Philadelphia Recap Wk 15

PHI Recap Wk 15

Offense makes up for Defense

Sunday night's game was a huge one for Dallas, pretty much a make or break for this season. If they win, they improve their chances of getting in to the big dance, and if they lose, they need a lot of other stuff to happen to have a chance at all.

Luckily, it turned out in Dallas's favor 38-27, but the score nowhere nearly represents how stressful the game was for the second and third quarters. Dallas started off by putting up 21 unanswered points against Philly. After that, Dallas clicked into December mode. The two defensive three-and-outs they had against Philly's O faded away as (and this seemed to be the case for practically the rest of the game) any first down the Eagles got ensured a scoring drive thereafter. Philly stampeded back 24-21, and both teams traded blows.

What changed the game late in the third quarter was Brent Celek's immaculate timing on a fumble that Jason Garrett had to throw the challenge flag on to get it looked at. Dallas took over in plus territory and found Dez Bryant where he was all night- the lower right section of the endzone.

Personally, I don't feel like Dallas will make it very far in the playoffs if they do make it- their defense is swiss cheese, both up front on the run and downfield on the pass. Mark Sanchez found receivers way too easily downfield, and even when they weren't passing, McCoy was well able to gash them up front. Playoff caliber teams are decent on BOTH sides of the ball, not just one, and we can't rely on Romo and the offense, especially this late in the season, to do it for us.

Chicago Recap, Philly Precap WK15

Boys/CHI Recap Week 14, PHI Pre-Cap Week 15

Dodged a Bullet

You can tell Dallas is going into January mode. They should have stomped all over Chicago from the start, but they kept it interesting at the end. Two recovered onsides kicks? 21 points in a quarter, even if it was only the 4th? It's sloppy, and not a good way to cap off a week while heading into your second meeting with Philly.

SLOW. THEM. DOWN.

One thing that Seattle did that may give the Cowboys an option is the whole "fake injury to stop the game" routine. Is it gamesmanship? Probably, yes. Is it not in the spirit of the game? Probably. But I'm pretty sure the game wasn't founded in the spirit of running a hurry-up offense all game either, so fight fire with fire. One thing this Philly O has got going for them is when they settle into that rhythm of getting 10-12 yard chunks play after play. Even if that is the case, if a Dallas player takes a dive in the middle of a drive, it screws up the rhythm, gives the D a chance to catch up, and ultimately allows Dallas to play more solid, concentrated D.

Yes, it is true that the league does fine teams for faking injuries, but something as serious as a cramp can keep a player down for up to 10 minutes if it's bad enough, and why wouldn't they be more prevalent against a team running the hurry-up?

Dallas has to stop worrying about what the media and public is going to think if they pull this routine though. They NEED this win, along with the Eagles losing one more game this season to make Dallas the de facto NFC East champion, and they don't have to worry about seeing Philly again in the playoffs if Seattle does well.

Football Basics: The Option Game

Quick Hitting and Quick Thinking

What It Is

The option game isn't a formation or a playbook; rather, it is a concept. Practically every offensive playbook from any offensive system has some sort of option. This doesn't make the team an "option team", however, a system whose run game specializes in and frequently runs option plays is normally referred to as an "option team.

As you may be able to tell from the name, the option game specializes in run plays that give the quarterback two (or even three) options regarding who can run the ball. All of these options are affected by how the quarterback reads his keys (generally referred to as the read key, the pitch key, or both in one play). If a Quarterback is good at reading his keys, the option game is generally very difficult to stop because the only way to stop it is by having a defense that is aware of and plays their responsibilities very well.

However, if a team is very well coached playing against the option, the defense can then force the QB to take options he may not necessarily want, such as keeping the ball when he wants to pitch it, or handing it off to the dive man when he really wants to keep it. More below.

What it Does

As said above, option plays are plays in which 2 or more people could potentially end up running the ball. The point of this philosophy is to have multiple angles at which the offense can attack, and it is up to the QB to decide which one of these angles is the one that will result in the most yards. In addition, it can also take advantage of defenders who are too eager to go to where the play appears to be being run. 

