So that's the NFL done for another season.
The Super Bowl itself was an interesting clash, largely due to a lot of the mistakes. You'll have to bare with me on this as I try to recollect all the things that caught my attention, which also points to the fact that I may indeed forget certain key things that I wanted to mention.
One thing I wont forget was the general display of poor technique that was shown by numerous players. I believe it was Brandon Spikes who had a shot at picking off the Giants first touchdown in the endzone, but like far too many defenders lately (across the whole NFL) he failed to get his head around and find the football.
I have no idea why so many players do this. It kind of goes without saying that unless you can actually see the football then you have no chance of picking it off. The coverage he was playing was purposely designed for him to undercut any quick pass such as the slant that came, but for that to be of any use then you have to get your head around and actually find the ball.
In that situation the plan is that you'll pick off the pass and not only save the touchdown, but have a great chance to run the ball back way down the field to set up the offense. But with your eyes transfixed on the receiver what hope do you have, as Spikes found out, of breaking up anything. If you cant see the ball then you cant stop the pass.
Now I'm not normally one inclined to give too much credit to Deion Sanders, but I will say this about him; he was superb at getting his head around to find the football and then make a play on it. He understood that unless you find the ball with your eyes then all you're doing is just following the receiver to the point where he makes a catch so that you can tackle him.
To have any chance of making an impact on the play and the game in general then you must get your head around and find the football. Spikes could have changed the whole complexion of the game if he had got his around and made that stop. Even just getting his hands on it and disrupting the pass would have been enough.
This was - however - just one of a veritable catalogue of errors. In a way I'm thankful. Error prone games tend to be more tightly fought, nail biting type contests as indeed was this one. It's why games between two crappy teams in the NFL tend to be exciting contests that end with ridiculous last minute comebacks etc, because the two teams are so error prone that neither of them can seal the deal properly.
The tackling in particular was poor at times. Hernandez might have got in for his touchdown anyway even if a more form like tackle been made on him, but one things that is for certain is that he was never going to be taken down by a simple hit, a point eloquently made when he bounced off and waltzed into the end zone.
Then there were the Giants fumbles. Three in all, two recovered by their own team, one ruled out by a penalty. It just stuns me that after all this time and what, ten seasons worth of heavy fumbles, the Giants still haven't fixed this. It's like the itch that they just cant (or wont) scratch. Given Tom Coughlin's reputation as a fearsome task master, and given the look on his face everytime he sees his team fumble the ball, I'm frankly amazed that this continues to be an issue.
Luckily the Giants got away with it this time. But it wasn't half a close run thing.
In particular I was disappointed with some of the Giants coverage. Given that the Patriots are not a team well known for their deep passing game this year I was surprised to see the Giants playing as much deep zone coverage as they did. That wasn't even the most odd/annoying thing though.
All season long the Giants have prided themselves on the quality of their pass rush, and rightly so. Mostly they've been able to get it done with their front four, but they've still made plenty of use of their linebackers in the pass rush, especially rushing Kiwanuka off the same side as Jason Pierre-Paul in order to guarantee that Pierre-Paul gets one on one matchups with no running back chip.
Yet they seemed incredibly reluctant to do this against the Patriots. Worse, they often found themselves on obvious passing downs (where the end rushers really make their money) but decided that instead of having their ends rush they would drop them off into coverage.
Now I could live with that if the ends were dropping off in the curl/flat zones to the sides but instead these ends often found themselves dropping back into the middle of the field where they were totally exposed, as happened to Pierre-Paul on the Patriots first touchdown.
I harped on this theme in a recent post about playing to your strengths and I'm going to harp on it again; why - on a critical passing down - is the best pass rusher on your team dropping back into coverage? I get that sometimes coaches like to pull little tricks to confuse quarterbacks but a) this is Tom Brady we're talking about, not some rookie and b) you can get too cute for your own good sometimes.
In this case I think the Giants were falling for B, getting far too cute with their coverage when they should have just unleashed Pierre-Paul at the quarterback. I noticed the Patriots also ran a pick play to get this touchdown, but expecting the Patriots (or indeed anyone in the NFL) to get called for offensive pass interference is like trying to get blood out of a stone.
I was also a little surprised by the Giants choice of coverage against guys like Wes Welker. Many times Welker found himself being covered by a linebacker, with the linebackers often sitting inside of him and giving him complete free reign to pivot or break to the outside. He - like most of the Patriots receivers - was also given a free release for most of the game.
This surprises me because if there is one thing we know about the Patriots offense, it's that they love to throw the ball short on quick routes and then let the receivers make the play with the ball in their hands. Given Brady's propensity to stare down receivers from the snap the tactic of jamming the Patriots receivers off of the line has proven very successful everytime that it has been used to date.
You simply can't allow guys like Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez to come off the line cleanly and attack your defense. You have to get your hands on them and disrupt the timing, making Brady hold the ball for an extended period of time. The result of not doing this was aptly demonstrated at the end of the first quarter as Brady marched down the field playing short passes all over the shop. The Hernandez touchdown was also a great example of this principle in action.
In general I felt the Patriots did a slightly better job on defense for most of the game. They brought good pressure from their front, did a great job of taking Victor Cruz out of the game for large chunks of it, and were relatively stout against the run.
However they slipped up a few times and that cost them. Part of that was down to the Giants just having such a diverse array of deep threat targets, and partly it was because their secondary has been something of a bodged together unit this year.
Safety seemed to be a key area of weakness for them, as too many passes were hit deep along the sidelines or right in the middle in front of the safeties very eyes. The Patriots tackling was pretty good and they played the classic "bend but don't break" defense very well. In the end they essentially allowed Bradshaw to walk in for the Giants second touchdown out of the necessity of the time situation.
Really it was mistakes on offense though that killed them, something which is surprising given who we're talking about here.
Brady's intentional grounding penalty at the start was just inexplicable. He could have done many thing with the ball other than throw it to such a completely open spot. It really did make little sense, even watching it from the Sky Cam in real time. I'm sure that's one of the few throws he's made in his career that he'd like to have back.
Certainly some of his receivers would like to have some of those play back, especially on the final drive. Just when Brady needed the experienced hands of a guy like Hernandez he really let him down. It's difficult to say really whether the Patriots would have been able to march the field and set themselves up in a decent situation which wouldn't have required a hail mary shot, but they could at least have got much closer.
Overall then, in a mistake filled game that was a lot of fun to watch, the Giants made the least critical errors and did so further from the end game. That had a huge impact on the result I feel. It was still entertaining as hell and personally I thank both teams for the show they put on for our enjoyment.
Looking forward then, we have Free Agency just around the corner and that will be followed by the NFL draft. I've promised myself, for the sake of my blood pressure, that this year I absolutely will refuse to watch the combine or take any real notice of it. I plan to stick to that promise.
Sometime this week I'll start delving into the free agency pool and we'll have a look at some of the interesting names that come up. Till then, I'm off to enjoy the remains of the snow.
Showing posts with label New York Giants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York Giants. Show all posts
Monday, February 06, 2012
Friday, November 11, 2011
The New York Giants 2011 defense
When I wrapped up my post last night and went to bed, I couldn't help but think that I'd forgotten something...
Thursday Night Football.
Classic. I completely forgot the Raiders are playing the Chargers, so no pick for that game. Ah well. Nobody likes Thursday Night Football anyway and even less people like the NFL Networks coverage, which is partly related to the fact that the NFL Network covers sporting events just about as badly as a multi-million dollar television network could. If you don't believe me, try watching the NFL combine next year. If you can stomach more than 15 minutes of it once the drills start then good luck to you my friend.
As of right now the Raiders are up 24-17 and frankly I probably would have picked the Chargers so maybe it's a good thing that I forgot it.
Moving on and just a quick hat tip and thank you to LongHornScott, one of the many posters over at Barking Carnival Football. Scott linked to this blog in the comments section of one of his articles, so it's only fair to return the favour, with a link to the article in question. In it, Scott breaks down the offensive drives of the Texas Longhorns from their game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders, reviewing each play and going into great detail about them, which I imagine readers of this blog would be interested in even if not College football fans per se, thanks to the depth of the commentary and the obvious knowledge on display, including a good verbal breakdown of some of the zone plays. Article here.
Next on the agenda is this article from ProFootballTalk.com, which covers comments made by Jets corner Antonio Cromartie ahead of the game against the Patriots this weekend. Specifically this comment;
I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that he's only just learnt about the approach. Still at least one hard working, poorly paid, delightfully charming, astute and incredibly modest member of the amateur football blogging community has been harping on about this since the start of the year basically (what do you mean "who?"), specifically laying it out in detail here and here.
Right now that's out of the way; the Giants defense.
Or more to the point, what the Giants defense have been doing this season to evolve, building on the success of their usual four man line from last year and now experimenting with three man fronts, blitzing while in a four man front and even five man defensive lines.
