2010 Spotlight: OLB – Sean Weatherspoon – Missouri

By Richard Lines

The NFL of yester year is a thing of the past, run first offenses are having lunch with the Dinoasaurs. In this century the NFL is most definitely a passing league that rivals the days of the original AFL and Sid Gillman. Regardless, whichever scheme a Defensive Coordinator chooses, they will need athletic linebackers that can take on blockers at the point of attack then turn and drop into coverage 20 yards down the field. Needing these players is easy, actually finding the players necessary to defend today’s average NFL offense is the trick for talent evaluators. Sean Weatherspoon is regarded as one of the best linebackers in this year’s draft. As always the question is, is Weatherspoon as advertised or is the legend of a player better than the reality?

The first portion of the video deals with the Missouri linebacker’s ability to handle the point of attack, using his hands to defeat blockers and his ability to read the play and find the ball. The first thing you will likely notice is Weatherspoon’s speed. He can cover a great deal of distance quickly when he does run full out. There is no question that Weatherspoon can reach the boundary with regularity. However, his speed can also work against him on the football field. After watching Weatherspoon play in several games, I do have concerns about his ability to read the action while getting himself into position to make plays consistently. Many times, Weatherspoon takes false steps, or has to breakdown and shift his track to the ball rather than attacking downhill all game long. However, even though Weatherspoon is not an consistently aggressive downhill player, he will overrun plays or will look hesitant as to which course of action he should choose.

In my opinion, Weatherspoon appears to run hard, making plays in the process rather than using his speed to make plays. Weatherspoon has great straight line speed, no one can deny that. As such, you would expect Weatherspoon to perhaps show a little more patience in letting the play develop. If he did so, he could still rely on his speed to reach the football.

The first example I would like to point out occurs at 1:40 of the video. Here, Weatherspoon reads the initial flow well, but he is too aggressive and ends up overrunning the play; allowing Toston to cut the ball back against the grain for a good run. Oklahoma State utilizes a zone blocking scheme in their rushing attack; something Weatherspoon will see often on the next level. As such, there will be natural cutback alleys along the front – putting pressure on linebackers and safeties to run the alley and pick their spots efficiently. Weatherspoon is out in front of the play and is in position to fill a hole along the front. However, is this even remotely close to being “the” hole. Weatherspoon outruns Toston to the hole. He doesn’t slide down the line staying parallel, instead he turns a little and drives to what is the designed hole, which is good, but not when you overrun the ball carrier. In this scenario he reads where the play is supposed to go, but not what Toston is actually doing.

I simply believe Weatherspoon could do more to watch the play, slide down the line a little, even taking little crow hops, then break to the ball and still be in a position to fill he hole. He isn’t always willing to engage blockers aggressively, but he can still influence the play by undercutting the guard or simply outrunning him to the spot and forcing Toston to cut the ball back inside. This is of course if Toston can avoid the defensive tackle getting some penetration into the backfield.

Linebackers and defensive ends have to maintain their backside contain responsibility – not over pursuing the ball, or as illustrated, there will be holes for the runner. If you happen to pause the video at 8:04 you can see that Weatherspoon has actually crossed in front of the running back, leaving the entire back side open. Only the defensive end held up his end of the bargain as he forces Toston inside. Otherwise, Toston may still be running with that football.

The next play I would like to highlight occurs at 1:46 of the video. Here again Weatherspoon is way out in front of where he should be play. Toston again is able to cut the ball back, as Weatherspoon again overruns the play and will need to readjust to make the play. This entire play does not rest on Weatherspoon’s shoulders, but he is certainly involved.

1:54 is another example of Weatherspoon’s nasty habit running fast rather than using his speed to take him to the football. Hence he again overruns the play, rather than showing a little initial patience and using his speed to close the play down. Weatherspoon is already ahead of the play as he starts on the hash at the top of the screen, while Toston begins the run two yards inside of the same hash. If you pause the video at 1:55 you should see Weatherspoon is at least two yards to the right while Toston has just reached the hash mark. Weatherspoon doesn’t have to move that much to have a good line to reach Toston. After all, Toston has just reached the point where Weatherspoon originally started. Weatherspoon has the speed to track the play down should Toston bounce the run to the outside, so again he doesn’t need to have taken himself out of the play.