Plays That are Run

• Read option
• This is the bread-and butter of any option playbook. It generally occurs out of a Shotgun set (with the running back offset to the side the play is going) or Pistol set (with the runningback directly behind the QB). The linemen block in the direction the play is called, and the running back goes on a dive path (getting ready to run a dive with the QB putting the ball in his stomach). The linemen do not block the last man on the line of scrimmage; this is usually a defensive end or a walked up OLB, and he is considered the READ KEY. If the read key crashes down on the line of scrimmage and pursues the RB, the QB quickly pulls the ball out and attacks the space where the read key just came from. If the read key sits still and plays disciplined, the QB gives the ball the RB.
• Zone option
• This is essentially the same thing as the read option, but now the offensive linemen are taking zone steps (lateral, playside steps, picking up whichever man surfaces first in that area). The running back goes to the direction of the play ACROSS the QB's face (as opposed to straight down into the LOS in the read option) on an outside zone path (attacking the flank and reading how the blocks play out in front of him, waiting for a gap to surface). Meanwhile, the QB reads the defensive end/OLB/read key to the backside of the play, instead of the frontside, like he did in the read option. If the read key to the backside chases after the RB, the QB keeps it and attacks the space where the read key came from. If the read key sits and plays disciplined, the QB hands it off.
• Midline Read Option
• Same as the read option, but now the read key is an interior DL instead of one on the edge.
• Triple Option
• With all of the option types covered so far, we have only had a READ key, giving us two options- either hand the ball or keep it off. For us to have another option, we have to have another key. In the triple option, we have TWO keys- a READ key, and a Pitch key. Typically, in the triple option the pitch key is the next second-level man outside the read key. This can be a rolling down safety, an OLB, or even a corner. The play works the same way as the read option, except when the QB decides to keep it and attack the LOS, he is waiting to see if the first defender to come up covers the QB or the Pitch man. If the defender goes for the Pitch man, the QB keeps it. If the defender goes for the QB, the QB pitches it.
• Wildcat Option
• You do not see the wildcat that frequently anymore, but it was semi-popular in the 2008 season . In the Wildcat, a RB or WR takes the place of the QB, the QB splits out as a WR, and a WR or second RB motions across the formation to make the play look like sweep. The ball is snapped to the RB playing like a QB, and he reads just like a QB would on Zone,

Who Runs it

• Smaller, faster, smarter teams (Regular Option)
• The option game is designed to be quick-hitting and confusing to a defense. Although easy to game-plan for in terms of responsibilities, nothing can truly ensure that the defense will have players in the right spots when they need to be. Also, since good teams do not run an option play EVERY single play, the option is a good follow-up to plays where you have been consistently handing the ball off and attacking the flank or interior of the line.
• An offense has to be intelligent to run the option and have good football IQ. A lot changes in the course of a play, and the OL and blocking backs have to be able to read on the run. 
• Some HS, Some College, Some Pro, occasionally. (Wildcat)
• You don't see it that much anymore because most coaches do not like the ideas of lining a QB out wide as a blocker, having a non-QB take and handle a shotgun snap, or wasting practice time to go over something they either will not use or will use very little. The Miami Dolphins did a great job of making the Wildcat a mainstay of their offensive package in 2008, until the Patriots wised up to it in their second meeting and forced them to pass with a sub-par QB.

Hope you learned a little!

Cheers

JG

'Boys/NYG/PHI Recap

Cowboys/NYG/PHI Recap

Undewhelming Against Both

Haven't been on here in a while, what with the new developments in my life- getting a full-time job at MTHS, finishing up the coaching season, helping coordinate our HS football team's lifting opportunities after school... 

But, I'm back. And after a bye week, a shitty performance against the Giants, and a shittier performance against the Eagles, my confidence as a fan is waning. Once again, the Eagles are in a position to take the East, the Cowboys are trying to claw their way back up, and the other two teams suck. The only thing I'm praying for is that Dallas can just get above .500 for the first time in, what, 4 years? And even that isn't necessarily a lock. Bears, Eagles again, Colts, and Skins? Well, the Bears definitely aren't the worst team we're going to play this year. That was probably the Giants, and look how close that game turned out! The Colts' passing game is going to be too volatile for the Dallas D to contain, and the Birds and Skins are both one game up on Dallas. Out of this upcoming four weeks, I would like to think that the Bears and Washington are manageable, but recent events have convinced me otherwise.

Football Basics: The 4-3 Defense

Solid and Versatile

What It Is

The 4-3 defense, as the name may suggest, is a defensive scheme in which there are 4 defensive linemen backed up by three linebackers. This also means that the defense is putting 7 defensemen in the tackle box. It is also my favorite defense to run as it offers the most coverage/blitzing combinations as everything can be packaged into a triangle. 

A large part of the 4-3 front is making sure your players are aligned properly and all are responsible for a gap. Look at this diagram for references.

That is called a technique numbering scheme. It is a way to describe how a defensive lineman or linebacker should be aligned. Let's look back at the diagram at the beginning of this post. The DT's are both aligned on the inside shoulders of the offensive guards. This would make them 1-technique players. The Defensive Ends are aligned on the outside shoulders of the offensive tackles. This would make them 6-technique players.

When describing techniques for linebackers, we just look at where they are lined up in reference to an offensive lineman, and add 0 to the end of their technique number. So in the diagram at the beginning, the middle linebacker is head up on the center, at linebacker depth (4-6 yards deep). This technique is referred to as a 00-technique, or a double-zero technique. The other two linebackers are on the inside shoulders of the offensive tackles, making them 40-technique players.

After taking care of our DL and LB's, we still have DB's to look at. Since there are 4 people left, we have 2 corners and 2 safeties. Safeties generally align 1-2 yards inside or outside the last man on the line of scrimmage at about 8 yards deep, depending on what the defense is game planning for that week. Corners will align differently depending on the coverage they're playing, but are usually either pressed up about 1 or two yards away from a WR, or 4-5 yards back from the WR.

