Ever wanted to sit in on a Nick Saban film session? Thanks to ESPN, now you can. The Alabama head coach is involved in two new episodes of “Detail,” a show on ESPN+. During the episodes, Saban breaks down film of Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa as well as LSU quarterback Joe Burrow. Here are some of the highlights from what the head coach had to say about Tagovailoa.

Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (13) and head coach Nick Saban. Photo | Getty Images

Recognition

ESPN+

During one clip, Saban shows a play from the 2018 Orange Bowl where Alabama is lined up out of an unbalanced formation from the Oklahoma 13-yard line. Saban explains that his offense is playing with three receivers as well as a tight end on the right side in an attempt to force the Sooners to declare themselves on defense. Sure enough, Oklahoma shows that it is in man coverage without safety help in the middle of the field. From there, Tagovailoa fakes a handoff to Najee Harris before reading that Jerry Jeudy beat his man in the slot. Next, the quarterback fires a quick pass over the middle, leading his receiver perfectly for an easy score. Saban says: “I think the great thing about Tua here is he is such an instinctive player in reading these things quickly, and he’s so accurate at throwing the ball. I think that’s his greatest strength as a player.”

Going through progressions

ESPN+ (ESPN)

Another interesting breakdown comes from the 2018 game against Missouri when Alabama opened up the game from its own 19-yard line. During the second play from scrimmage, the Crimson Tide lines up out of the shotgun with Jeudy and DeVonta Smith on the right side and tight end Hale Hentges and wide receiver Henry Ruggs III deployed wide to the left. Saban explains that Tagovailoa’s first read on this play is to see if the defense either plays soft on Ruggs, who is running a screen, or bites on a blocking fake from Hentges, who is running a go route. On the other side, Jeudy and Smith are running double posts. After receiving the snap, Tagovailoa fakes a handoff to Damien Harris before immediately looking left to see both Hentges and Ruggs are covered. From there, the quarterback regathers himself to see that the Missouri safety bit on Smith’s low post, leaving Jeudy one-on-one with his man deep over the middle. Tagovailoa then delivers a perfectly-placed ball to Jeudy, who beat his man for an 81-yard touchdown. Saban says: “A lot of guys can’t do this. A lot of guys can’t fake this ball, look to the left, make a read, come back to the other side of the field and now read the middle of the field to see the safety, see he’s out of position and hit Jerry Jeudy for a touchdown."

Play-making ability

ESPN+

One of the most iconic plays in Tagovailoa’s Alabama career came during the 2018 season opener against Louisville when he spun past a defender before delivering a touchdown pass to Jeudy off his back foot. Unlike other breakdowns in the episode, this is an example where things didn’t go to plan for the Crimson Tide. Alabama ran a naked bootleg, leaving no one blocking Louisville’s defensive end. Instead of biting on a fake handoff to Harris, the defender stays on Tagovailoa, forcing the quarterback to make a play with his feet. From there, the left-hander demonstrates a bit of his magic, making one of the most exciting plays of the season. Saban says: “You can coach players, you can have good plays and all that, but this is an example of where really good players just make a play.”

Scrambling ability

ESPN+

Not all of the highlights involved Tagovailoa’s arm. Saban also broke down a scramble from his quarterback during last season’s game against New Mexico State. During the play, Alabama motioned Najee Harris out to receiver to force the defense to show its hand. New Mexico State was playing a three-deep zone with four down linemen. Tagovailoa does a nice job recognizing that the left-side outside linebacker is blitzing on the play and slides his offensive line left to compensate. From there the quarterback has the time to make reads in the pocket. Tagovailoa thinks about hitting Ruggs deep across the middle — a decision Saban said he would have favored — but instead steps up in the pocket to find a wide-open running lane with his feet for a 25-yard score. Saban says: “Not only do they have to defend this formation and our receivers and the mismatches that we can create, but they also have a quarterback who has the chance to beat you with his feet.”

Final thought from Saban

“I think Tua’s going to be a great NFL quarterback because he’s really instinctive. He’s got great hands and great touch which makes him a very accurate thrower at all levels. He can throw short. He can throw intermediate and drive the ball. He can throw deep. He’s athletic enough to avoid the rush, and he’s smart enough to protect himself with his protection. So as an NFL quarterback, I think he’ll do an outstanding job."

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Andrew Bone, of BamaInsider.com, is a real estate broker in the state of Alabama.

Contact Andrew Bone for all of your real estate needs; buyers, sellers, investors, developers. Property management; BoneHomeTours.com Call 205-531-5577 or click here

