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 In the second installment of the “Rookie Spotlight” we’re going to breakdown the play of Outside Linebacker of Texans Brian Cushing against the Jaguars.
Cushing, a rookie from the prestigious USC, is known for being a good athlete and an all-around threat from the Linebacker position. In this match-up, Cushing was going against one of the top rushing offenses in the league and certainly had his hands full throughout the game. Here is the drive-by-drive look at how Brian Cushing fared against Running Back Maurice Jones-Drew and the Jaguars. 1st Jaguars Drive
-In the first drive of the game, you can see Cushing gets moved around a fair amount. His basic assignment is primarily that of a Strongside Linebacker, his movement is designed to try and confuse the Offense. He seemed to be lining up too close to Inside Linebacker DeMeco Ryans at times and Jags Quarterback David Garrard took advantage on one pass to Tight End Ernest Wilford. Cushing showed a little bit of everything in man coverage, zone coverage, and blitzing throughout this drive. Drive Result-Field Goal 2nd Jaguars Drive
-On the first play (right after a Rex Grossman interception), Cushing got pushed back downfield, then lost his balance when pursuing Jones-Drew. The following play, he had trouble disengaging when blitzing. Cushing did make a nice play to disengage on a 2nd and Goal which caused Jones-Drew to alter his path and ended up getting stuffed. Had trouble at the beginning of the drive, but Cushing made-up for it at the end. Drive Result-Turnover on Downs 3rd Jaguars Drive
-Cushing took care of all his assignments. Nothing impressive, just got the job done. Drive Result-Three and Out 4th Jaguars Drive
-Showed good awareness and helped make a tackle on a run. Blitzed and was stone walled the next play. The Jags scored on a deep bomb, not Cushing’s fault. Drive Result-Touchdown 5th Jaguars Drive
-Was burnt by fellow rookie Zach Miller on a long, 62-yard play. Miller, who is a Quarterback turned Tight End from Nebraska-Omaha, put a solid head fake on Cushing and burnt him on an IN route. The main reason for this is Cushing was playing too high, something he had been doing the whole game. He was sitting on his heels, and the move by Miller was enough to get him wide open. Drive Result-Touchdown 6th Jaguars Drive
-Cushing did a solid job sitting in zone coverage (which is what he was asked to do the whole drive). Did drop off a little too deep (played it too soft) which allowed Running Back Rashard Jennings to haul in a catch underneath. Drive Result-Field Goal 7th Jaguars Drive
-Showed good effort on two plays that led to a Safety. Nothing impressive, but Cushing showed he won’t give-up on a play. Drive Result-Safety 8th Jaguars Drive
-Could’ve been called for pass interference on one play near the goal line, as he threw the Tight End to the ground. Took a poor angle on a Maurice Jones-Drew 1st Down run as well. Drive Result-Field Goal 9th Jaguars Drive
-Pushed around on the first play by Tight End Marcedes Lewis. Got a free shot on Garrard on one play, but the pass was completed. Made a good TFL off the edge where he went unblocked. Drive Result-Punt 10th Jaguars Drive
-Poor push rush on 3rd Down. Was picked-up by Jones-Drew and looked like he just gave up on the play. Was stone-walled basically. Looks like he is getting a little frustrated overall. Drive Result-Three and Out 11th Jaguars Drive
-Took on the Fullback well to allow somebody else to make the tackle. Was sealed off the very next play. Did a nice job disengaging the next play, though it didn’t mean much. Took a bad angle, got off balance, and made a poor attempt at a tackle. Really struggled against Marcedes Lewis, who got him sealed off and off balance consistently. Got washed out on the final run by Maurice Jones-Drew, which got a 1st Down to win the game. Drive Result-Game Over Stats: 3 Tackles, 1 Tackle For Loss Overall Impressions:
Cushing struggled throughout most of this game. While he does have the ability to be utilized in every facet of the game, he is too raw overall. Give Marcedes Lewis all the credit in the world because he is one of the best run blocking Tight Ends in the league, but he abused Cushing for most of the game. Other then the Zach Miller play, Cushing did do a good job in man coverage, consistently displaying good awareness and anticipation. He just needs bend his knees a little more. The main thing Cushing needs to work on is disengaging from blockers. Whether it’s taking on blockers in the run game or trying to get to the Quarterback, Cushing doesn’t use his hands properly and needs to develop some pass rushing moves. This certainly wasn’t one of Cushing’s better games.
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