From
THE ATHLETIC:
Jalen Pitre, Nickel, Houston Texans
Scheme fit: Hybrid slot defender in a zone match/man match coverage scheme
Above, I reference the zone match and man match coverage schemes that exist in a split-safety world. For a deep safety like Hamilton, his job is to protect the seams and/or double the most dangerous receiver. Corners, like Elam in Buffalo, must spend most of the game with his eyes fixated on outside receivers, matching them wherever they go. These jobs aren’t easy, but the responsibilities are straightforward. To better understand the nuances and intricacies of zone match and man match coverages, it’s necessary to focus on the underneath defenders in the slot, and Pitre makes for a perfect example.
Zone match coverage ask for coverage defenders to drop toward an area of the field, but they are keying the releases and routes of the wide receiver first, before focusing on the quarterback’s intentions. If no receiver threatens a defender’s assigned area, he will settle and play a more typical zone responsibility. If a receiver does run a route into the defender’s zone, he will play tight in coverage and deny the throwing window until the route moves into the next area.
In the example below, a concept known as smash-drive, defensive backs in zone match quarters give up the hitch and drag routes to take more dangerous patterns as they distribute down the field. Linebackers have to play between intermediate and shallow routes, forcing the quarterback to take the shortest option and hope for yards after the catch.
To execute in the underneath areas, linebackers and slot defenders must possess a good feel for the most probable route combinations, based on what the nearest receiver is doing. Pitre excelled at Baylor by jumping into passing windows just as they opened, squeezing away air space and confusing the timing between quarterback and receiver.
In man match coverage, the goal is to deny the offense an opportunity to complete easy passes, so corners play straight man-to-man coverage, and the underneath defenders adjust their leverage to deny routes with their body positioning, working in tandem with safeties to bracket receivers and dissuade quarterbacks from throwing into intermediate windows. Taking the same route concept from above, the corners stick to drags and hitches now, and with the corner route doubled, the only potential hope that remains is to hold the ball long enough for the dig to get away from the linebacker. This opens the door for a coverage sack.
Last season at Baylor, Pitre transitioned from playing more like a true strong side linebacker to filling the role of a pure nickel, meaning more man coverage for Pitre on early downs. He can size up any slot physically, and he has the athleticism to handle the shiftier route runners. Baylor head coach Dave Aranda and defensive coordinator Ron Roberts trusted him with a job he hadn’t been asked to execute prior to their regime at the school, but Pitre had no problem flashing man coverage skills against the best competition in the Big 12.
Pitre can be the perfect player for
Texans coach Lovie Smith’s two-high system, if Smith allows Pitre to fit into that big nickel role and execute both match coverage concepts. With corner
Derek Stingley Jr. playing alongside Pitre and locking onto the top wide receiver every time he’s on the field, Houston can make a quick defensive turnaround.