Eli Apple learning on the fly: Some good, some bad as DB settles in with Saints secondary

12-05-2018, 12:52 PM

jeanpierre · 12-05-2018, 12:54 PM

BY NICK UNDERHILL | nunderhill@theadvocate.com Dec 5, 2018 - 9:25 am

Every team plays some variation of the same coverages.

There are only so many ways a secondary can line up and defend an offense. But the smaller details of how those coverages get played vary from location to location, and those details often determine success or failure.

“You could go to any defense and say, ‘Do you play Cover 3?’ I’m sure they have a Cover 3 in their repertoire,” Saints safety Kurt Coleman said. “But it’s a matter of how do they want you to align, how do they want you to play certain formations? That stuff can only be gained through experience and time together.”

That’s why this week’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is essentially the seventh game of the season for the New Orleans secondary. That might sound like ample time to get Eli Apple, who was acquired in a trade with the New York Giants in October, fully acclimated, but also remember he didn't get to spend an offseason learning the defense.

The cornerback has been learning on the fly. There have been some games where the results have been good. New Orleans shut down the Philadelphia and Cincinnati passing attacks, save for Apple surrendering a touchdown at the goal line against the Bengals. And despite Falcons receiver Julio Jones picking up 147 yards, not all of which were on Apple, it felt like the cornerback limited the damage to a certain degree.

But there have also been some bumpy moments. The cornerback surrendered four catches for 71 yards to Dallas’ Michael Gallup last week and should have given up another 55 yards to the wide receiver after biting on a double move, but Dak Prescott overthrew the pass.

So while there is still room for improvement, the Saints think it will come as he continues to settle into the defense. In the meantime, the team is impressed with how quickly he has been able to pick things up.

“I wouldn’t say that he’s totally into every small thing that we’re doing, but for him to come in and be able to play and have an understanding of what we’re doing, you have to be impressed with him,” secondary coach Aaron Glenn said. “That goes to show his football intellect.”

The Saints have been mindful of how they’ve put together their plans. They’ve been careful not to put too much on Apple’s plate, which led to them keeping things relatively simple at the start and ramping up from there.

The plan opened up a little bit against Atlanta when Apple followed Jones. Last week, New Orleans had Marshon Lattimore shadow Amari Cooper. Such plans would not have been possible during the first few weeks after Apple arrived.

“It takes a little bit time to get comfortable within the system, and within the language and the verbiage, and some of those things,” defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said. “So, the more variables that you add to that, the more difficult it is.

“I think the initial plan coming in was Marshon on the right, Eli on the left and get him accustomed to (that), get him comfortable with what we're doing, and the things that we're going to ask him to do, and then as we do that, then we can begin to look at different things that we might do within the game plan to get ourselves in the best matchups.”

Apple is still learning the terminology of the defense. The Saints say they reiterate it to him before every play, after every play, and between the snap. As safety Vonn Bell said, the goal is to keep “refreshing him.” There have been moments so far when the budding chemistry between players have led to plays getting made, such as the defense successfully defending against a pair of rub routes last week, a concept that has plagued the defense in recent years.

But the most prominent example of the secondary adjusting in recent weeks came on a play against Philadelphia where two longer-tenured players were able to communicate something before the snap.

When the man Lattimore was covering ran a crossing route, safety Marcus Williams came down to pick him up, and Lattimore dropped deep to help Apple, who was covering Nelson Agholor. The pass went deep, and Lattimore got there in time to intercept the pass.

The Packers tried to run the same play against the Saints last year in Week 7 when Lattimore took off down the field to break up a deep pass to Jordy Nelson.

“We’ve been waiting on one of those all year, for one of them to throw that,” Lattimore said. “It worked out perfectly. Our communication is on point.”

The next time it comes up, Apple will recognize the play from the Philadelphia game. He’s settling in. It will just take some time before it gets all the way there.

Crusader · 12-05-2018, 01:29 PM

Aaron Glenn is a coach I'm getting increasingly afraid of losing. He does great stuff with our DBs and I wouldn't be surprised if we'll have Apple playing up to his potential as a first round pick no later than next year.

K Major · 12-05-2018, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by Crusader

He does great stuff with our DBs and I wouldn't be surprised if we'll have Apple playing up to his potential as a first round pick no later than next year.

Eli must play better this season though. I counted 3 flags for holding vs the Cows & if Gallup does trip over his shoe laces, Apple was toast for a TD. I expect Crablegs to test him again on Sunday. Gotta believe they will sling it around rain or sunshine in Tampa.

He needs to perform better at the #2 spot as we head for the home stretch.

CheramieIII · 12-05-2018, 01:56 PM

He got caught with his fly open a couple of times against Dallas!

frydaddy · 12-05-2018, 02:37 PM

Originally Posted by K Major

Eli must play better this season though. I counted 3 flags for holding vs the Cows & if Gallup does trip over his shoe laces, Apple was toast for a TD. I expect Crablegs to test him again on Sunday. Gotta believe they will sling it around rain or sunshine in Tampa.

