Film Room: Reads & The Flood Concept - The Complexity Behind The Appearance Of A “Checkdown”

[Saca312]

If you guys aren’t following CP_CSR on twitter, you need to.

A really good piece that helps explain both how QB reads work, and how a simple checkdown has so much going behind it. 

The example used is a flood concept that ends up with a checkdown to McCaffrey.

Click here.

Here’s a segment:

Tune into a broadcast of any college football or NFL game this weekend, and I guarantee you’ll hear the commentators use phrases like “QB X did a great job making the right read” or “QB Y went through his progressions and made a nice pass”. But what exactly does “making the right read” or “going through progressions” really mean? Commentators freely toss these terms around but rarely explain what they’re actually talking about, which results in many fans misunderstanding, and later misusing them when talking about quarterback play.

Today I’ll take a quick look at one play on the All-22 from last week’s Panthers and Saints game, and I’ll go through what it really means when a quarterback “makes the correct read” and “goes through his progressions”.

If you saw this play during the broadcast, you’d most likely think it was just a quick check-down pass from quarterback Cam Newton to his running back Christian McCaffrey for a four yard gain. This is a simple and correct explanation, but it is important to note that there are several other factors in play as well, such as Newton making the “correct read” of the defense, and then “going through his progressions” on a specific passing concept, before finally throwing the football to the running back in the flat.

Confused? I don’t blame you.

Reads the article above to dive in and learn a few things about football. For anyone who wants to know in simple terms how reads work, this article explains it down to the letter.

[AceBoogie]

My god the one thing I got from that video is that cam has completed his drop, climbed the pocket, and all the WRs are still in the middle of their routes in no position to catch a pass. 

[Saca312]

3 minutes ago, AceBoogie said:

My god the one thing I got from that video is that cam has completed his drop, climbed the pocket, and all the WRs are still in the middle of their routes in no position to catch a pass. 

Eh to be fair Saints played that well. Normally this concept has the underneath corner over-committing to the underneath route or deep ball, but he plays the intermediate nicely, forcing the ball to go to McCaffrey.

Saints prepared well for us. They saw that flood concept coming when they shifted to  Tampa 2 and negated its big effects. 

[jfra78]

Basically the QB only looks to one side of the field depending on presnap coverage.  3 recievers on the left cover the deep middle and short allowing one to be open.  Deep is first look, middle is second and flat is last.  On this play only the flat was open.  

Interesting read

[saX man]

Ancient technology really is a mystery.

Look at those route patterns

gifs to come soon

[iamhubby1]

    Good information for the average fan. I truly believe there are a bunch of folks who think the QB reads every Receiver running a pattern. Hopefully, this article can shed some light.

 

    Also, did anyone notice that by the time Cam finished his drop. He was 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage. A shorter drop, and Williams directing his man behind him, Cam had the whole right side of the field open.

 

    I know the play was drawn up to run left, but still, the check-down only went for 4 yards. It sure appears as though there was a whole lot of open field out on the right.

[ThPantherFan]

7 hours ago, Saca312 said:

this article explains it down to the letter.

Excellent article.  Thanks.

[Saca312]

11 hours ago, iamhubby1 said:

    Good information for the average fan. I truly believe there are a bunch of folks who think the QB reads every Receiver running a pattern. Hopefully, this article can shed some light.

 

    Also, did anyone notice that by the time Cam finished his drop. He was 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage. A shorter drop, and Williams directing his man behind him, Cam had the whole right side of the field open.

 

    I know the play was drawn up to run left, but still, the check-down only went for 4 yards. It sure appears as though there was a whole lot of open field out on the right.

Eh either way, Cam’s looking left everytime.

In this instance, the flood concept could care less about who’s open at the right. There’s always a sure thing going left.

Essentially, it’s a coverage exploitation as the Panthers take advantage of 3 receivers matched up against two defenders in the Saints tampa 2 coverage. Cam’s reading left because there surely will be someone open, and the right is just a full-on decoy with half-effort from both sides of the ball.

I can see him running and taking off on the right, but I mean Williams lol.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

54 minutes ago, Saca312 said:

Eh either way, Cam’s looking left everytime.

That's where he's getting clocked from.

[Jangler]

my kingdom for an LT......wait, what?

[Snake]

11 hours ago, iamhubby1 said:

    Good information for the average fan. I truly believe there are a bunch of folks who think the QB reads every Receiver running a pattern. Hopefully, this article can shed some light.

 

    Also, did anyone notice that by the time Cam finished his drop. He was 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage. A shorter drop, and Williams directing his man behind him, Cam had the whole right side of the field open.

 

    I know the play was drawn up to run left, but still, the check-down only went for 4 yards. It sure appears as though there was a whole lot of open field out on the right.

What most people don't understand is that is were a good QB coach works. Cam could be improved a bunch but not with this staff. It's also why Aaron Rodgers moves so fluidly. Rodgers was coached up very well and he worked on his mistakes. 

[aloysius snuffleupagus]

Great article for a foreign newbie like me. It really brings home just how difficult the job of an elite-level quarterback is; both mentally and physically. Not sure it will stop me shouting at the TV though if Cam goofs again.

[Mr. Scot]

On 9/30/2017 at 1:56 AM, iamhubby1 said:

    Good information for the average fan. I truly believe there are a bunch of folks who think the QB reads every Receiver running a pattern. Hopefully, this article can shed some light.

    Also, did anyone notice that by the time Cam finished his drop. He was 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage. A shorter drop, and Williams directing his man behind him, Cam had the whole right side of the field open.

    I know the play was drawn up to run left, but still, the check-down only went for 4 yards. It sure appears as though there was a whole lot of open field out on the right.

We've had a problem with misconception before. 

Some folks think the quarterbacks looks at every read and then makes a decision. That's not the way it's designed. Defenses are too fast for that.

You look at your first read. He's open, you throw it to him. He's not, you go to the next guy. You're rushed, you go to the hot route (if there is one).

That's why they're called "progressions".

[iamhubby1]

1 hour ago, Mr. Scot said:

We've had a problem with misconception before. 

Some folks think the quarterbacks looks at every read and then makes a decision. That's not the way it's designed. Defenses are too fast for that.

You look at your first read. He's open, you throw it to him. He's not, you go to the next guy. You're rushed, you go to the hot route (if there is one).

That's why they're called "progressions".

 

    Preach it brother. The problem is, there are far too many posters who truly believe they know more than they actually do. Then they muddle the waters with those misconceptions. Funny, and sad, at the same time.