Poach Beater
Dagger with an OTB (2025 Bears O vs. 49ers D)
Throwing the post route over a safety is one of life’s many joys. Though the Bears didn’t get the joy of winning, their first touchdown of the game is worth a gander and a couple questions.
1st & 10 at the +35 (3:05 1Q)
Offensive Concept: 12p 1x3 Dagger
Defensive Structure: Even Open Zone
Breakdown: The 49ers D is in a version of quarters where the backside safety is keying the number three receiver to the front side. What we’ll call “poach.”
The backside safety’s responsibility puts him in a bind because he is not playing a zone, but relating to a man in his zone. This responsibility allows the offense to put him in conflict by overloading his zone (or area of the field). We have to understand that he’s not actually covering a zone on the field, but rather relating to a man.
Another massive key to the offensive scheme’s success is the inside leverage the original number three receiver has on the front side safety. He’s on the outside edge of the hash while the safety is 2 yards outside the hash. That leverage maintains throughout the play.
The quarterback’s read is simple once he identifies the coverage pre-snap. The influence post on the dagger concept isn’t usually a part of the read, and instead used to influence a safety to get the big in route open. However, the coverage and play call dictate that the quarterback read the backside safety who’s caught between the over the ball (OTB) route run by the new number three receiver (#84). If that backside safety stays flat footed and doesn’t get depth, then the quarterback can feel confident in letting the ball fly.
Caleb Williams does look confident here because he’s on time — the ball is out after a clear five step drop and a reset.
That play call’s timing is, of course, perfect and the execution and result outstanding. However, I do have a question for the scheme. Should the defense not have been in poach or had the backside safety not given a clear clamp on the OTB, where should the ball have gone or where should quarterback’s eyes have gone? The weak hook defender is not put in conflict so he’s able to get depth and cover the OTB since the weak side cornerback takes the nub tight end’s out route.
Therefore, I think the quarterback’s eyes would’ve needed to go to the strong hook defender (#48) and he would’ve had to read the in route to the running back’s check down off that defender. The running back is checking to the flat and not the hook so it’s not perfect, but it would suffice given how much depth is between the in route and the check down.
Alas, it was a fantastic play.
I think the poach safety botched the coverage. The ILB could have easily sat on the OTB route which would have allowed the safety to play high.