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cfbstreamreddit · 2 years

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Georgia Bulldogs vs. The Alabama Crimson Tide LIve How To Watch The College Football Playoff National Championship

College Football Playoff predictions, odds: Expert picks for Alabama vs. Georgia in national championship

Your betting guide for the best picks and plays for the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship

The 2021 college football season will reach its conclusion on Monday night in Indianapolis. When the dust settles inside Lucas Oil Stadium, either No. 1 Alabama will have won a second consecutive national title or No. 3 Georgia will have claimed its first crown in more than four decades. Either way, an SEC team will be hoisting a the College Football Playoff National Championship trophy with confetti falling all around them for the fifth time in the eight-year history of the event.

And it's not even the first time Alabama and Georgia have met in the CFP National Championship. In fact, it's not even the first time they've met this season. A little over a month ago, the Crimson Tide beat the Bulldogs 41-24 in the SEC Championship Game.

Still, while this isn't the first time these two have played for a title, it is the first time we've seen a championship game featuring two teams that faced off earlier in the same season. So, will Alabama take down Georgia a second time and pick up its seventh national title under Nick Saban, or will UGA finally break through to win its first crown since 1980?

I don't know! Nobody does, but that's not going to stop us from trying to figure it out, is it? So here are my thoughts on what we're most likely to see on Monday during the CFP National Championship along with plenty of picks from my fellow scribes. Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

National championship: (1) Alabama vs. (3) Georgia

Featured Game|Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Georgia Bulldogs

MoneylineSpreadTotalBAMA

+115

+2.5-110

o52-110

UGA

-135

-2.5-110

u52-110

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Spread: The thing about rematches is that it's incredibly difficult to beat a good team once, and it's much harder to do it twice. While Alabama knows what it has to do to beat Georgia (because it just did so last month), now the Dawgs know how the Tide plan to attack and can counter or at least work on the problems exposed in the first matchup. If you're Alabama, you're not sure what to change because you don't know what Georgia will do to switch things up. That said, if it were as simple as just betting the opposite of the first game, gambling would be a lot simpler.

Still, it's important to note that even though Alabama won the first meeting by 17 points, Georgia opened as the favorite in the rematch, and the line hasn't moved much, if at all. So the question we have to ask ourselves is simple: Are the power ratings way off, or did Alabama play a great game and catch Georgia having a bad day in Atlanta? I lean more toward the latter.

While my confidence level is more of a six on a scale of 10, I'm leaning toward the Bulldogs. I expect Georgia will look for ways to get more pressure on Alabama quarterback Bryce Young -- the first meeting was the only time all season the Dawgs defense didn't record a sack -- by mixing up coverages and bringing blitzes. I also think Georgia might show a bit more vanilla zone coverages in hopes of keeping wide receiver Jameson Williams in front of them and limiting big plays. It could look to invite Bama to run more of its RPO stuff and take away the passing option, forcing the defending champions to run the ball right into the strength of the defense.

On the flip side, Alabama's defense did a tremendous job of confusing Georgia QQ Stetson Bennett in the first game, baiting him into two interceptions. (The Tide should've had more picks, honestly.) I expect Georgia to put a little less on Bennett's plate in this game because while Bennett doesn't get nearly the credit he deserves from fans, he's still not a guy you want throwing 40 times per game.

If Georgia can take care of the ball and limit Alabama's big plays, it will win this game. But, again, that's hard to do because Bama is really good! So as I said, my confidence level here isn't high, but I believe Georgia covers more often than not. Pick: Georgia -2.5

Dennis Dodd

Tom Fornelli

Chip Patterson

Barrett Sallee

David Cobb

Shehan Jeyarajah

Jerry Palm

Adam Silverstein

Jack Crosby

Ben Kercheval

ATS

Alabama

Georgia

Alabama

Georgia

Alabama

Georgia

Alabama

Georgia

Alabama

Total: This pick is somewhat contradictory. The way I see the game playing out, the lower-scoring it is, the better for Georgia. The higher scoring, the better for Bama. So here I am picking Georgia to cover and the over! It's not that complicated. This total is based on how Georgia's defense has played all season, and it doesn't give enough consideration to the offenses Georgia faced as compared to this Alabama offense.

Furthermore, have you seen the history between these two? There have been four meetings between Saban and Smart, and only one of those four featured fewer than 52 points -- Alabama's 26-23 overtime win in the first title game. The three meetings since have featured an average of 64.3 points per game. I don't think we get that high again -- barring another overtime game -- but we should get past this number. Pick: Over 52

Which College Football Playoff picks should you make, and will any underdogs will win outright? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread -- all from a proven computer model that has returned almost $3,600 in profit over the past five-plus seasons -- and find out.

#Georgia Bulldogs vs. The Alabama Crimson Tide #college football #College Football Playoff #ncaaf

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watchingthesuperbowl · 6 years

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Notes taken during Super Bowl LII

KITTEN AND PUPPY BOWLS

Is this the first-ever Kitten Bowl to go to overtime? Tied at 28. Feline Manning throws deep. Macaroni grabs it in the end zone. Touchdown! 34-28 Panthers, final score.

I've never thought much of Feline Manning in the regular season, but you can't argue with his results in the Kitten Bowl.

There's a new Puppy Bowl stadium? This is embarrassing. The taxpayers are getting fleeced again.

OH HELL YES. THE REFEREE AT PUPPY BOWL IS A SLOTH.

Update: Puppy Bowl is tied at 14 after a quarter. It's anybody's game.

Dammit. Should have called it a pupdate.

Puppy Bowl is 24-21 in the second quarter. It's quickly becoming apparent that dogs can't play defense.

Pupdate: Fluff 28, Ruff 24. Presumably, we're deep into the second quarter.

Now it's 31-28 Ruff. Still in the second quarter. I'm sure Puppy Bowl XIV is on track to destroy the all-time record for total points scored in a single game.

Last second touchdown! Fluff pulls off a 52-47 win over Ruff!

PREGAME

Okay, I've got a beer, dinner is on its way, and I'm settling in to finish this project. The only reason I've finished this is that I'm a stubborn SOB. This hasn't been fun for about 6-7 months now.

A feature about Tom Brady's mom. She had cancer in 2016 and was only able to be at one of his games, Super Bowl LI. A nice story.

Oh, cool, now Dan Patrick asked Brady when he knew he could be great. It's no longer a heartwarming story about his mom, now it's about slurping on Brady.

Patrick comparing Brady to Michael Jordan. Brady says he doesn't think about that very often. Could never be compared to his childhood heroes.

Brady has no idea how he'll fill the void when he retires. Maybe coach his kids. He's happy his kids are old enough to see him play. His son didn't pick him in fantasy football. Took Cam Newton instead.

You know what NBC should do more of? Talk about Tom Brady. I wonder where they rank him on the all-time list.

Now it's a feature about the Eagles defense. Not a ton of big names, says Chris Long, but they have a bunch of good players.

And then they end it with more about Tom Brady. Good. More of that, please. I never get sick of it.

One thing I've noticed, in watching all these Super Bowls, is that the team with the better defense wins more often than you'd expect. If one team is offense-reliant and the other is defense-reliant, the defensive team wins a bunch of games. That would be the Eagles here.

Rodney Harrison: Patriots will run short passes and screen passes to avoid the Eagle pass rush.

Commercials. Zelle. Applebees has a quesadilla burger. George Washington crossing the Delaware Turnpike for Geico. Turbotax. Promo for a new NBC series, Good Girls. It's not about puppers, unfortunately. Promo for the Olympics.

NBC bumps in with a bunch of sound bites from Eagles and Patriots fans. The Patriots remain the worst. I hope this old guy gets to see an Eagles championship.

Rodney Harrison: Tom Brady gave me a hug, told me he loves me, and gave me a little wink. I've seen that wink before. That means he's going to have a big game.

Dungy and John Harbaugh talk about how loose and calm the Eagles seem. Harrison says the Patriots need to come out and start fast. Can't fall behind the Eagles like they did last year against Atlanta.

Harrison picks the Patriots. Harbaugh picks the Eagles, says they'll hold New England under 24. Dungy picks the Eagles, says he's fallen in love with Nick Foles. Dan Patrick doesn't pick anybody. It's good to be the host.

Commercials: HQ trivia. You can watch the game in Spanish on Universo. Local ad for Tim Hortons. Local ad for Columbus Cyberknife prostate cancer treatment. State Farm insurance. State of Ohio PSA saying you shouldn't drive drunk. YoutubeTV. The commercial for Youtube TV includes a bunch of NBC programming.

Time for the "Youtube TV kickoff show". Starts with a Carrie Underwood song. Great. This is where I need a fast forward button.

There's a rap breakdown in the middle of this Underwood song. They show Super Bowl legends including Roger Staubach during that part of the song. Staubach has been one of my absolute favorite players to watch in these Super Bowls, but he is the least "hip hop" person on earth.

Al Michaels: This is a league built for parity and the Patriots are on the cusp of their sixth championship in 17 years. Eagles have a history of success, but have never won a Super Bowl.

Cris Collinsworth: Everybody knows Tom Brady, but not Nick Foles. But Foles is capable of having a tremendous game. Had one of the greatest seasons in NFL history in 2013. Chip Kelly says you're welcome.

Commercials: A really long commercial for Mass Mutual that involves people singing a Pretenders song. Red Sparrow.

Eagles walk out to the field. NBC runs a montage of their players introducing themselves. "Donnie Bag of Bones Jones" is the punter.

Patriots now. "Chris Hogan, Penn State lacrosse." I wouldn't want to be associated with their football program either. (Also, he didn't play football in college.)

It's very clear very early who the fans in the stadium want to win. The Patriots are loudly booed as they take the field.

Commercials: Kraft, US Bank, Mercedes Benz, Terrell Owens for Pizza Hut, Winter Olympics Promo.

Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. J.J. Watt, unsurprisingly. He did a ton of work to raise money for hurricane relief after Houston got leveled.

America The Beautiful. Leslie Odom Jr. I genuinely have no clue who this person is. He can sing, though. He nails it.