He needs to perform better at the #2 spot as we head for the home stretch.

I think 2 of those calls were bs though. Especially considering what cow db's were getting away with at that point. He played a lot better in the 2nd half. Agreed he needs to be better though.

Lord_Saint83 · 12-05-2018, 03:32 PM

Originally Posted by frydaddy

I think 2 of those calls were bs though. Especially considering what cow db's were getting away with at that point. He played a lot better in the 2nd half. Agreed he needs to be better though.

Yea they were tackling our guys before the ball got there and we were getting called for way more then what they got away with. Yes he needs to get better but he got here only six weeks ago and he is a major improvement over crawley that knows the system already.

Supertek · 12-05-2018, 05:05 PM

I had hopes for Crawley not sure what happened to him

jeanpierre · 12-06-2018, 02:02 AM

Originally Posted by Crusader

Aaron Glenn is a coach I'm getting increasingly afraid of losing. He does great stuff with our DBs and I wouldn't be surprised if we'll have Apple playing up to his potential as a first round pick no later than next year.

I'd have a short-list of capable replacements, including college ranks (i.e. Ryan Nielsen ), so we don't regress in this area by hiring some I'm-just-happy-to-be-here-yes-man...

TheOak · 12-06-2018, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by K Major

Eli must play better this season though. I counted 3 flags for holding vs the Cows & if Gallup does trip over his shoe laces, Apple was toast for a TD. I expect Crablegs to test him again on Sunday. Gotta believe they will sling it around rain or sunshine in Tampa.

He needs to perform better at the #2 spot as we head for the home stretch.

What I find Odd is that Apple had ONE PI against him while he was with the Giants this year... gets to New Orleans and seems like Crawley is his mentor.

12-05-2018, 12:52 PM	#1
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12-05-2018, 12:54 PM	#2
jeanpierre Site Donor 2018 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Thibodaux Posts: 43,543 Blog Entries: 39	Re: Eli Apple learning on the fly: Some good, some bad as DB settles in with Saints secondary BY NICK UNDERHILL \| nunderhill@theadvocate.com Dec 5, 2018 - 9:25 am Every team plays some variation of the same coverages. There are only so many ways a secondary can line up and defend an offense. But the smaller details of how those coverages get played vary from location to location, and those details often determine success or failure. “You could go to any defense and say, ‘Do you play Cover 3?’ I’m sure they have a Cover 3 in their repertoire,” Saints safety Kurt Coleman said. “But it’s a matter of how do they want you to align, how do they want you to play certain formations? That stuff can only be gained through experience and time together.” That’s why this week’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is essentially the seventh game of the season for the New Orleans secondary. That might sound like ample time to get Eli Apple, who was acquired in a trade with the New York Giants in October, fully acclimated, but also remember he didn't get to spend an offseason learning the defense. The cornerback has been learning on the fly. There have been some games where the results have been good. New Orleans shut down the Philadelphia and Cincinnati passing attacks, save for Apple surrendering a touchdown at the goal line against the Bengals. And despite Falcons receiver Julio Jones picking up 147 yards, not all of which were on Apple, it felt like the cornerback limited the damage to a certain degree. But there have also been some bumpy moments. The cornerback surrendered four catches for 71 yards to Dallas’ Michael Gallup last week and should have given up another 55 yards to the wide receiver after biting on a double move, but Dak Prescott overthrew the pass. So while there is still room for improvement, the Saints think it will come as he continues to settle into the defense. In the meantime, the team is impressed with how quickly he has been able to pick things up. “I wouldn’t say that he’s totally into every small thing that we’re doing, but for him to come in and be able to play and have an understanding of what we’re doing, you have to be impressed with him,” secondary coach Aaron Glenn said. “That goes to show his football intellect.” The Saints have been mindful of how they’ve put together their plans. They’ve been careful not to put too much on Apple’s plate, which led to them keeping things relatively simple at the start and ramping up from there. The plan opened up a little bit against Atlanta when Apple followed Jones. Last week, New Orleans had Marshon Lattimore shadow Amari Cooper. Such plans would not have been possible during the first few weeks after Apple arrived. “It takes a little bit time to get comfortable within the system, and within the language and the verbiage, and some of those things,” defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said. “So, the more variables that you add to that, the more difficult it is. “I think the initial plan coming in was Marshon on the right, Eli on the left and get him accustomed to (that), get him comfortable with what we're doing, and the things that we're going to ask him to do, and then as we do that, then we can begin to look at different things that we might do within the game plan to get ourselves in the best matchups.” Apple is still learning the terminology of the defense. The Saints say they reiterate it to him before every play, after every play, and between the snap. As safety Vonn Bell said, the goal is to keep “refreshing him.” There have been moments so far when the budding chemistry between players have led to plays getting made, such as the defense successfully defending against a pair of rub routes last week, a concept that has plagued the defense in recent years. But the most prominent example of the secondary adjusting in recent weeks came on a play against Philadelphia where two longer-tenured players were able to communicate something before the snap. When the man Lattimore was covering ran a crossing route, safety Marcus Williams came down to pick him up, and Lattimore dropped deep to help Apple, who was covering Nelson Agholor. The pass went deep, and Lattimore got there in time to intercept the pass. The Packers tried to run the same play against the Saints last year in Week 7 when Lattimore took off down the field to break up a deep pass to Jordy Nelson. “We’ve been waiting on one of those all year, for one of them to throw that,” Lattimore said. “It worked out perfectly. Our communication is on point.” The next time it comes up, Apple will recognize the play from the Philadelphia game. He’s settling in. It will just take some time before it gets all the way there. lumm0x and Crusader like this.
	It's not that my way is the right way, I just make the right way my way...

