In our last look in the red zone, we focused on a Charlie Batch mistake that led to an interception. Today, we’ll focus on the opposite; an excellent red zone route concept that gave the Raiders a relatively easy six points.
Personnel: Deuce
Route Concept: Slant/Wheel
Defense: Base 3-4, Cover 1
Result: Three Yard TD by Darius Heyward-Bay
Pre-snap shot of the Raiders’ formation and a markup of Oakland’s route concept. One of the most common red zone route concepts. The #1 receiver at the top of the screen runs a slant with Bay, the #2, runs essentially a short wheel (flat + go). You’ll see the initial stems below.
The goal here is to have the #1 rub safety Ryan Mundy, covering Heyward-Bay, to open up the wheel. Extremely important that when defending a two receiver side in man coverage, the cornerbacks are at different depths. Or else your corners will run into each other. Mundy is about a half yard behind cornerback Ike Taylor but still has to slightly reroute to avoid getting caught in the rub.
Around the goalline, that’s all the separation needed. All that’s left is a good throw. Carson Palmer does his job placing the ball on his reciever’s outside shoulder.
Nothing Mundy can do to defend it. Boxed out, can’t run through the receiver to high-point the football and can’t chop his Heyward-Bay’s hands. Touchdown Oakland.
On one-man routes, you’ll commonly see slants or fades. But with two receiver combinations, offensive coordinators will kill you with slant/flat combinations if you don’t defend it properly.
Photo Credit: Flickr.com/Jessa B.C.