It turns out Leslie Odom Jr. played Aaron Burr in Hamilton. This would explain why I don't know who he is.

The Star Spangled Banner. Pink. She also nails it.

Commercials. I spaced out and may have missed one. The Quiet Place. Lionel Richie for TD Ameritrade. Big Mac.

Michaels: What's the most likely way the Eagles win this game? Collinsworth: The offensive line and defensive line. They need to be able to run the ball and they need to be able to pressure Brady without blitzing him. It's hard to imagine that this game could come down to anything other than Tom Brady.

Coin toss: Medal of Honor winners. Very cool. Herschel "Woody" Williams will toss the coin. Won the Medal of Honor for valor at the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.

The referee called him Willie Williams. Oof.

Now he called him Corporal Wilson.

Eagles call tails. It's heads. Patriots defer, Eagles will receive.

Michele Tafoya: Eagles coach Doug Pederson told Nick Foles "You're not Tom Brady. Be Nick."

Commercials. I spaced out again. Is there a new Jurassic Park movie? There was a thing for that. Also YouTube TV.

NBC bumps in from commercial with a bunch of sound bites from past Super Bowl heroes. Staubach, Namath, Hines Ward.

FIRST QUARTER

Okay, kickoff time

Line-drive kickoff. Clement takes it out to the 25.

First play, pass right to Agholor. 5 yard gain.

Agholor for 2 more yards on second down. Michaels says Foles completed 15 passes in a row at the end of the NFC championship game. It's 17 in a row now.

18 in a row. Foles buys time on third down and hits Alshon Jeffery for 15 yards or so.

Well, there's an incomplete pass. Torrey Smith can't come up with the ball on a 2nd and 12 downfield pass.

Smith more than makes up for the incompletion - goes up the ladder to make a 15 yard catch on 3rd and 12. Eagles approaching field goal range.

Eagles running a bunch of "RPO" plays. (Run-pass option.) Ajayi runs for six on first down. Next play is a screen pass to Corey Clement. Takes it to the New England 5. The Patriots were blitzing and got burned. First and goal.

2nd and goal from the 2. False start on tight end Zach Ertz. Ouch. Offensive penalties inside the 5 are brutal.

Yep, that false start penalty was a killer. After incomplete passes on second down and third down, the Eagles will attempt a field goal.

Got it. A chip shot field goal ends a 14-play game opening drive. 3-0 Eagles. NBC bumps out to commercial with "The Underdog" by Spoon, which is cool.

Commercials: Toyota supports the Paralympics. Sprint has a Westworld parody

Eagles kick off. It's a touchback. Then more commercials.

Commercials: Solo, a Star Wars story. With Donald Glover! Nothing brings it down quite like Dr. Oz in the next commercial. Ugh. Go away. Turkish Airlines. He is Turkish, so there's that. Promo for a new show called Rise. Looks like a musical. Great.

Stop me if you've heard this before. Brady completes a short, outside pass to James White for a first down. 15 yards. Next play is a pass to James White. Because all he does is catch passes in the Super Bowl. That play's wiped out after a 12 men on the field penalty on the defense.

Brady to Chris Hogan underneath, coming across the middle, for a gain of 28. They're inside the Philadelphia 30. Next play is an end around to Hogan for four yards.

Brady to Gronkowski coming across the middle. Another completion, another first down at the 14.

Oh, hey, it's a completion to James White. Gains six yards, down to the 8.

NBC is using a white line to mark the line of scrimmage which is horrible and I hate it. I can't tell which is the line of scrimmage and which is the 10 yard line. Brady throws behind Gronk on third down and the Patriots settle for a Gostkowski field goal attempt.

Yup. 26 yard field goal for Gostkowski. 3-3, late first quarter.

Commercials: Bud Light with a Dilly Dilly ad that I've seen before. M&Ms. The red M&M turns into Danny Devito, who walks down the streets of New York asking if people want to eat him. Promo for the halftime show. Justin Timberlake. Winter Olympics promo.

Kenjon Barner with a decent kickoff return. Kenjon is my dude. Thrilled that he's had an NFL career. Incredibly cool guy.

Big, big run for another Duck, LaGarrette Blount. 36 yard rumble into New England territory. Collinsworth says the Patriots asked Blount to take a pay cut, he said no, and went to the Eagles.

TOUCHDOWN! Foles deep to Alshon Jeffery, who makes an incredible grab in the end zone.

Ugh, they blew the extra point. 9-3 Eagles.

A good article about Barner. He studied, among other things, ballet dancing at Oregon.

Commercials: Ram trucks, Wendy's. Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

HEY, JEFFERY. NICE CATCH, JEFFERY.

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Commercials: A Hulu show from Stephen King and J.J. Abrams. Heroes Arena mobile game. Olympics promo.

The Patriots look very human at this point. Which, yeah, it's the first quarter of the Super Bowl. Gronk false start, Brady overshoots Hogan, and it's 3rd and 7.

Hey, you guys? You might want to cover Danny Amendola. Amendola is wide open deep and Brady hits him. First down at the Philadelphia 29.

Collinsworth: Eagles defense led the league in highest percentage of threes-and-out in the regular season, but they're struggling with New England's fast-paced offense.

First quarter ends. Philadelphia 9, New England 3.

Commercials: Peter Dinklage for Doritos. Morgan Freeman for Mountain Dew Ice. Both are lip-synching rap songs. David Harbour for Tide. Skyscraper starring Dwayne Johnson.

289 yards of total offense in the first quarter between the two teams.

SECOND QUARTER

Third down, Brandin Cooks on a jet sweep. Tries to jump over a tackler but can't get that done.

New England botches a field goal attempt. Holder drops the ball, Gostkowski has to stop, then start, then drills it into the left upright. Big break for Philadelphia.

Foles with a nice move to avoid a sack on third and long. Probably could run for a first down but throws to Ertz. Incomplete. Donnie Bag of Bones Jones to punt.

Fair catch at the 37.

Commercials: Another Dilly Dilly ad for Bud Light. ETrade. A movie. I was looking away. Mission Impossible? Is there one of those? Olympics promo. After the game, "This is Us".

Brady to Cooks downfield for 23. Gets absolutely annihilated by Malcolm Jenkins and he's not moving. There was a bit of helmet-to-helmet contact. Commercial time.

Commercials: Rocket Mortgage. Avocados from Mexico. The Cloverfield Paradox.

We're back from commercial. Cooks has been taken to the locker room. There was no penalty on the hit because he was a runner and not defenseless.

Third down, the Patriots run a reverse/throwback play, a pass to Tom Brady. Incomplete - Brady dropped the ball. They go for it on 4th and 5 from the 35. Incomplete pass. Turnover on downs.

Commercials. Diet Coke with Mango, Jeep, Tide, WeatherTech. Halftime show promo.

Michaels: Patriots DB Malcolm Butler has played zero defensive snaps today. The team says it's "a coach's decision".

Foles downfield to Zach Ertz, First down at the New England 43.

Great throw and catch from Foles to Jeffery downfield. 22 yard gain.

Next play, LaGarrette Blount! Blows through the defense for a 21 yard touchdown. 15-3 Eagles. They go for two, which I absolutely hate. Incomplete pass. It's still 15-3.

Commercials: Pringles. Febreze. Chris Pratt for Michelob Ultra.

Anyway, back to the "going for two" thing. I wouldn't do it until I absolutely had to. The second quarter is not that time.

NBC graphic: Most championships by a coach/QB combo: Belichick-Brady and Lombardi-Starr are tied with five.

Cutaways: Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez. Mike Trout, who Al Michaels calls a California Angel. Missed it by a couple decades, Al.

Big play from Brady to Burkhead. A screen pass - he nearly breaks it for a touchdown. Gets it to the Eagles' 29.

Third and 8, the Eagles completely blow up a screen pass with backfield penetration. Brady throws it away. Gostkowski kicks a 45 yard field goal. 15-6. And that's why you kick the extra point. A ten point lead is so much better than a nine-point lead.

Um, hello? The screen has gone black. I don't know what just happened. No commercials. They go back to the stadium after 10-15 seconds.

Tafoya: Brandin Cooks will not return. He has a "head injury". Patriots now have a total of three wide receivers available.

Michaels: Foles nearly retired when he was released by the Rams. Decided there was only one coach he'd play for, Andy Reid of the Chiefs. Reid wanted him.

Collinsworth: I love what Nick Foles is doing. When the Patriots blitz, he's throwing the ball to the area vacated by the blitzer.

Big run from Ajayi on third and 4. Inside handoff, looks like he's in trouble, and he bursts through the hole to the New England 43.

Huge break for the Patriots. Alshon Jeffery makes a one-handed catch downfield inside the 10 but the ball squirts loose, hits him on the other hand, and bounces to a New England defensive back for an interception.

Commercials: Squarespace, Dodge Ram uses a Martin Luther King speech to sell trucks, which is unbelievably gross.

Gross.

Brady deep to Chris Hogan inside the 30. Next play, James White breaks about eight thousand tackles on a 26 yard touchdown run. Patriots doing Patriots things right before the half.

Gostkowski blows the extra point. 15-12 Eagles as we hit the two minute warning.

Nope.

Huge play for the Eagles on third and 3. Corey Clement runs a swing route down the right sideline and Foles lofts it to him for a 55 yard gain inside the 10.

Next play, Clement powers up the middle to the 2. Nice power run from a third-down back. Clement again on second down. Up the middle again, gets to the 1. Patriots call timeout. 0:40 left.

Good lord, Alshon Jeffery got tackled in the end zone before the ball got there. Incomplete pass. They'll line up to go for it on fourth and goal.

Timeout, Eagles. They want to think about this. The offense is back on the field.

OH WOW. OH WOW.

Direct snap to Clement, flips it to Trey Burton, who throws to a wide-open Foles in the end zone. Touchdown. 22-12 Eagles with 0:34 left in the half.

Once again, Al Michaels says Mike Trout plays for the California Angels.

Patriots have the ball at midfield with 0:03 left. They're lining up for a Hail Mary.