We start with a blitz the Giants ran last week against the Patriots. The Giants went to their three man line and ended up bringing a six man pressure on the Patriots, which resulted in Michael Boley looping around the weak side and stripping the ball from Tom Brady. Technically it was called a sack even though Boley doesn't bring Brady to the ground, but then this is something we're seeing more and more of now, likely as a result of the rules regarding hitting quarterbacks (with teams being extra careful when that quarterback is Brady).
Instead Boley - like many contemporary pass rushers - puts one hand out to push the quarterback in the back (to make sure you don't end up hitting him with your helmet) while using his free hand to swat at the ball when the quarterback cocks his arm. Yes, this is what the NFL has come to now. I've done a diagram below and the link to the original video is here. Just be warned that it's getting close to Christmas now and Kay's Jewellers are on a mission with their 35 second adverts (the clip is only 50 seconds long). I actually find the advert amusing for two reasons; 1) it's obviously aimed at Men yet it's the most cheesy, vomit inducing, overly lovey dovey advert that you could possibly imagine and 2) in this economic climate how many football fans does Kay's think have at least $2,500 to spend on an engagement ring?
For the sake of brevity I've focused solely on the front seven guys. Now at the snap, only six of them blitz - everyone except the safety. But I'm guessing that the safety was supposed to be matched up man to man on one of the tight ends, so when he sees that both have stayed in to pass protect he decides to make himself useful with a delayed blitz. Boley's pass rush is that badly drawn dotted line on the left. On a side note, the video also demonstrates clearly what I've been saying about Brady for a while now - that he has a surprising tendency to lock in on receivers right from the snap. Just watch the video again and watch his head.
Next up is a play the Giants ran against Miami. It was first and ten when the Giants decided to do something that's a relative rarity outside of goal line and short yardage situations; they put 5 men down on the line of scrimmage. Video here and diagram below.
This is actually very reminiscent of the old "46 Bear" front made famous by Buddy Ryan with Chicago many years ago and occasionally used by his two sons Rex and Rob, with the Jets and Cowboys respectively. The only real difference is that the players from the left E to the right T would be shifted across one offensive linemen to the right, and the E on the far right would in fact be a linebacker. In the video you'll see that N (Linval Joseph) manages to beat the center one on one and get into the backfield for the sack.
There's actually another play from the same game that really illustrates the point. It was getting late in the game admittedly so the Giants were able to focus in a little more on the passing game, but still, it shows how far the Giants have come in terms of developing their scheme. The video is here and diagram below.
To try and make sense of the morass of lines I've highlighted the two critical ones in red. Basically the blitz of C and B to the right occupies the running back and the right tackle. Meanwhile N steps forward and pushes the center before dropping off into coverage, as the E on the right scrapes across. This causes the offensive line to do something that all defensive coordinators dream about when they blitz; the Dolphins end up with three men blocking one pass rusher. Both the guards and the center all focus in on the E from the right, allowing the other B (highlighted in red) to cut around the blob of protectors and get into the backfield. He gets a hand on the quarterback (Matt Moore) but Moore escapes... only to be hit by the E looping around, who goes from being triple teamed to being zero teamed as all three Dolphins linemen turn to look right. And people wonder why the Dolphins suck this year?
Now they say three's a charm, so we'll stick with the same game, in fact just a minute or so after the play above, and show a third sack. This time there's going to be a much more conventional four man line, but the Giants are going to show pressure up the middle with six guys and then actually bring five. Video is here with a diagram below.
The key to this play is the Giants threatening the blitz with M who comes right down practically between the two defensive tackles. As the nearest man he becomes a high priority threat, along with the two tackles. As a result, the offensive guards and center will slide across to deal with these three potential rushers. The situation is exacerbated when T on the left drives hard inside. This leaves the blitzing linebacker B one on one with the running back and E to the left (Osi Umenyiora) one on one with the left tackle.
In the end Umenyiora simply trucks his man out of the way, leaving him in a heap and cutting inside to make the sack. But this is a great example of how the Giants are building on the very real threat of their front four linemen, using blitzing linebackers - and the threat of blitzing linebackers - to help them create favourable one on one match ups. The fact that they're occasionally lining up guys like Mathias Kiwanuka as linebackers just makes this approach all the more potent.
So there you go. A look at the 2011 New York Giants defense that you might not have seen yet. Just keep an eye on those linebackers next time you're watching the Giants. And of course, as always, if you like what you see please take a moment to hit the facebook/twitter/google like button, whichever one applies best to you, or just let your friends know via e-mail or something.
Oh! Nearly forgot again. The Raiders/Chargers game has finished now with the score staying the same since I last saw it. It appears Kamerion Wimbley had one of those games that he does now and again where he rips off four sacks in one game. Though an injury to the Chargers left tackle kind of helps explain that one away. Rivers looks like he had another bad game. Even Carson Palmer doesn't appear to have done that great. He was only 14/20, and just watching the highlights it looks like some of those deep passes were a bit errant. He seems to have picked up most of his 299 yards on just a few plays. Denarius Moore's done well, 5 catches for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns. And Michael Bush, 30 carries for 157 yards and a TD, plus another 85 yards through the air.
Tomorrow I'll do my picks then it's a night off for me before Week 10's games. See you soon.
Thursday Night Football.
Classic. I completely forgot the Raiders are playing the Chargers, so no pick for that game. Ah well. Nobody likes Thursday Night Football anyway and even less people like the NFL Networks coverage, which is partly related to the fact that the NFL Network covers sporting events just about as badly as a multi-million dollar television network could. If you don't believe me, try watching the NFL combine next year. If you can stomach more than 15 minutes of it once the drills start then good luck to you my friend.
As of right now the Raiders are up 24-17 and frankly I probably would have picked the Chargers so maybe it's a good thing that I forgot it.
Moving on and just a quick hat tip and thank you to LongHornScott, one of the many posters over at Barking Carnival Football. Scott linked to this blog in the comments section of one of his articles, so it's only fair to return the favour, with a link to the article in question. In it, Scott breaks down the offensive drives of the Texas Longhorns from their game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders, reviewing each play and going into great detail about them, which I imagine readers of this blog would be interested in even if not College football fans per se, thanks to the depth of the commentary and the obvious knowledge on display, including a good verbal breakdown of some of the zone plays. Article here.
Next on the agenda is this article from ProFootballTalk.com, which covers comments made by Jets corner Antonio Cromartie ahead of the game against the Patriots this weekend. Specifically this comment;
“Every team is starting to notice that if you bang him around, their timing is knocked off,” Cromartie said via ESPNewYork.comGregg Rosenthal then mockingly snorts at Cromarties suggestion, saying that this is hardly a state secret and has been the preferred approach to stopping Welker for years. Which of course leaves the nagging question; if this approach to stopping Welker is such widespread knowledge then why a) has every team since week one not been using it, and b) why hasn't Rosenthal been hammering this point home since week one, laughing at peoples feeble attempts to cover Welker?
I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that he's only just learnt about the approach. Still at least one hard working, poorly paid, delightfully charming, astute and incredibly modest member of the amateur football blogging community has been harping on about this since the start of the year basically (what do you mean "who?"), specifically laying it out in detail here and here.
Right now that's out of the way; the Giants defense.
Or more to the point, what the Giants defense have been doing this season to evolve, building on the success of their usual four man line from last year and now experimenting with three man fronts, blitzing while in a four man front and even five man defensive lines.
We start with a blitz the Giants ran last week against the Patriots. The Giants went to their three man line and ended up bringing a six man pressure on the Patriots, which resulted in Michael Boley looping around the weak side and stripping the ball from Tom Brady. Technically it was called a sack even though Boley doesn't bring Brady to the ground, but then this is something we're seeing more and more of now, likely as a result of the rules regarding hitting quarterbacks (with teams being extra careful when that quarterback is Brady).
Instead Boley - like many contemporary pass rushers - puts one hand out to push the quarterback in the back (to make sure you don't end up hitting him with your helmet) while using his free hand to swat at the ball when the quarterback cocks his arm. Yes, this is what the NFL has come to now. I've done a diagram below and the link to the original video is here. Just be warned that it's getting close to Christmas now and Kay's Jewellers are on a mission with their 35 second adverts (the clip is only 50 seconds long). I actually find the advert amusing for two reasons; 1) it's obviously aimed at Men yet it's the most cheesy, vomit inducing, overly lovey dovey advert that you could possibly imagine and 2) in this economic climate how many football fans does Kay's think have at least $2,500 to spend on an engagement ring?
Next up is a play the Giants ran against Miami. It was first and ten when the Giants decided to do something that's a relative rarity outside of goal line and short yardage situations; they put 5 men down on the line of scrimmage. Video here and diagram below.
There's actually another play from the same game that really illustrates the point. It was getting late in the game admittedly so the Giants were able to focus in a little more on the passing game, but still, it shows how far the Giants have come in terms of developing their scheme. The video is here and diagram below.
