Shawn Lee Dallas Cowboys Playing Agains the Lions

I don't know if you saw the play, but I did, and information technology was mesmerizing. Just earlier halftime of Dallas-Detroit on Lord's day, Cowboys center linebacker Sean Lee waited, waited, waited and suddenly, as though he'd been forewarned about the play telephone call, stepped in front end of wideout Jeremy Ross running a short slant, picked off the pass and ran 74 yards with it.

How'd he know it was coming? How'd he know when to break? How'd he go those instincts?

Football instincts, of course, are very hard to ascertain. Information technology's similar what Elaine Benes' uppity boss once said to her nigh grace: "You can't have a fiddling grace. Either you accept grace or you don't." Same with instincts. Ray Lewis had instincts like few players ever. Luke Kuechly has them in the nerve centre of the Carolina defense. Jon Beason has them, now for the Giants. David Harris, Bobby Wagner, Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman … They, too, run across plays before they develop. And watching Lee through the first half of the season—yous can run across the instincts frequently. He takes a first step to a play before information technology develops.

Instincts? Smarts? Athleticism? Sean Lee has them all, as his two picks against the Lions and 4 overall—tied for best in the NFL—attest.  (Duane Burleson/AP)

I talked to him about this particular play, and most instincts. He said it's a combination of athleticism and film written report/knowledge of the game.

"On the play," he said, "Calvin Johnson was split up broad right, and they motioned to a stack formation."

That was Ross, motioning from way broad of the formation in a few steps to line upwardly right backside Johnson at the snap of the brawl.

"No Reggie Bush on the play, and he's e'er a threat to go the ball in a down-and-distance similar that [third and five]."

Watching NFL Game Rewind this week, you lot could come across a lot: Lee, lined up four.5 yards over the center, behind a four-man Dallas line … Lee staring at Matthew Stafford, in shotgun … Stafford glancing chop-chop right, toward Ross … Lee glancing quickly at Ross, then back at Stafford … Ross in motion, stopping backside Johnson …

Lee'southward Cowboys face a must-win against Minnesota. ( Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

"The eyes can tell yous a lot pre-snap," Lee said. "But I knew from moving-picture show study they like to run slants, and when Stafford looked over at that place, you get a feeling."

At the snap Lee looked again, and here came Ross on a slant. Lee moved his legs piston-like up and down, preparing to dart 4 steps left because he figured Stafford would throw it to Ross right where the showtime-down line would be. And then, as Stafford cocked his arm and threw apace, Lee saw exactly where the ball would intersect with Ross, and he took 3 running steps toward that spot, at the Dallas 22. Ross reached for it, like shooting fish in a barrel every bit pie and whoooosh … here came Lee, and there went Lee, in full gallop.

"You learn it, you see it, yous feel it," said Lee, who went to Penn State and was a production of the football program at Upper St. Clair High in Pittsburgh. "When yous're freed up to make a play similar that, with no 1 in front of you lot, it's easier. Only I call back something like that happens a lot because of the work you've done during the calendar week. You lot remember, 'I've seen that before.' "

Dallas is at a crossroads now, four-4 and coming off an awful terminal-second loss—it seems the Cowboys take two or iii abominable losses every year. With New Orleans waiting adjacent week, the Cowboys cannot afford to slip against the slumping Vikings Sunday at home. "This flavour can go either way," Lee told me. "Nosotros have an unbelievable opportunity in front end of us, and I believe nosotros have the guys on this team to take advantage of that opportunity."

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If they'd all play with the athleticism and production and instincts of Lee, I'd experience a lot better well-nigh their chances to concord on in the NFC East.

At present, on to the rest of my thoughts for Week 9 . . .

About Last Nighttime . . .

Miami 22, Cincinnati 20. A walk-off safety. Fitting, to cap the month of the walk-off obstruction and the walk-off pickoff. Merely Cameron Wake's game-winning safety (the right call, past the way) wasn't the biggest moment Th night in Miami. That would be the loss of the best iii-technique defensive tackle in football, Cincinnati'due south Geno Atkins, to a flavour-ending ACL tear. I similar what I saw of 2012 third-circular tackle Brandon Thompson from Clemson in relief of Atkins, but allow's be frank. The Bengals accept lost their two most important defensive players in the concluding three games—Atkins and cornerback Leon Hall (Achilles). We'll see, but it could be besides much to overcome.