The next play occurs at the 2:00 mark of the video. On this play Weatherspoon is coming on the blitz – which is far from a strong suit for him; as he is often washed out or cannot drive through his opponent. Toston appears to step up to meet him, but barely shows any interest in actually touching Weatherspoon. Weatherspoon sees Toston step up, but fails to even butt him up at the line of scrimmage. Weatherspoon even breaks down a little, as he expects to engage the running back. Toston doesn’t want to block Weatherspoon, he wants to slip out for the screen pass- which he does. All the while Weatherspoon is unaware of what is playing out in front of him. He doesn’t read Toston’s body language or the fact that he simply avoids contact and runs towards the flat.

The truly alarming aspect of this play is that Toston is likely Weatherspoon’s responsibility in coverage. Either that or the defensive call has a gaping hole in coverage. If you watch the other defenders on the play no one even looks at the running back coming out of the backfield. Not one of the other 10 players on defense glances at #5 for OSU. Not the safeties, not the Mike linebacker. The Mike watches the motion man coming out to the wide side of the field. The free safety focuses on the tight end releasing from the strong side of the formation. Meanwhile the strong safety is already moving towards the flats/short zone area on the strong side. The corner at the top of the screen is looking at the tight end releasing up the field. The runner crosses in front of the corner (who is dropping) yet, he pays him no attention – leaving him to someone else. So either the corner made a mistake – which I doubt as who would have the tight end on that side of the field – or Weatherspoon, or everyone else on the defense but Weatherspoon. I leave it up to you to decide, but in my mind, Weatherspoon completely misread this play and did not play his responsibility on the field.

When Missouri faces Navy Weatherspoon routinely almost comes to a complete stop to find the ball on the inside handoff. The play at 1:02 of the video is a prime example. I must mention that Missouri was not attacking the pitch man with regularity to start the game, but regardless the play does occur in front of him as he is the first defender who can see if the up back has taken the ball rounding the corner. Yet, he still has trouble finding the ball, yet alone attacking it. The 2:26 mark again illustrates Weatherspoon’s propensity to find himself out of position against the run, as he has allowed himself to float outside; allowing the runner to cut inside and make positive yardage.

Yet another example of Weatherspoon genuinely struggling to read plays occurs at 3:07 of the video against Navy. Analyzing the play wouldn’t make sense, as it plainly shows the Missouri Tiger struggling to find the ball. One final example occurs at 3:44 as Weatherspoon buys the play fake and runs after the decoy opening up his side of the field.

I am not saying that Weatherspoon cannot make the right read, only that in reality he makes a good many bad reads, which can result in overrunning plays, false steps or hesitation when he has to diagnose plays. Weatherspoon can make plays such as those displayed at 0:14 and 0:19 of the video for example. However, even in these clips there are elements of Weatherspoon’s play that make me wonder if he is as truly scheme diverse as he is made out to be.

For instance, at 0:14 of the video, Weatherspoon makes the play but when he avoids the potential blocker on his way to the ball carrier he does not even attempt to use his hands in the event there is in fact contact. Instead, he simply dips his shoulder just slightly and runs past the contact. While not indicative, it does lead into other plays in the video where his inability to use his hands effectively is on display.

Before I go further into Weatherspoon’s hand use, I do want to point out that he does have a tendency to dip his head when he makes head on contact with a blocker. Instead of breaking down and coming out and up, he leans in with his head and does not drive through the contact. The play at 0:42 is an example of how he gets his head low in such engagements, but not always by the book.

Weatherspoon does not create a great of deal of initial pop when he engages a blocker at the point of attack. He simply is not a stack and shed linebacker by any means; as he relies on his speed and athleticism to make plays. One such example can be found at the 2:41 mark of the video. Here Weatherspoon comes forward and has momentum on his side, but if you watch closely, he does not bend to get low. Rather, just before impact he lowers his head instead of driving through the contact and bringing his hips into the block. His hands placement is also wider than one would like to see on a consistent basis. His feet seem to slow down or stop, bracing for contact rather than truly committing to the contact and driving through his man.

Subsequently, he gives ground on the play and ends up on the turf – a common sight for #12 if you watch him closely. If Weatherspoon had been fundamentally better form the start, he could at least manage to stand his ground, and have a better chance to make the tackle rather than lunging feebly.