Now they say three's a charm, so we'll stick with the same game, in fact just a minute or so after the play above, and show a third sack. This time there's going to be a much more conventional four man line, but the Giants are going to show pressure up the middle with six guys and then actually bring five. Video is here with a diagram below.
In the end Umenyiora simply trucks his man out of the way, leaving him in a heap and cutting inside to make the sack. But this is a great example of how the Giants are building on the very real threat of their front four linemen, using blitzing linebackers - and the threat of blitzing linebackers - to help them create favourable one on one match ups. The fact that they're occasionally lining up guys like Mathias Kiwanuka as linebackers just makes this approach all the more potent.
So there you go. A look at the 2011 New York Giants defense that you might not have seen yet. Just keep an eye on those linebackers next time you're watching the Giants. And of course, as always, if you like what you see please take a moment to hit the facebook/twitter/google like button, whichever one applies best to you, or just let your friends know via e-mail or something.
Oh! Nearly forgot again. The Raiders/Chargers game has finished now with the score staying the same since I last saw it. It appears Kamerion Wimbley had one of those games that he does now and again where he rips off four sacks in one game. Though an injury to the Chargers left tackle kind of helps explain that one away. Rivers looks like he had another bad game. Even Carson Palmer doesn't appear to have done that great. He was only 14/20, and just watching the highlights it looks like some of those deep passes were a bit errant. He seems to have picked up most of his 299 yards on just a few plays. Denarius Moore's done well, 5 catches for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns. And Michael Bush, 30 carries for 157 yards and a TD, plus another 85 yards through the air.
Tomorrow I'll do my picks then it's a night off for me before Week 10's games. See you soon.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Skycam, bump and run coverage, and Eli Manning fumbling (again)
Right then, picture time.
I should point out before we get onto the pictures themselves that they are screen captures taken from a playback of a Fox broadcast. No editing has been done, the pictures are as broadcast. I'm sure Fox won't mind, not least because of "small fish, big pond" type stuff.
So anyway, yes, pictures. The reason I want to show you picture number one from the Seahawks/Giants game is simple. It's a picture taken from their Skycam, that's the camera that runs on four wires and sits above the field of play tracking back and forth to follow the action. And to me personally, I think it's the best angle to watch a game of football from. Just take a look;
That - to me - is a great shot. Maybe it's just because I'm a football nerd, but in that picture I can see the splits of the offensive line, I can see the defensive front (the actual screen image is slightly larger than the capture, that's just how the picture came out when captured), I can see the safety on the right hand side who's sitting about 20 yards deep off the ball. When the ball is snapped, you get a great view of the pass rush, including any blitzes. You can also often see the receivers when the camera begins to back up and zoom out after the snap.
But most importantly, you get right into the game. The reason the 'Madden' franchise uses a game camera angle like this is because it offers you the best look at the game. And surely that's what a TV broadcast is all about? Getting the best possible angle for the viewer? Helping people to immerse themselves in the game? If I was the director I think I'd show a wide shot of the field, like the traditional camera angle used in broadcasts now, just to show the audience how the receivers are lined up. Then I'd cut to this shot to give fans the "quarterbacks eye" view during the action (assuming the quarterback has grown... significantly).
I just think the Skycam is such a great tool for TV and yet it barely gets any attention. God knows why. With the league now fining Centers and offensive guards for not wearing microphones because they want to immerse the audience in the game (hint; hearing the snap count doesn't really do a lot to enhance the viewing enjoyment) why would the league not encourage TV networks to make greater use of this awesome angle? It doesn't make sense to me. It can't be cheap or easy rigging up all the wires to the trucks outside etc, so why not make more use of easily the best camera angle in football?
Anyway, if you're wondering what happened on that particular play, here's the end result;
Yes, that is Eli Manning fumbling the football, which would be recovered by the Seahawks. Same shit, different season.
Moving on, let's talk about Manning's team mate, corner back Aaron Ross. Because not only did Ross play his part in what was actually a pretty good performance by the Giants defense by getting a pick, but he did it using a technique that I love and that seems to be a dying art in the NFL. Like tackling. Or Fullbacks.
It's the bump and run technique.
Basically the under lying assumption of the bump and run technique is this; you're lined up opposite a wide receiver. You're probably standing withing a yard or two of the line. You have safety help over the top. As soon as that receiver crosses the line of scrimmage, you're going to get your hands on him and delay his release upfield. If he knocks your hands aside and beats you then it doesn't matter because you have safety help over the top, just as long as you turn and run in order to get underneath the guy.
The purpose of all this is to disrupt the receivers route and the timing of that route. See, pretty much every pass offense in the NFL runs on a timing basis. What this means is that the routes being run by the receivers have been specifically chosen because they match the quarterbacks drop. for example an "out route" at 10 yards (12 once you take into account the slight bend upfield that occurs) is matched to a 5-step drop by the quarterback. By the time the quarterback has taken five (quick) steps and reached the top of his drop, the wide receiver running the out will just be making his break to the outside.
The stated goal of this timing is to avoid two problems encountered with older passing offenses; 1) If the quarterback is standing around waiting for the receiver to get open, defenders can follow the quarterbacks eyes and jump the route, 2) if a receiver is standing around waiting for the quarterback to finish his drop, nearby defenders can close in on him, potentially jumping the route.
So by timing the receivers break with the quarterbacks drop (which is the real crux of the matter), you can avoid the two problems above. The ball is often in the air before the receiver has even turned his head back to look for it. If the receiver doesn't see the ball coming till the last second, even though he knows when the ball will be thrown, then what chance do the coverage defenders have of making a play on the ball?
Which is where the bump and run comes in. By getting his hands on the receiver, the corner can mess up the receivers otherwise beautifully timed route. Almost all receivers time their breaks by counting their own footsteps as opposed to running a mental clock in their heads. This is why receivers always start with their inside foot forwards when they line up. They know that on a quick slant they need to take three steps and then break to the inside quickly on that third step.
By bumping the receiver, the corner throws off the timing. The receiver can't count his steps and make an efficient, clean break when he's having to take multiple steps as part of a pushing fight at the line of scrimmage. All that timing and all that practice against air on the practice field goes right out of the window.
It's for this reason that most teams, in the past at least, would tell their receivers to convert a significant number of their routes into fade routes when the corners played bump and run. It was basically an admission that against bump and run coverage, precisely timed routes were near useless.
The other thing that bump and run coverage does is to force the quarterback to hold onto the ball. He takes the snap, takes five steps back and then looks up only to see that his receivers aren't where they're supposed to be and in fact all of them are heavily covered. His only option now is to hold onto the ball, moving around in the pocket to buy time for one of them to get open. Either that or make a very risky throw.
This in turn buys time for the pass rush to get home. People always think of good offensive linemen as a strong, almost impenetrable wall. This is a grand misconception. Every O-line, no matter how good, is merely delaying the inevitable. The difference is that a good offensive line can often delay the inevitable for just long enough for their quarterback to get the ball out. Whereas the Bears O-line can often delay it long enough for Jay Cutler to breath in and not do a lot else.
Bump and run coverage is therefore an incredibly effective technique, one which was demonstrated aptly by Aaron Ross against the Seahawks. Here's the starting look, just as the ball is being snapped;
As you can see, Ross is lined up head to head with the receiver, just waiting to make contact and 'chuck' the receiver as he crosses the line. Notice that the receivers feet are by the big "50" marker and Ross is standing on the 45 yard line. Now look at this picture;
The receiver has travelled all of about 3 yards and still has Ross all over him, busting his route up. Ross also has his eyes still in the backfield, so if this was a run he'd be able to see it and come down to make the tackle. By this point the quarterback was just hitting the top of his drop. He looks right and this is what he sees; his receiver, with Ross hanging all over him.
The receiver made a break to the sideline and Ross undercut him, knowing he had safety help over the top in case this was a double move. Tavaris Jackson was still in at the time and made the throw, presumably without looking first. It was Ross who made the catch for the interception.
The receiver? He'd covered all of about 7 yards downfield in total when Ross caught the ball. Off a five step drop by the quarterback. That makes a big difference and it shows the strength of the bump and run technique.
Now there's probably a reason why teams don't use this coverage more often, I just can't figure out what it is. If I was facing Wes Welker of the Patriots for example, I'd much rather have my corner, especially if he's a less talented nickel corner, bump Welker off the line of scrimmage and significantly disrupt and shorten his route. Yeah sure, they'd complete some passes to him eventually. It's Brady to Welker we're talking about here. But at least I'd reduce the amount of easy passes. At least I'd make that throw as tough as possible for Brady. And at least I wouldn't be letting Welker run free right up the middle seams of my defense for 70 odd yard gains, which is something teams seem to be doing a lot lately.
Is the bump and run a silver bullet? No way. Big receivers are harder to bump and indeed there are techniques to defeat the bump and run coverage. But even the application of those techniques takes time, time that the receiver isn't blazing down field through the middle of your defense.
I just think that in the pass happy league that the NFL is today, there is plenty of life left in the good old fashioned bump and run coverage.
