In a cool All-22 breakdown we don’t often get to see, Buffalo Bills’ CB Kaiir Elam broke down how he picked off Kenny Pickett in Pickett’s first career start in Week 5, a humbling learning experience for a young Steelers team blown out on the road.
Elam joined the great people over at Cover 1, a Buffalo Bills-centric site, to discuss how the defense disguised its coverage and how Elam read Pickett to intercept him.
Elam told the Cover 1 crew the defense disguised itd Cover 2 coverage pre-snap, making Pickett think he was getting single-high Cover 1.
“Majority of the time we come out and we align press,” Elam said. “But 6/10, we’re bailing a third or a fourth. And sometimes we’ll throw in man/press. Really just giving that illusion to the QB.”
On the snap, the defense rotated into its actual C2 shell. Elam was the flat defender, able to reroute Diontae Johnson inside towards his safety help. Without any receiver to the flat, Elam was able to sink and get depth in his zone turn, keeping his eyes on Pickett the whole way. Which led him right to the football.
“Disguising plays a big part, especially a young QB like Kenny Pickett…he’s not experienced as a Tom Brady or Pat Mahomes,” Elam said. “Giving him that illusion we’re playing man here.”
Elam says Pickett “peeked” at him pre-snap, giving him a clue that he was going that way with the football. From there, Elam read Pickett’s shoulder, which told him when and where the ball was headed.
“My eyes are on the QB…he’s staring down Diontae Johnson…it’s time to go make a play at this point,” Elam said.
Pickett tried to throw a “hole shot” between the corner and safety but underthrew it. Elam read it the whole way, leaped and picked the pass off as part of the Bills’ defensive dominance that day. Pickett finished the game 34-of-52 for 327 yards, no touchdowns, and that interception, as the Steelers were held to just three points in a 35-point defeat.
Here’s a look at the whole play.
It was a learning opportunity for Pickett, put in a tough situation to make his first start on the road against one of the AFC’s best teams. While it wasn’t fun for any Steelers fans to watch in the moment, it’s growing pains like those that make players better for it. And it was a cool window to hear the perspective straight from the dude who picked Pickett off.
Again, be sure to watch the whole breakdown below.