Lastly, to summarize, here is a list of how players are commonly labeled in the 4-3 defense.

1. E (Defensive End)
2. T/3 (Defensive Tackle or 3-tech. These are generally interchangeable because most 4-3 defenses feature a specialized 3-technique player)
3. N (Nose Guard)
4. E (Other Defensive End)
5. S ("Sam" Backer- Aligns to the strength of the offense)
6. M ("Mike" Backer- Aligns generally in the middle uncovered gap of the offensive line)
7. W ("Will" Backer - Aligns away from the strength of the offense)
8. C (CornerBack)
9. C (Other CornerBack)
10. $ (Strong Safety- $ is used to avoid confusing him with the Sam because they are both on the same side of the field)
11. F (Free Safety)

What it Does

The 4-3 defense is an extremely basic and coach-friendly defense to teach, due mostly to its balanced nature and utilization of the triangle concept, i.e. blitzes, stunts, and coverage adjustments can all be made in a way that it affects the triangle a player is part of. Look at the diagram below.

Now, as we can see, everybody is part of a triangle. What each yellow line signifies is a potential responsibility a player may have to another. For example: If the LB to the right were to blitz off the edge of the line of scrimmage, to the right of the DE, his assignment will affect the behavior or the Right DE, the Right DT, and potentially the CB and S he is attached to. Why? Because that LB blitzing just left a gap in the middle of the field where he came from. We don't want to get our other LB's out of their triangles because it disrupts the logic of the defense, so a Corner or Safety, or even the right DE would have to in some way make up for the LB blitzing. This could either be in the form of a man coverage assignment or a zone coverage assignment. As you'll see in a few, there are many options we have here.

What is Run

While we're on the topic of coverages, I may as well go over what can be run out of this defense. Since this is my first defensive posting, I want to cover the absolute basics the first time out.

1. Zone Coverages
1. Players are are responsible for defending an area of the field in the event of a pass. They must first read an offensive lineman to see if he is pass or run blocking. If he sets for pass, the defensive player must read the routes being run in front of him and determine who is most likely to threaten his zone. Once he does this, he must read the QB's body language to determine where the ball is going to be headed. Every zone a defensive player can drop to is in the picture below. If a defensive player is responsible for playing two zones, their names are joined by a hyphen, i.e. curl-flat, curl-out, hook-curl, etc.
2. The simplest coverage to run out of the 4-3 is a Cover 4 defense. This is a defense in which the cornerbacks and safeties drop back and divide the deep field into four distinct zones, hence the name Cover 4.
1. The linebackers divide the middle level of the field field into thirds, with the Sam and Will taking curl-out responsibilities, and the Mike taking either the double hook or Hole zones. This is known as 4 deep, 3 under.
2. Alternatively, the defense can choose to drop one of their defensive ends off and make him play as a linebacker. This allows one more defender to defend the middle level of the field, at the expense of one defensive lineman rushing the quarterback. So, in this case, with 4 defensive backs dropping back deep, and 4 defenders defending the middle level of the field, that is known as a 4-deep, 4 under look.
3. Another simple coverage to run out of the 4-3 is a Cover 2, Man Under look, otherwise known as 2 Man Under. The safeties drop back and divide the deep field into halves. Underneath those safeties, the Corners and LBS are in Man coverage. The Corners are assigned to the #1 receiver (the first eligible receiver from the sideline) on their side. The Sam and Will Linebackers are assigned to the # 2 receiver, if applicable. This leaves one person left to be covered, usually a running back in the backfield- this player is considered #3, if applicable, and covered by the Mike backer. 
1. This coverage ensures maximum protection against the pass by matching up one defensive player to one eligible receiver, as well as having two safeties free to assist on any routes that go deep.
2. Man Coverage
1. 2 Man- Under
2. Man Free
1. Instead of having a linebacker cover an eligible reciever, a safety switches jobs with a backer and takes over his priority. The backer, who now no longer has a coverage, can be used to spy the QB (do nothing else besides make sure he cannot escape the pocket untouched) or play a zone coverage on the middle level of the field. The safety left over that hasn't taken over a LB's job plays Cover 1- meaning he reads the field and the QB's eyes and helps with any deep route he thinks the QB is going to throw to.
3. Cover 0
1. Usually only used in conjuction with a 6-man blitz. There is no extra security downfield and if a receiver beats their man downfield, it's up to the QB to place the ball in the right spot to hit the receiver on the run.
3. Blitzes 
1. Zone/Man Blitzes
1. A zone blitz is when a defender blitzes the ball and the remaining defenders play a zone defense scheme. The defense can either opt to leave the area where the blitz man came from uncovered, or they can adjust their zone scheme to have some other defenders take responsibility for part of the uncovered zone. Either way, this opens up vulnerabilities in defensive pass coverage.
2. A man blitz is when all defenders are manned up against a receiver and any defenders that aren't are rushing the QB. 
2. Why the 4-3 is perfect for blitzing
1. The triangle concept between linebackers and linemen make blitzes easy to create, name, and understand.
1. If the Sam or Will is blitzing, the T and E on his side will generally have a movement that frees up a gap for him to blitz in.
2. If the Mike is blitzing, the T and T will generally have a movement that frees up a gap for him to blitz in.
2. Sending 5 men still allows you to play solid zones underneath and above.
3. Defensive ends ideally are generally guys who just missed the cut for the outside linebacker spot. They should be almost just as capable of dropping into coverage as the Sam and Will are.
4. T's and E's can perform twists (deceptive moves in which the two switch places by one of them slanting [taking a hard 45 degree step into the line of scrimmage] and looping [taking one jab step upfield and then almost pulling like an offensive lineman around the slant, then continuing his rush upfield]) by themselves without requiring a coach's instruction to do so, if it is desired.
5. Because your defense is balanced on every level, you can easily rotate one defender to another defender's spot to make up for a gap created by a blitz.