And the Skycam.
I'll be back tomorrow with my picks for week 6. See you then.
I should point out before we get onto the pictures themselves that they are screen captures taken from a playback of a Fox broadcast. No editing has been done, the pictures are as broadcast. I'm sure Fox won't mind, not least because of "small fish, big pond" type stuff.
So anyway, yes, pictures. The reason I want to show you picture number one from the Seahawks/Giants game is simple. It's a picture taken from their Skycam, that's the camera that runs on four wires and sits above the field of play tracking back and forth to follow the action. And to me personally, I think it's the best angle to watch a game of football from. Just take a look;
That - to me - is a great shot. Maybe it's just because I'm a football nerd, but in that picture I can see the splits of the offensive line, I can see the defensive front (the actual screen image is slightly larger than the capture, that's just how the picture came out when captured), I can see the safety on the right hand side who's sitting about 20 yards deep off the ball. When the ball is snapped, you get a great view of the pass rush, including any blitzes. You can also often see the receivers when the camera begins to back up and zoom out after the snap.
But most importantly, you get right into the game. The reason the 'Madden' franchise uses a game camera angle like this is because it offers you the best look at the game. And surely that's what a TV broadcast is all about? Getting the best possible angle for the viewer? Helping people to immerse themselves in the game? If I was the director I think I'd show a wide shot of the field, like the traditional camera angle used in broadcasts now, just to show the audience how the receivers are lined up. Then I'd cut to this shot to give fans the "quarterbacks eye" view during the action (assuming the quarterback has grown... significantly).
I just think the Skycam is such a great tool for TV and yet it barely gets any attention. God knows why. With the league now fining Centers and offensive guards for not wearing microphones because they want to immerse the audience in the game (hint; hearing the snap count doesn't really do a lot to enhance the viewing enjoyment) why would the league not encourage TV networks to make greater use of this awesome angle? It doesn't make sense to me. It can't be cheap or easy rigging up all the wires to the trucks outside etc, so why not make more use of easily the best camera angle in football?
Anyway, if you're wondering what happened on that particular play, here's the end result;
 |
| Eli Manning turning the ball over? Are you sure? That NEVER happens! |
Yes, that is Eli Manning fumbling the football, which would be recovered by the Seahawks. Same shit, different season.
Moving on, let's talk about Manning's team mate, corner back Aaron Ross. Because not only did Ross play his part in what was actually a pretty good performance by the Giants defense by getting a pick, but he did it using a technique that I love and that seems to be a dying art in the NFL. Like tackling. Or Fullbacks.
It's the bump and run technique.
Basically the under lying assumption of the bump and run technique is this; you're lined up opposite a wide receiver. You're probably standing withing a yard or two of the line. You have safety help over the top. As soon as that receiver crosses the line of scrimmage, you're going to get your hands on him and delay his release upfield. If he knocks your hands aside and beats you then it doesn't matter because you have safety help over the top, just as long as you turn and run in order to get underneath the guy.
The purpose of all this is to disrupt the receivers route and the timing of that route. See, pretty much every pass offense in the NFL runs on a timing basis. What this means is that the routes being run by the receivers have been specifically chosen because they match the quarterbacks drop. for example an "out route" at 10 yards (12 once you take into account the slight bend upfield that occurs) is matched to a 5-step drop by the quarterback. By the time the quarterback has taken five (quick) steps and reached the top of his drop, the wide receiver running the out will just be making his break to the outside.
The stated goal of this timing is to avoid two problems encountered with older passing offenses; 1) If the quarterback is standing around waiting for the receiver to get open, defenders can follow the quarterbacks eyes and jump the route, 2) if a receiver is standing around waiting for the quarterback to finish his drop, nearby defenders can close in on him, potentially jumping the route.
So by timing the receivers break with the quarterbacks drop (which is the real crux of the matter), you can avoid the two problems above. The ball is often in the air before the receiver has even turned his head back to look for it. If the receiver doesn't see the ball coming till the last second, even though he knows when the ball will be thrown, then what chance do the coverage defenders have of making a play on the ball?
Which is where the bump and run comes in. By getting his hands on the receiver, the corner can mess up the receivers otherwise beautifully timed route. Almost all receivers time their breaks by counting their own footsteps as opposed to running a mental clock in their heads. This is why receivers always start with their inside foot forwards when they line up. They know that on a quick slant they need to take three steps and then break to the inside quickly on that third step.
By bumping the receiver, the corner throws off the timing. The receiver can't count his steps and make an efficient, clean break when he's having to take multiple steps as part of a pushing fight at the line of scrimmage. All that timing and all that practice against air on the practice field goes right out of the window.
It's for this reason that most teams, in the past at least, would tell their receivers to convert a significant number of their routes into fade routes when the corners played bump and run. It was basically an admission that against bump and run coverage, precisely timed routes were near useless.
The other thing that bump and run coverage does is to force the quarterback to hold onto the ball. He takes the snap, takes five steps back and then looks up only to see that his receivers aren't where they're supposed to be and in fact all of them are heavily covered. His only option now is to hold onto the ball, moving around in the pocket to buy time for one of them to get open. Either that or make a very risky throw.
This in turn buys time for the pass rush to get home. People always think of good offensive linemen as a strong, almost impenetrable wall. This is a grand misconception. Every O-line, no matter how good, is merely delaying the inevitable. The difference is that a good offensive line can often delay the inevitable for just long enough for their quarterback to get the ball out. Whereas the Bears O-line can often delay it long enough for Jay Cutler to breath in and not do a lot else.
Bump and run coverage is therefore an incredibly effective technique, one which was demonstrated aptly by Aaron Ross against the Seahawks. Here's the starting look, just as the ball is being snapped;
As you can see, Ross is lined up head to head with the receiver, just waiting to make contact and 'chuck' the receiver as he crosses the line. Notice that the receivers feet are by the big "50" marker and Ross is standing on the 45 yard line. Now look at this picture;
The receiver has travelled all of about 3 yards and still has Ross all over him, busting his route up. Ross also has his eyes still in the backfield, so if this was a run he'd be able to see it and come down to make the tackle. By this point the quarterback was just hitting the top of his drop. He looks right and this is what he sees; his receiver, with Ross hanging all over him.
The receiver made a break to the sideline and Ross undercut him, knowing he had safety help over the top in case this was a double move. Tavaris Jackson was still in at the time and made the throw, presumably without looking first. It was Ross who made the catch for the interception.
The receiver? He'd covered all of about 7 yards downfield in total when Ross caught the ball. Off a five step drop by the quarterback. That makes a big difference and it shows the strength of the bump and run technique.
Now there's probably a reason why teams don't use this coverage more often, I just can't figure out what it is. If I was facing Wes Welker of the Patriots for example, I'd much rather have my corner, especially if he's a less talented nickel corner, bump Welker off the line of scrimmage and significantly disrupt and shorten his route. Yeah sure, they'd complete some passes to him eventually. It's Brady to Welker we're talking about here. But at least I'd reduce the amount of easy passes. At least I'd make that throw as tough as possible for Brady. And at least I wouldn't be letting Welker run free right up the middle seams of my defense for 70 odd yard gains, which is something teams seem to be doing a lot lately.
Is the bump and run a silver bullet? No way. Big receivers are harder to bump and indeed there are techniques to defeat the bump and run coverage. But even the application of those techniques takes time, time that the receiver isn't blazing down field through the middle of your defense.
I just think that in the pass happy league that the NFL is today, there is plenty of life left in the good old fashioned bump and run coverage.
And the Skycam.
I'll be back tomorrow with my picks for week 6. See you then.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
2011 NFL Draft: New York Giants
Ok, so this is starting to feel odd now. It's June. It's the Summer solstice. Training camps should be like a month away and they're not, which is annoying. And I'm still talking about the draft, because I go so slowly through these things.
And I've realised that at this rate I'll still be going in September, which may or not be a good thing, depending on how close football is by that point. Seriously, this offseason sucks. Anyway, the Giants.
They started off in round one with cornerback Prince Amukamara from Nebraska, which is a good thing in the sense that the Giants need corners. Badly.
But it might be a bad thing at the same time, because I'm not sure about Amukamara. The thing is, he's not bad. He's not a bad corner. Honest. He just doesn't exactly blow my socks off. He runs pretty well with his receivers and his play recognition is good, but he gives players too much of a cushion in order to cover the deep ball.
That in itself is not a bad thing, but when you're continuously letting completions mount up underneath you then it becomes a bad thing. And that's my problem. Every snap when you see the pass, you see it caught and then you see Amukamara arrive to make the tackle. But I don't see where the playmaking ability is. And I don't see him being able to consistently contain receivers.
He wont suck. I'm absolutely not saying that. He just wont dazzle either. Run of the mill corner I think.
Note to self quickly before we move on; stop starting sentences with "and" or "but".