They don't run a Hail Mary. They throw a swing pass to Amendola, who gains 20 yards as the half ends.

At halftime: Philadelphia 22, New England 12

Eagles coach Doug Pederson on the fourth down call at the 1: Our guys marched downfield and I wasn't going to let them get stopped at the one.

HALFTIME

There are commercials happening, but I'm going to grab a snack and a drink. It's a local break anyway.

Commercials: "Unsolved" on USA Network. Pepsi.

Halftime show. Justin Timberlake. Opens with an unbelievably cool laser show under the stage. Now he's coming upstairs into the stadium. Not sure what's with the wardrobe choice. A black leather jacket with fringe and a bandana tied around his neck.

Justin Timberlake isn't my thing musically, but this has been a good halftime show. Better than the Coldplay/Beyonce thing. Better than the Black Eyed Peas. He seems to be changing stages for every new song.

Timberlake doing a "duet" with Prince, which is something Prince was pretty adamant about opposing when he was alive.

Mental note: Make a GIF of the saxophone guy Timberlake walked by just now.

I remembered. Look at sax guy on the left. He's the new Left Shark.

Okay, halftime show over. It was good. Not the best I've ever seen, but solid.

Commercials: A "Jack Ryan" series on Amazon, which seems like exactly the sort of show you'd make if you didn't want me to watch it. Verizon.

Dan Patrick: This is the first game in NFL history to be 22-12 at halftime.

Commercials: Promo for The Voice. Spectrum cable. Giant Eagle. This is obviously a local break. PSA about drinking and driving.

This is the first Super Bowl in history where both QBs were over 200 yards passing in the first half.

Tafoya: Asked Belichick why Butler wasn't playing. He said he makes decisions to give his team the best chance to win. Belichick says they need to do everything better in the second half.

THIRD QUARTER

First play of the second half, Brady misses a wide open Gronk.

They connect on the second play of the half. 25 yard completion downfield to the 50. Next play, Brady to Gronkowski again. 24 yards this time, to the Philadelphia 26.

3rd and 6, Gronkowski again. First and goal at the 8.

It's all Gronk, all the time. Brady zips it to Gronkowski in the end zone on second and goal. 22-18, pending the extra point.

This is not optimal defensive positioning.

Got it this time. 22-19 Eagles. Brady up to 344 yards passing with more than 12 minutes left in the third quarter.

Commercials. Anheuser Busch. Turbotax.

My dude.

Eagles called for a block in the back on the kickoff return. They'll start this drive inside their 20.

Third and 6, Eagles trying to avoid a three-and-out. Agholor with a catch underneath, breaks a tackle to pick up the first down.

A couple of nice runs from Blount and they're into New England territory.

Collinsworth suspects something's up with Jay Ajayi and maybe it is, but Blount has been great.

Ajayi looked okay on that run. Gains 9 on 2nd and 10 and gets to the New England 40.

3rd and 1, Foles to Ertz down the sideline. Gets to the Patriots' 26.

3rd and 6, Foles throws into the end zone. What. a. throw. Corey Clement double covered and the ball is perfect. Looks like Clement bobbled the ball. It's under review as NBC goes to commercial.

Commercials: Jeep. Westworld on HBO. Turbotax.

Ruling on the field stands. Touchdown. It was a close call. Collinsworth is flabbergasted. I don't know what a catch is anymore, to be frank, but I've seen worse calls than that. Extra point is good. 29-19 Eagles.

Commercials: Kia. Blacture.com. Eli Manning mumbling incoherently for something or other. Olympics promo.

Eagles called for defensive holding. Gronk sold it well.

2nd and 8, Dion Lewis up the middle for 6. 3rd and 2 from the Eagles 45.

Brady downfield to Amendola on third and 1. Amendola to the 26 yard line. Next play, Brady to Hogan, who falls into the end zone. Got it. Touchdown. 29-25 with the extra point to come.

Extra point is good.

Commercials: Avengers. T-Mobile. Jesus Christ Superstar promo.

Cutaways: Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton, Floyd Mayweather, Jimmy Fallon, Bradley Cooper.

Commercials: Toyota. Wix. Kraft. The Today Show.

Brady is 19-32 for 404 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT.

First play of the next drive, Folds downfield to Agholor. First down near midfield. Next play, Foles to Torrey Smith. 18 yard gain.

Jet sweep to Agholor for 9 on 2nd and 8. First down inside the New England 25.

NBC graphic: The two teams have combined for 955 total yards, the most in Super Bowl history. And it's still the third quarter.

Third quarter ends. The Eagles have a 3rd and 3 from the New England 15 yard line.

After three quarters: Philadelphia 29, New England 26

Commercials: NFL promo. ADT. Ohio Northern University. Obviously this is a local break. State Farm.

FOURTH QUARTER

Patriots blow up a swing pass to Agholor on third down. Eagles will presumably attempt a field goal after a loss of 8.

Jake Elliott drills a 42 yard field goal. Sets the record for the longest field goal kicked by a rookie in the Super Bowl. 32-26 Eagles. AND THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T GO FOR TWO IN THE SECOND QUARTER.

Commercials: Monster headphones. Michelob Ultra. Groupon.

It's a Rex Burkhead kind of drive for New England. Burkhead run for 5, then Burkhead for 9, then Burkhead for 4.

3rd and 3 for the Patriots. It's clear from motion that the defense is in man coverage, so Brady throws to Amendola. Because that's what he does in man coverage. First down. Next play is a pass downfield to Amendola. First down at the Philadelphia 20.

Hey, have I mentioned HOW BAD AN IDEA IT IS TO GO FOR TWO IN THE SECOND QUARTER?

Swing pass to Amendola for 9. Second and 1 inside the 10.

James White up the middle. First and goal at the Eagles' 3.

Brady is up to 453 yards passing. Throws incomplete on first and goal. Gronk. Brady into the end zone for his big tight end. It's tied at 32, which Michaels describes as the Patriots' first lead of the game.

Brady is now up to 457 yards and 3 TD.

Extra point is good. 33-32 Patriots.

Commercial: Amazon Alexa.

"So I said to myself 'We need that point. We have to get it back. We need to go for two.'"

2nd and 6, Foles throws deep to Smith on a one-on-one jump ball. It falls incomplete. Weird play. It's a huge third down here.

HUGE PLAY. Foles to Ertz for 7 on 3rd and 6. Nice throw.

Clock under 7:00 as Foles throws to Clement. Seven yard gain on 2nd and 8. It's third and 1.

Eagles throw on third and 1. Ugh. It's a swing pass and it's stuffed. Pederson will go for it on 4th and 1.

WHEW. They threw the ball and picked it up. Foles to Ertz for 2. Clock below 5:00. Eagles near midfield.

Philadelphia uses a timeout with 4:52 left in regulation. They have two left.

Commercials: Coke. Peyton Manning for Universal Parks and Resorts. The World Cup on Telemundo.

Nice play by Agholor. Foles escapes the pocket and hits Agholor on the run at the sticks. First down. 3:30 and counting. First and 10 from the New England 43.

Agholor again! Foles zips it to him across the middle. There was a tiny window to complete that pass and he did it. First down inside the 25. The clock is about to become a factor here - the Eagles are likely to take the lead, barring a turnover. The question is how much time Brady will have and how many points he'll need.

Foles is up over 350 yards now. It's pretty obvious that the winning quarterback is going to be the MVP.

1,081 total yards tonight. The most in any NFL postseason game, ever.

Foles to Agholor for 10 yards to the Patriots' 14. Forced out of bounds.

Ajayi for three yards up the middle. Patriots burn their second timeout with 2:30 remaining in regulation. It'll be 2nd and 7.

Incomplete pass on second and 7. Third and 7 here. 2:25 left. Brady's going to have some time, it looks like. If they can get 8 yards on this play, that would be perfect.

TOUCHDOWN! I think. Yeah, that's a touchdown. He had the ball, took a few steps, and dove into the end zone. Ertz took three steps before the ball hit the ground. It seems obvious that this is a touchdown. Collinsworth thinks they have to overturn it. I think he's insane.

I don't see how this is a close call. He caught the ball, started running, dove, got over the goal line, and then the ball popped loose. How is this a question?

What is Collinsworth smoking?

Yeah, they call it a touchdown. That was an easy one, I think. Collinsworth is silent.

Eagles up 38-33. They'll go for two.

Nope. Incomplete pass. AND THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T GO FOR TWO IN THE SECOND QUARTER. DAMMIT.

Brady has 2:21 to put together a touchdown drive.

Collinsworth is still talking about this?

Michaels: In all five Super Bowls Brady has won, he has come back to win them.

Brady to Gronk for 8. 2:16.

BRADY FUMBLES! HOLY CRAP! EAGLES RECOVER.

The game isn't over, but it's damn close. Start chilling nem bottles of champagne.

We reach the two-minute warning with 1:56 left. It'll be third and 5 from the New England 26. They'll run the ball, get the clock down to 1:20 or so, then either kick a field goal (if they don't pick up the first down) or take a knee (if they do).

Blount stuffed on third down. Clock will be down to 1:10 before the field goal attempt. Eagles take a timeout with 70 seconds left.

46 yard field goal, dead center from Jake Elliott. Eagles up 41-33 with 1:05 left. Hell of a clutch kick by a rookie.

Patriots try to run a trick play on the return, but Burkhead is stuffed at the 9. Brady needs to go 91 yards in 58 seconds.

1st and 10, incomplete to Hogan.

2nd and 10, incomplete to White. 0:48 left.

3rd and 10, Brady under pressure in his own end zone, gets the throw off. Incomplete. It's 4th and 10. Now or never.

Complete to Amendola for 12 yards. They spike it with 26 seconds left. They still need 78 yards.

Brady to Gronk. Gets out of bounds at his own 33. 0:20 left.

Brady to Gronk for another 16, gets out of bounds. Near midfield. 0:13 left.

Eagles take their final timeout to talk this over.

Incomplete pass on first down. 0:09 left.

Next play, Brady buys time, chucks it deep, and it falls incomplete in the end zone as time expires.