Who Runs It

Every level, from peewees to pros. The concepts involved in the 4-3 can be as simple or as complicated as the coach is willing and able to make them, and teaching them isn't difficult. 

Why it's so Great to Have in Your Repertoire

If the above details haven't convinced you of this already, let me summarize it for you:

• A true 5-man front (5 DL) is too linemen-heavy and sacrifices too much in the event of a pass.
• The 3-4 requires more adjustment from and communication between linebackers and DB's during the pre-snap, and if you're going to blitz somebody out of the 3-4, you pretty much just turned into a 4-3 but with one non-specialized lineman rushing.
• The 4-3 allows you to, in theory, have your linemen be responsible for playing two gaps, allowing them to play a more involved role in the game. 
• The 4-3 allows your linebackers to react more confidently to the run if your linemen are halfway decent at doing their jobs.
• 4-3 blitzes allow for easier coverage pickups between your LB's and DB's due to the triangle concept, no matter where you are blitzing anyone from.
• You can play conservatively, normally, or aggressively out of the 4-3 without cluing the offense in too much before the ball is snapped.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,

J

Boys/Jags Recap

Cowboys/Jaguars 11/9

Up 31-7, Jerrah Leaves Romo, Bryant, and Murray in to Get Banged Up

Well, the game didn't go necessarily as I predicted, except for the first quarter. The score was right where I thought it'd be, almost spot on to be exact. It was a good win among many distractions (20-something players missing curfew, London Game, etc), but Dallas isn't a stranger to distractions so it wasn't too big of a deal. As it should have been, Dallas established their run game and managed to fend off the Jags who led the league in sacks up to this game. This freed up Dez to play like the athlete he is in the aerial attack, pulling in over 150 yards for 2 TD's. Next up on the schedule is the Bye Week, a team that is having a relatively underwhelming season thus far at 0-10- should be an easy game. 

Football Basics: The Spread Formation

Stretch Them Out

What It Is

The Spread Formation/Offense is generally run in 3 or 4 receiver sets. The example shown above is a 4-receiver set because there are two receivers split out wide (X & Z) and two receivers positioned as slots (Receivers that are positioned halfway between the last man on the line of scrimmage and the X or Z). It is also the base (the formation every team teaches first during camp) formation of the offense). Some teams have variants where the QB is in the Pistol (QB is 3 yds behind the center, TB is 2 yds behind QB), or when the QB is in the Shotgun (QB is 4 yds behind the center, TB is offset to the right or, as shown above, the left) The reason this is done is because the defense has to be forced to adjust their defensive backs to either reveal what coverage they're in or simply just spread them out to cover all the eligible receivers, hence the word "Spread". 

What it Does

The Spread formation predisposes itself to the passing game because of the number and arrangement of the wide receivers. 4-player routes are not uncommon. Plus, with a Tailback in the backfield, the QB has the option of keeping him in to beef up his protection to 6 men up front- more than enough to pick up your average 6-man, Cover 0 Blitz.

That doesn't mean to say that there isn't a run game either though. Since we only have 5 linemen up front, we have to make up for this imbalance either by fooling the defense- that is why many spread teams run trick plays, option, or zone run plays.

