Habitat Film Room

Good job getting hands on vertical threat. However a jam inside here would allow you to keep your eyes in the backfield and scanning for anything leaking out into the flats or routes entering your zone from across the field. Also funneling the WR inside instead of outside makes your Safety's job easier because he has less field to cover when you funnel the vertical threat inside closer to him

This is when you should start to focus on the RB leaking out to the flats. Your safety should confirm that they are over the top, they now have the vertical threat. You can now focus on the RB or any crossing routes that could possibly be open in the space behind the corner and in front of the safety (assuming the vertical threat took your safety help away). Prioritize the deeper threat of the two

RB leaking into the flats is too far outside Corner's recovery window. Corner should have started to attack the flats in the previous frame. It's time to switch to pursuit angles. Since we can't prevent the catch anymore due to the corner getting too much depth and not enough width to contest the flat threats, we concede the catch and limit damage. Must utilize the sidelines as an extra defender a

You might need to give up ground with a vertical angle to make sure you can cut the runner off by locking eyes on the runner's bellybutton and angling your pursuit to meet them by the sidelines

When close, square up, keep your feet moving, and close the gap quickly while funneling towards the sidelines. Use the sideline as an extra defender, be aware of the cutback lane and close the gap.

Breakdown (chop feet), Head ⬆️,hips ⬇️,eyes locked in on the bellybutton. Keep your head away, explode through the ground, wrap up and make the tackle. Good recovery and tackle, but the result was still a 10-yard gain. This play happened because the corner carried his vertical threat too deep and failed to gain width towards the sideline earlier when the RB leaking to the flats showed. Your 1st pr

Good redirect inside. Eyes are in the backfield and scanning for anything crossing from the other side of the field or anything leaking into the flats. The slot receiver already looks like a potential threat towards your flat responsibility.

Good transition here. Vertical has been funneled inside towards linebacker help and the corner is already shifting his attention to the slot crossing his face. Do not get attached to the vertical threat that you're funneling inside, trust that your linebacker will pick him up if he continues inside or that your safety will pick him up if he decides to continue vertical upfield.

Be cautious of your positioning here, only one option is visibly threating your flat responsibility. Vertical threat has now moved inside far enough where you can fully attack the slot entering your flat zone. If you get sucked inside further, you won't be able to make a play on the slot reciever running to the sidelines.

Attack the outside hip. Use, the sidelines as an extra defender and close the gap. Don't stare at the QB. Once you make your break, locate the reciever and get to him before looking for the ball. The pass catcher will take you to where the ball is going. 

Meet at the catch point, again get to your target before you start looking for the ball. If you're staring at the QB before you get to the pass catcher you could lose sight of him and he could cut back or cut upfield. If you aren't paying attention to your actual threat you risk loosing him before the ball arrives.

Great job passing threats off and picking up threats entering your zone. Didn't get sucked inside, didn't get too vertical. Because of that you were able to impact the vertical route, help your teammates and still come up to fulfill your flat responsibility. We can live with 1- yard completions.