Johnson, although used as a blitzer far less frequently

The New England Patriots trolled the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday and then blew them out Sunday night.A day after the acquiring former Steelers malcontent Antonio Brown Womens Bo Jackson Jersey , the reigning Super Bowl champions showed they might not even need him, getting 341 yards and three touchdown passes from 42-year-old Tom Brady to beat Pittsburgh 33-3."Well, he's the best in the world," Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. "There's a reason he's the best when he's out there doing his thing."Phillip Dorsett caught two touchdown passes, including a 58-yard score, and Josh Gordon — another receiver who wore out his welcome elsewhere — caught one TD pass. On the night New England unveiled its sixth NFL championship banner, Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman caught six passes for 83 yards and also completed a throw to help the Patriots begin their title defense.No one has won back-to-back NFL titles since New England did it in 2003 and '04."We were so locked in on the moment. We were locked in because we knew of the expectations," defensive back Duron Harmon said. "We knew that when we had the opportunity to play the Steelers, on opening night, with the banner raising, we were going to do everything possible to prepare the right way."Facing the last team to beat them, back in Week 15 last year, the Patriots opened a 20-0 lead before Pittsburgh kicked a field goal on fourth-and-goal from the 1 with 10:17 left in the third quarter. Brady responded with a 58-yard touchdown pass to Dorsett and a 27-3 lead.Dorsett had four catches for 95 yards and the first multi-score game of his career. He will be moving down the depth chart Monday when the Patriots are expected to make Brown's signing official."He's a playmaker," Edelman said. "The more playmakers you have, the more dynamic we can be."The move couldn't be welcome in Pittsburgh. Unable to get Brown to behave, the Steelers refused to trade the disgruntled diva to New England only to see him wind up with the team that has reached the AFC championship game eight straight seasons."Whatever," Roethlisberger said"Didn't spend a lot of time thinking about it or dwelling on it," said Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. "I'm not specifically worried about anything relative to Antonio Brown."Roethlisberger completed 27 of 47 passes for 277 yards and an interception, though 116 of the yards came on non-scoring drives in the fourth quarter with the Steelers down four scores. The offense showed the effects of losing two of its biggest playmakers: Brown, who talked and tweeted his way out of both Pittsburgh and Oakland in one offseason, and running back Le'Veon Bell, a two-time All-Pro who sat out all of last season to avoid a franchise tag.In their place, James Conner gained 21 yards on 10 carries; the Steelers gained only 32 yards rushing in all. Top receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster caught six passes for 78 yards, 26 of it coming on one throw in the final six minutes with the Steelers already trailing 33-3.The drive ended when Roethlisberger threw it into the end zone from the 41-yard line and was picked off by Devin McCourty.The Steelers had five full possessions in the first half and punted on four of them, going three-and-out three times."We got our butts whooped Bo Jackson Jersey ," defensive tackle Cameron Heyward said.AB NEGATIVEBrown, who asked for and was granted his release by Oakland on Saturday morning and then agreed to terms with the Patriots in the afternoon, and was not yet eligible to play.There was no sign of him at the stadium. The Patriots are expected to announce on Monday the one-year deal that will guarantee the four-time All-Pro $9 million. Asked about it during his postgame news conference, coach Bill Belichick didn't even allow a reporter to finish his question."Do you have any comment on the reports ... ""No," Belichick interrupted. "Next.""Of Antonio Brown ...""Next," Belichick said.BANNER NIGHTThe Patriots made room for another Super Bowl memento above their south end zone.The team unveiled their sixth championship banner before the game in a ceremony that included fireworks and a highlight video projected onto a screen covering much of the field.Drew Bledsoe, Ty Law, Willie McGinest, Rob Ninkovich and Martellus Bennett brought out the first five Lombardi Trophies. Owner Robert Kraft brought out the one the team won in February by beating the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 — the one that was dented by Rob Gronkowski when he used it for batting practice at the Boston Red Sox opener.Kraft received a big cheer from the fans, who seemed unbothered by charges that he solicited prostitution in a Florida massage parlor. Gronkowski, who retired in March, also received a loud cheer.INJURIESSteelers: Linebacker T.J. Watt left with a hip injury and did not return.Patriots: Linebacker Marcus Cannon had a shoulder injury.UP NEXTSteelers: Host the Seattle Seahawks next Sunday.Patriots: Visit Miami next Sunday. In the AFC West, defending the high flying aerial attacks from the Chiefs and the Chargers is a high priority for Gruden’s coaching staff. To accomplish this, Mike Mayock added three defensive..."