In round two the Giants took a leap of faith with North Carolina defensive tackle Marvin Austin. Now if there is one thing I've learnt it's that when the Giants take a defensive linemen you should sit up and take notice. Austin is that kind of player.
On the field he's great. He penetrates well, has surprising speed for his size, and showed a real knack in general for making plays in the opponents backfield. Bu... On the other hand, like some of his other high profile team mates in this years draft you have to go back to the 2009 season to find any film of Austin, because he was suspended for the whole of 2010 over an incident involving improper benefits.
That means that apart from the East/West shrine game Austin hasn't played a down in 12 months. So did his skills stick? Well one thing we know for certain is that he blew people away at the combine with his physical prowess. 4.84 officially in the 40 yard dash, 38 reps on the bench press? That's nuts for a 309 lbs guy.
He didn't do so well away from the field drills here either, apparently skipping the wonderlic test and then in the interview stage he absolutely shot himself in the foot. In fact, from what I've heard now he would literally have been better off shooting himself in the foot prior to the interview stage.
Considered by some to have been the ring leader of the problems at North Carolina, he then apparently threw his old college and some of his team mates under the bus with the answers he gave when pressed about the issue.
This for me then is the crux of the matter. Physically speaking and talent wise speaking, I think Marvin Austin could be a truly very talented defensive linemen. However, those character red flags are huge. Like Albert Haynesworth, Chad Ochocinco, Terrell Owens and JaMarcus Russell thrown into one man huge.
While it would be very easy for me to sit here and say he's a 2011 watch lister for sure because of his natural talent and then back out later if it all goes wrong, based on character issues, I'm not. I'm going to have to say right now that everything I have heard gives me strong reservations about Austin.
On then to round three and Jerrel Jernigan, wide receiver, Troy.
Jernigan is a tough package to pin down. See, mentally he is very well equipped. He ran wildcat plays at Troy and when he talks you can tell he really understands what it is he's talking about. His balance is good and he takes hits well. He's quick and agile.
Bu... On the other hand, I'm not sure if Jernigan has ever caught a pass beyond 10 yards? He's very much a short range receiver, the type of guy who comes out of the slot and runs crossing routes, or the kind of player you throw a lot of screens to.
That could be a concern. Teams in training camp don't really have time to sit down and explain to a player how to run the full route tree. Certainly that problem is enhanced by the lock out, with Jernigan just one of the work stoppages many victims. Overall, I'm looking at him now and saying to myself that his game is not complete enough. I smell whiffs of Reggie Bush, someone who occasionally makes great plays but can't pull all the disperate elements of the position together into a whole.
Fourth round now and it's James Brewer, offensive tackle, Indiana.
Having not seen Brewer before I slipped on the film (that's not a euphamism by the way) and tried to find out a bit about James Brewer. What I found is a tackle who overall is fairly solid, but has a really bad habit of standing up.
No, I don't mean he's shit at musical chairs. I mean he doesn't bend the knees properly in order to recruit the power in his legs to help him block. In addition he sometimes loses track of who he's supposed to be blocking, letting someone fly clean through on the inside while he tries to kick slide out and take on a phantom defender.
Either that or Indiana needs to start drug testing its gatorade.
Brewer isn't terrible, he's certainly no Mike Person. He has raw skills in terms of his hands. But he doesn't really have the talent to be more than a bench warmer in the NFL, not unless the Giants coaching staff break out the coaching job of a lifetime.
The fifth round saw nothing for the Giants because they weren't picking. In the sixth however they came up three times due to a pair of compensatory selections. The first of their sixth was Greg Jones, Linebacker, Michigan state.
Prior to the draft I didn't know who Greg Jones was, so I sat down to watch (no slipping on film this time) and waited to be amazed.
An... As it turns out, I was!
Excuse me while I gush about Greg Jones for a minute or two, although as it takes much longer to type than to read, this will probably only take you a few seconds, and now I'm rambling.
Anyway, Jones is awesome. Quick, tough, smart, reads the play well, tackles well. Watching Jones is like going back and watching Mike Singletary in the 80's. He really is a great all round player at linebacker, which is a massive bonus for the Giants.
Having lost Antonio Pierce many people thought the Giants would come right back in 2010 and grab rookie Rolando McClain. That is until the Raiders swooped early and took him. So in the end the Giants had to settle for plan B which consisted of former Titans MLB Keith Bulluck.
Now I think we may be about to see the baton passed down to Jones. Bulluck is a good player and a free agent, but surely would consider the possibility of coming back for one more year and helping Jones to develop into everything that he can be. Go on Keith, you know you want to.
In short, keep an eye on Jones. Excellent potential from where I'm sitting.
Next up is Tyler Sash, safety, Iowa. Ok, so Sash is someone I didn't really pay a lot of attention to pre-draft, but who (or whom) now has my full attention. I really like Sash and for where he was taken in the draft I think the Giants got themselves a nice pick.
The thing about Sash is he has a lot of playmaking ability. Now that's kind of a vague phrase so let me expand on that theme. One of the things that has made guys like Troy Polamalu, Brian Dawkins, and Charles Woodson so prominent in recent seasons is the fact that they keep cropping up all over the field.
Now I'm not sure we need to put Sash in that category just yet but he is very much, for me at least, the kind of player who pops up all over the field making plays. Not just in pass coverage, but also as a tackler against the run and occasionally rushing the QB.
I think Sash has that skill set and would excel as a strong safety in the NFL. He might even be able to drop in as a "will" linebacker in the Giants 4-3 scheme, so we'll just have to wait and see. But the potential is clearly there for the kid. Keep your eyes out for Sash.
Finally in the bottom of the sixth (no, this is not going to become a baseball site, I hate baseball more than the Panthers) we have Jacquian Williams, linebacker, South Florida.
Again, Williams is a name that didn't crop up much pre-draft so this was the first good look at I got at him and I have to say I'm impressed. Now, being a 4-3 linebacker it can sometimes be difficult to judge a player like Williams.
For the most part they have one gap to fill against the run or often just a short zone to cover in the passing game, and they don't do a lot of rushing around independently, and certainly don't get the same opportunity to shine in the pass rush compared to their 3-4 counter parts.
Bu... They do however get some chances to display their full range of skills and Williams certainly took those chances well. He's not the greatest tackler in the world but I've seen a hell of a lot worse in the NFL. He gets stuck in, he's smart and he has a great turn of speed.
He strikes me as quite a disciplined player, prepared to do the boring jobs if necessary for the benefit of the team at large, which is precisely the kind of player that coach Tom Coughlin will like to see. As a former Parcells student, like Bill Belchick, he's likely to have a natural affinity for a kid like Williams who strikes me as a "Parcells guy".
One last pick then and finally I can go to sleep. It's like 5:15 am here. That's me though, going the extra mile just for you guys.
It's Da'Rel Scott everybody! Running back, Maryland. Pre-draft all I had to say about him was "slow in pads". I literally wrote, "that is all" afterwards. So having sat down with a mug of coffee and had a better look, what nugget of wisdom can I share with you about Da'Rel Scott?
Slow in pads.
I should point out that if you didn't know, Scott ran the fastest 40 time at the combine among running backs with a 4.34 officially. But if ever there was proof that you should pay no attention to 40 times, it's Scott. In pads he looks a lot slower and very hesistant.
In the open field he can open up the gas and let it burn, but early on in his runs he's quite slow. At this juncture you're probably ready to shout at me about 'patience to the hole' and yes to a degree that appears to be what you get with Scott, bu... oh wait its ok, I'm in the middle of a sentence. But (damn it!) there's patience and there's prolonged, procrastinating patience.
The end result is one of two things; either he busts out a big play or more commonly he gets stopped for a relatively short gain. In turn it's those long plays that have pumped up his yardage. Indeed some of them were very long. You just get the sense however that he's not a consistent yard gainer. When the O-line can open stuff right up for him then he can break one off, but overall for my money he doesn't bring enough from down to down to be more than a sporadic back up.
In conclusion then, I think the Giants did pretty well. There are a number of players in there who I think can contribute early and if nothing else then at least be solid in year 1. The Austin pick I think was a gamble that I don't believe will pay off, but if it does then expect it to pay off big time.
And that's the thing about this draft class for the Giants. It has a solid core, it hit a number of positions which would be considered needs for them (secondary, linebacker) and it also has that raw element to it with guys like Austin, Brewer and Scott who in all likelyhood are a little suspect right now but all have that little acorn of potential that could make a big difference in the future if developed the right way.
Either way, the Giants did well and once again Tom Coughlin I have to salute you. Now stop giving the damn ball to Eli Manning and run it for Gods sake.
Last but not least, thanks everyone for dropping by and if you wouldn't mind hitting that little facebook button at the bottom and sharing me with your friends I'd be very grateful. The more people that read, the more cash I can make from the ads, which means I can take more holidays in Italy.
Did I say holidays? I meant to say I could spend more time devoting myself to producing good articles for you.
