Anatomy Of A Play: Bruce’s TD Catch/Pass To Matt Carter
Arland Bruce III’s 55-yard Touchdown Catch
As the play develops, Arland Bruce III is lined up in his usual slot position and gets a healthy head of steam as he approaches the line. You can see that right from the snap, Winnipeg’s half back is giving him a ten-yard cushion in the defence’s “off coverage” look.
Winnnipeg’s half reacts right away to Arland’s slight inside move and plays aggressively as he tries to get down in front of what he believes is a crossing route over the middle, one of Arland’s bread-and-butter plays.
You can see here that the DB’s eyes are in the backfield on the quarterback who gives a nice shoulder fake and helps Bruce sell the crossing route. Alex Suber has little choice but to sell out to the middle, turn his body and take a step inside. Exactly the reaction that the play was designed to illicit.
After turning inside, Bruce quickly steps back to the right and blows by Winnipeg’s Suber, who now has to turn his body all the way back around and try to catch Bruce. Unfortunately for Suber, Bruce now has a six-yard head start and Kevin Glenn’s deep ball is in the air. The result; a 55-yard touchdown reception and an early 14-0 lead for Hamilton.
Arland Bruce III’s 32-Yard Pass To Matt Carter
On this play, Bruce comes out of the slot and sets up to receive a bubble screen, where the two receivers on his side block up field and Bruce is relied on to use his quickness to pick up the first down. This is a look that is used frequently by the Ticats and the Winnipeg “D” has most likely seen on film. You can see that the way the defence reacts, it’s obvious that they’re keying on Arland.
There isn’t a defender on the field that isn’t sucked in when they see him get the ball and run out to the flats.
As the defence is drawn in by Arland, he stops short of the sideline and heaves a pass down the field to Matt Carter in single coverage.
“I wanted to throw a touchdown but I couldn’t get my fingers on the laces,” said Bruce.
Instead, it turns out to be a 32-yard reception to Carter.
Carter does a nice job of staying in-bounds and adjusting to a slightly under thrown ball. You can see all of Winnipeg DB’s trying to catch up to Carter after biting so hard on the fake to Bruce.
These two plays are perfect examples of how Bruce’s reputation figures into the way the defence plays him. Hamilton does an excellent job of recognizing the respect Arland is given and capitalizing on their over over aggressiveness by setting up the “D” one way and then sending the ball another. With a player like Bruce you have to pick your poison. Either key on him and leave other options open or play a balanced defence and allow the possibility of 27 recpeptions for 469 yards over two games.