Regardless of his playing style, the former Tiger does not feature a great deal of refinement in his hand use as it pertains to disengaging form blockers. Weatherspoon’s bread and butter move can be seen at 1:33 of the video. He uses his arms to keep some separation between himself and his blocker, and runs his way out of a block. Weatherspoon does not stand up blockers at the line of scrimmage with regularity, but it does happen. He is more likely to give ground in an attempt to peel off the block rather than standing his ground and using his hands to create the separation.

1:40 of the video is an example of Weatherspoon’s ability to disengage from offensive linemen. If you let the play run through, once Weatherspoon is engaged with the left guard, he cannot work his way free. The play is coming to a close as the ball carrier is tackled, but Weatherspoon does not show a rip or swim move as a means to disengaging in order to  make a play on the ball. The next play in the sequence; at 1:46, is another prime example of how poorly Weatherspoon hands work in close quarters. #77 for the Cowboys simply grabs on and controls Weatherspoon throughout the play. Weatherspoon flails at the guard, but does not show any technique or refinement whatsoever in trying to disengage. I personally believe a player’s ability to use his hands to disengage and win matchups is a big component on his degree of success on the next level.

2:47 is another example of how Weatherspoon struggles when he is asked to engage and play off of offensive lineman. Again, Weatherspoon is fundamentally poor and ends up on the ground – essentially a bystander on the play. In light of both of these qualities alone I would not consider asking Weatherspoon to play as a Mike backer at any time. He is a fundamentally weak player in terms of engaging contact in my opinion and he genuinely struggles to read plays on a consistent basis. 3:56 is another play I would like to highlight as once again #12 does not use his hands to engage the blocker. Instead he leads with his shoulder; allowing his opponent to control his torso and simply push him out of the way.

4:38 of the video again shows Weatherspoon leading with his shoulder when he is forced to engage an offensive lineman. He does not use his hands, nor does he use any refined hand fighting techniques as a way to defeat the blocker. Instead, he again appears to simply flail and jerk around in an attempt to work his way free.

Now, let us move on to the next segment of the video where we examine Weatherspoon’s ability to drop into coverage and overall mobility. Weatherspoon, as you have likely seen throughout the video, has good straight line speed, although he does not always follow through by bringing that momentum into the tackle. I have seen Weatherspoon break down unnecessarily before making the tackle, or simply not accelerate in the manner you would expect given his attributes. There are two plays against Illinois that may illustrate what I am talking about fairly well.

The first occurs at 0:33 of the video. Weatherspoon is in coverage on the receiver, and given his position as he drops back into his zone he really should be moving at a faster rate towards to the receiver. Instead, it looks as though he does not want to deliver a hammer blow. Essentially he is not running at full speed to make the tackle with reckless abandon. The other play occurs at 5:25 – here again #12 could easily drive towards the receiver and deliver the blow that #19 does, instead Weatherspoon is again breaking down unnecessarily. These two plays illustrate my point regarding Weatherspoon’s propensity to be noncommittal towards tackling, although there are others that show that  despite being 241 lbs, Weatherspoon plays like a man under 220 lb.

Another example of Weatherspoon not proving to be a physical hitter can be seen at 2:32 of the video, when he definitely receives the blow on the tackle even though it was a straight path to the ball carrier. A downhill linebacker like Chris Spielman for instance, would have delivered the hit rather than absorbing it in that situation. When Weatherspoon does deliver a hard hit, he tends to do so with his shoulder, rarely wrapping up or driving through the ball carrier. I have even seen him dip his shoulder on contact rather than squaring up for a solid head in the chest form tackle. This can be shown at 4:21 of the video as he works his way towards the sidelines and clearly turns his shoulder as he makes the hit rather than driving through the ball carrier – even though he easily could have.

If you focus your attention to the way Weatherspoon makes contact with Williams at the mark 4:38 of the video, you will again see #12 dip his shoulder rather than stay square and get into the chest of the ball carrier.

4:01 is another example as on this play as Weatherspoon has Juice Williams lined up for a good hit – even if it is not a de cleeter. However, you can clearly see Weatherspoon slowing up and breaking down when he doesn’t have to. He could slow down, easing up on the blow or any number of options, but he chooses to break down and lose all momentum; avoiding the hit in many ways. Granted, he is chasing a quarterback towards the sidelines, but you would still prefer to see him be aggressive throughout the play.

