I think the DB play of the 1st team was overall pretty good. Remember, our goal last night was to stop the run, so for the first half especially, LB and even S were in the box first. There was only one or maybe two completions down field until late in the game, the rest were short passes in the flat to the RB. That also lead to the lack of pass rush and the high completion percentage, as they are easy to complete, and are very quick passes. As soon as the game required them to try to throw down the field, the pass rush started affecting the QB, either with sacks but more often with hits or knocked down passes.
Regarding getting their head around, CNS has offered long discussions about how the DB play many times. Part of that includes watching the receiver first, and looking based on what they do. I think younger players struggle on when to look back, and it hurts them. What I liked was the number of times the DB was right with the receiver. What we all didn't like is how few times there was an actual play on the ball. The times where the ball dropped over the DB appeared to be zone coverage, but only the player and the coaches know if that was a well thrown ball, or the DB was out of position. It was obvious by his comments at the end of the game that the 2nd string was not up to par.
What I would expect to see for a team like OM is less stacking the box, and more dime coverage, which would improve the pass defense significantly.