Junior ILB Nate Landman recorded a first quarter, redzone interception off of Washington's Jacob Eason this past Saturday. The Buffs emerged victorious in the game, 20-14, in a game that featured another solid all-around defensive performance.
For Landman, who struggled in pass coverage roles last year, 2019 has been quite the turnaround for him, as he continues to fit in Mel Tucker and Tyson Summers' defensive schemes, particularly when it comes to dropping back into coverage.
Landman might not ever be the guy who can run step for step with a slot receiver, an unrealistic expectation of a middle linebacker, but what he can continue to do well is be a guy in zone coverage who disrupts the vision of a QB over the middle of the field.
In other words, he can be someone who in the heat of the moment, a QB looks right over, which is partly what happened on the INT he recorded vs. Washington, as he explained it.
“It was a combination of a lot of things," he said. "It wasn’t just me — we called a pressure up the middle, double A gap pressure and I was responsible for eating up the center. Once I saw the (WRs) get past (the LOS), I spied the QB, read his eyes, the pressure got there, he had to get rid of the ball quickly, and I was in the right time and right spot.”
ILBs coach Ross Els summed it up similarly, while also joking about the end result of the INT: Landman ultimately was tracked down and tackled by Jacob Eason.
“His eyes were good, he broke on the ball and he made a play," Els said. "That’s all he did and he did a good job of it. It was in interesting run afterwards. He hasn’t carried the ball a lot, as we could tell — he got tackled by a QB, which is an issue" (laughs).
The play Landman was able to make, and his being in a spot to get a PBU in the fourth quarter when the Buffs were trying to keep UW out of the red zone (the PBU happened when Washington was at the Colorado 37-yard line) are all evidence of a number of things different this year than last, all of which are contributing to Landman upping his pass coverage abilities.
The most glaring difference has to do with schematics, especially on third down. Landman simply is being asked to do different things on third down. As many are aware, he was an essential non-factor on third down last year, but in 2019, has been able to craft a role for himself in those situations.
“Last year, I wasn’t in on third downs, so that was something I had to keep working on and improving during the offseason," he said. "I struggled a bit in the beginning of the season, but I think now I’ve gotten the feel for it. Coach Els and the defensive staff have done a great job in coaching me up and I’m getting comfortable back there reading QBs and routes. I’m getting better each week in improving that aspect of my game.”
Whether it's being the midd-of-the-field QB spy, or dropping back into zone coverages, Landman is clearly more comfortable in Tucker/Summers' system, at least on third down.“He likes to be on the field," Els said of Landman.
"A lot of the differences with Nate right now are scheme(-related). What we would have asked him to do last year is different from this year. It’s a whole new defense and I think it fits him better with what we’re doing on third down.”
Perhaps Tucker put it best. Landman's improvement in his pass coverage roles is symptomatic of the improvement of the defense on the whole, which is seeing guys, both veteran and young bucks, come into their own and fit in a more flush manner into the schemes looks that Tucker and Summers are putting on the table.
“We have been getting better and improving," Tucker said. "I said it four or five games back. I am seeing improvement in our defense — it just wasn’t showing up in the scoring. We are gaining confidence. Guys are able to stop the run and get (teams) to third down. Coach Summers and our defensive staff do a great job of putting together packages that attack protections. We know we are able to get to the quarterback and have solid coverage behind it."
Tucker's a fan of the phrase "complimentary football." Looking at the defense in particular, the word "complimentary" applies just as much.
When the d-linemen are effectively getting pressure, and when Colorado's DBs are holding up their end of the bargain and contributing good coverage, it increases the chances of the QB trying to force the ball and make a mistake, which is exactly how Landman ended up coming away with his INT.
“Coach talks about us getting better every week and that’s what I’ve been doing — doing my job, not trying to do too much and just improving each week," Landman said. "The guys around me are making me better.”
