Former Titans great reveals truth behind back-breaking moment in loss to Colts
It seemed like Jarvis Brownlee Jr. messed up big time, but that’s not what happened.
At one point on Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts had a 38-7 lead over the Tennessee Titans in the second half. Usually, that's a sure sign you're coasting to a comfortable win.
But flash forward to the 2-minute warning at the end of the 4th quarter, and there was nothing comfortable about it. The Colts lead had been cut down to 38-30, and Indianapolis was trying to put together a drive that would bleed the clock out. On 3rd & 8 on the IND 34 yard line, the Colts had to convert or else they'd risk the Titans getting the ball back with a little under 2 minutes to play.
Anthony Richardson ended up finding Michael Pittman Jr. wide open at the boundary for an easy 1st that effectively put the game out of reach for Tennessee.
In the moment, many were upset and confused seeing rookie CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. playing with such a significant cushion against Pittman, seemingly gifting Indy the 1st and ending their chance to complete the comeback. But Titans legend Blaine Bishop broke down the truth of what happened on his 104.5 The Zone radio show Cover 2 on Monday.
In Bishop's eyes, Brownlee is being unfairly criticized on the play. "That was a tough one there. I think they really out-coached us more so than anything else, even though that's how it looks there".
Bishop went into detail on the play call and assignments he saw on the critical snap:
"Well, the stuff they did, I think the Titans were expecting some form of an inside route. They played robber, which is one rover with one of the safeties coming down, robber in the middle of the field. So they probably show some things through, you know, studying them on that down and they didn't have the bunch. Initially, Pittman kind of motioned out a little bit. So he got like four yards or so from the bunch. So it's now two guys and then Pittman on his own. So it was really hard for him to be up on them. And they were playing zone, some form of a flat curl by (Roger) McCreary. And then Brownlee is supposed to be deep third. So to be honest, it's supposed to be the throw over McCreary's head. And then Brownlee is supposed to be over the top of that."
In summary, Brownlee's assignment on this concept is the deep third of the field. He's responsible for keeping everything on that side of the field in front of him and picking up any vertical routes. McCreary, the underneath defensive back on the play who is put into conflict by the bunch formation and the routes run out of it, is likely more responsible for covering Pittman on that out-breaking route than Brownlee. But the way the way it plays out in real time to the untrained eye, it looks like Brownlee is just asleep on his man.
"So unfairly or justified, I don't think he could have gotten up there. The other side was playing man. So they were in press. I think just because of the formation of bunch, then it was going to be hard to be in-between."
Bishop can speak on this topic with authority because, as he put it, "I've been that flat curl person" which is what McCreary was on the play. "And Samari Rolle would be like, 'dang man…you going to get that out? Because it looks like I'm getting toasted because people are going to assume that that's my guy!' And I couldn't get out there in time and like, and they can throw it right on the sideline and I'm almost there and it's going right past my fingertips. And I could have just ran out there immediately. You can't miss a timing route. So they had a great play call. I can't blame (Brownlee)."
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