When all 11 do their jobs: Breaking down everything the went right on David Montgomery's 72-yard run
Allen Park — The defining play of the Detroit Lions’ 38-30 victory over the Baltimore Ravens was David Montgomery’s 72-yard run late in the third quarter.
Taking possession deep in their own territory in a tie game after the defense forced a punt that the Ravens downed at the 4-yard line, Montgomery afforded Detroit’s offense some breathing room with an 11-yard carry to open the possession.
Two snaps later, after quarterback Jared Goff had misfired wide across the middle on a play-action throw to Amon-Ra St. Brown, the Lions faced second-and-10.
Detroit came out in 11 personnel, one back, one tight end and three receivers. With the ball on the left hash, the formation was condensed. Speedster Jameson Williams was on the numbers to Goff’s left, St. Brown in the opposite slot, and Kalif Raymond tight to St. Brown’s right shoulder.
Tight end Sam LaPorta initially aligned slightly offset from left tackle Taylor Decker before motioning to the right side and attaching to the front, beside right tackle Penei Sewell.
Goff was under center on the play, with Montgomery, the single back, at an 8-yard depth.
The Ravens countered with a six-man box, an under front, and a two-safety shell, but tight to the line of scrimmage, with both deep defenders just inside 10 yards depth. No one followed LaPorta’s motion across the formation, with only a slight shift inside by rookie outside linebacker Teddye Buchanan (40) in response.
The magic happens at the snap, which comes approximately two seconds after LaPorta gets set. With six blockers and four defensive linemen, center Graham Glasgow and right guard Tate Ratledge are able to double 341-pound nose tackle Travis Jones.
Meanwhile, LaPorta is tasked with sealing defensive end Odafe Oweh to the outside of the lane. That’s a tough assignment, but the tight end proves to be up to the challenge. That frees Penei Sewell to climb to the second level, where the offensive tackle is able to lock onto and drive Roquan Smith out of the gap. Simultaneously, Glasgow slips free from his combination with Ratledge and walls off Buchanan on the backside.
Ratledge loses his seal on Jones late, but it’s of no consequence as Montgomery reaches the hole unencumbered. There, the back picks up critical blocks from St. Brown, who slowed nickel corner Marlon Humphrey, and Raymond, who crossed behind the slot receiver to dig out All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton.
Read that one again. Raymond successfully dug out Hamilton, arguably the best run-defending safety in the NFL, marking the second consecutive week the team’s smallest receiver delivered a key block on the offense’s longest run.
Instead of staying on a straight path for a decent gain, Montgomery showcases his vision, making a key cut as Smith’s helmet flashes into the lane, bouncing left around Sewell.
The final piece of the puzzle comes from Williams. The receiver demonstrates patience and body control as he gets to his landmark inside cornerback Chidobe Awuzie and gets just enough of the defender, creating a one-on-one matchup with Montgomery and rookie safety Malaki Starks, who takes a subpar angle and misses the tackle, sending the veteran back off to the races.
Not inconsequential to the play’s result, left tackle Taylor Decker and left guard Christian Mahogany won at the snap, eliminating two backside pursuers.
And, Goff, well, we can’t discount the value of a clean exchange with Montgomery, plus whatever role the QB may have had in the play call, often having two options out of the huddle.
About the only downside from the snap is that Montgomery didn’t reach the end zone, getting caught from behind by Buchanan and Awuzie. The back’s top gear is decent, but doesn’t can’t match teammate Jahmyr Gibbs.
Difficult to imagine anyone complaining following the run, which was part of a career-best 151 rushing yards for the veteran.
The best part of that run by Montgomery (tv version) was seeing him look up to use the “rear view mirror” (jumbotron) and angling away from the pursuit.
I love how all three receivers kick it into high gear to try to get downfield and get another block.