THE EAGLES HAVE WON THE SUPER BOWL.

THIS ONE'S FOR PHILLY BOY ROY.

Final score: Philadelphia 41, New England 33. Nem Eagles got it done.

POSTGAME

Commercials: Scientology.

Yes, I’m curious. Where’s Shelly Miscavige? Why has nobody seen her in public in more than a decade?

Tom Brady threw for 505 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. And lost.

Brandon Graham: We are the world champions because we worked our butts off.

The Patriots punted zero times. And lost.

Collinsworth: Nick Foles was unbelievable tonight.

Trophy presentation. Darrell Green carries the Lombardi Trophy to the stage. Weird that they'd have an NFC East great who didn't play for Phiadelphia do this. Apparently he had a big game in Super Bowl XXVI. I contend that game never happened, which is a shame because the Bills were supposed to be in it.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie: For Eagles fans everywhere, this is for them. This is the most unique, together, group of men I've ever been around. An incredible group of men, players and coaches. Attempts to dedicate the win. Dan Patrick blows through that, but Lurie somehow gets the microphone from him and dedicates this championship to Eagles fans around the world and especially to his mom and dad.

Doug Pederson thanks Jesus. Praises his players. Has the best players in the world, loves the coaching staff and the owner. Has the best fans in the world.

Pederson: Wanted to stay aggressive with Foles. That was the plan coming in.

Ertz: No doubt that it was a touchdown. No telling what would have happened in the city of Philadelphia if it had been overturned.

Nick Foles is the MVP. Jokingly says it was just another game. His infant daughter tries to grab the microphone. Foles says he's very blessed.

Commercials: Motorola with Amazon Alexa. H&R Block. Discover Card. McDonalds. Eagles championship gear at NFLShop dot com. Xfinity.

Dungy: Foles made big plays all night, but when he needed a touchdown, he went to Ertz.

Harrison: Said Graham would make a difference on defense for the Eagles, and he made the big play late in the fourth quarter.

Bill Belichick: I obviously didn't do a good enough job coaching. We missed a lot of opportunities in the first half. Not good enough on defense. Not good enough in the kicking game.

Harrison: If the Patriots are going to come back to this game, they'll need to improve that defense. Just not enough athletes.

Dungy: Foles knows this is Carson Wentz's team, but was ready to go tonight.

Michaels and Collinsworth awkwardly fist bump.

#nfl #football #super bowl #super bowl lii #new england #new england patriots #patriots #philadelphia eagles #philadelphia #eagles

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stand8io · 4 years

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junker-town · 5 years

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The 6 best offensive lines in the NFL right now

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Retired NFL lineman Geoff Schwartz checks in on the top two tiers of OLs a quarter of the way through the season.

Every quarter of the NFL season, I’ll be doing an offensive rankings of sort. I don’t like to rank 1-32, because there are always many units that are close in the rankings. So I’ll use the tier system. Heading into the season, we had the Eagles, Cowboys, Saints, Patriots, and Steelers in the upper tier, followed closely by the Packers, Bears, Colts, and Chiefs.

Let’s see where the offensive lines stand now.

The upper tier after four weeks of the regular season has three of the five from the preseason rankings: the Eagles, Cowboys and Saints. The Patriots’ injuries have slid them down, while the Steelers just haven’t been the same — possibly because of the quarterback situation, but more because they lost their offensive line coach, Mike Munchak, to the Broncos.

It’s also worth mentioning, as longtime NFL reporter John Clayton told me last season, the rule of 150. If your starting offensive line has a combined age of 150 or over, it declines fast due to older players’ diminishing skills and injuries. I hadn’t heard about it, but it applied last year to the Atlanta Falcons, whose OL got worse as the season went along. With a younger right tackle, the Steelers are right at 150, so according to Clayton’s theory, their OL is supposed to decline, which is showing just a bit.

But enough about which ones have fallen. Let’s get to the best of the best right now. These are no order, FYI.

The top offensive line tier

There are just three in this group, at least so far this season.

Philadelphia Eagles

It’s no surprise the Eagles are in this upper tier. They are monsters in the trenches, even with some injuries hampering them. What makes the Eagles’ offensive line so unique is they have big bodies. Brandon Brooks at right guard and Jason Kelce at center are playing at their usual high levels. Both tackles, Lane Johnson and Jason Peters, are ranked in the top 10, according to Pro Football Focus.

As a unit, the Eagles are 12th in adjusted line yards, second in power rank (needing 2 yards or less on third or fourth down), and eighth in stuff rate, all of those according to Football Outsiders. These rushing numbers are all without having an elite-level running back.

In pass protection, they are a physical group, highlighted by Johnson. Their tackles are almost always on an island and give Carson Wentz plenty of time for work.

Here are some highlights of their offensive line, brought to you by Brandon Thorn. If you want weekly offensive line breakdowns and videos, he’s the man to follow.

Brandon Brooks is one of the biggest guards in the NFL, but is also one of the most skilled. Through the first 3 weeks he's shown some impressive variance in his sets & hands. - Snatch & trap - 'Flash' technique - Jump set This after tearing his Achilles 8 months ago pic.twitter.com/J0qppO23Yy

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) September 26, 2019

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys might be the “best” offensive line through the first four weeks. I know, the Saints ate them up in Week 4, but one game shouldn’t change my opinion, or yours, for that manner.

I said before the season that Cowboys center Travis Frederick was the single most important addition for a contender. Having him back has solidified the offensive line and added some protection at left guard, where Connor Williams struggles at times. Zack Martin and Tyron Smith have been their usual excellent selves, and La’el Collins, fresh off a new contract at right tackle, is currently the highest-ranked tackle by Pro Football Focus.

The film backs up how Collins is playing:

Such a great rep by La'el Collins here to get the snatch in vs. Jordan 1v1 & put him on the turf pic.twitter.com/yVLz16Akc2

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) October 2, 2019

The Cowboys are fifth in adjusted line yards, first in power rank, and seventh in second-level rank, which measures the yards earned between 5-10 on a given run. That shows me the Cowboys are opening up massive holes for the running backs. They are also playing smart football, which is something needed when running some of these RPO-style plays, as evidenced by Smith here:

Y’all ... freaking clinic footwork and execution by the @dallascowboys LT Tyron Smith on Dak Prescott’s long run. The Redskins run a gap exchange to force Dak to pull the ball and Tyron’s footwork and prep allow him to make a tougher block than it looks. Great work pic.twitter.com/V9IJFn3eSU

— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) September 17, 2019

New Orleans Saints

The Saints had an outstanding offensive line last season and returned four starters — all but center Max Unger, who retired. His replacement came in the form of Erik McCoy, a rookie from Texas A&M. He’s had his ups and downs, but luckily for the Saints, his ups have been higher than his downs.

Look at this finish by McCoy against the Cowboys:

Erik McCoy having a strong night. pic.twitter.com/bSbS7w3XAZ

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) September 30, 2019

What I love most about the Saints’ offensive line is their versatility. They run a wide variety of run schemes and they excel in their ability to execute those blocks. Here’s an example from Week 1:

This might be the best blocked run play of week 1! All of the @Saints lineman get a plus on this toss play, including rookie center Erik McCoy. Huge hole for Kamara to sprint through. Notice the finish by everyone! up!! @CoachPaintCH pic.twitter.com/5FG1uT11Ag

— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) September 12, 2019

While they are big road graders, they also have nimble feet in pass protection, and their right tackle is one of the best in the game.

The second offensive line tier

A few units are knocking on the door of the first tier, but aren’t quite there yet.

Baltimore Ravens

Their offensive line has been great rushing the football. I was wrong on my prediction about Orlando Brown Jr., as I saw him more like Ereck Flowers. The big man has been powerful in the run game, leading this unit to the second-best adjusted line yards rate, while also being third in second-level yards. Also, Brown understands the pass pro isn’t passive.

There's some serious power behind Orlando Brown Jr.'s strikes pic.twitter.com/JtMG6NyNbR

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) September 25, 2019

Lastly, left tackle Ronnie Stanley has come into his own and is having a Pro Bowl-caliber start to his season.

Indianapolis Colts

The fighting Quenton Nelsons! This dude is amazing at his job, as you’ve seen with the hundreds of videos I’ve posted in the last three seasons (including his last year at Notre Dame). The Colts are ninth in running back yards and seventh in adjusted sack yards.

They weren’t in the upper tier entering the season because of their right side, which is still the side of the line that’s holding them back. Don’t worry, though. They are still an above-average unit.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers continue to have a terrific tackle pass protection unit, led by left tackle David Bakhtiari. Their issue is at right guard, where Billy Turner hasn’t played well, and it’s messing up their pass protection at times. It’s hard to protect at tackle when the quarterback can’t step up in the pocket. The right guard is vital to the pass protection success.

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flauntpage · 6 years

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Bend, But Don��t Break: Ten Takeaways from Eagles 18, Falcons 12

This time, Julio Jones caught the ball.

Only he was out of bounds, so it didn’t count. No touchdown, Eagles win, and everybody exhales at one o’clock in the morning.

What a night to kick off the title defense, right?

It started with Shawn Mendes getting everybody pumped up at Penn’s Landing.

Then we took it down to Lincoln Financial Field, where a 40 minute rain delay put off the start of the game until 9:05 p.m.

After that, we suffered through a first half featuring zero touchdowns and 16 penalties as the Eagles were booed off the field just two quarters after unfurling the first Super Bowl banner in team history.

But whatever slop we had to endure for the first two hours, the second half more than made up for it, with a series of events that played out in eerily similar fashion to what we saw just eight months prior in the NFC divisional round playoff game.

Again it came down to 4th and goal, and again the Falcons couldn’t find the end zone. Even after they were thrown a lifeline on an illegal contact call, Steve Sarkisian went back to the fade and Matt Ryan put it up for Jones, who couldn’t bring it down in play. Multiple times the Atlanta offense stalled out in the red zone as the Eagles defense propped up a sluggish offense that ultimately put enough points on the board to win.