What is Run

• Passes
• Combination Routes
• Two routes run together on each side of the formation with the purpose of confusing defenders in their coverage.
• Flood Routes
• Routes in which the QB boots (breaks outside the pocket), and receivers run semi-horizontally in the same direction the QB is booting. The QB's running to the boundary gives him extra time to pick which one of the flood routes is open and throw it. If not, he can either scramble (run as a QB) or throw the ball out of bounds. 
• Quick Routes
• Pass plays that are thrown quickly as soon as the QB receives the snap. These usually consist of hitches and slants.
• Runs
• Option
• The last defensive man on the line of scrimmage in the direction the play is going to is the "Read" key. The QB receives the snap, sticks the ball in the TB's stomach, and automatically looks at the read key to decide what to do. There are two different basic types of read options we will cover here.
• Read option
• The QB reads the a specific man on the line of scrimmage on the same side as where the TB is offset to. If the read chases after the TB, who is diving into the line, the QB pulls the ball and attacks the area where the read just came from. If the read sits still, the QB hands it off to the TB.
• Zone Option
• The entire offensive line takes Zone (lateral) steps to, for example, the right. The TB, who is offset to the left of the QB, crosses the QB's face and follows the line's movement. The QB keeps the ball in the TB's stomach and reads the read key, who is sitting on the line unblocked away from where the play appears to be going. If the Read chases the TB, the QB pulls the ball and attacks where the read came from. If the Read sits or attacks the QB, the QB hands the ball off. From there, the TB looks for holes that the offensive line has opened up to the side the play is going to and tries to hit them.
• Zones
• Inside Zone
• All Offensive linemen take a short, 45 degree step to the side the play is going to and block whichever player ends up showing up in that gap. The QB hands the ball off directly to the TB, and the TB looks for any gaps that may open up in the interior of the line.
• Outside Zone
• All offensive linemen run semi-laterally for two steps to the playside direction, then block whoever surfaces in the immediate area. The TB runs wide with the linemen and keeps running laterally until he sees a hole open up- upon this happening, he hits it fast.
• Trick Plays
• Reverse, Draw, Toss Pass, End-Around, etc.
• A reverse is when the H (Or Y) goes in motion across the formation. As he is about to cross the midline (the imaginary line running from the middle of the QB's butt straight backward), the QB snaps the ball and hands it to the H/Y. Once the ball is snapped, the WR on the opposite side of where the motion came from starts running toward the outside shoulder of the ballcarrier. The ballcarrier hands the ball off to the WR running in the opposite direction.
• A draw is when the QB gets the snap, pretends he's passing the ball, and then at the last second either runs it or gives it to the Tailback, who is pretending to pass protect. When the QB runs the ball, it is called a QB draw. When he hands it off to the TB, it is simply called Draw. The purpose of this play is to get the defensive linemen to rush upfield on a pass rush and, by doing so, create escape lanes for the QB to run through, or gaps TB to run through.
• A toss pass is any play in which an offensive player receives a toss from the QB, and then passes it to a receiver downfield.
• End-Around plays are similar to reverses in that a receiver gets the handoff from the QB, but instead of handing it to another receiver coming back in the opposite direction, he just keeps it.

Who Runs It

1. Pro Teams 
2. College Teams
3. Some High School Teams
1. HS Teams must be fast at their skill positions, and strong up front to run this offense the way it's supposed to be run.

Have a good one!

J

Boys/Jags Precap 11/9

Cowboys/Jaguars 11/9

Most likely another win, but they'll make it interesting first.

If this past weekend proved anything, it's that Dallas cannot survive without Romo. Although Weeden came in the week before and did an okay job relatively speaking, he came out this weekend and looked like a deer in headlights. Coaching wasn't on point either. Whenever Demarco Murray gets 20 or more carries in a game, Dallas has an overwhelming winning record. He had a season low number of carries on Sunday, showing that Dallas broke away from their gameplan- something that was noticeable about halfway through the game. The Cardinals also picked up Washington's strategy of blitzing the hell out of the offense, and being relatively successful at doing so. 

This week, Dallas has a London game against Jacksonville, and once again, the team owner has to put Romo on the spot two days after he suffered an injury in the same area he had to have surgery on before the season. Jerry Jones essentially called Romo out, saying that he expected Romo to play this upcoming week, although whether or not he did was dependent on the QB's level of "pain tolerance"

What I'm forecasting is that the Cowboys will win this one, but Romo will get re-injured because of the pressure being placed on him to play. 

The first quarter will be a dominant, run-heavy one for Dallas as Romo comes out and gets comfortable with the run/pass balance. Dallas will put up two TD's, and Jacksonville may put up a field goal. 

In the second quarter, the Dallas D will improve as they settle in to Jacksonville's looks, but the offense will slow down and get sluggish as Jacksonville begins to get more frustrated and blitz-happy. The only TD Dallas MAY see in the second quarter will come on the ground. 

In the third, if Romo is still in by this point, Dallas comes out sluggish and cocky by the lead they have acquired. They let up a TD and a field goal in the third quarter, so I'm predicting the 3Q score to be in the vicinity of 21/24-13/17.

In the 4th, I'm hedging my bets on Weeden being in. Although he did a bad job last week, he'll be a good set of fresh legs on the field who can pick apart an already tired defense. If he can't do it, Dallas will fall back on their running game to move up the field and it will most likely be successful. I'm predicting the final score to be 31/34-16/20.

Cheers,

J

Football Basics: USA Football Heads-Up Tackling

Hit With Your Chest, Not Your Shoulder

How It Started

With the shotgun suicide of former Miami Dolphins MLB Junior Seau. This incident made national headlines, and prompted public interest, research, and funding into the topic of what effects concussions have on the mental condition of athletes. Seau shot himself in the chest, presumably so his brain could be studied for research into Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (the mental effects such as mood swings, depression, cognitive impairment, et cetera supposedly caused by repetitively sustaining concussions).

