The Coach Lapo On Youtube Thread

[johnzo]

This week Lapo breaks down the Montreal offensive smackdown against Ottawa. 

That all-24 view is so dope, it shows so much more than the regular broadcast.

@4:00 it's funny how ineffective the Redblacks undisguised blitz is. 

@7:15 the tight end allows the slot receiver to attack the cornerback with a waggle.  I've been watching CFL for decades and I had no idea.  So obvious.

@9:23 every time I see a stack formation from now on I'm gonna watch to see if the db banjos it right.

[JohnnyAbonny]

6 hours ago, johnzo said:

This week Lapo breaks down the Montreal offensive smackdown against Ottawa. 

That all-24 view is so dope, it shows so much more than the regular broadcast.

@4:00 it's funny how ineffective the Redblacks undisguised blitz is. 

@7:15 the tight end allows the slot receiver to attack the cornerback with a waggle.  I've been watching CFL for decades and I had no idea.  So obvious.

@9:23 every time I see a stack formation from now on I'm gonna watch to see if the db banjos it right.

It is. I’ve been saying for years, I’d kill for a service like NFL+/Gamepass with an archive and all-24 film. 
 

[johnzo]

Lapo looks at Pokey's big game

First, is it Pookey like Mookie Wilson?  Or is it Pokey like Pokey Reddick?

First play, the run blitz kill.  I was curious about this play because it looks like a bad play -- throwing a hitch screen without enough lead blocking.  but now I understand why it happened.

It's interesting when Lapo breaks down Zach's reads on any play because it seems like the play design and stampeder coverage resulted in Pokey being the best option on most of these plays, it wasn't that Zach set out to feed Wilson, it was just the way things developed.

Love seeing Lucky Whitehead and the rest of the bench calling for tempo on the final catch.

[wbbfan]

Haven’t watched it yet, but I subbed and when I do I watch any I missed and like it. Gotta support this type of content it’s exactly what this league needs! 

[blue85gold]

Not coach Lapo but I was watching the BC game on youtube because I missed it in Sunday and noticed that the opener from 2003 full game was on there. 

Worth a watch if you want to relive the early 2000s. That was the year they added Mo Kelly and Terry Ray on D.

Also saw that the 2003 play off game against Sask was on there. Maybe skip that one. 

 

[Sard]

On 2024-07-19 at 12:37 AM, johnzo said:

Lapo looks at Pokey's big game

First, is it Pookey like Mookie Wilson?  Or is it Pokey like Pokey Reddick?

First play, the run blitz kill.  I was curious about this play because it looks like a bad play -- throwing a hitch screen without enough lead blocking.  but now I understand why it happened.

It's interesting when Lapo breaks down Zach's reads on any play because it seems like the play design and stampeder coverage resulted in Pokey being the best option on most of these plays, it wasn't that Zach set out to feed Wilson, it was just the way things developed.

Love seeing Lucky Whitehead and the rest of the bench calling for tempo on the final catch.

It's Pokey as int Pokey Reddick, for some reason Lapo was saying it wrong in this and a segment on TSN, but I think Kate corrected him eventually.

[johnzo]

this is my favorite lapo video yet, where he isolates the mistakes that are playkillers. the margin for error on these things is so small.

Godber doesn't get the right block, the back is bubbled outside and strung out and it's an easy tackle.

Harris doesn't read a DB's body posture correctly and throws a low percentage pass that turns into a pick.

the rock and roll play was super interesting.  the Argos D rolls coverage to handle some horizontal motion in the Rider backfield, but KeeSean Johnson doesn't pick out the right guy to block, and a huge play is aborted.

Edited August 31 by johnzo

[johnzo]

ok, I liked the previous video, but I really enjoyed this one.  If you're curious about how the bomber D dominates, you gotta watch this.

Lapo shows what match coverage is and how the Bombers used it to create coverage sacks, low-percentage throws, and turnovers against the Lions.

The split-second pattern recognition these guys do is astonishing. You've gotta be smart to play DB in this system. I remember Kramdi getting praise for his football IQ and I can see why that's important now.

Once again the all-24 view is so great.  All we can see on TV is the pass rush while there's a whole ballet happening in the secondary.

Edited August 31 by johnzo

[17to85]

And you'd never see it with the usual TV angle. Makes sense that it took a few weeks for the D to settle in.

