Mixing Up Spy Looks Against A Mobile Quarterback
The use of a spy is always under consideration against a mobile quarterback. The trade-off to utilizing one is that it either takes a defender out of coverage or out of the pass rush. So if defensive coordinators are going to use a spy, it’s important to incorporate disguise and creativity.
In Week 12 of the 2019 season, that’s exactly what Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz did against Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
This first play was a 3rd-and-8 on Seattle’s opening drive. The Eagles aligned with 4 defensive linemen and linebacker Nigel Bradham on the line of scrimmage. The idea here was to force 1-on-1 matchups with the protection across the board:
Focus on Bradham. At the snap, he showed a pass rush, and this occupied the left guard. Bradham then broke off his rush and dropped out to spy Wilson:
By that point, the man-to-man protection had been established, and Fletcher Cox was able to take advantage of his 1-on-1 against center Joey Hunt, driving him back into Wilson’s lap for the sack: