If you're referring to this play, You obviously don't understand football or ever played the game beyond pop warner.
Wooching was asked to play a 4 technique. (Google it) since your such a dumbfuck, I'll break it down for you. if you ask a 240 lb linebacker to play a 4 technique in goal line and pinch and the offense runs a backside power youre going to lose -everytime.
It didn't work in Techmo Bowl. It didn't work in Madden PS4 and it doesn't work here.
I know Psalm is playing 4-tech and is responsible for the B-gap. What's wrong with this play is that he isn't lined up in time when the ball is snapped. He took himself out of the play even before it began. Watch it again.
Not only does he take himself out of by not lining up on time or in the right position (see post by @CokeGreaterThanPepsi) he essentially goes backwards at first contact.
Arizona specifically targets a run off RG outside of Qualls and inside PSALM ... PSALM gets kicked out by RT rather easily, losing leverage (say 34.17% of his total leverage), and gets blown out of the play allowing a modest 3 yard gain due to work of Bierria and Victor.
This play becomes relevant later in the game as it is the same action that is used by Arizona on Dawkins's long 79 yard TD run ... PSALM comes in out of control and attacks the outside man (RB) in the read option ... Arizona specifically and repeatedly pus PSALM in positions where he's the read man on the option (probably 80%+ of the read options that Arizona ran in the game were to PSALM's side versus Mathis's side when both were in the game) ...
Because PSALM comes in out of control here he doesn't slow down the read point for Dawkins and makes QB/RB combo to slow their feet at all and puts players in a position where they are a half a step behind in making the tackle ...
An even deeper look at the play makes it even more revealing PSALM's impact on the defense ... watch Budda's actions on the play as he sees the read option action and immediately breaks outside of the blocking WR (who notice is turned in initially on his block to the LB instead of Budda) which puts him in a great position to make a tackle IF the ball goes to the RB ... instead by allowing the QB to keep the ball on the inside it puts Budda in a position where he has lost leverage against the blocker creating a nice little crease for Dawkins to run through ...
The play goes even deeper when you look at the actions of the pulling guard ... PSALM has the opportunity there to slow down the pulling guard there while still maintaining outside leverage ... by missing any contact on the pulling guard it allows him to get to the 2nd level and get just enough in the way of Victor to keep him from being able to make an easy tackle.
The #1 defense to a strong read option is to make the QB have to think at the mesh point and have both him and the ball carrier stop moving their feet. Regardless of what you think about positioning here by PSALM the simple fact is that at no point does he make the potential ball carriers stop their feet. That's a fail by him. It also exposes 2 fatal flaws that he typically has as a defender in that he tackles way too high (see his action on the RB) and he fails to aggressively take on blocks in an attempt to disrupt the play (i.e. sacrificing his personal stat of getting the tackle for the greater good of the defense). This latter point is very evident when you look at how Arizona defends the 4th and 1 counter play to Gaskin in the 2nd half.
Play action pass on a comeback route here ... it's really the only kind of drop back pass Dawkins can hit.
The big takeaway on this play for anybody not paying too close of attention to our defense and how it lines up is that we shift Mathis/PSALM depending on which side is the wide side of the field. PSALM always lines up to the wide side and Mathis is always on the short side.
Hurry up play with a run off LG between Gaines and PSALM. On this play, we bring a DB blitz off a PSALM's side. The result on this play is good in PSALM beating the LG with speed, Gaines shedding the block of the C to close the hole, and both Victor/Bierria waiting to clean up.
With that said, the big problem that I have on this play with PSALM is that what I noted in play #2 of PSALM not taking up blocks comes into play here as he's taking an outside angle here that IF he doesn't beat his man he's creating a hole over LG that can cause problems. Fortunately we have Victor and Bierria there and in position to clean this up. Good play call here by DC to predict the direction of the play and send 1 extra defender to make sure that the OL can't get to the 2nd level.
3 of the first 4 plays were to PSALM's side ... play fake here to PSALM's side creates just enough space on RPO action to get the 2 yards needed for the first.
Notice that the actions of our defenders are first in the direction of PSALM ... it's a theme that came up repeatedly as I watched the game tape is that there's this subconscious knowledge that he's the weak point of the defense and there is always the thought of needing to cover up for him.
Compare PSALM's aggressiveness here versus Play #2 of the drive (granted there's a slight difference here of the HB action being a dive versus a sweep).
The read option here goes right at PSALM again but instead of aggressively attacking he freezes and really takes nobody. The safeties are way too deep on the play with respect to the arm that Dawkins has. PSALM makes a diving arm tackle that likely is broken if not for Victor shedding a block and burying the ball carrier.
