Zyon McCollum: Knowing What 49ers Can’t Do Helps Defense
November 10th, 2024
Prep work on 49ers.
Bill Belichick has a famous saying when he’s studying players for the draft.
Bucs corner Zyon McCollum looks for the opposite when he’s studying an opponent.
Belichick is famous for telling his staff about prospects, “Don’t tell me what he can’t do. Tell me what he can do.”
McCollum told Joe that while studying 49ers gametape, he’s trying to figure out what 49ers’ running backs, tight ends, wide receivers and quarterback Brock Purdy can’t do.
“It’s a chess game,” McCollum said of 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and his offense.
“The 49ers offense, they basically play their team like chess. Meaning multiple people can do multiple things, in different places. So understanding who those people are [is key]. We know, like, Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey are similar type people. And [Kyle] Juszczyk and [George] Kittle are similar type people in their schemes.
“So when you understand the types of [chess] pieces you are going against, you know they are only doing a certain amount of things and they have a certain role.”
McCollum said the trap with San Francisco is thinking all the many weapons the 49ers have can and will do everything. That’s not so, he said.
“When you try to look at everybody as individuals, you kind of get trapped,” McCollum said. “Then [you think] everybody is doing everything.”
So what McCollum tries to figure out is what each skill position players can’t do. Once he figures that out, he doesn’t have to worry about Player-X doing what they can’t do, so McCollum can have a sharper focus on what to defend.
“It’s knowing what they can’t do,” McCollum said. “When I’m watching film, I’m trying to understand what I’m not getting.
“When I know what I am not getting, I am going to [focus] a certain amount of things and position myself on the field for a certain amount of things.”
The problem for McCollum and the Bucs defense is what Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle can do, they do very, very well.
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November 10th, 2024 at 12:31 am
WHAT? There’s nothing the 49ers can’t do against Lovie’s defense.
Zyon is young and promising. If he gets real coaching he might learn to play better and keep his 5-hole closed.
November 10th, 2024 at 12:59 am
Dave you are always so negative about our team that I always feel a bit sorry for you and it kind of depresses me.
November 10th, 2024 at 2:28 am
Better hope Dean can make it though this game injury free. A Defensive head coach went through the entire offseason bragging about Josh Hayes and funderburke how crazy is that being that he was a career defensive back in the NFL.
November 10th, 2024 at 3:50 am
Sign Zions telepathic twin next year.
And hopefully more and more black and white Americans will create beautiful kids like Zion and Patrick Mahomes and Vincent Jackson.
I studied genetics as an anthropology major at Auburn.
It is scientifically proven. With clear evidence. That genetic mixing is beneficial for babies and the human race.
The more mixed, the better. The less mixed the worse.
We learned in anthropology that “evolution is caused by mutation. Mutation is caused by genetic diversity”
On the other hand, I lived in Oman and Qatar for many years. Most of them marry their cousins. So a huge percentage of them have birth defects. Why? The lack of genetic diversity.
So yea. Keep mixing it up America! It’s good for our genetics and our nation.
“Make America Healthy Again”
November 10th, 2024 at 4:17 am
One move to positive.
November 10th, 2024 at 6:48 am
I can’t give a bouquet of just thorns. The same coaching staff that has produced whatever puke-fest defense we have been watching also developed this young man into a shutdown corner.
Credit where it is due
November 10th, 2024 at 6:59 am
Highly intelligent and motivated film study from Zyon, but isn’t that what coaches are for?
November 10th, 2024 at 10:48 am
Honestly Dave pair go riot for another team you closet racist you come to buccaneers post to talk so negative about a team most mf would beat you for just saying if this type of talk was in real life I’m not sure you’d make it far from real Bucs fans in the real work
November 10th, 2024 at 12:43 pm
Closet racist. That’s rich. Try another bullying tactic, and keep threatening violence to those you disagree with. That’s the spirit.