Packers Savvy Receiver Jordy Nelson Flashes vs. Buccaneers: After recently signing an extension this summer, Jordy Nelson hasnt appeared to slow down for a fraction of a second. At this point in the year, he ranks seventh in the league in receptions, fourth in yardage and second in touchdowns. Overall, hes having the best season of his career. Also fourth in the league in targets, Aaron Rodgers favorite pass-catcher just might be having the year that would earn him his first Pro Bowl nod. When studying Nelsons game, theres a lot of nuance and precision. Some may tab him as an effort player, but theres much more to his skill set than that. Even when looking at his measurables coming out of Kansas State, he stands out. His 10-yard split from his 40-yard dash ranks in the top quarter of combine receivers, as did his height, weight and hand size, per Mock Draftable, a site specializing in NFL combine analytics. The fourth-most similar combine performance to Nelsons on the site is Sammy Watkins, whom the Buffalo Bills traded two first-round selections to draft fourth overall in 2014. Seven years into the league, with 56 starts under his belt, Nelson just might be what Watkins becomes down the line. With the advanced technique and pure athletic ability the Manhattan, Kansas-born receiver possesses, its no wonder why Rodgers feeds the wideout so often and why defenses cant stop the combo. Early against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Nelsons mark on the game was already being made. Many slated the 2-12 team to lose the game by double digits, largely due to Green Bays potent offense and the Buccaneers now fourth-worst pass defense based on opponent passer rating. Nelson was essentially expected to net over 100 yards in the game, for what would have been his seventh time hitting the milestone in an individual match in 2014. Finishing with nine catches on nine targets for 113 yards and a touchdown, the 63 athlete accomplished the goal. The first Rodgers-to-Nelson explosive play of the game was an improvisational connection between the two. Split to the boundary as the Z receiver, Nelsons typical spot in the offense, the target was matched up against a cornerback giving a pre-snap press look. So, there were a couple ways this could go. The cornerback could either bail or chuck the receiver at the line of scrimmage. If he bailed into a deep zone, that was his assignment. If he got his hands on Nelson, he could either ride with him in man coverage downfield or stay low in a short zone. It would all depend on the play called defensively. The cornerback shot into a deep zone, reading the quarterback in the backfield—not his man. This is a telltale sign of zone coverage. Essentially, the cornerbacks job was to stay on top of Nelson going vertical, then to read the quarterback and break on the ball if thrown underneath him. Nelson, recognizing the coverage, began to adjust his vertical route. With the defensive backs range of sight outside of the former Wildcats position, he started the process of a hard stop, by first dropping his feet to slow down. The Buccaneer was still tracking deeper and deeper when Nelson planted his left foot in the ground for a hard turn back to the line of scrimmage. With nice knee bend, the receiver sank his hips into the ground to make the process go smoother and faster. When first completely turned, Nelson had about five yards of separation from his man, just due to technique, natural athleticism and good judgement. Unfortunately for the team captain, Rodgers was forced to bail out of the pocket at the time, so his quarterback couldnt find him. The receiver took deep on a scramble drill, and the cornerback, still looking into the backfield, began to sprint deep again as well. In a game of cat and mouse, Nelson had proved he could beat the strategy of the boundary back, if only the ball could be sent his way. This is a crucial still of the play. Nelson again dug his right foot in the ground to turn, had nice bend once more and sunk into his cut. At the same time, the mirroring defender was eating grass upfield, thinking leg drive was needed to keep up with a vertical target. To put it simply, this is where Nelson shook free for the second time. When the ball finally found him, there was again roughly five yards of separation between the target and coverage. Good for 28 yards just under four minutes into the game, the match was already going poorly for Tampa Bay. The subsequent explosive play was more orientated toward precision than freelancing. Nelson, this time in the slot, would run a post route, attacking the middle of the field, while Andrew Quarless, the tight end on the boundary, would run a curl. Whats interesting from the jump is that the boundary cornerback was bailing. What this means is theres a high chance the defense was running Cover 4 or Quarters defense. This would mean the corners would take the deep quarters of the field on the sidelines, while the safeties would split the center half of the field. Running a post to the middle of the defense against Quarters can be effective, as the very center of the field is where the window in deep coverage is. Also, at least initially, a linebacker is covering Nelson, giving everyone an indication that its probably zone. Rodgers top target was going to be passed from linebacker to safety at some point during this route, and if Nelson could hit his post at the center of the field during the exchange, the two could hit on a big play. This was the moment the linebacker gave up on covering Nelson vertically. Usually, its from that seven-to-11-yard range when this occurs, depending on the defense. Nelson wasted virtually no time, recognizing the window instantly and planting, cutting and sinking right behind the defender. He was only a footstep away from cutting off the box players own foot. Rodgers really could have gone either way here. On the boundary, again, the cornerback flew way too high in an attempt to keep the top on his target. Quarless had a good six or seven yards of space. At the center of the field, Nelson had already gotten behind the underneath coverage, and the safety who was closing in was about five yards away. With more potential at the center of the field but more risk, most would have thrown the ball to the tight end. As they say, you cant go broke taking a profit. Rodgers is a bit of a gambler, though. Sending the ball over the middle, he threw it high for Nelson to reel in. With the safety breathing down his neck, the only space the target had to work with was up, and up he went. The play resulted in a 24-yard gain. In the fourth quarter, Nelsons name was called again for a similar situation. After losing his man at the line of scrimmage, Nelson turned, tracked the ball and snatched it out of the air while the defensive back was still trying to figure out just exactly what was going on. The previous play actually set this one up. After stealing that pass out of the air for 19 yards, the Packers were steps away from a score. Tampa Bay was playing man coverage across the board on this rep, a fairly common goal-line strategy. Nelson was slated to run an inside slant from the slot. If he could break on the route before the corner could bite on the play, Nelson could use his big body to shield the defender from the ball and score six. Shuffling his feet at the line of scrimmage, Nelson was trying to get him to show his cards. Keeping even, the movement didnt scare the defender into picking a side. The fact that Nelson was trying to get him to bite is telling. This probably meant there was an option to read off the defensive back. If he went inside, Nelson was to hit a corner route. If he went outside or stayed, Nelson was to crash inside to space on a slant. After shuffling, Nelson drove hard into the center of the field. At this point, the man in coverage was still balanced, while Rodgers was staring in the direction of the passing lane, but Nelson had begun his burst with a foot driven into the Raymond James Stadium dirt. Rodgers let go, anticipating Nelsons presence, leaving the receiver to track the ball with little to no error on his part. Securing the ball away from his body, Nelson largely avoided contact while displaying strong hands. Even in a phone booth, the third-contract Packer displayed an amazing effort. Against the Bucs, Nelson displayed what makes him one of the best wideouts in the world. The fans of the NFL seem to agree, as he was voted to the second slot for the early Pro Bowl look. Only behind Antonio Brown, Nelson ranks ahead of household names such as Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, and Julio Jones. Also behind him in the top 10 is Randall Cobb, his teammate. When studying how he went about his production on Sunday, slight tricks of the trade showed up, as did explosive athleticism. Now a vested veteran in the league, Nelson should be more established than he is from a national viewpoint. Still yet to make an All-Pro list or Pro Bowl announcement, Nelson is still one of the best-kept secrets in the NFL, despite his production. Read more NFL news on BleacherReport #Football #NFL #NFCNorth #GreenBayPackers
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 22:03:43 +0000
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