. It was obvious that Miami's Tackles did not show up to play, and Belichick attacked them whenever he sensed an opportunity to be aggressive. Let's take a look:
Otherwise, the coverage is pretty basic. The only tricky thing is the zone blitz with #26 Martin and #25 Chung. Martin blitzes the blindside, and Tannehill does not recognize that his man comes open. Pat Chung gets in position quickly, but Tannehill was preoccupied with looking at the other slot man. #27 Tavon Wilson lets is man get an inside release, and Tannehill could have hit him like a slant, but Miami's Tackles just don't provide any resistance to Scott and Martin off the edges.
Overall, Tannehill didn't get much help from his offensive line in this game. Even though he never saw Martin come on the corner blitz, his Left Tackle gets bull rushed by a DB, and loses. The Dolphins had nothing to play for in the 4th quarter, and it showed. Nevertheless, this is a good play design. The overload rush helps to protect the inside passing lanes, and the passive rush of Justin Francis clogs the escape lanes. Tannehill just has nowhere to go, and he doesn't see the open man because of a good disguise by the CB Martin.
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