This, I am asking to anyone with coaching experience. Say, when DB jams the WR, is it fair game for the WR to jam (or maul, if you please) the DB in return?
Yea. I think it was Stephen Hills first catch where he absolutely destroyed his corner. I'll see if I can find a replay.
Within that 5-yard zone (roughly) it's fair game for either player to go at each-other. Some of the techniques and moves receivers learn to get out of the blocks are very similar to the ones pass-rushers learn to get after the QB. Just as you'd rarely see a DE or OLB focus on mauling an OT, you'll rarely see a WR focus on mauling the CB. Instead, the focus is on getting the opponent off-balance, breaking any contact he may have with you, and getting upfield.
I had a question about this last night, actually. Jamming a WR is one think, grabbing and holding them and dragging them to the ground is quite another. You'll see DB's get called when they do that. Which leads me to my next question... Why wasn't that Bills corner called for defensive holding when he dragged Sanchez to the ground while #6 was lined up wide? He's essentially playing the WR position.
Because Sanchez wasn't involved in the play. there's lots of holding that goes on away from the ball/play that will never get called.
I also remember Plax mauling a WR last year before he caught a pass and walked into the endzone. Can't remember what team it was against though.
I asked this with Pittsburgh CBs in mind. Steelers' CBs are not exactly Revis and Cromartie, so to speak. If Jets can force Ryan Clark and Polamalu to stay in the middle (Keller and Cumberland, here we come!) maybe Hill can maul the CBs and get open easily. I saw Bills made adjustment to the CBs after second half; they were all playing full 10 yards off the LoS after Hill raped the CBs - one at a time - throughout all of the first half. Curiously, however, every CB played 10 yards off, which leads me to believe that every WR that was in play mauled the assigned CBs to a degree. Or only CB on Hill would have played 10 yards off, not all of them. (I believe Lal was instrumental in this - or that's what I read somewhere.)
That's what Lal teaches. He believes in receivers being very physical. http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2012/09/jets_rookie_receiver_stephen_h.html