It really was very comparable to what we in January, with the Eagles hardly operating like a well-oiled machine but finding a way to execute when it mattered. The Birds began with zero yards on their first three drives, committed a special teams gaffe, and turned the ball over at an inopportune time. They gave up the lead in the 4th quarter but responded by engineering the game-winning drive.

In many ways, it was the same thing we saw from last year’s squad, a squad that found a way to get the job done even when they weren’t at their best.

1) Play calling

I thought Doug Pederson looked a little rusty to start, leaning on Darren Sproles and running about 98% of his early offense out of the shotgun. Corey Clement and Jay Ajayi were almost entirely absent in the first half along with tight ends Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert.

I tallied up the totals and came up with this output for the night:

18 runs from the shotgun

5 runs from under center

35 passes from shotgun (5 run/pass options)

1 pass from under center (play action)

There were some early calls that didn’t make sense to me. The two-yard out on 3rd and 9 jumped off the page.

But I thought Doug did a really nice job on the second drive of the third quarter, when he threw in the Philly Special 2.0 (more on that later), the shovel pass, and showed two under-center run looks en route to the end zone.

Ajayi finished with 15 carries for 62 yards and two touchdowns. Clement had only five for 26 yards and Sproles ran it five times for 10 yards. It was something like a 35 to 27 pass/run split, which is a typical Eagles number, so Doug ultimately did well to mix it up once the offense loosened up just a little bit in the second half.

I think part of the thing with the shotgun is that it just helps Nick Foles find a comfort zone. And you don’t need to run under-center plays to set up play action because your RPO package essentially functions as play action anyway. Would I prefer more downhill running instead of the Chip Kelly shotgun looks? Sure, but all three backs have enough burst and dive to be effective carrying the ball in multiple ways.

2) The banged up receiving corps

Not much to highlight here.

Zach Ertz led the group with 5 grabs for 48 yards but only reeled in half of his 10 targets. Agholor put in a nice performance for a PPR fantasy league, with 8 catches for 33 yards on 10 targets as he moved from the slot to the outside and back on multiple occasions. Mike Wallace and Shelton Gibson did not have a catch and DeAndre Carter grabbed one for 10 yards.

It really seemed like they missed Alshon Jeffery in this game. Foles had two deep looks for Wallace that he couldn’t connect on, the latter coming in the fourth quarter on a very nice defensive play by cornerback Robert Alford. You get the sense that Foles and Wallace don’t have that timing or rhythm down yet.

As for Ertz, he had the pair of second half drops, one which hit him in the chest and one that was sort of an awkward lean with a guy coming to take his head off from the secondary. For whatever reason, Foles couldn’t seem to find him on that bread and butter seam route down the right side of the field.

NFL Next Gen Stats posted his route tree, which features the route itself in white and the yards after catch in green. Just not a lot of YAC for him last night and only three routes that took him further than 10 yards down the field:

I thought we’d see a lot more of Ertz with Jeffery not available to carry the load.

As for Goedert, I wouldn’t put that interception on him necessarily, just a great play by the defender. Still, I think he’ll learn how to sit in that soft spot and take the route a bit more shallow, which would prevent that tackle and pick from taking place.

3) Personnel stuff + wrinkles

Nate Gerry started at linebacker with Malcolm Jenkins in the slot on Julio Jones. As Jones moved around, different guys saw a bit of him, with Ronald Darby getting a chunk of looks. Jones got his yards, 169 on 10 catches, but again the Eagles minimized the damage by keeping him out of the end zone.

Sidney Jones also got some significant slot time in this game, winning snaps ahead of rookie Avonte Maddox.

I don’t think there were any other surprises here, but it feels like we didn’t see a lot of Michael Bennett last night. Destiny Vaeao rolled with the first team defensive line alongside Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, and Derek Barnett. I don’t have the snap counts yet, but I’m interested to see how they mixed and matched with the front seven.

And even on the other side of the field, Atlanta did some things differently, showed a bit of cover 2 and got away from some of the single high safety and cover 1/cover 3 sets that they typically use.

Here’s Foles on that:

“Honestly this is one of those unique games where it’s not really a rhythm thing, you’re just going to fight all game. They did a great job of playing us, covering us, doing zone and man. They went two-high safeties and they don’t do that a lot. It was just one of those things where it wasn’t a rhythmic game, but I thought our guys fought hard and I thought we made some big plays when we needed to. Our defense did a great job [and so did the] special teams. It was a very unique game.”

Yes. Yes it was.

Ajayi and Lane Johnson both pointed out that the Atlanta defense was doing some slanting up front, which resulted in the Eagles going back to the locker room, making some run game adjustments and finding more success in the second half.

4) The defense

I think a lot of us predicted that the offense would start slow and that the defense would carry the load in the first half.

Bingo.

The goal line stand on the first drive was massive. And they held Atlanta to a field goal on the second drive, resulting in a 3-0 scoreline that could have very easily been 14-0 instead.

The tone setter was a phenomenal bit of work by Kamu Grugier-Hill to shed not one, but two blocks and stuff Devonta Freeman before he could reach the pylon.

I saw this on Twitter via @GuoBlue and it made me laugh, so I gotta share it here:

Hah! Anyway, the Eagles defense did this:

held Atlanta to 74 yards on the ground (6 for 36 for Freeman and 9 for 19 for Coleman)

limited Matt Ryan to 21/43 passing for 0 touchdowns, 1 interception, and a 57.4 QB rating

sacked Ryan four times for a loss of 26 yards

stood firm on third down, keeping ATL to a 4-15 conversion rate on the night

I’d actually give a big shout out to Chris Long first, for his 4 QB hits and 1.5 sacks. He forced a fumble that Atlanta was able to recover and was generally disruptive all night long. Jordan Hicks also looked like his best self, finishing with team-high 7 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one defended pass, and a pair of QB hits. Fletcher Cox had a sack and 4 QB hits.

I’m not sure Barnett had the best night. He negated a sack with an offside call and saw a screen pass go over his head for a big first half gain. Later, he lined up offside on a 3rd and 5 and gave Atlanta a cheap first down.

Overall, however, just elite stuff from the defense, who were put in some difficult positions by the other two units but still found a way to limit a very good offense to just 12 points.

5) Special teams and the offensive line

Some good and some bad.

Shelton Gibson, who I thought might feature in the passing game, committed a 15 yard penalty because he ran out of bounds as a gunner and didn’t get back in play fast enough. He also tried to a return a kick out of the end zone but only made it to the 10 yard line but made up for it with a 30 yard return the next time around.

Tre Sullivan had the punt gaffe, when he found himself surrounded by Falcons and too close to the ball, which resulted in him being bullied into brushing the ball with his foot for an Atlanta recovery.

Cameron Johnston looked pretty good, however, booting the ball six times for a 52.2 yard average. He chunked a 60 yarder in the second half that was called back for a pair of offsetting penalties.

As far as the O-line, they were steady after making the adjustment. Jason Peters looked like his Pro Bowl self for much of the night.

Specifically, on the game-winning touchdown, I picked out three excellent blocks from Peters, Brandon Brooks, and Mike Wallace, who did a nice job to finish the play and let Ajayi find the end zone:

Actually, it might be a hold on Brooks, but whatever. I’m told that offensive linemen hold on every play, you just have to make it look like you’re not. For him to get over to the opposite side of the field and move his guy back towards the left hash shows a phenomenal bit of mobility and strength.

6) Philly Special, part two

Not exactly the same as first one, which Foles clarified post game, explaining that the Super Bowl play was called the “Philly Special” and last night’s play was “Philly Philly.”

What’s the difference?

Well, this time they had Foles take the snap and hand it off to Clement for a reverse to Agholor and pass. In the Super Bowl, it was a direct snap to Clement. Same concept, but with one extra step here instead of Foles faking the pre-snap audible and walking up to the line:

"YOU WANT PHILLY PHILLY?" pic.twitter.com/oa4bMmJ8lu

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) September 7, 2018

This was exactly what the Patriots ran last season in the Super Bowl.

Also, no issues with the formation. Remember how New England fans complained about illegal formation the first time around because they didn’t think 7 guys were on the line of scrimmage? That’s not the case here because there are six down linemen and a slot receiver, plus a wideout who is considered to be playing at the LOS as well.

7) What is a catch?

Nobody knows. They still don’t know:

The @NFL still doesn’t know what a catch is!! That was a catch by @juliojones_11 , especially with the new rule!! #TNF #ATLvsPHI

pic.twitter.com/6Rl4ncOYSs

— Tim Dennis (@TDennisSportTog) September 7, 2018

Also, because I don’t know what other section to put it in, I wanted to mention that we had zero penalties for lowering of the helmet last night. 26 penalties, but zero for lowering the helmet. That’s a good sign.

8) Doug’s best call?

Philly Special 2.0, for sure.

A post game question about that:

Q. Was there part of you when you called that play, Philly-Philly, that you saw the same type of situation, that this offense and this building needed a spark and it was a good time for it? (Jamie Apody)

DOUG PEDERSON: A little bit. Offensively, we were sort of misfiring a little bit early in the game, first half in particular. And we came out in the second half, and just the same type of thing, and just were looking for a big play, somebody to make a play, and you kind of look for that from time to time. Again, just felt like it was the right time to make that call, and the guys executed it well.

I also think he just showed more variety on that second drive of the third quarter, and loosened up a bit by taking the load off of Sproles and getting Jay Ajayi more involved. That also helped tilt time of possession 32 minutes to 28 minutes, which is almost the same exact split from the January playoff game.

9) Doug’s worst call?

I don’t know if throwing the challenge flag on the second drive after a four-yard reception made the most sense. Then he decided not to challenge the Sanu catch at the end of the 3rd quarter on a 3rd and 5 situation that ultimately led to a first down when Derek Barnett lined up offside on the ensuing play.

They also burned a time out on the 4th down at the end of the first half, I’d assume because they thought they had a first down, but did not. He also had to burn a timeout on 3rd and 14 in the 4th quarter, which could have been costly later on.

10) The broadcast

The nice thing about the rain delay was that we got extra bonus coverage from Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth.

Sike.