[JuranBoldenRules]

Watching that makes me sad that we haven't found/brought in another pass rusher to make it really go.

That's when you just become lethal at turning the ball over...like we were from 2016-2022

[wbbfan]

1 hour ago, 17to85 said:

And you'd never see it with the usual TV angle. Makes sense that it took a few weeks for the D to settle in.

They should be offering the full field view on the tsn online channel instead of the speedometer n stuff. Or even have that too. 

[johnzo]

so match coverage is not a new or novel thing ... Lapo says that Rod Rust and Rich Stubler were the guys who pioneered it ... so I wonder what the OC flipside of this is? how do you attack it?  play action?  crossing routes?

[JuranBoldenRules]

1 hour ago, johnzo said:

so match coverage is not a new or novel thing ... Lapo says that Rod Rust and Rich Stubler were the guys who pioneered it ... so I wonder what the OC flipside of this is? how do you attack it?  play action?  crossing routes?

Run the ball.

[17to85]

57 minutes ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

Run the ball.

Cfl coaches:

[Noeller]

"I get that reference..."

[JuranBoldenRules]

In terms of pass...tighter formations to bunch up D, create some space wide for screens, also attack vertical immediately...like QB is going to that outside vertical unless they line two guys up on that guy pre-snap...the "50-50" balls....cut the reads down to basically 2.  Have checks into runs if D remains wide/deep.  You see on a ton of our plays our LB's are dropping immediately to 8-10 yards, so that's the space to attack.

Run and use screens to avoid 2nd and long.

[wbbfan]

4 hours ago, johnzo said:

so match coverage is not a new or novel thing ... Lapo says that Rod Rust and Rich Stubler were the guys who pioneered it ... so I wonder what the OC flipside of this is? how do you attack it?  play action?  crossing routes?

Match cover is indeed a familiar concept in the cfl. The argos bend but don’t break played it a lot. And weren’t the first. 
 They played a lot of 30 front with mobile lbers dropping back too. 
 

as jbr said the more you run the better. Play action also helps. You can time pa with breaks and freeze the D, pump fakes work as well. 
 If you watch the pass concepts in those videos what you see is a lot of crowded forms and concepts. Very limited crossing, motion, dragging etc. 

mesh concept, a crosser from each side run towards each other close enough that they can high 5  is tough on mesh. As is delayed motion, and 0 motion (motion at the snap in stead of pre snap motion) as well as chip/block and release concepts, and rpo’s thrown at the largest coverage bubble. In general rub routes and layered crossing is the easiest way. Instead of trying to attack seams that don’t exist you force the defenders into extended trail position. 

using less of a tight stack, with spaced routes makes it harder to defend. The field is huge and if you space close to evenly you force man cover. 

You can also attack it on a personnel basis. Rb wheel to a vacated spot on a block and release, and routes that send the rb deep really mess up match cover. you can also force one of the better pass defenders to defend your worst target and force your their worst to defend your best. 
 To do this you need to get to the line quickly and have the qb/wrs adjust to alignment. 
 You can also start the passing targets in the back field and motion as late as possible into position. The more you do this the harder it is on the secondary. You can’t do it every snap by any means but it’s very hard especially in split field cover where one side would be man depending on the number of targets. 
 You can also run overlap patterns, the pattern match really depends on teams spreading their targets and not crossing the middle in a flood. So if you have 3 on one side and you have the outside and inside run to the same spot then run a matching route like an inside curl, then pause, then run an in and where the WRs read leverage and run against it. 

[johnzo]

Lapo looks at Zach's play in the Banjo Bowl.  Another great informative video, with the main takeaway being that Saskatchewan was playing a zone defense designed to prevent explosion plays, and Zach was checking down a lot because that's what was there.  He was game managing much more than gunslinging, and we won the turnover battle and the game.

The throw to Wilson was impressive to me, the window to complete that pass is open for less than a second and the ball arrives perfectly on position and on time.  I can't imagine the level of brainpower, vision, and athleticism it takes to play QB at a high level.  For all we grouse about these guys, they're basically superhuman.

 

 

Edited September 12 by johnzo

[bigg jay]

43 minutes ago, johnzo said:

Lapo looks at Zach's play in the Banjo Bowl.  Another great informative video, with the main takeaway being that Saskatchewan was playing a zone defense designed to prevent explosion plays, and Zach was checking down a lot because that's what was there.  He was game managing much more than gunslinging, and we won the turnover battle and the game.

