Rookie Film Review: Indianapolis Colts Safety Julian Blackmon

Julian Blackmon vs. The Chicago Bears

Julian Blackmon had himself a day against the Bears. He was all over the back end making plays for Indianapolis as displayed in the video above. It’s difficult to identify clearly what coverage the Colts are running, but it appears to be Cover 6, with Blackmon manning half the field and the safety and corner on the opposite splitting the other half into two.

Ideally Blackmon is supposed to be keying two-to-one (from the slot to the outside receiver), however, he chooses to find the quarterbacks eyes and let them take him to the play. By doing this, Blackmon is able to come from the opposite hash and force an incompletion. He was unable to get his hands on the ball, but the receiver heard his footsteps and lost concentration at the catch-point. It’s not advised to take your eyes off your read, but Blackmon has the athleticism to make it work.

This play may not appear as anything special from Blackmon since he doens’t make a play on the ball, but it’s a precursor for what’s to come. All game long, Blackmon was keying on Foles’s eyes, as opposed to reading the receiver’s. On this play, he is able to identify the seam route coming at him and he keeps distance between himself and the receiver, trying to bait Foles into a throw that he doesn’t make. Again, he doesn’t reall have and affect on the play, but baiting a quarterback to make a throw in only your third game is both impressive and risky, and for Blackmon it didn’t bite him in the butt all game.