I appreciated Michaels pronouncing Marvel Comics as “Mar-velle” Comics. Not sure if you caught that.

I also thought I heard Collinsworth take a dig at himself during the Pederson review, which made me laugh. He said something to the effect of, “no way am I gonna try to tell you whether or not that’s a catch.” He also made a fair call on the play where Chris Long went low into Matt Ryan and got flagged for roughing the passer. I thought they also did a really nice job identifying that Rasul Douglas had come in for Ronald Darby and was 1v1 with Jones just prior to the interception.

Seriously, I thought Michaels and Collinsworth were fair and balanced, like FOX News. I thought Collinsworth was fine, but I still feel like Michaels sounds.. tired? I’m not sure. His touchdown calls are lacking energy these days and he seems like he’s just sort of going through the motions out there. I guess I’d be tired, too, if I was 73 years old and started my career in the 1960s.

RE: the “Green Zone” – it feels redundant to me. You’ve already got the yellow line showing the first down spot, so why do we need a darker shaded portion of the field? I don’t really see the purpose since that area of the field is really unimportant compared to the line of scrimmage and line of gain, which we were already highlighting.

I also didn’t understand the camera angle they used during the first Falcons drive of the 3rd quarter. I think they went Skycam from behind Matt Ryan for four straight plays, which gave us a bad view of the Julio Jones bobble. I know broadcasters want to try new things and evolve their coverage, but this ain’t it.

Also, if you care, Malcolm Jenkins did not do the fist salute during the national anthem.

And finally, the audio and video were not synced-up during the pregame fight song:

What an incredible scene.pic.twitter.com/kHR1OoVGLO

— Joe Giglio (@JoeGiglioSports) September 7, 2018

Other than that, and the Shawn Mendes shit, no complaints. Nice win to start off the Super Bowl defense.

The post Bend, But Don’t Break: Ten Takeaways from Eagles 18, Falcons 12 appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Bend, But Don’t Break: Ten Takeaways from Eagles 18, Falcons 12 published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

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parkerbstaffing · 6 years

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AI and the Executive Staffing Firm: A Promising Tool or a Dangerous Juggernaut?

Artificial Intelligence might represent the biggest change in executive staffing since the online job board. Does that mean that corporate recruiting can be whittled down to a clerk at a computer? Or that there is no longer a need for skilled executive search professionals?

Read Full Blog here: https://www.parkerblake.com/blog/ai-executive-staffing-firm-promising-tool-dangerous-juggernaut/

#RPO Companies #executive search firms atlanta

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hrdracc · 8 months

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Is Recruitment Process Outsourcing Suitable for Small Businesses?

Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) has gained prominence as a strategic solution for managing the complexities of talent acquisition in today's competitive job market. But is RPO a suitable choice for small businesses?

Small businesses often face unique challenges when it comes to hiring, including limited resources, budget constraints, and the need to rapidly adapt to changing staffing demands.

Budget Considerations: One of the primary concerns for small businesses is budget limitations. RPO services typically come with a cost, and it's essential to weigh this against the available resources. While RPO can be cost-effective in the long run, small businesses must carefully assess their financial readiness.

Recruitment Needs: The frequency and volume of hiring play a crucial role in determining the suitability of RPO. Small businesses with consistent recruitment needs or seasonal fluctuations may find RPO valuable in maintaining efficient hiring processes without the overhead of a full-time HR team.

Scalability: Small businesses often experience growth spurts or fluctuations in staffing requirements. RPO offers scalability, allowing businesses to scale up or down their recruitment efforts as needed, providing flexibility and cost control.

Compliance and Regulations: Compliance with employment laws and regulations is critical.

Time Savings: Small business owners and managers wear multiple hats, making time a precious commodity.

Quality of Candidates: The quality of candidates is paramount. Small businesses should assess whether RPO providers can deliver candidates who align with the company culture and meet specific job requirements, as each hire can significantly impact a small team.

Long-term Strategy: Small businesses should consider whether RPO aligns with their long-term hiring strategy.

Contract Terms: RPO contracts vary in terms and flexibility. Small businesses should explore providers offering short-term contracts or project-based solutions that align with their specific needs and constraints.

Recruitment Process Outsourcing can indeed be suitable for small businesses, but it's not a one-size-fits-all solution. Success depends on a careful evaluation of the business's unique circumstances, needs, and budget constraints. Small businesses should assess whether the advantages of RPO align with their hiring objectives and long-term growth plans, recognizing that the right RPO partnership can help them navigate the complexities of talent acquisition effectively.

#Recruiting Process Outsourcing Atlanta #RPO Atlanta #Human Resource Recruiting Firms #Recruiting Process Outsourcing

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strictlyfavorites · 6 years

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The Eagles are Super Bowl champions!

Nick Foles, High-Powered Eagles Stun Tom Brady, Patriots to Win Super Bowl 52

After a dramatic 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII, the Eagles raised the Lombardi Trophy for the very first time.

The Philadelphia Eagles waited nearly 58 minutes to sack Tom Brady. When they finally did, they made it count.

Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham strip-sacked Brady on a Patriots' potential game-winning drive, helping Philadelphia clinch a 41-33 victory over New England to take Super Bowl LII on Sunday.

The win is the first Super Bowl in Eagles history, following losses to the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XV and these Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX.

Graham's sack was the Eagles' first and only, breaking through after nearly an entire game's worth of failed efforts. Nick Foles, who won MVP honors, hit Zach Ertz for an 11-yard touchdown with 2:21 remaining in what turned out to be the game-winning score.

The Patriots got the ball back with 1:05 remaining following a Jake Elliott field goal but had no timeouts and ran out of time on a drive that ended in a failed Hail Mary.

It's a bit ironic that the biggest play of the game came on defense, considering the teams combined for a Super Bowl record 1,151 total yards. They punted just once in a contest that oftentimes felt more like a seven-on-seven drill.

New England's 613 yards were the most ever in a Super Bowl—and the most ever for a losing team in the playoffs.

Brady threw for 505 yards and three touchdowns, continuing to rewrite the postseason and Super Bowl record book. His passing yards mark broke a record he set just one year ago against the Atlanta Falcons, and he extended his all-time lead in Super Bowl passing yards and touchdowns. The 40-year-old also became the first player in NFL history to throw for 10,000 yards in the playoffs.

Foles, continuing one of the more improbable postseason runs in recent memory, matched him step for step. Once considered the biggest hindrance to a potential Eagles Super Bowl run after taking over for an injured Carson Wentz, Foles threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns—and made a touchdown reception as a receiver.

The Eagles got on the board on their final possession of the second half to make it 22-12 going into the break, with Foles hauling in a one-yard score from Trey Burton on a fourth-down trick play. Foles' catch had the polar opposite result of a similar New England play from earlier in the first half, which saw Brady drop a pass from Danny Amendola with a clear field in front of him.

"We have such a great group of guys, such a great coaching staff. We felt confident coming in and we just went out there and played football," the underdog Foles told NBC's Dan Patrick (h/t Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com). "We've played this game since we were little kids. We've dreamed about this moment. There's plenty of kids watching this game right now dreaming about this moment that someday will be here. To be here with my daughter, my wife , my family, my teammates, this city, I'm very blessed."

Trick plays and fourth-down attempts set the tone for two teams unwilling to settle for a boring, conservative contest. Foles' lone interception came on a deep-ball throw to Alshon Jeffery that the wideout nearly hauled in with one arm before tipping it up and into the arms of Duron Harmon. But Eagles coach Doug Pederson never lost faith, trusting Foles on a 4th-and-1 conversion at the Philadelphia 45 on their game-winning drive.

Foles hit Ertz for a two-yard pass to extend the drive before later hitting him for a score.

"We just wanted to stay aggressive. We mixed in some of the RPOs [run-pass options]. The Patriots did a great job of kind of nullifying some of that," Pederson said. "Listen, my mentality was I'm going to stay aggressive with Nick and let him use his playmakers to make plays."

LeGarrette Blount had a stellar game against his former team, rushing for 90 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Blount and Jay Ajayi were consistently effective on the ground, and the Eagles averaged 6.1 yards per carry, making Foles' run-pass options all the more effective.

Corey Clement also had a big receiving game out of the backfield, recording a team-high 100 yards on four catches. Nelson Agholor (nine catches, 84 yards), Alshon Jeffery (three catches, 73 yards, TD), and Ertz (seven catches, 67 yards, TD) also had solid receiving outings.

Nearly all of Brady's production went to the trio of Amendola, Chris Hogan and Rob Gronkowski. Amendola led the way with 152 yards on his eight receptions, while Gronkowski (nine receptions, 116 yards) scored twice and Hogan (six receptions, 128 yards) once.

Kicking, on the other hand, was an adventure for both teams. Stephen Gostkowski, usually among the most reliable kickers in football, shanked a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter and missed an extra point after a second-quarter touchdown. Elliott hit all three of his field goals, but he missed an extra point that likely led to Philadelphia's attempting two two-point conversions.

Aside from the victory, these teams could be headed in different directions. The Patriots' internal struggles are well-documented, with Brady and Belichick having a growing tension after nearly two decades of harmony. ESPN.com's Seth Wickersham's profile of the Patriots painted a picture that made it clear either Brady or Belichick could be leaving this offseason.

Meanwhile, the Eagles will return a Super Bowl-winning team to the hands of Wentz, who looked like the league MVP before his knee injury. Foles is under contract for next season but could have played his last game as an Eagle—especially if the team wants to take advantage of his value at its peak.

Those are questions for later. For now, let there be dune buggies flying up the Rocky steps, teamwork climbing up greased light poles and hopefully a city still standing in southeast Pennsylvania tomorrow because the Eagles are finally Super Bowl champions.

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stand8io · 4 years

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tkmedia · 3 years

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Julio Jones trade gives one man dream do-over

Cameron Hogwood Interviews, Comment & Analysis @ch_skysports

After an unsuccessful stint as Raiders offensive coordinator in 2017, Todd Downing has a star-studded crack-team at his disposal as he looks to fill the void left by Arthur Smith at the Tennessee Titans.