How It Snowballed

After research was done, questions were asked, and interest into the topic was generated, a negligence lawsuit was filed against the NFL on behalf of the NFLPA (NFL Player's Union), claiming that the NFL had not done enough to make players aware of the dangers they faced playing the game. This also served the benefit of putting some cash in the pockets of former players who had been fiscally irresponsible since their time playing in the league, regardless of whether they had suffered a concussion or not. NFL players, current and former, rallied behind the union's efforts.

How It Ended

Well, technically we do not know, mostly because the NFL settled out of court under the condition that certain evidence the NFLPA had obtained never be made public. Now, I'm always a huge fan of innocent until proven guilty, but I do know two things:

1. The NFL will carefully analyze any situation that affects their bottom line and deal with it quickly.
2. You don't just drop $765 million because something makes you look bad. You drop a couple hundred thousand in that case. The NFLPA had something that could make the NFL look REALLY BAD. 

The After-Effects and Heads-Up

The NFL wasn't stupid. They know people heard about the settlement, and they had a pretty good idea of how people felt about it. Testimonies from former players saying they would never let their sons play the game didn't help. Enter USA Football and their Heads-Up initiative.

The core idea of Heads-Up tackling is to take away any involvement of the head in tackling as much as possible, which, in its simplest form, sounds like a pretty good idea. But where the real problem lies is in how it is taught.

As an athlete from ages 5 to 22, I was taught that the proper way to tackle is to break down, try to "bite the ball", hit with the top of your shoulder, and drive through the ballcarrier. I've only had one concussion in 17 years of playing the game, and that came in my Junior year at Montclair State in a playoff game. I didn't tell the training staff I had a concussion and kept playing because there was no way I was coming out of a collegiate playoff game, and I was still aware of where I was and what I was doing. I could comprehend the coaches' calls from the sidelines and my defensive assignment, so I thought I was good. That was all, and after the game was over I threw up a little. I took a nap on the bus ride home and was feeling better by the time we got back to MSU. The point of that story is I have been playing the game the same way for 17 years straight and came away with one bell-ring. 

USA Football, however, wants to change that. As opposed to the tackling method described above, they want players to approach the ball carrier, buzz their feet, hit with the front of their shoulder (i.e. the area between your pectoralis and shoulder, club up on the carrier, and drive the feet. I'm no physics major, but if we look closer at the wording, we can tell that the old tackling form involves bending at the hips and getting your legs and lower back behind you while driving. The new form assumes that you can make just as efficient of a tackle on a ballcarrier coming straight at you if you open up your chest parallel with his and hit him upward as opposed to backward.

I don't know about other former or current athletes currently reading this post, but when a ballcarrier is coming straight at you, I know from experience he'll do one of two things: stutter-step you, or lower his shoulder right into your widely exposed chest, causing you to get plowed backward and get whiplash in your neck. I'm not taking a chance on the latter happening. 

And here you have the problem, and it has manifested itself in the NFL in the form of illegal contact to the head and targeting ("deliberately" hitting the upper part of a ballcarrier/receiver's body when there is "ample opportunity" to make a safer tackle) penalties. This also serves the purpose of making the game easier for the offense, which allows them to score more often, which makes for more people tuning into their games on Sundays, which makes for more advertising revenue.

This is a multi-faceted issue, and I cannot explain every aspect of it, but hopefully this post has shed some light on it for you.

Cheers,

JG

Football Basics: The I Formation

Ground and Pound

What It Is

The I Formation is looks exactly like what it is called, an I. The basic I formation consists of your front 5 Offensive Linemen, a Tight End aligned next to one of the tackles, and any combination of wide receivers (1 on each side, with one of them off the line of scrimmage is the norm, or you could have two on the same side; this is called "Twins"), a QB under the center, a fullback aligned roughly 3-4 yards directly behind him, and a halfback aligned 2-3 yds behind the fullback. The alignment of the QB, FB, and HB resembles an I, hence the name.

There are also two variants on the I formation, known as the Strong I and Weak I. In Strong, the fullback is aligned directly behind the guard, same depth, on the same side as the tight end. In weak, the fullback is aligned directly behind the guard, same depth, on the opposite side of the tight end.

What it Does

The I formation is a heavy running formation, as the fullback is in a perfect position to be a lead blocker for the much quicker halfback. The formation is heavily compacted (9 players in the immediate vicinity of the ball), which makes it easier for the linemen up front to make their blocks quicker, as well as give the halfback the added security of having a lineman-sized guy right in front of him in the backfield. Plays such as Dive, Iso, Toss, Power, Trap, and Counter are the bread and butter running plays run out of this formation. Since these are all hard-hitting run plays that the defense cannot allow the offense to gain ground on from the immediate snap, many defenses load up the "box" (the area between the two widest linemen on the line of scrimmage, extending 6-7 yards deep into the defensive side of the field) to stop the run quickly.

When the above happens, I Formation-heavy teams like to incorporate "play action", meaning that the runningbacks will pretend they are executing a run play before either staying in to pass protect or go out for pass routes. This tricks the defense (particularly the linebackers) into stepping closer to the line of scrimmage to play the run, instead of dropping back into zone or man coverage to cover the pass. This can create holes (uncovered areas) in the defense's pass coverage that the quarterback can read and throw to.