Thespian You Demand To Know This Weekend

Jon Bostic, middle linebacker, Chicago (number 57). Welcome to Mon Night Football, Jon Bostic. All you accept to do now is effigy out when to driblet in coverage against Aaron Rodgers (he's pretty good at play-activity) and when to smash the middle of the line . . .  and as if the Rodgers assignment wasn't enough, how about Matthew Stafford next week on a short week, and Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco the week after that?

Audio Bite of the Week

Antonio Brown's miscues are cause for concern in Pittsburgh. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

"We came away from that drive with no points considering of an interception on third-down that went through Antonio Chocolate-brown's easily and was picked off past their cornerback, Tracy Porter."

—Pittsburgh autobus Mike Tomlin, talking about a mis-play by the NFL'south leading wide receiver after eight weeks, Dark-brown (who has 56 catches), at Oakland on Sunday.

On the surface, this may not seem and then pregnant, Tomlin stating a simple fact about an error by a player. But the fact he used his weekly news conference to highlight the play . . . that'south another matter. Ben Roethlisberger and Tomlin reportedly are not happy with the bailiwick Dark-brown shows in running his routes and catching the ball.

X Things I'll Exist Watching For This Weekend

one. The Ryan Bros. Rob, the Saints defensive coordinator, and Rex, the Jets head autobus, meet in New Jersey Sunday, and life is incomparably different for them. Rob is on a high: Last year, the Saints were expressionless concluding in the NFL in defense, and this year, they're the 7th-stingiest in yards (332.4 allowed per game) and tertiary-stingiest in points (17.1 immune per game). Rex's defense was horrible final week in a 49-9 loss at Cincinnati.

2. A pretty meh weekend. No games matching teams with winning records. 6 byes. Hate the six-bye weeks.

3. The Jonathan Martin story. This is heavy now. Afterwards all the warnings at all levels of sports nigh hazing, a starting tackle for a team with a playoff pulse walks out on his team because he couldn't take his teammates' hazing anymore. I wonder if, when Miami officials interviewed Joe Philbin for this coaching job 22 months ago, they asked: "How volition you deal with hazing by players if it happens?"

4. Gronkstrung. That wacky Rob Gronkowski. Now he'south come downward with a hamstring strain. I swear the Patriots are going to be playing with ballboys at receiver past Thanksgiving.

five. Brady'southward paw. Everything's fine. Really. Tom Brady'due south swollen-looking throwing mitt doesn't injure at all. And I'm Kate Moss' twin.

half-dozen. Protecting Mr. Wilson. It's panic urban center in Seattle—after a win. All I know is Russell Wilson can't afford to accept every bit many hits as he's taken, and one of the only things Tampa Bay tin can do well is pressure the passer. The pressures/sacks/hits number on Wilson this season, according to Pro Football Focus, is xiii.iii per game. Last year it was 10. Expert matter Wilson'due south like Gumby and rarely takes a direct blow. Only however, it's as well dangerous for a player his size. Looks like the Seahawks will have to play at least 3 more games without regular tackles Russell Okung and Breno Giacomini. Duck, Russell. And I don't mean Oregon.

The Sunday Slate

Andy Benoit goes across the overplayed storylines to analyze the key matchups for every game.

7.

Trouble on the way to 9-0.

I was in Kansas Urban center this week, and I told a couple of young Chiefs whop hadn't played in Buffalo before, "Get ready for an interesting experience." Loud. Consistently loud. Dressed all in white (if the fans do what the Bills ask—the then-called "whiteout" of the stands). Promise the NFL's alone undefeated team has its silent snap count downwardly pat.

viii. Geno Smith the oddball. Smith, the Jets quarterback, in odd games (weeks 1, three, 5, 7): seven touchdowns, 4 interceptions. Smith in even games (weeks ii, 4, 6, 8): one touchdown, 9 picks. It'due south an odd calendar week. Give me the Jets confronting Drew Brees! (Uh, kidding. Actually.)

9. The Panthers could knock Atlanta out. What? The Falcons aren't out of it already? Atlanta'due south sixth loss would mean having to go 8-0 without Julio Jones and Roddy White to take a run a risk to make the playoffs. Uh, no. They meet in Charlotte, and how bizarre would it exist to see the Falcons playing out the string for eight straight weeks?

10.

Instance Keenum'due south hazard to take the Texans' QB job for good.

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Source: https://www.si.com/nfl/2013/11/01/sean-lee-peter-king-game-plan-week-9

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