Power Play of the Game: Screen Pass Perfection

by Dave Cariello on Oct 27, 2011 6:00 AM CDT

When a team puts up 62 points in a single game like the Saints did against the Colts this past Sunday night, you can bet your ass there are quite a few excellent plays worthy of consideration for an honor such as our Power Play of the Game here on CSC.

So I figured this would be a great opportunity to break down the play the Saints run better than any other team in the league thanks to their talented offensive line and the shifty Pierre Thomas: the screen pass. Not surprising, the 57-yard screen to Pierre on Sunday night also happened to be the Saints longest play of the game.

Make the jump for the full, moment-by-moment breakdown and see just how the Saints find so much success running this play.

The Saints set up with three receivers on the right, Jimmy Graham on the left and Pierre Thomas in the backfield. Drew Brees is in the shotgun.

After the snap, the linemen engage their blocks in front of them. Pierre Thomas isn't getting the hand off and appears to be ready to block.

At this time, LG Carl Nicks and C Brian de la Puente disengage from their blocking assignments (circled) and start running to the left flat. Pierre Thomas also begins heading in that direction.

Pierre Thomas turns his head and prepares for the pass from Drew, who is facing pressure from the linemen that Nicks and de la Puente gave up on in favor of blocking downfield. Drew is expecting it, though, as the success of this play depends on sucking the defensive linemen toward him.

The play has developed perfectly and after making the catch, Pierre has a convoy of blockers (Nicks and de la Puente) in front of him and lots of green space.

Carl Nicks and Brian de la Puente engage the two defensive backs downfield, giving Pierre plenty of room to run.

Thomas runs right between his blocks. He's got one-on-one isolation against a lone defensive back, Antoine Bethea. That's his man to beat.

Initially he blows past him with a little juke and a lot of speed at the 50-yard line. Bethea helplessly grabs a handful of facemask.

Thirty yards later that same defender has caught up with Thomas from behind. Jimmy Graham turns on his jets to try and help block.

But it's not enough and Bethea takes Pierre Thomas down by the ankles at the 10-yard line, but not after 57 yards of damage have been done.

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Comments

screen them to death.. they had to know we were going to call that..

check the spiderman leap by humber on the pic..

http://photos.nola.com/tpphotos/2011/10/new_orleans_saints_vs_indianap_240.html

(notice a dallas clark sighting in the background going: “..wtf..?”)

by the 9th plague on Oct 27, 2011 6:19 AM CDT reply actions

I really loved that play by Humber

It’s the closest I think I’ve ever seen to a football player flying…

WHODAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dynasty - 2009 - ????

by nofear on Oct 27, 2011 8:31 AM CDT up reply actions

The only thing missing is a cape on his back.

by Drew-Dat on Oct 27, 2011 9:42 AM CDT up reply actions

Actually, the "S" would work, also, right?

WHODAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dynasty - 2009 - ????

by nofear on Oct 27, 2011 10:41 AM CDT up reply actions

I must have missed that one... Did he go right over the center?

R.I.P. Steve Jobs

by Dan Kelly on Oct 27, 2011 8:42 PM CDT up reply actions

Flew over the center....really

Whodat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dynasty - 2009 - ????

by nofear on Oct 28, 2011 6:45 AM CDT up reply actions

I am wondering

why we didn’t do more of this vs Tampa Bay. It seemed like their game plan called for running up the gut, which wasn’t working.

by Valmo on Oct 27, 2011 7:41 AM CDT reply actions

Wasn't t Kreutz in the Bucs game?

WHODAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dynasty - 2009 - ????

by nofear on Oct 27, 2011 8:31 AM CDT up reply actions

Yeah

and that’s exactly why we shouldn’t have been running it up the middle lol.

by Valmo on Oct 27, 2011 9:15 AM CDT up reply actions

I think THAT lesson was learned...

WHODAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dynasty - 2009 - ????

by nofear on Oct 27, 2011 10:42 AM CDT up reply actions

Shame

It took sooooo many games to learn it.

INGRAMANIA equals LOMBARDI 2012

by cajuncommando58 on Oct 27, 2011 11:31 AM CDT up reply actions

Thanks for that great analysis, Dave.