P.S. On a genuine note and just as a random little tidbit between friends, I'm afraid of flying. Well actually that's not quite right. I'm afraid of heights and I'm afraid of crashing into the ground in a big ball of flame while being crushed by the weight of the aircraft behind me. The furthest I've ever travelled was to Normandy in France, for a miserable week when I was about 11.
Thanks for listening.
And I've realised that at this rate I'll still be going in September, which may or not be a good thing, depending on how close football is by that point. Seriously, this offseason sucks. Anyway, the Giants.
They started off in round one with cornerback Prince Amukamara from Nebraska, which is a good thing in the sense that the Giants need corners. Badly.
But it might be a bad thing at the same time, because I'm not sure about Amukamara. The thing is, he's not bad. He's not a bad corner. Honest. He just doesn't exactly blow my socks off. He runs pretty well with his receivers and his play recognition is good, but he gives players too much of a cushion in order to cover the deep ball.
That in itself is not a bad thing, but when you're continuously letting completions mount up underneath you then it becomes a bad thing. And that's my problem. Every snap when you see the pass, you see it caught and then you see Amukamara arrive to make the tackle. But I don't see where the playmaking ability is. And I don't see him being able to consistently contain receivers.
He wont suck. I'm absolutely not saying that. He just wont dazzle either. Run of the mill corner I think.
Note to self quickly before we move on; stop starting sentences with "and" or "but".
In round two the Giants took a leap of faith with North Carolina defensive tackle Marvin Austin. Now if there is one thing I've learnt it's that when the Giants take a defensive linemen you should sit up and take notice. Austin is that kind of player.
On the field he's great. He penetrates well, has surprising speed for his size, and showed a real knack in general for making plays in the opponents backfield. Bu... On the other hand, like some of his other high profile team mates in this years draft you have to go back to the 2009 season to find any film of Austin, because he was suspended for the whole of 2010 over an incident involving improper benefits.
That means that apart from the East/West shrine game Austin hasn't played a down in 12 months. So did his skills stick? Well one thing we know for certain is that he blew people away at the combine with his physical prowess. 4.84 officially in the 40 yard dash, 38 reps on the bench press? That's nuts for a 309 lbs guy.
He didn't do so well away from the field drills here either, apparently skipping the wonderlic test and then in the interview stage he absolutely shot himself in the foot. In fact, from what I've heard now he would literally have been better off shooting himself in the foot prior to the interview stage.
Considered by some to have been the ring leader of the problems at North Carolina, he then apparently threw his old college and some of his team mates under the bus with the answers he gave when pressed about the issue.
This for me then is the crux of the matter. Physically speaking and talent wise speaking, I think Marvin Austin could be a truly very talented defensive linemen. However, those character red flags are huge. Like Albert Haynesworth, Chad Ochocinco, Terrell Owens and JaMarcus Russell thrown into one man huge.
While it would be very easy for me to sit here and say he's a 2011 watch lister for sure because of his natural talent and then back out later if it all goes wrong, based on character issues, I'm not. I'm going to have to say right now that everything I have heard gives me strong reservations about Austin.
On then to round three and Jerrel Jernigan, wide receiver, Troy.
Jernigan is a tough package to pin down. See, mentally he is very well equipped. He ran wildcat plays at Troy and when he talks you can tell he really understands what it is he's talking about. His balance is good and he takes hits well. He's quick and agile.
Bu... On the other hand, I'm not sure if Jernigan has ever caught a pass beyond 10 yards? He's very much a short range receiver, the type of guy who comes out of the slot and runs crossing routes, or the kind of player you throw a lot of screens to.
That could be a concern. Teams in training camp don't really have time to sit down and explain to a player how to run the full route tree. Certainly that problem is enhanced by the lock out, with Jernigan just one of the work stoppages many victims. Overall, I'm looking at him now and saying to myself that his game is not complete enough. I smell whiffs of Reggie Bush, someone who occasionally makes great plays but can't pull all the disperate elements of the position together into a whole.
Fourth round now and it's James Brewer, offensive tackle, Indiana.
Having not seen Brewer before I slipped on the film (that's not a euphamism by the way) and tried to find out a bit about James Brewer. What I found is a tackle who overall is fairly solid, but has a really bad habit of standing up.
No, I don't mean he's shit at musical chairs. I mean he doesn't bend the knees properly in order to recruit the power in his legs to help him block. In addition he sometimes loses track of who he's supposed to be blocking, letting someone fly clean through on the inside while he tries to kick slide out and take on a phantom defender.
Either that or Indiana needs to start drug testing its gatorade.
Brewer isn't terrible, he's certainly no Mike Person. He has raw skills in terms of his hands. But he doesn't really have the talent to be more than a bench warmer in the NFL, not unless the Giants coaching staff break out the coaching job of a lifetime.
The fifth round saw nothing for the Giants because they weren't picking. In the sixth however they came up three times due to a pair of compensatory selections. The first of their sixth was Greg Jones, Linebacker, Michigan state.
Prior to the draft I didn't know who Greg Jones was, so I sat down to watch (no slipping on film this time) and waited to be amazed.
An... As it turns out, I was!
Excuse me while I gush about Greg Jones for a minute or two, although as it takes much longer to type than to read, this will probably only take you a few seconds, and now I'm rambling.
Anyway, Jones is awesome. Quick, tough, smart, reads the play well, tackles well. Watching Jones is like going back and watching Mike Singletary in the 80's. He really is a great all round player at linebacker, which is a massive bonus for the Giants.
Having lost Antonio Pierce many people thought the Giants would come right back in 2010 and grab rookie Rolando McClain. That is until the Raiders swooped early and took him. So in the end the Giants had to settle for plan B which consisted of former Titans MLB Keith Bulluck.
Now I think we may be about to see the baton passed down to Jones. Bulluck is a good player and a free agent, but surely would consider the possibility of coming back for one more year and helping Jones to develop into everything that he can be. Go on Keith, you know you want to.
In short, keep an eye on Jones. Excellent potential from where I'm sitting.
Next up is Tyler Sash, safety, Iowa. Ok, so Sash is someone I didn't really pay a lot of attention to pre-draft, but who (or whom) now has my full attention. I really like Sash and for where he was taken in the draft I think the Giants got themselves a nice pick.
The thing about Sash is he has a lot of playmaking ability. Now that's kind of a vague phrase so let me expand on that theme. One of the things that has made guys like Troy Polamalu, Brian Dawkins, and Charles Woodson so prominent in recent seasons is the fact that they keep cropping up all over the field.
Now I'm not sure we need to put Sash in that category just yet but he is very much, for me at least, the kind of player who pops up all over the field making plays. Not just in pass coverage, but also as a tackler against the run and occasionally rushing the QB.
I think Sash has that skill set and would excel as a strong safety in the NFL. He might even be able to drop in as a "will" linebacker in the Giants 4-3 scheme, so we'll just have to wait and see. But the potential is clearly there for the kid. Keep your eyes out for Sash.
Finally in the bottom of the sixth (no, this is not going to become a baseball site, I hate baseball more than the Panthers) we have Jacquian Williams, linebacker, South Florida.
Again, Williams is a name that didn't crop up much pre-draft so this was the first good look at I got at him and I have to say I'm impressed. Now, being a 4-3 linebacker it can sometimes be difficult to judge a player like Williams.
For the most part they have one gap to fill against the run or often just a short zone to cover in the passing game, and they don't do a lot of rushing around independently, and certainly don't get the same opportunity to shine in the pass rush compared to their 3-4 counter parts.
Bu... They do however get some chances to display their full range of skills and Williams certainly took those chances well. He's not the greatest tackler in the world but I've seen a hell of a lot worse in the NFL. He gets stuck in, he's smart and he has a great turn of speed.
He strikes me as quite a disciplined player, prepared to do the boring jobs if necessary for the benefit of the team at large, which is precisely the kind of player that coach Tom Coughlin will like to see. As a former Parcells student, like Bill Belchick, he's likely to have a natural affinity for a kid like Williams who strikes me as a "Parcells guy".
One last pick then and finally I can go to sleep. It's like 5:15 am here. That's me though, going the extra mile just for you guys.
It's Da'Rel Scott everybody! Running back, Maryland. Pre-draft all I had to say about him was "slow in pads". I literally wrote, "that is all" afterwards. So having sat down with a mug of coffee and had a better look, what nugget of wisdom can I share with you about Da'Rel Scott?
Slow in pads.
I should point out that if you didn't know, Scott ran the fastest 40 time at the combine among running backs with a 4.34 officially. But if ever there was proof that you should pay no attention to 40 times, it's Scott. In pads he looks a lot slower and very hesistant.
In the open field he can open up the gas and let it burn, but early on in his runs he's quite slow. At this juncture you're probably ready to shout at me about 'patience to the hole' and yes to a degree that appears to be what you get with Scott, bu... oh wait its ok, I'm in the middle of a sentence. But (damn it!) there's patience and there's prolonged, procrastinating patience.