Read option to Mathis's side ... Mathis is a little slow reacting ... but compare his tackling technique to that of PSALM's ... Mathis is sure in his tackling ... RB would run through the comparable tackle of PSALM
Both Mathis and PSALM get too wide and allow running lanes to Dawkins who takes advantage of it ... watch PSALM's ability to disengage from a block ... this isn't nit picking an example of him not doing it ... this is far more par for the course than not.
This is my favorite play of the drive and tells you exactly what Arizona thinks about PSALM ...
PSALM immediately drops into coverage and as soon as Arizona recognizes that they will have a RB in space against PSALM Dawkins can't wait to get the ball out of his hands and into that situation. RB slips on the play allowing for PSALM to not get tested.
Personally, I was very surprised that Arizona didn't go back to getting PSALM in positions where he may be in coverage and taking advantage of those situations again. IF Stanford is given comparable opportunities, you know David Shaw will take his chances getting either McCaffrey or Bryce Love in positions where they can be 1 on 1 versus PSALM.
Just to show that I'm fair and don't immediately assume everything PSALM does is bad, he does a good job here on a DB blitz to attack/occupy the RT allowing the blitzing DB to get in free and put pressure on Dawkins.
That's enough with the PSALM credit because he apparently didn't realize that just because you take on the RT there doesn't mean your work for the play is over. Instead, PSALM basically lolly gags through the rest of the play instead of working hard to go from there.
Also, important to note again how sure of a tackle that Mathis makes here ... I'm beginning to see a theme here as to why teams may regularly attack PSALM
Comments
Because PSALM comes in out of control here he doesn't slow down the read point for Dawkins and makes QB/RB combo to slow their feet at all and puts players in a position where they are a half a step behind in making the tackle ...
An even deeper look at the play makes it even more revealing PSALM's impact on the defense ... watch Budda's actions on the play as he sees the read option action and immediately breaks outside of the blocking WR (who notice is turned in initially on his block to the LB instead of Budda) which puts him in a great position to make a tackle IF the ball goes to the RB ... instead by allowing the QB to keep the ball on the inside it puts Budda in a position where he has lost leverage against the blocker creating a nice little crease for Dawkins to run through ...
The play goes even deeper when you look at the actions of the pulling guard ... PSALM has the opportunity there to slow down the pulling guard there while still maintaining outside leverage ... by missing any contact on the pulling guard it allows him to get to the 2nd level and get just enough in the way of Victor to keep him from being able to make an easy tackle.
The #1 defense to a strong read option is to make the QB have to think at the mesh point and have both him and the ball carrier stop moving their feet. Regardless of what you think about positioning here by PSALM the simple fact is that at no point does he make the potential ball carriers stop their feet. That's a fail by him. It also exposes 2 fatal flaws that he typically has as a defender in that he tackles way too high (see his action on the RB) and he fails to aggressively take on blocks in an attempt to disrupt the play (i.e. sacrificing his personal stat of getting the tackle for the greater good of the defense). This latter point is very evident when you look at how Arizona defends the 4th and 1 counter play to Gaskin in the 2nd half.
The big takeaway on this play for anybody not paying too close of attention to our defense and how it lines up is that we shift Mathis/PSALM depending on which side is the wide side of the field. PSALM always lines up to the wide side and Mathis is always on the short side.
With that said, the big problem that I have on this play with PSALM is that what I noted in play #2 of PSALM not taking up blocks comes into play here as he's taking an outside angle here that IF he doesn't beat his man he's creating a hole over LG that can cause problems. Fortunately we have Victor and Bierria there and in position to clean this up. Good play call here by DC to predict the direction of the play and send 1 extra defender to make sure that the OL can't get to the 2nd level.
Notice that the actions of our defenders are first in the direction of PSALM ... it's a theme that came up repeatedly as I watched the game tape is that there's this subconscious knowledge that he's the weak point of the defense and there is always the thought of needing to cover up for him.
or something
The read option here goes right at PSALM again but instead of aggressively attacking he freezes and really takes nobody. The safeties are way too deep on the play with respect to the arm that Dawkins has. PSALM makes a diving arm tackle that likely is broken if not for Victor shedding a block and burying the ball carrier.
PSALM immediately drops into coverage and as soon as Arizona recognizes that they will have a RB in space against PSALM Dawkins can't wait to get the ball out of his hands and into that situation. RB slips on the play allowing for PSALM to not get tested.
Personally, I was very surprised that Arizona didn't go back to getting PSALM in positions where he may be in coverage and taking advantage of those situations again. IF Stanford is given comparable opportunities, you know David Shaw will take his chances getting either McCaffrey or Bryce Love in positions where they can be 1 on 1 versus PSALM.
That's enough with the PSALM credit because he apparently didn't realize that just because you take on the RT there doesn't mean your work for the play is over. Instead, PSALM basically lolly gags through the rest of the play instead of working hard to go from there.
Also, important to note again how sure of a tackle that Mathis makes here ... I'm beginning to see a theme here as to why teams may regularly attack PSALM