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Raiders StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Raiders NewsYahoo Raiders Team PageYahoo Raiders ReportYahoo Raiders Depth ChartYahoo Raiders TransactionsYahoo Raiders PhotosOdds About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕Raiders Rookie Film Room: Comparing Trayvon Mullen and Isaiah Johnson rep for repNew,33commentsPDTShareTweetShareShareRaiders Rookie Film Room: Comparing Trayvon Mullen and Isaiah Johnson rep for repIn the AFC West, defending the high flying aerial attacks from the Chiefs and the Chargers is a high priority for Gruden’s coaching staff. To accomplish this, Mike Mayock added three defensive backs in the draft using the 27th overall pick on safety Johnathan Abram and then doubling up at cornerback with the 2nd and 4th round picks being Clemson CB Trayvon Mullen and Houston CB Isaiah Johnson.Mullen and Johnson are similar in a few ways, both boast prototypical size and speed for the position. Mullen at 6’1”, 200 lbs, notched a 4.46 40-yard dash and has played at a Championship level in college. Johnson is even bigger at 6’2” with a 79-inch wingspan, and faster churning out a 4.4 flat 40 time in addition to other superb athletic testing at the combine. When Gruden talked on the phone with Johnson after selecting him in the fourth round he told the former Houston CB that they were thinking of taking him in the 2nd round and the Raiders were shocked to find he was still available in the fourth round.Let’s take a look at how each player fits in the Raiders defense and how they can contribute. We’ll use alternating examples from each rookie’s college film to show how they compare.Press coverageWhen you think of a press corner, someone with the build of these rookie defensive backs will pop in your head. Having the requisite length to play press coverage is one thing, but there is also a lot of technique that goes into doing it at a high level. Both corners will be asked to play plenty of press in Paul Guenther’s scheme.This is a great rep from Mullen who is using the “press motor” or “soft shoe” technique Guenther asks his corners to play. He needs to gain ground with quick steps backwards while mirroring the release of the receiver. The coaching point in this technique is keeping shoulders squared as long as possible, forcing the receiver to pick a side. Mullen stays patient in this rep, transitioning into a back shoulder position perfectly defending this sideline pass.Johnson is using a slightly different press technique https://www.raiderslockerroom.com/authentic-antonio-brown-jersey , the kind Rashaan Melvin was used to before coming to the Raiders last off-season. This is a “hard press” or “true press” coverage where the defensive back takes a flat step and immediately re-routes the receiver. We see Johnson miss because instead of staying square, he turns his body too soon in the play. He is able to recover because if his awesome athleticism and pins the receiver to the sideline forcing an incompletion. Up and down rep from Johnson.This time against an inside release, Mullen does a great job of mirroring and getting his hands on early in the rep. Against inside releases, cornerbacks need to “squeeze” their man towards the safety help. This means maintaining close body contact leaning on the receiver forcing him inside. We see Mullen squeeze the receiver which pays off when the Duke pass catcher breaks inside. Had Mullen not squeezed down, he wouldn’t have been in position to make this play on the ball.Against an inside release Johnson needs to squeeze the receiver but we see him simply run vertical. The receiver ends up inside the numbers and Johnson is outside the numbers. Good thing for Johnson this was a run play because if that receiver breaks across the middle, Johnson would have no chance to get back in phase. It’s important to remember that Johnson converted to cornerback after playing wide receiver his first two years of college, he is definitely a work in progress at this point.Off coverageNFL cornerbacks needs to know how to play a variety of techniques. The more they have in their tool bag, the better they will be able to disguise and play situational football. There are times in Guenther’s scheme where cornerbacks will have to play off