The end result is one of two things; either he busts out a big play or more commonly he gets stopped for a relatively short gain. In turn it's those long plays that have pumped up his yardage. Indeed some of them were very long. You just get the sense however that he's not a consistent yard gainer. When the O-line can open stuff right up for him then he can break one off, but overall for my money he doesn't bring enough from down to down to be more than a sporadic back up.
In conclusion then, I think the Giants did pretty well. There are a number of players in there who I think can contribute early and if nothing else then at least be solid in year 1. The Austin pick I think was a gamble that I don't believe will pay off, but if it does then expect it to pay off big time.
And that's the thing about this draft class for the Giants. It has a solid core, it hit a number of positions which would be considered needs for them (secondary, linebacker) and it also has that raw element to it with guys like Austin, Brewer and Scott who in all likelyhood are a little suspect right now but all have that little acorn of potential that could make a big difference in the future if developed the right way.
Either way, the Giants did well and once again Tom Coughlin I have to salute you. Now stop giving the damn ball to Eli Manning and run it for Gods sake.
Last but not least, thanks everyone for dropping by and if you wouldn't mind hitting that little facebook button at the bottom and sharing me with your friends I'd be very grateful. The more people that read, the more cash I can make from the ads, which means I can take more holidays in Italy.
Did I say holidays? I meant to say I could spend more time devoting myself to producing good articles for you.
P.S. On a genuine note and just as a random little tidbit between friends, I'm afraid of flying. Well actually that's not quite right. I'm afraid of heights and I'm afraid of crashing into the ground in a big ball of flame while being crushed by the weight of the aircraft behind me. The furthest I've ever travelled was to Normandy in France, for a miserable week when I was about 11.
Thanks for listening.
Friday, February 11, 2011
NFC East Prospects
Nope, it has nothing to do with the draft. Well, not overtly anyway. It's time to peer into the crystal ball of a sport notoriously resistant to the power of crystal balls. Or maybe crystal balls are just junk. Who knows? Who cares? Either way, let's look at the NFC East.
Dallas Cowboys:
We'll do it alphabetically, because that's about as good a method as any. So that means the Cowboys are up first and what a season it was. To forget if nothing else. The loss of Tony Romo muted any questions about whether he would be able to repeat on his playoff win from the season before. A season where the Cowboys dreamed of playing the big game in their big new stadium ended in despair. Instead it largely fell to Jon Kitna to steer the ship, a job which he didn't do too bad at.
But he wasn't awesome either.
Neither was much of the Cowboys team, leading to the early exit of Head Coach Wade Phillips. After a protracted period of engaging in the letter of the Rooney Rule, if not the spirit and intent, the Cowboys appointed Jason Garrett as the new top man. Previously just the offensive coordinator, Garrett now has to get used to being directly accountable to Jerry Jones. Good luck with that Jason.
To compliment Garrett and basically to fill the gap left by Phillips, the Cowboys have hired Rob Ryan to come in and run the D. It's a 3-4 already so the transition on the surface should be quite smooth. Not sure how DeMarcus Ware is going to take it though. As the leading sack collector in the league this year he will surely get plenty of shots again next year, but the Ryan pedigree will likely mean a more diverse range of blitzes than the Cowboys have run in previous years, perhaps nipping Ware's sack tally a little at the expense of an overall increase in sacks for the D. Providing everything goes well of course.
As for the impending free agency, which for the sake of argument we will presume as going ahead as normal, the biggest question is where the Cowboys will drop their Franchise tag? On the market this off season will be offensive tackles Alex Barron and Doug Free, one of whom I'm guessing the Cowboys would rather like to hold on to. Another candidate is possibly Marcus Spears, who only played 8 games this season, though it's a much less likely option. To be honest, I'm not sure how worthy any of the 3 are.
Two other names worth mentioning, though certainly not in the franchise debate, are Sam Hurd and Gerald Sensabaugh. The loss of Sensabaugh would hurt more, by far, but Hurd is a handy little player to have around, even if Miles Austin, Roy Williams and Dez Bryant are burning holes in your cap sheet. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Cowboys dump the expensive Williams this off season and retain Hurd as a back up. But then Jerry does seem quite smitten with Roy.
As for the draft, the Cowboys start at number 9 this year. So, choices abound. The expectation at the minute appears to be that there will be a run on defensive ends/outside linebackers, which isn't really a position the Cowboys will have much interest in, so don't be surprised to see them move back a few spots. A new tackle would be nice, but the only one estimated to be worth a 9 slot would be Gabe Carimi, who could already be gone by that point. Other than that, the Cowboys really don't have many needs. Maybe a defensive back, if someone like Prince Amukamara falls that far.
All in all, 2011 should be a good year for the Cowboys. They have good coordinators now. They will have Romo back. They have three great running backs, plenty of speed at the wide receiver position, they have Witten at tight end and their defense is relatively well rounded. What could possibly go wrong?
They're the Cowboys. Something always does.
New York Giants:
Despite speculation that he might be shoved out the door for missing the playoffs, Tom Coughlin has hung in there. Of course I say "hung in there". The Giants were 10-6 last season. Their defensive line tore Jay Cutler a new a-hole. At times they looked collectively like an unstoppable juggernaut. Unfortunately there were far too many occasions when they looked eminently stoppable. That will be the focus for change in 2011.
There's not really a lot to say though. The Giants will go as far as Eli Manning takes them. I know people love to rave about Eli because of his Super Bowl performance, but that's starting to look like a forgotten memory. His play recently just hasn't matched that of those around him. I personally believe that far from being one season away from greatness, Eli is the piece that is holding the Giants back. Sadly I don't think enough people agree (a statement which presumes that I'm right).
The list of unrestricted free agents however is what catches the eye most. Kevin Boss, Ahmad Bradshaw, Barry Cofield, Derek Hagan, Domenik Hixon, Mathias Kiwanuka, Steve Smith, Jim Sorgi....
Ok, so Sorgi isn't such a big worry, but that is a lot of talent potentially walking out the door there. What is surprising though is that when you look at the Giants roster at those various positions and, except for maybe tight end, you can't help but say "they won't miss that guy....". The Giants are actually pretty well stocked.
Their attention then would probably swing toward the draft, with the Giants picking at number 19. The obvious shot is at mike linebacker. Last year many in New York had their sights set on Rolando McClain, but when the Raiders swooped on him early, the Giants were left fuming. Their response was to take Jason Pierre-Paul, who turned out (so far) to be an unexpected steal (of sorts). This year there is no real leeway for the Giants.
Unless something very tempting comes up in free agency, it's going to be a linebacker draft for the boys in blue. Maybe one in the first round if the talent is there, probably one in the second if it's not. Tack on perhaps one mid-round choice and maybe a late round project. That's really how bad the situation is for the Giants. Defensive back is also a weakness.
Looking ahead at their season? It should, theoretically speaking be a good year for the Giants. They have the talent. They really, really do. But again it comes back to Eli, or maybe even just the Giants reliance on Eli. If he has even just a mildly good year, they can go far. If he bottles it, then the rest of the team will get dragged down with him.
Again.
Philadelphia Eagles:
Andy Reid strikes again!! Last year it was McNabb who was assured of his spot on the team, only to find himself shipped to Washington. This year it was defensive coordinator Sean McDermott. It looked like he was staying in Philadelphia one minute, then the next Reid had shipped him out of the building. His replacement was naturally going to be.... wait, what?
Juan Castillo?
What the hell? This is what many Eagles fans were wondering when they heard the news. Juan used to be the offensive line coach, a job that has now been taken over by former Colts line coach Howard Mudd. And while the Mudd hiring is a smart move, I just don't get the Castillo appointment. I think Andy Reid must have been drunk. Or maybe he was just being Andy Reid, except instead of having one his temporary bouts of insanity during a game and while holding a red flag, he instead had it while making this personnel move.
Who knows though. Maybe Juan Castillo has some secret plan. Maybe he's dug out his old playbook from when he was a high school/college defensive coach and is ready to unleash all hell on the world. Maybe as an offensive line coach he has spent the last 12 seasons studying so much tape of teams blitzes that he has managed to absorb just about every blitz the league has to offer, and can draw them up on a borad, techniques and all, without even having to refer to the playbook.
I'm going with the Andy Reid insanity plea.
On to free agency then and I guess there is little doubt now that Michael Vick will find himself slapped with a franchise tag. That'll be an interesting situation to watch as I'm intrigued to know if anybody might see Vick as worth the hefty price given his skills and the impact that he had on the Eagles offense.
There are a lot of other noteworthy names on the Unrestricted list as well. Kicker David Akers, Stewart Bradley, Omar Gaither, Jerome Harrison, Ellis Hobbs, Quintin Mikell, Sav Rocca, Ernie Sims and Reggie Wells all deserve a mention. That's a long list, and if they tag Vick you have to wonder how much money will be left over to start paying these guys.
