Film Room: Josey Jewell becoming a 'Fangio' LB in coverage

Josey Jewell had a productive Week 1 vs. the Raiders but the most surprising aspect of his game was what he showed as a coverage LB.

The former Iowa Hawkeye linebacker had a solid rookie year for the Denver Broncos, but it wasn’t enough. Josey Jewell showed plenty of issues in coverage last year and it didn’t matter whether it was zone or man coverage. 

Not only that but Jewell looked slow, and it was only partially masked by his instincts on the field. There was a reason so many draftniks doubted him because of him being a limited athlete and this past preseason wasn’t the most promising of play.

The Broncos went into the Black Hole in Week 1 and lost to the Oakland Raiders 24-16. Jewell had a career-high in tackles (13). The issues he had last year appeared to be behind him. He looked quicker, stronger, faster and smarter. 

Yes, it was only one game and the defense played poorly, but Jewell was a bright spot and the Broncos need him to build on his opener. Whether taking on tight ends, running backs, or even wide receivers, Jewell was able to execute in coverage and did so in both zone and man coverage. 

It was surprising to see that his issues were actually more in the run game than in coverage. Let's take a look at three plays that reveal how Jewell apparently has developed. 

Play 1: 12:05 | Second Quarter | Week 1

Situation: 1st-&-13

The Broncos are in their nickel defense with Jewell as the mike linebacker. Oakland is backed up on their goal-line, which makes it weird that the Broncos would go nickel here. Typically in these situations, teams will rely on the run to get them some extra breathing room. That is what the Raiders do, and it works out for them, and part of that falls on Jewell.

It is a run to the left, and the Broncos defensive line does a good job of shutting down any cutback lanes, while Bradley Chubb cuts off the outside. There is only one hole for Josh Jacobs to go through, and Jewell should be there to meet Jacobs for a minimal gain. The issue is, Jewell stops behind the cluttered D-line and doesn’t get to his hole as quick as he should, allowing Jacobs to squirt through and pick up even more yards.

There is a lot wrong with this play from Jewell. He makes a bad read on the run, and either loses the ball or fails to see the D-line have done their job. It also shows his instincts weren’t there on this run. 

Last year he executed these types of plays to near perfection, and this is a complete failure on his part. It was only the first game so there is plenty of time to get back to form.

Play 2: 8:38 | Third Quarter | Week 1

Situation: 2nd-&-10

This is a play that shows Jewell in coverage, and it was a very well-executed play. His assignment is a zone right on the first down line, and if anything comes underneath, he has to react quickly and come up and make the stop. This is a staple in Vic Fangio’s defense and a big reason why an athletic linebacker was so coveted.

Jewell is quick into his zone, and sits in the right spot with WR (#19) entering his zone. Jewell also has eyes on TE Darren Waller underneath, who has no one in direct coverage of him. Again, this is a staple of the Fangio defense, and as Fangio designs, Jewell makes the quick reaction and makes the tackle on Waller who gets the target. The instincts, read, and quickness to get to the ball helps the Broncos get off the field after the following third-down stop.

Play 3: 14:51 | Fourth Quarter | Week 1

Situation: 1st-&-10

This final play sees Jewell in a man coverage on WR Tyrell Williams, which is a tough matchup. He does have safety help over the top, and he knows it, but still does a good job of taking out the receiver on his own. The Raiders motion a receiver from the right to the left, and this puts Williams on Jewell, a favorable matchup for the Raiders, at least on paper.

Jewell does an amazing job staying, nearly step for step, with the receiver, completely taking him away as an option for Derek Carr. This forces Carr to dump it off, and as soon as he goes to, Jewell reads it and starts to break to come down and make the tackle. Corey Nelson does a poor job reading and reacting on the pass, followed by a missed tackle, which leads to the dump-off being such a big play for Oakland.

The Takeaway

If Josey Jewell can play in coverage all year like he did vs. Oakland, he could become a very good linebacker in the NFL. It was shocking that what mistakes he did make were in the run game and not in coverage, considering his stat line and history. 

That is the complete opposite of what he was a year ago. There's plenty of time left, and Jewell should be able to get back to form and improve upon his play against the run. 

Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel and @MileHighHuddle.