Football 101

[Jsmoove]

If you have corners why not press them bring an extra defender and blow the back up on your way to the Qb?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

that's what aggressive play callers do

[HbgPARavenfan]

If you have corners why not press them bring an extra defender and blow the back up on your way to the Qb?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Depends on how much you trust your CBs. Some WR's are good enough to shake press coverage at the snap .

Most defenders in the NFL dont really blow up the HB, they're all to happy to run around him to try to get the Glory Sack

[Culex]

what's a catch?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Both hands on the football. Both feet on the ground. The ball can't move even if you're clearly running with it and you have to have it on your person long enough to recite the alphabet song before it being considered a fumble and not an incompletion if you then drop it.

[Laxdad24]

When teams have the ball at a hashmark, and they run a sweep, I often see them run the sweep toward the SHORT side of the field. Ie, if they are on the right hash, the sweep toward the right sideline.

That's tactically dumb, right? Sideline is an "extra tackler". Shouldn't all sweeps be run toward the open side of the formation, if possible?

Are teams doing this to try to surprise the D? Do Ds usually position themselves to deny the "open" side? What's going on here?

Yes. The expected sweep is to the “open “ side. About 90% of coaches will stack their defenses that direction. So the short side sweep “should” spring the back if the tackle can seal the end. Really the best way to pull this off is send the FB or 2nd Hb to the “open” side and late hand off to the short side. Kinda make the flow go the opposite way.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Laxdad24]

Jim, I’m no expert (my football playing days were limited to high school) but the direction in which the toss/sweep is run is usually dependent on two things, defensive formation and tendency-breaking. Tendency breaking is obvious (it’s the old “4D chess” argument). Defensive formation is trickier.

If the defense is anticipating a run and the strong safety is in the box and shading towards the line, or the defensive end is wide in his stance towards the strong side of the play, a weak side toss to the short side of the field can gain major yardage by going against the grain and catching the defense over-extended laterally.

You’re right that there’s less room to work with, but all it takes is one missed tackle or a few good blocks to spring the RB up the sideline. A fast RB can usually make it to the edge before the SS and the LBs can scrape back across the wash to make the tackle.

The Ravens have actually gotten really good at that play where they have an unbalanced line with three TEs and they fake the toss to the strong side but end up doing a quick pitch to the weak side and picking up 4+ yards every time.

With Alex Collins’ speed and footwork, he’s a threat to get to the edge and “get small” by turning his shoulders ever so slightly to break through the tacklers and bust a big one.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well said.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Laxdad24]

Thank you!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

To add to this Derf. The Nickle is also a great way to disguise a blitz package. If you have “tweener” of hybrid guys like Levine you drop a lb go nickle with him. Then he can stay and cover , he can be the “extra “ blitzer and since he’s a thumper he can also play the run. DCs like Rex and lately Swartz get the best outa their players by using disguised plays like this.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[B-more Ravor]

When it’s 3rd/4th and 1 (very short) why do teams put the QB in a shotgun making it 4th and 7?
Drives me ��

I don't have a problem with going shotgun in that scenario. I do however have a huge problem with going empty backfield and giving up any pretense of possibly running the ball.

And, this isn't just a Ravens thing, most every team does it - some successfully, many not.

[DonNMass]

what's a catch?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Ask Chris Collingsworth

[GOTA]

Ok here's one I've always wondered about that likely 95% of you know. What is a "nickle defense"? How does it differ from other defensive formations (or stragedy)? Feel free to touch on when best used and such.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

That reminds me of this story where Brett Favre was asking his backup Ty Detmer the same question. Favre by the way as in his 3rd or 4th year at this point

I said ‘Ty, I gotta ask you a question.’ And Ty was just about as goofy as I was.

He says, ‘What’s that?’

And I say, ‘What’s nickel defense?’

He gets real quiet. He says, ‘Are you serious?’

I said ‘Yeah, I’m serious.”

He says, ‘Well, they basically take out a linebacker and bring in a DB.’

I said, ‘That’s it?’

He said, ‘Thats it!’

I said, ‘Who gives a [expletive]?’

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/06/bret...detmer-packers

Brett Favre's hilarious anecdote about 'nickel defense' perfectly sums up his career

[GOTA]

what's a catch?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Always a smart guy or girl in the bunch

That's the 1 question that no one knows the answer to

[Ngata Da Vida]

On the Foles touchdown catch in the SB, how was that not an illegal formation or some kind of prohibited movement before the snap? It didn't seem right to me at all and I was waiting for a flag.

[Disclaimer: I was very glad the Eagles won and Brady looked like a dufus alligorating the pass thrown to him].

[The Excellector]

When teams have the ball at a hashmark, and they run a sweep, I often see them run the sweep toward the SHORT side of the field. Ie, if they are on the right hash, the sweep toward the right sideline.

That's tactically dumb, right? Sideline is an "extra tackler". Shouldn't all sweeps be run toward the open side of the formation, if possible?

Are teams doing this to try to surprise the D? Do Ds usually position themselves to deny the "open" side? What's going on here?

From a coaching perspective, football is a game of chess. A play call is only a good play call if it fools the defense or works the way it was intended. A play can be creative, and still be a bad call based on the situation. However, knowing what the other team is going to do is more than half the battle. Even with inferior talent, you can still stop them.