One-on-One: Jourdan Lewis
[Fuller/MGoBlog]
When I talked to Ryan Glasgow back in November after the Minnesota game, he said that he had kind of been able to pick up on how the offensive linemen were standing and pick up some tells whether the play would be a run or pass. When you’re lined up across from a receiver, are you able to pick anything up from them during a game or from watching film? Do they have certain tells?
“Yeah. It’s always about feeling the game and just knowing what they’re going to do. A team always has a gameplan coming into a game, so it’s a script and sometimes they go off the script and then they come back to the plays that they hit you on so you know. You have a feel for what they’re going to do next, so honestly it’s just feeling that, what your receiver likes to do, and just getting in that feel.”
Do they ever tip what route they’re going to run based on how they-
“Yeah. Linemen always tell. The formation is a big teller, and it’s just…yeah, it’s pretty much the feel, honestly.”
You’ve played a lot of man-press this year and you’ve talked a lot about technique, and I know your coaches say it all the time too, that the most important thing isn’t size or speed but is technique. Walk me through that; when you’re lined up in press, what are you looking to do as soon as the ball’s snapped?
“Be physical at the line of scrimmage. Disrupt them. Just do anything I can to bother them at the line. Just being in his hip pocket—you know, that annoys them, just knowing that you’re always there and they don’t have space to move and the quarterback has to put the ball on the spot, so honestly that contributes to incompletions and pass breakups and stuff like that because once you keep getting that tight coverage you know sometime that line’s going to break down.”
What if you have to take a guy a little bit deeper down the field? Say you’re 15 or 20 yards down the field. What’s the technique then?
“You’re trying to push them to the sideline. You’re trying to get them to the sideline, and then you’re trying to stay up under the route and get up in his back hip and turn around and try and look for the ball.”
[After THE JUMP: how to break up a pass and not get burned, a Florida scouting report, and a week of preparation]
Speaking of that, obviously you had a lot of pass breakups this year. What’s the most technically sound way to go about those?
“Basically in a fade sometimes you can’t really turn around. Sometimes you’re kind of like beat, but on fades you always play through the hands. So, whenever he puts his hands up you play through his hands. Honestly, it’s just playing through his hands; whenever he puts his hands up you put your hands through them. That contributes to a lot of my success.”
What have you seen on film so far from Florida’s receivers?
“They can run. It’s a lot of vertical routes and there’s a lot of play action and pop passes and stuff like that, so it’s a lot where they get out and they’re running. It’s a lot of down-the-field shots.”
Are they similar to anybody else you played this year? Just the receivers.
“No, honestly. They’re the most vertically imposing team. They can air the ball out.”
What’s a typical week of preparation like? I know with the bowl schedule it’s different, but during the season what’s a normal week like?
“So Monday we’ll really watch film. We really hone in on what personnels and different formations they like to get in and we’ll get out there for about an hour and just run through some of their main personnels, and then as the week goes on we’ll work on second down, third down, goal line situations, stuff like that. Then Friday we put it all together and practice some of their main concepts, stuff like that.”
December 16th, 2015 at 11:12 AM ^
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December 16th, 2015 at 11:14 AM ^
These are awesome features. Thanks.
December 16th, 2015 at 11:18 AM ^
This guy is becoming one of my all-time favorites at Michigan.
December 16th, 2015 at 11:24 AM ^
Well done, Adam what's-yer-name-from-some-site.
December 16th, 2015 at 11:46 AM ^
In fairness to the other journalists (the Angeliques of the world), the big difference is their readerships. This is a terrific interview for MGoBlog readers. But the stories that get page clicks for the Free Press or News are ones that have Harbaugh saying something feisty or colorful, some controversy or intrigue (e.g., Rudock vs. Morris), or easy-to-understand news (e.g., an injury).
The main reason that the press conferences seem - to this obsessive crowd - filled with questions that are boring and trite is that the broader audience of casual Michigan football readers cares about different stuff. And the newspapers want those page clicks.
December 16th, 2015 at 11:50 AM ^
Thank you, Bourbon what's-yer-ABV-from-some-barrel. In all seriousness, I really do appreciate the feedback.
December 16th, 2015 at 10:26 PM ^
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December 16th, 2015 at 11:29 AM ^
Nice interview. Props.
December 16th, 2015 at 11:29 AM ^
These one-on-ones are great, Adam. You definitely get less boiler plate/vague answers than in the standard press conferences. I hope these features continue in the future with hoops as well.
December 16th, 2015 at 11:38 AM ^
Love these one on ones, Adam.
December 16th, 2015 at 11:45 AM ^
I keep hearing Florida's offense is horrible, surprised that Lewis seems to think they'll be this much of a challenge ... even if their QB can't throw, completing just one of those long bombs could be the game.
December 16th, 2015 at 12:01 PM ^
December 16th, 2015 at 12:12 PM ^
But there's all sorts of meaningless "respect the opponent" stuff he could have said, what he did say was a specific compliment, which makes it more likely to be true.
Not to mention it's a factor that could come back to bite us with one lucky throw and a DB's mis-step.
December 16th, 2015 at 12:04 PM ^
My buddy covers Florida and told me that Callaway and Robinson are some of the fastest receivers he's seen; they've got that SEC speed, if you will. He said Harris has had trouble getting the ball past the line of scrimmage, so that speed hasn't made a huge difference since Grier got suspended. He said he wasn't exaggerating the line of scrimmage thing either, as Harris has had a bunch of passes knocked down by D-linemen.
December 16th, 2015 at 12:19 PM ^
I've only seen Florida against Bama. Their offense looked horrible, but the receivers did win some jump balls downfield where it seemed like Harris just threw up prayers. Would be a good game for Dymonte to really break out and grab a pick.
December 17th, 2015 at 8:52 AM ^
Florida's QB is horrible, which makes their offense horrible (we've seen that play out a few times ourselves).
Their other skill players are very good.
December 16th, 2015 at 11:50 AM ^
Let's clone him and Woodson like 60 times (Venture Brothers Style) and let's have an un-ending supply of amazing corners. Also Include Tripp Welbourn and, I dunno, Ty Law or something, if you'd like.
I expect to hear random zapping, beakers bubbling, and a random theramin playing in the background non-stop until this happens.
December 16th, 2015 at 11:52 AM ^
I like how Lewis gave praise to the Florida WRs - "(t)hey can air the ball out". He deftly said something that was true and gracious.
He could have said "their offense sucks ass and balls don't often make it from the QB's hands to the WRs' hands". Which would also have been true. But not gracious.
Very happy to hear he's staying for another year at Michigan. Great player, and seems like a good young man!
December 16th, 2015 at 11:54 AM ^
and for asking interesting questions very unlike the crap in most pressers. Good work
December 16th, 2015 at 12:22 PM ^
First post! Love the MGoBlog so much I just had to get an account!
December 16th, 2015 at 12:25 PM ^
The comments about how vertical Florida's offense is and about how they like to take shots downfield (echoed by Glasgow) suggest this offense is nothing like what we saw from Nuss last year.
December 16th, 2015 at 12:31 PM ^
Very effective technique (obviously), though it makes it hard to get interceptions since your eyes stay on the man. Hoping Wilson/Thomas/Hill can make good reads and pick off some of those errant Gator throws coming their way.
December 16th, 2015 at 4:03 PM ^
Yeah, yeah, yeah, but what's his favorite color? What does it feel like to be on a Harbaugh coached team? Too much substance, not enough fluff.
December 17th, 2015 at 8:54 AM ^
Crappy interview. He did not ask Lewis to talk about Jabrill Peppers even once.
December 16th, 2015 at 6:06 PM ^
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