Last Updated: 17/06/21 10:35am

Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing (AP) 'Pick your poison' be the message from Titans new man Julio Jones upon slotting into Tennessee's near-complete jigsaw. But who be chief poison-picker? That job shall belong to Todd Downing, who, while cushioned by an envied weaponry in his second shot as an offensive coordinator, will realise that the same scenario affords him few excuses not to be successful as play-caller, string-puller, poison-picker in Nashville.In Jones he has a defense-dwarfing seven-time Pro Bowler, a two-time receiving yards leader, a two-time first-team All-Pro, exemplary virtuoso and perennial top three wideout; in Derrick Henry a tackle-swatting Fighting Bull whose backfield prowl has amounted to two successive Pro Bowl selections, two successive rushing yard titles, two successive rushing touchdown titles and a seat in the 2,000-yard club; in A.J. Brown a body-hauling number one receiver in-waiting and in Ryan Tannehill a reborn top 10 quarterback. The main meal comes with its complementary side dishes, too. Trading for Jones likely had its ulterior motives beyond the shrewd acknowledgement of a possible Championship window: namely offering Downing the receiving siren that's presence is engrained in defensive game-plans, which will only serve to benefit his new teammates. Particularly Brown, who pitched hard for his idol to join him as a double-team-denier at Nissan Stadium. Downing lived in 11 personnel for 70 per cent of the time while offensive coordinator of the Oakland Raiders in 2017, and though his options mean that could prove the case again he may well be hoping it's where the similarities end.Portrayals as an offensive wizard following the Week One win over the Titans had by the end of the 2017 season evolved into Downing being labelled 'in over his head' by David Carr, brother to Raiders quarterback Derek. For a culmination of reasons it all fell a little dreary at an equally-uninspiring period for the Raiders franchise, which capsized to a 6-10 finish a season after ending its 13-year playoff drought with a 12-4 record in 2016.Eyebrows lifted when head coach Jack Del Rio cut ties with offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave following the Wild Card defeat to the Houston Texans, especially given his role alongside Downing in helping Carr towards back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons.Downing was subsequently named Musgrave's replacement in a promotion from quarterbacks coach, a role that he had also previously carried out with the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills.The result was an ugly decline on offense. The Raiders collapsed from 6th overall in 2016 to 18th under Downing, going from 13th in passing to 16th, 6th in rushing to 25th and 7th in scoring to 23rd. They lacked the subterfuge and deception and unpredictability with motioning pieces pre-snap and disguised concepts of those around them, Carr's efficiency took a hit as he nursed niggling back issues down the stretch, wide receiver Amari Cooper's production fell off a cliff, there was a case for an ageing Marshawn Lynch being under-utilised and what was then the highest-paid offensive line in the NFL struggled to play like it. Combine the aforementioned with the defense failing to record an interception through the first 10 games of the season and the Raiders were stagnant across the board.Upon being fired alongside Del Rio and the rest of his coaching staff at the end of the season, Downing returned for his second spell with the Minnesota Vikings, where he had served as offensive quality control coach in 2005, this time as senior offensive assistant before eventually beginning the campaign as tight ends coach.There he assisted Kyle Rudolph as he recorded career second-best returns of 64 catches and 634 yards receiving, until he was hired to the same role by Mike Vrabel and the Titans in 2019, since overseeing Jonnu Smith's ascent as he incorporated sneaks and swings and out routes on his way towards becoming one of the league's most productive in his position.Downing is now tasked with succeeding Smith, who begins his tenure as Atlanta Falcons head coach having schemed his offense towards a tied-2nd most yards per game (396.4) last season, with the Titans ranking 23rd in passing, 2nd in rushing and 4th in scoring.

0:38 Derrick Henry storms to a 52-yard rushing touchdown against the Texans Derrick Henry storms to a 52-yard rushing touchdown against the Texans "I think there would be pressure if I looked at it as: My job is to fill Arthur's shoes'," Downing told reporters this offseason. "But I think each year is its own year. It has its own challenges, its own components. I look at this job more as what Coach (Mike) Vrabel and Jon Robinson asked me to do to fill it this year, not to be Arthur Smith or to be anybody else."I am not as caught up in putting Todd Downing's stamp on the offense as I am coming up with what the right recipe for the ingredients we have is, and making sure that we're as competitive and consistent as we can be."On the heels of Tennessee's potency in 2020, few could blame Downing were he to blend a natural desire to make this offense his own with components of Smith's own style.Downing called play-action just 14 percent of the time (30th in the league) during his stint as Raiders offensive coordinator, an approach you would envision him expanding on given its role in Smith's system.

The making of Trevor Lawrence From 'naked wild man' to 'ego-less superstar'. Those close to Trevor Lawrence's ascent provide insight on the generational talent behind-the-scenes. The Tannehill play-action discussion is an interesting one. According to ESPN Stats & Info, he ranked 32nd out of 35 qualifying quarterbacks in play-action completion percentage (60.1), however, managed to register a third-most 1,561 yards for a tied-seventh-most 11 touchdowns while his 9.6 averaged yards per attempt was bettered only by Tom Brady and Deshaun Watson. Smith and the Titans employed play-action as an effective avenue to chunk plays; when it worked, it worked well.At the same time, Tannehill also recorded a 68.3 completion percentage in non-play-action scenarios, throwing for 21 touchdowns to four interceptions and averaging seven yards per attempt. So just a reminder he can do it both ways.But when Henry gives defensive coordinators no choice but to stack the box, why wouldn't Downing pursue play-action knowing the likelihood of Mount Julio finding himself one-on-one downfield?

5:43 Highlights of the Baltimore Ravens against the Tennessee Titans in the NFL Playoffs Highlights of the Baltimore Ravens against the Tennessee Titans in the NFL Playoffs It ideally makes for a seamless introduction for free agency pickup Josh Reynolds coming from a Los Angeles Rams offense in which he had become a reliable target for Jared Goff in play-action, bootleg, and RPO situations.Downing's Raiders meanwhile ranked 30th in rushing attempts per game (23.1) with Lynch leading things out of the backfield behind an offensive line that endured difficulties transitioning from a power scheme to zone blocking.He appears to be better equipped in Tennessee in that regard with a line far better suited to accommodating Henry's threat from wide/outside zone. Second-round offensive tackle Dillon Radunz will aid the gap cause too as he arrives out of North Dakota State with a glowing reputation as a run blocker.Smith's Titans also laid the foundations for the balance required on offense, lining up in 11 personnel 38 percent of the time and 12 personnel 35 percent. That includes using two tight ends in 12 on 36 percent of run plays and one tight end in 11 on 31 percent of run plays, meaning the departure of Smith in free agency could impact how Downing builds on that.It thereby creates the opportunity for Anthony Firkser to assume a more prominent role after working closely with Downing to increase his workload in 2020.The 2017 undrafted free agent out of Harvard saw his snap count increase from 198 (20 percent) in 2019 to 348 (32.4 percent) last season, Smith using him regularly in 12 personnel with flood and smash concepts as a means of identifying soft spots on intermediate routes.Between the crossers, the sneaks and the whip routes evident on tape along with the loss of Smith, Firkser is primed to be a familiar feature at middle field.

2:40 Jaguars Senior Reporter J.P. Shadrick describes the team's vision for rookie running back Travis Etienne Jaguars Senior Reporter J.P. Shadrick describes the team's vision for rookie running back Travis Etienne An aspect to look out for when it comes to Downing's offense could be his use of running backs in the passing game. Raiders running backs were targeted 119 times under Downing, and 161 times when including Cordarrelle Patterson, who occasionally operated out of the backfield.Granted, Henry's presence and power reduces the need to motion him into the flat, but the pass-catching talents of second-year running back Darrynton Evans, limited to five games in his rookie season, offers Downing a chance to expand on the 57 targets for Titans running backs in 2020, which includes the five for fullback Khari Blasingame.Evans posted 1,480 yards rushing for 18 touchdowns from 255 carries alongside 21 catches for 198 yards and five scores in his 2019 season with Appalachian State.Five years is an age in the NFL and plenty of time for Downing to have reflected, learned, recalibrated, absorbed and re-prepared for an offensive coordinator job that perhaps caught him off-guard in Oakland at the time. Julio is Julio. He will run and leap and catch and destroy, weaving in the gritty blocking side as he has done throughout his entire career. Brown has supplemented the curls, the drags and the crossers with an enhanced ability to both break down field as a game-changer and combat man coverage with violence to his hand usage and breaks. There is arguably more pressure on Henry to sustain his influence and continue defying a game that seems desperate to abandon power backs.Julio's arrival was a major step towards ultimate goal for the Titans. Maybe the biggest step is Downing competing with the Eric Bieniemys, the Brian Dabolls and the Greg Romans of the AFC. Between a glaringly more harmonious environment compared to that in Oakland, a star-studded offense and necessary upgrades to a defense that hindered Tennessee last season, Downing is in as welcome a position as he could have wished for in what is possibly a second audition.Follow the latest offseason news across Sky Sports' digital channels and @SkySportsNFL on Twitter. Read the full article

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auburnfamilynews · 5 years

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There has been virtually no real information coming out of Auburn on the battle for the most important position on the field. As preseason hype ramps up for college football, every perennial powerhouse in the land is being scrutinized. What are their strengths? What are their weaknesses? Who is going to take over for the departed in different positions? Auburn isn’t getting a ton of talk nationwide, and it isn’t because Auburn isn’t a powerhouse program. It’s the fact that the info gathered from the spring game months ago is still the only true, unadulterated insight anyone has into the quarterback battle between the two highly touted competitors, Joey Gatewood and Bo Nix.

Here is a recap of the of the information we all know. Gatewood is a physical freak, who gets compared to Cam Newton even though he doesn’t like it. The six-foot-five monster finally got on the field in the Music City Bowl game blowout last season and looked the part. Of course, so did absolutely every Auburn player on the field, except he was playing against an abused and bleeding Purdue team by the time he made a SuperCam dive towards the end zone. Before an injury held him out last year, he looked lost against the Auburn defense, but so did every QB that played on A-Day. This year was quite different. Gatewood was 7 for 10, passing for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns in the first half, a solid stat line, and he did that without being able to show off his best asset, his running ability.

