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