 

When I was re-watching the game the other night, they had a stat showing that Zach has yet to throw an INT during a Banjo Bowl.  I think he was 11 TD's & 0 INT's going into the game.  Given his TD/INT ration this year, I'm very happy that he was able to keep his Banjo Bowl streak alive!  

[wbbfan]

1 hour ago, johnzo said:

Lapo looks at Zach's play in the Banjo Bowl.  Another great informative video, with the main takeaway being that Saskatchewan was playing a zone defense designed to prevent explosion plays, and Zach was checking down a lot because that's what was there.  He was game managing much more than gunslinging, and we won the turnover battle and the game.

The throw to Wilson was impressive to me, the window to complete that pass is open for less than a second and the ball arrives perfectly on position and on time.  I can't imagine the level of brainpower, vision, and athleticism it takes to play QB at a high level.  For all we grouse about these guys, they're basically superhuman.

 

 

Yeah that was one nice toss. 
I think we actually see deep opportunities in some of those clips, but I don’t think zach had the time to hit them. 
 I laughed too hard when he started talking about loving to see the check downs. We know Paul, we know. His talk about athletic QBs made me think he really may not have wanted to run that strevy package at all. Which could be why it only ever devolved, even now.  
 

Id really like to see an evolution of our base zone read with sweep motion. Stay with the bunch iso form and clear out the wr, then run a wheel route with the jet motion player, and have them start the motion earlier. Have Brady leak out for a medium hook if it isn’t a run. 0 motion the inside most wr, usually chip guy on the line, as a second jet/comet motion guy to give us layers and a check down. 
Teams are coming down hard on the jet crosser in the flats, and the run gaps. It probably requires a bit of a boot on the end read but we’d have tons of openings for big plays. 

[johnzo]

Lapo shows JY's match coverage in action against the Elks... trading pass rushers for spies and blanket downfield coverage.

Our DBs basically have a power play in this scheme.

 

[wbbfan]

2 hours ago, johnzo said:

Lapo shows JY's match coverage in action against the Elks... trading pass rushers for spies and blanket downfield coverage.

Our DBs basically have a power play in this scheme.

 

The part about switching off spies is good, even though it didn’t work in our favour on that play. 
 

A couple of the big keys to making it work include the deep guys keeping every thing in front of them, the wall and flat guys making good decisions and every one rallying to the ball. Also the one guy who gets left playing man up on the corner is often bond who has been exceptional at it. 
 

The deep guys have done a much better job keeping it all in front of them, especially ba. He catches a lot of flak, deservedly so, for his awful tackling last year and this, but he’s got it back in terms of coverage. Nichols is great at any thing we ask him to do. Holm struggled early but has improved a lot at decision making. Last year he used his athleticism to get back into plays and cover up mistakes. If he can start using it to make plays with in the system he could become elite. 
 

Jones and Ayer’s have much to learn, but are using their tools to make plays in the middle that we haven’t seen in a good while. If they can be more sound in the run game vs blocking we are gonna be scary. 
 

 

[wbbfan]

Also, go give lapo some likes and subs on YT! He needs support for all this work he’s putting in! 

[johnzo]

One thing I wonder about match coverage is that you often see the RB one-on-one with a linebacker.  Seems like there's a solid opportunity for checkdowns and screens there ... get a mismatch with an explosive back like Bell or Leake out there against an MLB, maybe an OL sneaks out of the line to block downfield too... spread the receivers to spread out the DBs and create wider lanes downfield -- line up in a 4x1 and run the play to the short side where there are fewer DBs to rally.  You're not going to get home runs here, but you'll make first downs...

Edited September 24 by johnzo

[Mark H.]

1 hour ago, johnzo said:

One thing I wonder about match coverage is that you often see the RB one-on-one with a linebacker.  Seems like there's a solid opportunity for checkdowns and screens there ... get a mismatch with an explosive back like Bell or Leake out there against an MLB, maybe an OL sneaks out of the line to block downfield too... spread the receivers to spread out the DBs and create wider lanes downfield -- line up in a 4x1 and run the play to the short side where there are fewer DBs to rally.  You're not going to get home runs here, but you'll make first downs...

My take:

If you're eliminating most of the downfield stuff, especially explosion plays, and you're getting turnovers because your scheme puts athletes in good position...

Then the odd screen or check down for a first down...is probably a play you can afford to give up.