is it:

1. Free safety
2. Strong safety

or

1. strong safety
2. free safety

It doesn't matter. Safety defense against defense is zone, so the group is considered as a whole.

James

Thanks, James. So in yatzr's game analyzer when the coverage player comes up FS or SS do you think it's just randomly selected?

Posted by rdierkers on 10/22/2018 10:31:00 AM (view original):
Thanks, James. So in yatzr's game analyzer when the coverage player comes up FS or SS do you think it's just randomly selected?

I thought it was 1-FS and 2-SS. But you can find out for sure if you blitz a safety (before fatigue sets in).

The tackle or pass defender is randomly assigned within all defensive groups. So, if you are defending the deep pass to a WR, then the output on the play by play is randomly assigned to FS/SS. If a player breaks through the primary defensive group, the next closest group gets credit for the tackle (if made) and also randomly assigned.

This is why sometimes you will see a deep pass receiver sometimes tackled by a LB (or defended by a LB), since the LB group is the next closest group if WR are on short routes (thereby making the CB stay close to the line of scrimmage).

You should note I used the term "defensive groups". The random assignment of the tackle for example on an inside run is assigned to the defending group defending that play (which includes DL/ILB).

There are some threads on the assignment of sacks that is interesting if you want to pump up a players sack total if that twirls your ponytail FYI.

nitros (james)

Nitros is a beast at this game.

I thought it was 1-FS and 2-SS. But you can find out for sure if you blitz a safety (before fatigue sets in).

Darn great point bigpoppa. Assignment of FS/SS does matter if you are assigning blitzing players. Probably more so, it matters who the remaining defender is SS/FS for the deep zone.

Which makes me think of an interesting way to cover a RB/TE that is killing you in the short/med zone.

nitros (James)