Plays That are Run

• Dive- A run play, typically right up the middle of the formation (in the gaps to the left or right of the center), in which the halfback receives the handoff without the fullback lead blocking for him. 
• Iso- A run play where a linebacker is deliberately left unblocked by the offensive linemen so the fullback can stop him from filling (stepping into the open gap created by the offensive linemen driving defensive linemen out of the way) properly. Since the linebacker that is filling is usually the one the defense is relying on to make the tackle, the halfback can make it almost all the way up to where the safeties are before being tackled. Iso's are generally run in the same gaps as the dive (gaps between the guard and center). When an Iso play is run in the gaps between the guards and tackles, it is sometimes called Blast.
• Power- A run play generally run off-tackle (the runningback's aim point being the outside butt-cheek of an offensive tackle. One of two things can happen with the blockers:
• A guard pulls (leaves his spot, runs parallel to the line and blocks somebody in the direction he's going) and blocks somebody where the ball is being run, AND the fullback replaces the pulling guard and assumes his blocking responsibility on that side of the line.
• The fullback leads through the hole created by the offensive linemen and blocks the first defensive threat to show, AND the halfback is responsible for cutting (changing direction suddenly) in response to the fullback's block and where it is going.
• Trap- A run play where the offensive line deliberately leaves a defensive lineman untouched in the hopes he comes upfield (across the line of scrimmage from his initial alignment), where a pulling lineman (usually a guard) can catch him by surprise and knock him out of the area at the last second. Trap plays, if run correctly, are usually the most violent plays you can run out of the I.
• Toss- A run play that attacks the outside edges of the line of scrimmage. The quarterback takes the snap, rotates 180 in a semi-circle to the direction of the play, and tosses the ball to the halfback, where he catches it on the run and tries to get outside the defense. One of three things can happen, similar to Power:
• The guard on the same side of the line the play is going towards pulls out and lead blocks, and the fullback fills the hole created by the pulling guard.
• The fullback runs out in front of the halfback and lead blocks the same way a guard would do if he were pulling.
• The guard pulls play-side and lead blocks AND the fullback lead blocks as well. The gap created by the pulling guard is ignored or taken over by the offensive linemen in the hopes that the halfback can find some room out on the edge.
• Counter- A run play where the runningback fakes to be receiving the handoff with the intention of running in one direction, then suddenly cuts back and runs in the opposite direction. Counter plays are often accompanied by a pulling offensive tackle. The reason this is so is because most linebackers are taught to read (determine where the play is going based on how an offensive player moves) the guards. Middle linebackers usually cannot or do not read the tackles, so this play is kinda sneaky. When the tackle pulls, usually the rest of the line has to block to the direction the pulling tackle is coming from to make up for the imbalance the offense has intentionally created. The offense is hoping that the defense reads the flow (the feeling created that a play is going in a certain direction based off the movement of the linemen) instead of their reads. When this occurs, the linebackers move in the wrong direction, and next thing they know, the ball is being run away from where they moved to, along with a big tackle lead blocking any defensive back unfortunate enough to be left in the resulting open space.

Who Runs it

• Some NFL Teams
• Green Bay Packers are a great example- fullback John Kuhn has developed a cult following among the fans at Lambeau who cheer his name any time he gets the ball.
• The fullback position has otherwise been all but scrapped, and many teams, if they do decide to go into the I formation, will simply bring a second string tight end in instead of an actual fullback due to the similarities in traits required from Tight Ends and Fullbacks (big, strong, linemen-sized guys who can handle a ball with relatively quicker speed).
• Youth Teams
• The I formation playbook is a very simple one, with easy-to-understand rules and a simple hole-numbering (attributing a number to the various gaps that exist between and outside linemen) and back-numbering (attributing a number that is unique to an eligible ball-carrier or receiver to signify that they will be getting the ball) system.
• High School/College Teams with size
• Same reasons as youth, but with the added detail that the head coach of a High School/College team believes his linemen are strong enough to block defensive players one on one.
• Wing-T Dropouts
• This one's kind of a joke, shrouded in truth. The Wing-T playbook is probably one of the easiest playbooks to learn and run as a coach, and relies heavily on misdirection and multiple backs and linemen going in different directions. Coaches who are not able or willing to coach every little rule and detail of blocking in this system generally do not see much success, and would much rather just have their kids win the season in the weight room and run plays where they just out-muscle everybody... but that's just my opinion :)

Hope you learned a little!

Cheers

JG

Week 9 Around the NFL

This post will be updated until Saturday night.

Monday- Jets circus continues.

Rex Ryan announced Monday that Michael Vick will start next game against the Chiefs. I don't care how die-hard of a fan you may be of the Jets, but this team needs to clean house. Ryan and Idzik don't have a positive relationship, New York is in the middle of yet ANOTHER QB controversy, and their defense is terrible. They have no shot of doing anything in the playoffs. If anybody wants to bet on it, I'll match you.

