Hello! The offseason it long and filled with unspeakable dread. To help pass the time, I will be popping up every week and looking back at some plays from the 2019 season. The general idea is to pick out a big play or two from each game and break them down. 

When I write about the season, I go on a game-by-game basis. Since I focus on the passing game, I find that I tend to forget some major moments from the season. I'm banking on this weekly article to help me remember some amazing moments from this season. I'm really excited about this project so I hope you are as well.

We're going to kick this off with a big play from Week 1: Adrian Amos' red zone interception. Let's provide a little context.

The Packers are up 10-3 with 2:03 remaining in the game, but the Bears are driving. They started the drive with 5:15 remaining in the game at their own 25 yard line. Mitchell Trubisky [10] proceeded to go 8/12 for 59 yards - including 2/2 for 26 yards and 2 1st downs on 3rd down - and has driven the Bears to the Packers 16 yard line. They are looking at 3rd & 10. On the previous 3rd & 10, Trubisky hit Allen Robinson [12] for 21 yards.

Robinson had been a problem for the Packers all day. To this point, he had racked up 7 catches (on 12 targets) for 102 yards. In fact, when targeting Robinson 15+ yards down the field, Trubisky was 3/5 for 70 yards. 

Opening game of the season and the Bears were sitting on the 16 yard line with a chance to tie the game. The crowd was roaring. As a Packer fan, I was a wreck.

The Bears come out in a 3X1 formation, with Taylor Gabriel [18] on the outside, Tarik Cohen [29] in the slot and Robinson just off the line on the left. The Bears are using the two in-cutting routes from the left to try to isolate Robinson on Amos as the single-high safety.

At the snap, the defender over Robinson blitzes from the slot while Blake Martinez [50] drops back into the middle from his mugging position at the line. That looks even better for the Bears: now it's looking like Robinson will be running a corner route running away from Adrian Amos [31] in the middle. If Amos doesn't jump under the corner route, Robinson will have a great angle to the back pylon, and Trubisky will have a wide area to fit the throw.

When Trubisky is getting ready to throw, Tramon Williams [38] is taking a step to the middle of the field, making it appear that the corner route will be open. However, Williams ends up dropping under the corner route, working with Amos to braket Robinson. There's nowhere to fit the throw, but Trubisky gives it the ol' college try.

Trubisky is staring down Robinson the entire time. The entire time. His head never moves. With pressure bearing down, Trubisky doesn't look like he's in any hurry to get rid of the ball, standing calm-as-calm-can-be in the pocket. For half a second, I swore he was wearing a #6 jersey.

When he finally decides to throw, he has to rush it. He plants to load up, but doesn't step into the throw. As a result, he sails the throw into double-coverage. Adrian Amos comes up with the interception: his first as a member of the Green Bay Packers.

The Bears end up getting the ball back with 1:33 remaining on their own 14 yard line. They moved a grand total of 2 yards on 4 plays before turning the ball over on downs. 

Packers win and start the season 1-0. 

Like I mentioned at the top, I'm pretty excited about this series. I'll be rolling chronologically through the season, picking a play or two from each game. If you have a specific play you're curious about, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Also, if you want to revisit some passing concepts from Week 1, you can do that right here.

Album listened to: Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces Everyone