12-05-2018, 01:29 PM	#3
Crusader Resident Swede Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Märsta, Sweden Posts: 8,025	Re: Eli Apple learning on the fly: Some good, some bad as DB settles in with Saints secondary Aaron Glenn is a coach I'm getting increasingly afraid of losing. He does great stuff with our DBs and I wouldn't be surprised if we'll have Apple playing up to his potential as a first round pick no later than next year.

12-05-2018, 01:48 PM	#4
K Major Site Donor 2019 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Bedford, TX Posts: 24,619 Blog Entries: 3	Re: Eli Apple learning on the fly: Some good, some bad as DB settles in with Saints secondary Originally Posted by Crusader He does great stuff with our DBs and I wouldn't be surprised if we'll have Apple playing up to his potential as a first round pick no later than next year. Eli must play better this season though. I counted 3 flags for holding vs the Cows & if Gallup does trip over his shoe laces, Apple was toast for a TD. I expect Crablegs to test him again on Sunday. Gotta believe they will sling it around rain or sunshine in Tampa. He needs to perform better at the #2 spot as we head for the home stretch.

12-05-2018, 01:56 PM	#5
CheramieIII Fan Since 1967 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Nomad Posts: 7,487 Blog Entries: 3	Re: Eli Apple learning on the fly: Some good, some bad as DB settles in with Saints secondary He got caught with his fly open a couple of times against Dallas!

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12-05-2018, 02:37 PM	#6
frydaddy 1000 Posts + Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Lafayette Posts: 1,950 Blog Entries: 1	Re: Eli Apple learning on the fly: Some good, some bad as DB settles in with Saints secondary Originally Posted by K Major Eli must play better this season though. I counted 3 flags for holding vs the Cows & if Gallup does trip over his shoe laces, Apple was toast for a TD. I expect Crablegs to test him again on Sunday. Gotta believe they will sling it around rain or sunshine in Tampa. He needs to perform better at the #2 spot as we head for the home stretch. I think 2 of those calls were bs though. Especially considering what cow db's were getting away with at that point. He played a lot better in the 2nd half. Agreed he needs to be better though. K Major and Lord_Saint83 like this.

12-05-2018, 03:32 PM	#7
Lord_Saint83 100% Blunt Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Saint Gabriel, La Posts: 2,754	Re: Eli Apple learning on the fly: Some good, some bad as DB settles in with Saints secondary Originally Posted by frydaddy I think 2 of those calls were bs though. Especially considering what cow db's were getting away with at that point. He played a lot better in the 2nd half. Agreed he needs to be better though. Yea they were tackling our guys before the ball got there and we were getting called for way more then what they got away with. Yes he needs to get better but he got here only six weeks ago and he is a major improvement over crawley that knows the system already. frydaddy likes this.

12-05-2018, 05:05 PM	#8
Supertek 500th Post Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Harvey La. Posts: 611	Re: Eli Apple learning on the fly: Some good, some bad as DB settles in with Saints secondary I had hopes for Crawley not sure what happened to him

12-06-2018, 02:02 AM	#9
jeanpierre Site Donor 2018 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Thibodaux Posts: 43,543 Blog Entries: 39	Re: Eli Apple learning on the fly: Some good, some bad as DB settles in with Saints secondary Originally Posted by Crusader Aaron Glenn is a coach I'm getting increasingly afraid of losing. He does great stuff with our DBs and I wouldn't be surprised if we'll have Apple playing up to his potential as a first round pick no later than next year. *I'd have a short-list of capable replacements, including college ranks (i.e. Ryan Nielsen ), so we don't regress in this area by hiring some I'm-just-happy-to-be-here-yes-man...*

12-06-2018, 08:21 AM	#10
TheOak 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Cypress Tx. Posts: 19,026	Re: Eli Apple learning on the fly: Some good, some bad as DB settles in with Saints secondary Originally Posted by K Major Eli must play better this season though. I counted 3 flags for holding vs the Cows & if Gallup does trip over his shoe laces, Apple was toast for a TD. I expect Crablegs to test him again on Sunday. Gotta believe they will sling it around rain or sunshine in Tampa. He needs to perform better at the #2 spot as we head for the home stretch. What I find Odd is that Apple had ONE PI against him while he was with the Giants this year... gets to New Orleans and seems like Crawley is his mentor. st thomas and K Major like this.

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