Wednesday- RGIII to start against Vikings, Romo is "Game Day Decision"

This weekend, Cowboy karma will indeed strike back against the Skins, and they'll only have their coaching staff to blame. I know it is commonly said that a starter should never lose his spot to injury, but that doesn't mean a backup can't take a spot from a starter for outperforming him. Colt McCoy is the QB the Skins need right now, and RGIII is a walking injury waiting to happen. He relies too much on his legs and pays for it dearly. McCoy had the perfect balance this past week, running when it made sense and sitting in the pocket at the right times. His play style alone justifies starting him this week, but hey, Skins coaching staff must know something I don't. 

I don't trust a word that comes out of Dallas's front office when it comes to Romo's injury. Dallas will be at home, and fans aren't paying to see Weeden. Jerry Jones is all about filling seats and generating media hype. He'll be pushing strong for Romo to play this week, and with Garrett being the complacent coach he is, we can probably expect Romo to play barring something serious being discovered about his back issue.

Boys/Skins Recap MNF 10/27

Welp, you could practically see the stars aligning for this one: a primetime game in Jerrah World against a team Dallas should dominate. And, as the case seems to have been since Romo came in as the starter, that was as sure a sign of a loss as anything.

The Redskins came into AT&T Stadium at the bottom of the NFC East, apparently with a game plan that would work. Three things have been said about Dallas since Week 3:

1. They could have the best OL in the league.
2. A huge reason they have been so successful was because they used Murray to take the pressure off Romo's shoulders.
3. Dallas's D has been able to play better than they were predicted to because Rod Marinelli has simplified the defense to a level that allows them to play fast.

Here's what we saw last night:

1. The Redskins figured out that 5 OL cannot cover 8 defensive players. By loading the box or bluffing to load the box, they forced Romo to keep Murray and Witten in to protect. Murray and Witten are two big checkdown routes for Romo when he feels pressure.
2. With no checkdowns, they just played Man Coverage and dared Romo to try and navigate his way through the blitzing backs. This, obviously, was not done, and quite the opposite. Romo got whacked, and went to the the locker room to get his back checked out. He came back later in the 4th to try and save the day, although Brandon Weeden was 100% on scoring drives.
3. Dallas's D couldn't stop big passes to save their life, although they weren't particularly bad against the run.

Here's what could have been done for the Cowboys to pull off the win:

1. Instead of keeping both Witten AND Murray in, only keep one. Have the other run directly around or through the direction of the blitz and have him settle right in the area the blitz came from. That didn't happen once.
2. Stop playing a Zone defense, because obviously theirs had plenty of holes to be found. Match up man to man with 2 safeties playing free over the top.
3. Murray rushed for the fewest attempts in the past 4 games. That matters. He was under utilized, and honestly, if I saw a blitz coming off the edges like they showed and I didn't want to keep Murray in to block, I would check to a dive to Murray. If anybody didn't see, the middle of the field was wide open. All we'd need is for Murray, Leary, Frederick, and Martin to beat the 3 guys in the middle to bust it. This, too, did not happen. 
4. I don't know if this would have changed anything, but I DO know that putting a QB back in that's guaranteed another 5 years of paychecks after aggravating a back injury is not a smart move. I'm looking at you, Jerry, and it's only a matter of time until news surfaces that you had the final call in putting Romo back in after every medical professional on the sideline told him not to go back in.

Intro Post

Cowboys & Football Intro

For those of you reading this, this is my third(?) attempt to get started on a blog that I think I would actually care about. First, let me introduce myself. I'm John Gauweiler Jr., a 23 year-old football enthusiast/former player/coach from Northern NJ. I've been involved with the sport practically since I was able to speak. I've played football since the earliest you were allowed to until the end of my time at Montclair State University, after which I immediately began coaching at my high school in Montville, NJ. Along the way, I've experienced and learned about all different aspects of the game- dozens of different offensive and defensive schemes, playcalling strategy, coaching strategy, et cetera. The coolest part is that I'm still learning every day. As I'll explain a little further down, I would like to impart some of what I've learned onto those of you reading who may get confused by what you see on the TV every Sunday.

But, I digress a bit. This blog does have two titles: COWBOYS and football. I'm a die-hard Cowboys fan. I'm a 90's child, so I grew up watching Aikman, Smith, Irvin, Allen and Sanders carry Dallas to playoff berths and Super Bowl wins. I've stuck with them, through the lowest of lows (Remember when they let Dave Campo on the sidelines?) and the highest of the highs. Although the past couple of years have been rough to be a 'Boys fan, I don't intend on letting go.

I have two goals I want to accomplish with this blog: the first is to be a very condensed source of Cowboys information- I want to provide you, the reader, with a short, concise summary of what's going on with America's Team in a format that won't have you picking through for the information you want to see. As I do this, I will of course weigh in with my opinions on what I'm talking about. Secondly, I would like to cover football philosophy, terminology, strategy, and culture in general so the less informed among us know a little bit more about what you watch on the weekends. Don't worry, it will be covered in a very simple format using wording that won't overwhelm or confuse. I just think it serves the greater good of the sport with a much better educated fan base.

Cheers.

-J