I love screen passes and I think they are the single most important play an offense can run. They tire defenders, make LBs look silly, have big play potential, frustrate the pass rush, and make the defense tentative on subsequent plays.

PT is an expert at it- one of the best I’ve ever seen. Of course you have to have good lineman who can execute and enjoy this type of play and ir seems we do and have had this in 2011 and for some time now.

I watch the Eagles do this over and over- Westbrook was great at it, now Mc Coy is also and the Eagles seem to get lineman who are good at it. I can’t understand why it is not a priority for every team.

If Pro is the opposite of Con, what is the opposite of Progress? Congress!
-Men's Restroom - House of Representatives, Washington, DC

by Philinwood on Oct 27, 2011 9:09 AM CDT reply actions

nofear, that's a rec for you.

That’s the reason why this play has worked so good. If Kreutz were in there, this play never would have worked because he is too slow. The whole offensive line should play much better now and we can expect more of this Pierre Thomas catch and run downfield sort of fashion. The backs will progress also with the run. But mainly, Drew will have more time to scope the field. Yea, what one man could do to an offense and believe me, Kreutz did it. We would have solidly won Tampa Bay if he weren’t in there.

by tommy v on Oct 27, 2011 9:15 AM CDT reply actions

I love it. I'm with Phil, screens are waaay cool.

Finally, do you think, we have a running game that we can depend on? I can’t even say we had that in 2009,

WHODAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dynasty - 2009 - ????

by nofear on Oct 27, 2011 10:45 AM CDT up reply actions

as long as we keep mixing up the run plays that we’re calling… some outside, some inside, some outside, a fake screen draw every other game or so.

R.I.P. Steve Jobs

by Dan Kelly on Oct 27, 2011 8:45 PM CDT up reply actions

Unfortunately, it seemed to be that J.Graham had pushed Bethea forward into PT. I was worried about a block in the back, but there was no call.

by Saintsfan75 on Oct 27, 2011 9:43 AM CDT reply actions

I missed the face mask in the live play. When the flag was thrown, I had the same fear initially.

by Drew-Dat on Oct 27, 2011 9:45 AM CDT up reply actions

“fear” might be the wrong word since a penalty on Graham would have, worse case, meant we only won 55-7 when all was said and done.

by Drew-Dat on Oct 27, 2011 9:47 AM CDT up reply actions

Weird.

My favorite part of the play was how quickly JG caught up to PT and la Colt defender, and still managed to clearly not block in the back. It appeared to me that JG realized that by the time he got there, there wasn’t much he could do without blocking in the back, so he kind of eased off. I was pretty impressed by his maturity there. But maybe I just saw the play strangely, haha.

by JRogers on Oct 27, 2011 4:25 PM CDT up reply actions

I saw it the same way, J-Rog

WIN NOW
WINGRAMANIA!!!!

by Hans Petersen on Oct 27, 2011 8:49 PM CDT up reply actions

I was impressed by his catch-up speed, but I was kinda hoping he could get a shoulder in front of the defender and slow him down… but maybe he already had a hand full of face-mask by then.

R.I.P. Steve Jobs

by Dan Kelly on Oct 27, 2011 8:57 PM CDT up reply actions

Brian de la Puente

Did more than “engage” …he destroyed that defender in a perfect block at full throttle. I think it might have been the best block of the game….It is worth checking out if you DVR’d the game-

by '09 on Oct 27, 2011 10:03 AM CDT reply actions

Sounds like a center we can work with!

WHODAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dynasty - 2009 - ????

by nofear on Oct 27, 2011 10:44 AM CDT up reply actions

This here's another outstanding breakdown of a power play Dave,

but I can’t help but think the play of the game was Colston’s catch. Few, if any, catches are more beautiful than his.

"Dang! The Saints won the Super Bowl!" - my wife, Meso "Happy" Hu Dat.

by Dang Hu Dat on Oct 27, 2011 2:15 PM CDT reply actions

It was close. Believe me, I considered it.

But the screen is the Saints bread and butter. I thought this was a good opportunity. I’m sure Colston will make plenty more beautiful catches for us to analyze.

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by Dave Cariello on Oct 27, 2011 2:25 PM CDT up reply actions