That then leads to draft time and a swathe of "needs". LeSean McCoy will be the only true running back left on the team. They'll only have three true linebackers left on the team. No punter or kicker assuming Akers and Rocca don't return. And we all know how sketchy the Eagles defensive backs can be. The question is where do you start on that list. The Eagles might just go for a 'Best Available' strategy and treat 2011 as a rebuilding year of sorts.
Which answers the question about where their 2011 season is headed. Namely down. Vick is special, as is DeSean Jackson, but that's two players on offense. The defense will need some serious work and some serious help just to stay competitive. Unless the offense can tear teams apart like it did in 2010, it's going to be a long and miserable season in Philly.
Washington Redskins:
Finally we come to the second most dysfunctional franchise in football after the Raiders. No, scrap that. The Raiders drafted well in 2010 so despite the inexplicable decision to dump Tom Cable, the Raiders get a pass for now. The Redskins are the kings of "What the hell are you doing?" this off season.
So what are they doing? Who knows? The combination of Dan Snyder and Mike Shanahan leaves everybody baffled it seems. Take Donovan McNabb for example. They trade for him, pay him up nicely, then for some reason turn against him and try to make him public enemy number 2 in Washington. The number 1 spot goes to Albert Haynesworth.
On reflection, you have to see both sides of the Haynesworth story. On one side you have the fact that he took $100 million from the Redskins, and as a result they should be able to play him at any position on the field that they see fit, including but not limited to; Nose Tackles, 3 technique, quarterback, cheerleader, water boy.
On the other hand, it is slightly deceitful when you hire a guy who thinks he's going to be rampaging through the offensive line, only to turn around and say "ah ha, gotcha! You're really just going to be used as a road block in the middle!"
Neither Haynesworth nor McNabb is up for free agency this year, but something tells just about everyone that both will likely be gone. Initially the Redskins will be expected to hold out, looking for a trade. But given that nobody seriously believes that the Redskins are going to hold on to these two into next season, the much more likely outcome is that they will be dropped some time before the start of free agency, possibly at the eleventh hour.
As for their general list of unrestricted freebies, the Redskins actually don't have too much to worry about. Rex Grossman is on the block but as the preferred choice of the Shanahan's, I imagine he will get tied up before deadline day. Rocky McIntosh and Jamaal Brown will be missed in their own ways, as will Santana Moss and Casey Rabach. But the Redskins aren't big on bringing back free agents. They much prefer to go out and splurge on brand new ones.
They also pick tenth in this years draft, so more opportunity for Snyder to open the check book and hand someone a wad of money. It's possible the quarterback will be one of the positions of interest, maybe with names ranging from the more sensible like Ryan Mallett to the more Snyder-esque hit and hope approach, such as Cam Newton or Jake Locker. The 'Skins could probably also use a corner (or two), a decent wide receiver (or two), and another decent linebacker (or two).
Looking ahead to their 2011 season. God, please don't make me do it. I seem drama appearing. I see a spat between father and son Shanahan. I see a team in revolt. I see a team that is revolting. I see a fan base in revolt. I see a fan base that is revolting. I see Dan Snyder in revolt and revolting at the same time, while also hanging his Head Coach out to dry. And I see yet another bottom of the pile performance from what is quickly becoming a laughing stock of a franchise.
Wait, did I say becoming? :) Ah who am I to talk. I'm a Niners fan....
Anyway, that's the NFC East done. I can't decide whether I want to go NFC South next or AFC East? I'll think about it, probably over the weekend. Till then, keep praying for a new CBA everyone.
Monday, October 04, 2010
Sunday Night Football
I don't have time to recap all of Sundays action, but I do have to cover the late game:
Bears 3 @ Giants 17 -- Last week I said that the Sunday Night game between the Jets and Dolphins was one of the best games I've seen in a long time. This was one of the worst.
In fact, it probably is the worst game of football I've ever had the misfortune to watch.
It was terrible. Cutler was beyond bad, loitering in the pocket like a man waiting for a bus that was never going to arrive. It was just appalling to watch. And the 17 points put up by the Giants are nothing more than a facade. The Giants offense was just as bad. Their run blocking was hideous. I've seen clips of kids games that had better line play.
I just don't know what to say. The Giants filled their boots with 10 sacks on the night, including three for Justin Tuck and three for Osi Umenyiora. I'm just in shock, mentally scarred at having wasted a little over 3 hours watching a hideous contest that barely registers as a sporting spectacle. I'd have rather watched a game of golf.
On the plus side, at least I got the pick right.
Have a great day everyone.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Touchdown!!!!
DAY ??:
I've lost count. It's been about a week. No real exercise has been conducted. I've conceded that I'm pretty much just too lazy. On a positive note, I have made a right step in another direction. I'm a huge fan of American Football and have been for something approaching 15 years. Recently I've just managed to get a role as a coaching assistant for a University team here in the UK. Which is great.
But I've also spotted that there is a gap in the market when it comes to football. And that is for someone who loves the game, to make intelligent comments on it. And by intelligent comments I mean not crowning a Superbowl champion in October (not even crowning the divisional champions!). I mean not writing off Tom Brady and The Patriots as a bust just because they didn't put 40 points on the board in every game. And I mean not calling for Jeff Fischers head in Tennessee just because they're 0-6.
The fact is, Tennessee have been rocked by some serious injuries to their pro bowl secondary. Now granted Chris Johnson is struggling because he is asked to carry too much of the load (especially up the middle which is the territory of LenDale White). But as for Kerry Collins, nothing is wrong with him. The fact is he's never been that exceptional at Tennessee and wasn't supposed to be. They're supposed to run the ball and play great D, leaving Collins to fill in the gaps. To ask him to magically transform into Bret Favre is like asking the Raiders management to trade JaMarcus Russell. It's simply not gonna happen. Should they now play Vince Young? Yes. Next year the guy will be sinking his teeth into a large sum of money and they need to know now whether he has the capability to carry this team through difficult times.
As for their opponents last Sunday, The New Engalnd Patriots, it's rock and roll time. Kind of. Yes they put 59 on the board. But it was against a depleted and defeated looking Titans. Hopes that they will blaze through the NFL undefeated from here on in may be a touch premature. But a key component of their offence is back and established; Wes Welker. Because while Randy Moss streaks down the field and makes the eyes of Madden video game makers light up, it's still Welker who wins games for the Patriots. Yes, Wes Welker. Without him, the reality is that Brady and Moss are just another one-two passing combo, like many in the league. And another combination, the tried and tested blitz + double coverage, can take them away just as easily as the rest. The key is that instead of a running game to supplement, the Patriots have Welker. Safe hands, toughness on the underneath routes and an eye for gaps in the zone make Welker the cog that keeps the machine running. Now he's back, it's fun times all round in New England. For now at least.
Am I crowning them as Superbowl Champions? Nope. Divisional champions? Nope. What about the Saints in the NFC South? Nope.
"But they beat the GIANTS!!! For Gods Sake Chris, what else do they have to do prove they're good enough to win a Superbowl ?!!!"
Uhm, win a Superbowl.
Yes they beat the Giants. The same Giants who hadn't faced a team with a winning record all season. And the same Giants who practically handed them the game. Now, don't get all upset on me. Yes I do think the Saints are a good team. Brees is an excellent QB. But I'm not ready to jump on the bandwagon just yet. Let's go back to Sunday and the Giants game.
Saints jump to a quick 14-0 lead. No arguments there. Nice to see Shockey get a TD against the Giants. But then with 11 seconds left in the 1st quarter, Manning chucks the rock downfield to the endzone looking for Steve Smith and he ...... drops it! Well, to be more precise he just cant quite reach it properly. Either way, that could have been a nice score for the Giants and might have changed the game a little. Next Saints possession they come right back and score a touchdown. Their was an opportunity for the defender to make a play in the endzone and if he does that's a pick and the ball goes back the other way. Still credit to Brees and Meecham (I don't know how to spell his name. Unlucky.) for hooking up. So Saints up 20-3 (failed conversion) when the Giants comeback and get a touchdown (credit now to Ahmad Bradshaw, great RB). 20-10 Saints.
But now it gets interesting. Brees throws from around midfield down to the 10 incomplete. But wait! That little yellow saviour comes out for the Saints as what appears on replay to just be incidental contact suddenly becomes pass interference and the Saints are on the 10. From that they nail a TD and now the game is 27-10. That's pretty lucky. Giants come back and hit a TD themselves so now it's 27-17. Saints get the ball, drive down field... but get stopped and turnover on downs. And now the Giants give it away again. Out of timeouts they fail to run a clock stopping play and have to rush to get a play off. Manning sacked, ball loose, Saints recover and convert the possession into a TD. 34-17 Saints at halftime.
Now again, to reiterate, it's not the Saints fault that New York dropped some serious clangers. But it is worth looking at. Without those mistakes the game changes. The score is tighter, the pressure mounts a little. Credit where it's due to the Saints for taking full advantage of the opportunities. But just don't expect the same sort of favours in the post season. And certainly not in the Superbowl.
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