This is not to say that #12 does not deliver blows to the ball carrier. He does, only not as often as you might think given his closing speed and general size. Weatherspoon looks very much like a thumper given his body structure, but as is the case, looks can be deceiving.

Given Weatherspoon’s chase and tackle style of play, it is not surprising to see him flourish when he is asked to drop into coverage. Weatherspoon’s feet can look a little sluggish dropping back when compared to the manner in which he drives forwards, but overall his body positioning is pretty good, although personally I think he gets a tad tall in these situations. However, this trait is relatively negligible given his overall athleticism and ability to change directions.

The first play I would like to highlight as a means to illustrate how well Weatherspoon functions in space can be found at 4:58 of the video. Here Weatherspoon comes forward a little, reading the play fake, then he turns and runs to the flat after Juice Williams completes a pass. However if you think this play does not illustrate Weatherspoon’s burst well enough; the 4:48 mark of the video may provide a better example. Here, you can clearly see Weatherspoon find another gear as he chases the toss sweep to the outside. He does not ever reach top speed on this play in my opinion, but for the few steps he does accelerate, his closing speed is evident. 5:33 provides a clear example of Weatherspoon’s acceleration, although again, he does need to carry it through.

As you watch Weatherspoon through this portion of the video I would like to point out that he is at his best when he can drive forwards towards the ball. He is not nearly as explosive when he is asked to move in any other direction. This does not mean that Weatherspoon doesn’t move well, only that his penultimate speed appears when moving forward.

Given this trait, one would think that using Weatherspoon as a blitzer is an option. After all, his straight line speed is stunning and would clearly put pressure on an offensive tackle. Unfortunately, using Weatherspoon as a blitzer may only be surpassed in futility by trying to eat soup with a fork. Weatherspoon’s negligent hand use continues, making his impact middling at best. Weatherspoon’s lack of leg drive – which is evident whenever he engages an offensive lineman head on, also makes an appearance as he can barely stay on his initial rush trajectory.

The 7:16 mark is a decent starting point. Here we can see that Weatherspoon is easily prevented from running through the contact by a simple bump at the line of scrimmage. In reality, Weatherspoon looks about as interested in rushing the quarterback as he does when facing dental surgery. 7:32 is another example, as after the initial contact, Weatherspoon is already moving backwards. There is not determination to drive through the contact using leverage or even to use his hands in a threatening manner. The rush looks over before it has truly begun. I do not think I need to explore this aspect of Weatherspoon’s game any further, as his mannerisms are readily apparent to the naked eye.

As I noted earlier, Weatherspoon is not a stack and shed linebacker, despite being listed at 241 lbs. Despite that size, he is a chase and tackle style player who will give ground more often than not when he is forced to play at the point of attack. If he can operate in space – using his speed to run down the ball carrier in much the same way a weak side linebacker would in a Tampa 2 – he could be his most productive. Given how Weatherspoon plays the game on the field, he could have trouble finding a permanent home in many other defensive schemes. He certainly cannot be kicked inside in a 3-4 alignment; as he would be overwhelmed at the point of attack. He is a not a good blitzer, nor is he strong at the point of attack. All of this leaves me with only one option; a weak side linebacker in a cover 2 system where he can attack the ball coming forward, relying on his speed to make plays. He would not be required to blitz often in this system, nor would be relied on to set the edge with regularity. This style of defense would allow him to play to his strengths. Weatherspoon may grow into a player that can operate on the strong side of a 4-3 defense, but regardless of system, he must become better at the point of attack. A linebacker does not have to be a stack and shed style of player to be successful on the next level, but Weatherspoon’s approach to engaging blockers is a big issue. If he does not land in a cover 2 scheme, the  defense must protect him from offensive linemen if he is to at his full potential, if not, he will not make the impact many would expect in my opinion.

Weatherspoon will be drafted fairly high, however, the problem for Weatherspoon may come in the form of value as most cover 2 teams do not value their outside linebackers as “substantial” commodities. And if he is limited schematically, his value will continue to fall. One only has to look at the number of outside linebackers the Colts have gone through over the years to see this mantra in action. Weatherspoon is a dependable player, with good leadership qualities, however none of these can hide his weaknesses on the field; which is what he will be ultimately judged on.