Monday night Demario showcased why he is one of the best if not the best linebacker in the league. Not only was he effective in the run game but he was very solid in coverage as well. At times there were plays where Demario Davis may have not gotten credit for the tackle or result but he was the ultimate factor of that play.
Without a doubt Demario has been playing at an elite level of play and seems to get better by the week and since he’s been with the Saints he seems to get better by the year.
His mental awareness and leadership on and off the field shows up on film. You can see him pre-snap calling out audibles and calling out checks to guys like Pete Werner and in some cases Malcolm Jenkins who is another leader on the team. He had good football and situational awareness which is what makes him a great football player as opposed to a good football player. His love for the game of football and his teammates shows on film as he wants to win every snap and every play; you’ll see that when we look at the film.
Before I get into any film I’d like to give a special thanks to Allen Jube for letting me use his NFL Gamepass sign in so I can provide you guys with this sort of content. Make sure to support him by subscribing to his YouTube channel here. He does giveaways tickets for home games so make sure not to miss it!
Play 1
Seahawks go with a run play on 2nd down and 7. Demario is the only linebacker inside the box. Once the play starts there is an initial hole for Collins to run through, but Demario fills it and forces Collins the other way. He also slows Collins down and essentially made the play, preventing the first down.
Play 2
3rd down and 1, Davis is the only backer in the second level with Werner on the edge. Davis scrapes once the ball is handed off to Collins and doesn’t bite on the motion fake. David waits for Collins to try and cut up the gap, Werner does a good job of forcing him back inside and Davis along with Jenkins tackle him short of the first down.
Play 3
Demario reads a pass immediately off a play action, and gets into his zone drop. The tight end runs a flat route and looks to be Geno Smith’s quick checkdown target. He keeps his head on a swivel, finds the tight end and Demario takes away Geno’s read.
Play 4
Demario blitzes on third down and the Saints run a stint. Demario takes out the guard and allows Josiah Bronson to force a pressure. In this process Demario also takes the center with him and now is getting double teamed freeing up the pass rush.
Play 5
Demario shows blitz, but it’s designed for Jenkins and Chauncey to bring pressure. Demario does a good job of getting his eyes on Freddy Swain and taking away the inside as he gets a drop. He follows him to the outside and never allows Geno to really make a throw.
Play 6
The Seahawks go with a play action pass, Demario reads the run and gets back into his drop as he sees the fullback potentially going out for a pass. Once he realizes he’s blocking Demario makes a play and gets the sack for a loss of four yards.
Play 7
Saints run a man coverage here, Demario and Chauncey do a good job of trading off the receivers and switching guys. Once the tight end goes out Chauncey takes him as that’s a long way to go for Demario. Demario takes the slot wide receiver who runs a seam and takes away Geno’s read over the middle. Coverage sack.
Play 8
Prior to this play it looks like Demario makes a check or audible call. Looks like he knew it was a run or the defense was blitzing. He shoots the gap, uses his speed to get past the guard and makes the tackle for loss.
Play 9
Demario reads the run and shoots the gap. He drives his feet and uses his power to drive the center back into his own guy and get the tackle for loss.
Play 10
Third down and the Saints decide to bring pressure. Demario comes in hot and the blitz allows him to get one-on-one with the running back. Demario ran the running back over and forced a pressure on Geno Smith forcing an incompletion and almost the interception by Chauncey.
Play 11
Demario reads this play perfectly and gets in the backfield to make a play, he just can’t quite finish it and make the tackle. He slows him down enough though to where the play still resulted in a tackle for loss.
Play 12
The Seahawks ran a variation of this play all night long, Demario got tired of it. Knows exactly what okay is coming, right when the e ball is snapped he runs straight to where the gap is and while getting blocked he makes the tackle for loss.
Play 13
Final drive of the game, Geno drops back and looks at his tight end. Demario has his head on a swivel and takes away any pass from going there. Geno is rushed and throws a bad low pass.
Play 14
Third down the Saints being four, Demario acts like he’s blo to up the middle and then acts like the Saints are running a stunt. Demario gets around all the linemen and chases down Geno Smith and gets the sack on a critical play.
Play 15
Last play of the game and it’s fourth and long. Demario is the guy who can’t let anything over the middle. A receiver runs a dig behind him forcing Demario to drop back, once he sees DK run a dig in front of him he breaks and goes to make a play. DK is about 10 yards away when he breaks. Ball is thrown to the 23 yard line when Demario is at the 35 yard line. He breaks in the ball and nearly gets the interception. Just shows how fast Demario Davis is on his breaks and downhill speed.
Demario recorded 10 total tackles with 4 tackles for loss, two of which were sacks with three quarterback hits. He also had a pass break up at the end of the game to secure the win. This performance earned him an 83.3 PFF grade ranking second best behind Marcus Davenport.
Written By Kadin Janisch
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