A mere nine months ago, the future of Baltimore Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley could not have been more promising.
He was one of the defense’s premier contributors in 2014, culminating with a Pro Bowl bid during his rookie year. Offering a diverse game, from relentless run pursuit to instincts and speed in coverage, Mosley displayed the total-package ability he flashed at the University of Alabama.
But as his sample size has increased, his play has decreased. Through six games in 2015, Mosley has rarely looked like his 2014 self, and has even been a liability in some games, particularly the Week 5 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
What has gone wrong for Mosley this season? Is it fair to say he has regressed?
Let’s take a look.
The most noticeable weak point of Mosley’s game this season has been his struggles in pass defense. For linebackers, having the instincts to pick up quickly developing plays in coverage are a necessity, and having the closing speed to seal off the flat and underneath routes is a plus.
But too often this year, that has not been the case with Mosley.
Last week against the San Francisco 49ers, Mosley’s timid tendencies in covering the flat and coinciding C-level effort were on display more than once.
Here, Mosley carries his initial momentum toward the play fake, giving a leg up to the fullback.
When quarterback Colin Kaepernick zeroes in on the receiver in the flat, Mosley is lagging in reacting to the play, and may be expecting another defender to be in place for the coverage.
Thus, by the time Kaerpernick readies to throw, the fullback is in prime position to make an easy reception, as Mosley struggles to play catch-up.
Once he finally tracks the receiver downfield and catches up to make the tackle, Mosley delivers disappointing finishing effort. The fullback viciously stiff-arms Mosley en route to eliminating the defender from the play as the 49ers pick up a large chunk of yardage on the play.
On plays such as this one, Mosley just seems out of it. He is not as sharp as he was last season, and he is not displaying the physicality that was on display so often during his rookie campaign.
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A week before against the Cleveland Browns, Mosley’s short-yardage struggles in coverage were much too apparent.
On this play, Mosley drops back in coverage as the running back slips out of the backfield.
Mosley is lethargic in reacting to the receiver, as he allows a seven-yard cushion as the running back finds a wide-open area in the middle of the field.
The generous cushion forces Mosley to attempt to recover faster than expected, resulting a slip-up in attacking the receiver after the catch.
By the time Mosley recovers, he is too late in the play to make any impact as the receiver works across field for a positive gain.
Plays like these have been alarmingly too common for Mosley during the first six games of the season. It is hard to pinpoint why Mosley has seemed to regress, but it is readily apparent to anybody watching that he is not the same as his rookie self.
Regression of key players are contributing to Baltimore’s horrid start to the season, and Mosley is one player in desperate need of making a renaissance during the final 10 games of the season.
