3 Things You Need to Know When Studying a WR on Film

Every coach tells you to watch film and while watching film is an essential part of being a playmaking defensive back,  a lot of players don’t know what to watch when they are watching film.  Studying an opponent on film involves a few aspects.  IN this brief article I will discuss the three most important things you need to know when watching film on a WR.

1 – Splits

Football is math.  There are 11 players for each team lined up on a 53.5 yard wide field that is 100 yards long not including the end zones.  You have 4 downs to get 10 yards.  See all those numbers we just covered.  As such,  where players line up on the field mean something and that includes WRs.

With that said,  when a WR comes out of the huddle,  he is jogging to a specific spot in the formation.  Don’t take that spot he lines up on for granted.  He lines up in that spot for a reason.  You have to study that for each given team and WR you face.  A wide split could mean a slant is coming.  An even split could mean a fade or comeback is coming.  A tight split could mean a crossing route.  I said they “could” mean those things are coming but it’s up to you to study film on your opponent each week to confirm these things.  I know this,  on a field that is confined to 53.5 yards in width,  where a WR lines up could make the difference between a completed pass or an interception so offenses typically are very precise about where a man lines up.

2 – Releases

The next thing you need to know about the WRs you are facing are what type of releases the WR likes to do.  Against press,  what kind of WR is he.  There are usually a couple types.  First is the WR with shakes.  This type of WR indulges in a lot of moves at the line in an effort to lose the defensive back at the line of scrimmage to get separation right away.  Study the variety of moves they make and determine what type of route those moves result in.  While WRs with shakes can be quick and intimidating especially if you are not quick yourself,  they are usually creatures of habit.  If you study the film hard enough,  you can figure out what moves mean what routes.

The bully WR won’t make many if any moves.  He will,  however, make contact with you at the line of scrimmage and try to move you off of the spot and gain separation with strength.  Some other bully WRs will just take off at the line of scrimmage and won’t care if you make contact and are on their hip in the beginning.  These type of WRs are more focused on pushing off and gaining separation at the top of the route or winning *50/50 balls.

Speed WRs also won’t make very many moves.  Their aim is to beat you with pure speed.  So they will take off into their stem immediately hoping to run around you,  stack you and get the advantage when the ball is put in the air.  It is important to know if you are facing this type of WR as it may require a bit of an adjustment in your in your technique especially if you are typically very patient at the line.

3 – Stem

The direction (inside or outside) mean something for WRs.  A stem means what part of the defender the WRs runs to when he gets into his route. Whether in press or off coverage,  which shoulder the WR decides to attack will often tell you what type of route(s) may be coming.  An inside stem could mean (curl, dig or post).  An outside stem could mean (fade, back shoulder or comeback).  This could be the reverse for slot WRs.  Whatever the case may be,  it is important to know what the stems mean in relation to what routes actually get run.  Some WRs may do things differently or their stems may not give their routes away.  It is important to study them to be able to determine that.

The more information you gather during the week in film study,  the less you are thinking on game day.  The trick is to be able to react quickly when out on the field.  Studying film allows you to make quicker decisions and move faster when game day comes.  The more you study,  the faster you can move,  the more confident you are and the more plays you will make.

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alleyesdbcamp

Owner at All Eyes DB Camp

Chad Wilson is the founder of All Eyes DB Camp and a former standout defensive back for the Miami Hurricanes. After an elite collegiate career, Wilson spent a season with the Seattle Seahawks before transitioning into coaching. A 3-time Florida state champion defensive coordinator, he has spent over 20 years developing the "All Eyes" blueprint that has produced NFL All-Pros and stars like Xavien Howard, Patrick Surtain II, Tyson Campbell, Minkah Fitzpatrick and more. His coaching system is proven at the highest levels—his own sons, Quincy and Marco Wilson, both excelled as starters in the SEC before being drafted into the NFL.

Chad is the author of "101 DB Tips"—The Ultimate DB Reference Guide. You can find more information on the manual and how to order your copy in the sidebar and footer of this page.

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