Cowboys Film Room: Sean Lee, Jaylon Smith proving dynamic

The Giants targeted Lee 11 times on Sunday night but only were able to gain a total of 31 yards on eight catches. Lee’s ability to react to different route combinations in zone coverage and limit yards after the catch make him one of the best linebackers to have on the field in nickel situations.

Here’s a perfect example of his understanding of passing concepts as he stops the defender short of the first down marker on third down:

Lee carried the tight end up the field and then took the crossing receiver as the quarterback moved on to his second read. This play is designed to get the linebacker out of the middle of the field, but Lee was not fooled. He didn’t knock the pass away or create a turnover, but he got the Cowboys got off the field on third down. And those little plays right there are why the Cowboys have been much improved on defense in the past few seasons.

While the NFL has turned into a passing league, it’s still important to get stops on early downs on the ground. No one can diagnose a run play before they happen better than Sean Lee. He’s never going to be a guy that takes on blocks or forklifts guards of their feet, but he’s so good at avoiding blocks that it doesn’t matter. Here’s a perfect example of him avoiding a fullback and making a tackle behind the line of scrimmage:

Lee doesn’t have many weaknesses as a linebacker, but overall athleticism is his biggest, especially at the age of 31. That’s why Smith could be the perfect compliment to Lee this season.
Smith doesn’t have the instincts or play awareness of Lee (although, I think he can develop it over time), he does have the size and athleticism to be a fantastic middle linebacker. His impact on games is going to be his ability to run sideline to sideline to make plays.