coverage. Mullen and Johnson can improve in this area.Mullen wasn’t asked to play off coverage too often in Clemson’s scheme but when he did he had mixed results. This rep against NC State is a great example of how Mullen frequently stays patient, trusts his technique, and understands down and distance. He sits on this route run at the 1st down markers and break up the pass, looking at the quarterback the entire time.Johnson played much more off coverage and actually looked more comfortable than when he played press. In this example you can argue Johnson has better eye discipline, keeping his eyes on his man and not peeking at the quarterback until the receiver breaks. Johnson takes an extra step getting out of his break but again his athleticism and length help him make up for less than perfect technique and he notches a pass break-up.As is often the case, longer cornerbacks can struggle to change direction in space. Mullen didn’t often look lost, but when he did it usually happened in off-coverage. Mullen is just hopping around too much and his usual patience isn’t present during this play against Boston College.Johnson was guilty of some of these down reps as well. Tall corners can’t be expected to change direction like a smaller player might. Johnson initially stays patient and breaks on the slant route. Too bad the receiver is setting up the “sluggo” and Johnson gets beat for a touchdown.Ball skillsOne of the knocks on Mullen is his relative lack of ball production when compared to the rest of the class. Mullen secured 4 career interceptions and 7 passes defensed in 32 games played. Much of the lack of production stemmed from the fact that there were 4 future NFL defensive lineman rushing the passer and quarterbacks had to get the ball out quick when facing Clemson. That being said the few times he was challenged in coverage, he usually got the better of the offense. The interception above shows he has great ball skills and can make acrobatic plays on the ball.Johnson (being originally recruited to play wide receiver) has the ball skills that most defenders dream of. Much of his ability to make plays on the ball comes from his superior size and arm length. Like this play in cover 2, Johnson cushions the vertical route and is able to extend and bat down this hole shot. In 22 games played on defense, Johnson secured 4 interceptions and 12 passes defensed. He’s just scratching the surface of his ability as a defender.TacklingPlaying professional football is brutal. Even the fast guys must be physical. The premier shut down corners are also great tacklers who can take anyone to the ground. Mullen and Johnson each have potential in this area.Mullen’s tackling ability it readily apparent when watching film. He can be a fierce hitter on the outside and has proven to be a very good open field tackler. Like most corners he will pick his shots and needs to improve on taking on blockers. But in a one-on-one situation, Mullen is arguably the best tackler in this rookie class of cornerbacks.Johnson has also shown flashes of physicality but they are interspersed with less than impressive plays. He has the ability to be a solid to above average tackler at cornerback, but needs to consistently have the attitude that the ball carrier is going down. This play Johnson does a good job getting off the block and forcing a 4th down.BlitzingBlitzing is a proven element of Mullen’s game. He has many highlight plays where he can affect the run or pass game as a blitzer off the edge. This great play during the National Championship game where Mullen gets a pre-snap read that gives him the green light to blitz is one such exampe. His snap anticipation and rush path is already developed and he should see opportunities to continue blitzing as a Raider.than Mullen, also has potential in this area. This play he comes unblocked from the boundary shows the reaction quickness and timing to elevate and deflect the pass when he realizes he isn’t getting home quick enough.ConclusionGoing rep-for-rep between these two prospects its apparent that Mullen is much closer to a finished product at this point and well deserving of being drafted ahead of Johnson. Mullen should push Worley for the starting position opposite Gareon Conley during training camp. A fun fact discovered doing the research on these two prospects is that Mullen hasn’t given up a touchdown pass since high-school. He is a fierce competitor and should be a mainstay cornerback for the Raiders.Johnson is more of a project. His elite size and athleticism are very intriguing and considering he’s only played the position for a couple years, its possible he gets a lot better as a professional. That being said, he’s too far away to be considered a day 1 impact player and likely won’t be counted on to contribute too early.