Nix was 11 for 14 for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns, though he added an interception. However, he had complete command of the offense, pulling the defense offsides twice with one of those becoming a free play for a touchdown. What little we know about Nix’s fall camp is that the interception bug showed up again, even though one of those picks was attributed to his receiver. Nix isn’t Gatewood’s size, and he may not have the speed, but Bo isn’t a statue in the pocket, and his predecessor, Jarrett Stidham, showed what just a bit of mobility could do in his time on the Plains.

You’ve read this time and time again, but not many of the popular websites are really reading between the lines.

First, of course, is the assumption that both players are going to play against Oregon. This has never worked for Auburn or for many teams across the nation. There’s a reason the old adage goes “if you have two quarterbacks, you have none.” This Oregon team isn’t an Arkansas State, a team that will push you just enough to get in good reps but is not quite good enough to put the game in jeopardy. No one has tried this more than Gus Malzahn, and no one has made it look worse.

Auburn fans are naturally split on whom they believe is going to be the trigger man for the Tigers. While everyone wants to win, there are a lot of people who would like to see Nix be the man simply because of the nostalgia of having a No. 10 named Nix heading the offense. Everyone agrees that Nix is the better passer, and the true freshman already has the polish of an upperclassman. Surely his father/coach had a lot to do with that. The spring game was very much like watching his father, Pat, in the no-nonsense-do-the-small-things way that won a lot of games for Auburn when dad Pat wore the Orange and Blue.

However, love him as fans might, he has a lot of things working against him that have little to do with his ability.

First is the obvious: the Gus Malzahn offense has been at its best with a mobile quarterback. Debates run aplenty on this, and I believe that it has more to do with the individual players and their abilities than it does play calling. In the end, it’s not about having a mobile quarterback, but having the right player. Truth is, Gus has had only a few of those, and while they made him look really good, they artificially inflated a lot of opinions, possibly including Gus’ opinion of himself. Remember he’s now declared that he will again be calling plays. If that’s the truth, Nix is in trouble before Auburn even takes the field in Dallas.

That may not sit well with some fans. But folks have to set their feelings aside and take a really objective look at a few things. Auburn has tried to go with the field general under Malzahn several times now. It started with his first stint at Auburn, preceding Cam Newton, and continues today. Consider this: only Chris Todd and Jarrett Stidham were successful pocket passers, and both looked severely mediocre in crunch time. There are a lot of factors to consider with a quarterback, such as the defense he played behind or the weapons around him. Yet, but in the end, the product from Todd to Barrett Trotter to Sean White to Stidham looked almost identical despite the fact that there was a gulf of ability between these guys, ending with Stidham who now looks the part of Tom Brady’s replacement in Foxboro. Auburn has had plenty of dual-threat quarterbacks come through the program. Some never saw the field. Unfortunately, some like John Franklin III and Jeremy Johnson did, and the resulting product wasn’t very good. So, it’s not that Auburn needs a dual-threat QB to succeed, especially when Gus calls plays. It has to have the perfect player, and Gus has to call the right plays for that guy, whomever he may be. The question is, can Gus call plays for anything other than the right dual-threat guy?

Auburn has some great things going for it this season like the offensive line, which is supposed to be among the league’s best with five seniors. Auburn has a group of good backs, and Boobee Whitlow may be a breakout player this season.

However, at some point, Auburn is going to throw the ball. There is receiving depth as the Tigers have Eli Stove and Will Hastings coming back from serious injuries, although Anthony Schwartz had hand surgery and is doubtful for Oregon and Seth Williams was limited this week. Even a guy like Shedrick Jackson, who has yet to see the field, was held out. In Auburn’s second scrimmage, drops were a serious issue. The quarterbacks apparently played a lot better, but drops got the best of them. On any other team, this wouldn’t be a surprise, considering the number of potential starters that are out. But at Auburn, there’s been a continual lack of development at that position under Kodi Burns. Auburn’s pass catchers looked incredible in the spring game, but their fall practice perfomance is troubling news, especially for Nix. If Gus is truly calling plays, there is little to no need for a field general. Gatewood is just as good at handing off the speed sweep, running the RPO and throwing the occasional play action pass to a wide open receiver.

One other thing that is a serious strike against Nix is his dad, the very reason he is who he is. As a legacy QB who really wants to be at Auburn, Gus and Co. can roll the dice on Gatewood, knowing that Nix won’t pack his bags. In today’s college football landscape, the transfer portal is busier than Atlanta’s MARTA at 5:00 PM on a Friday before game day. Switching it up, if Nix were to be named starter and play all twelve games, would Gatewood stay? To answer that, just take a look at Auburn’s recruiting at the QB position versus the current roster.

The post Battle for QB1: Between the Lines appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.

from Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog http://trackemtigers.com/battle-for-qb1-between-the-lines/

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flauntpage · 5 years

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Wild Card Weekend: A Look at Chicago’s Offense

Let’s get it back to the Eagles.

We’ve got a playoff game to talk about, and it looks good on paper.

This is a Chicago team that hasn’t been to the postseason in eight years. The quarterback has never played in a playoff game and Matt Nagy is a first-year head coach who is entering relatively unfamiliar territory, at least in his current role. The Bears play host to an experienced and battle-tested Philly team on a three-game winning streak that thrives in the underdog role. All of the intangible stuff surrounding this game seems to favor the Eagles, who should feel little to no pressure on Sunday afternoon.

But they don’t play the games on paper, so here’s a short scoop on the Chicago offense.

Numbers

I like to start it off with a general overview of how the opponent performed statistically.

Here are Da Bears regular season marks:

21st in total offense (343 yards per game)

21st in passing offense (222 YPG)

11th in rushing offense (121 YPG)

9th in points per game (23)

11th in 3rd down conversion rate (41%)

11th in 4th down conversion rate (60% on a 9-15 mark)

8th best in penalties committed (just 97 total, six per game)

16th in first downs (331 total, 20.6 per game)

27th in rush yards per attempt (4.1)

tied for 7th in rushing touchdowns (16)

12th in passing touchdowns (28)

14 interceptions thrown (12th most in NFL)

9 fumbles lost (4th most)

36 takeaways (#1), 24 giveaways (#8) for a +12 turnover margin

average time of possession 31:59 (3rd, just behind Eagles)

Those are their league-wide totals. You see they aren’t an amazing passing team, but they do a really nice job of controlling the clock and moving the chains with a rushing offense that finished just outside of the top-ten. They really are similar to the Eagles in the way they limit penalties and win in auxiliary areas of the game, though that positive turnover margin is much more about their defense and not their offense. They’ve coughed the ball up rather frequently this season.

Here are their individual numbers on the season, after the jump:

Nothing amazing from Trubisky in the passing game. He was middle of the road in just about every single category this year.

Howard had a nice season running the ball, but that 3.7 yards per attempt number was very low for a 1st choice RB, ranked all the way down at 39th in the NFL next to guys like Peyton Barber and Alfred Morris. Tarik Cohen fared better in that category, but you may recall the Eagles absolutely demolished Chicago in the running game last season, holding the duo to nine carries for -5 yards. It was an absurd performance by the defensive line, and Trubisky, who does a lot of good things with his feet, only carried it four times for 12 yards at Lincoln Financial Field as a rookie.

He’s not Lamar Jackson, but he did finish sixth in rushing yards among NFL quarterbacks this season, which is a key to their success in moving the chains.

Here are the receiver stats:

The receiving corps is solid but nothing to write home about. There’s nobody out there who really makes you say, “oh shit, who’s gonna cover that guy?” There’s no fantasy football stud. Gabriel was an Atlanta castoff who can stretch the field a bit. Allen Robinson did a decent job this season coming off a 2017 ACL tear. Trey Burton had some nice moments as well, but what Chicago does best in the passing game is kill teams out of the backfield with Cohen, who does a lot of moving around in various formations.

It’s on the Eagles defense to limit him and limit Howard and force Trubisky to pass his way to victory. Both teams are pretty similar in the way they control the clock and limit opponents via stout run defense, so I think if the Eagles put the game on Trubisky’s shoulders, then they’re going to be in good shape.

Clips and quotes and stuff

By know you know that Nagy comes from the Andy Reid coaching tree. He spent a brief amount of time in Philadelphia as an intern, assistant, and then a quality control guy on the offensive side of the ball. He followed Andy to Kansas City and he incorporates some of those concepts into what Chicago does now.

Jim Schwartz was asked about that this week, the idea that the Bears do some similar things in the offensive game:

“It’s different when it comes to what his players are, all the different things that are going on in the NFL. I think that’s a sign of good coaching. I think that’s probably No. 1. But I do think that even though you’re seeing a completely different scheme, you’re seeing some core things — I don’t know another way to put it.

Still efficient running the ball, and a short passing game was still very important to them. I think those things carry over. They might do it a completely different way. Nobody was running zone read in 1999 (Andy Reid’s first year). Everybody was running true west coast things, but the principles of run the ball still, control the game with the run, they do a very good job of that.

High percentage passing game. Might look a little bit different, but there are different ways that they do it.”

And then a follow-up question about Andy always having a smaller guy, a scat back or good pass-catching tailback like Brian Westbrook or Tyreek Hill, guys who are similar to Tarik Cohen:

Schwartz:

“I don’t know that he was using them as wide receivers back then. But, yeah, for sure. It’s just a different way to do a lot of the same things. No matter how far you go to all the different ways offenses are working right now, running the ball still works. Running the ball is still important. Short passing game, high percentage, keeping the sticks moving, is still important. Making big plays, still important. Mobility of a quarterback, still important.

All these things carry over. It’s packaged up a little different, it looks a little bit different, but those core principles stay the same.”

A couple of clips chained together here to show those concepts –

In the first play, you’ll see some pre-snap motion to get Cohen free in the flat. In the second play, they get some lost yards back with a short completion to Howard. On the third play, Trubisky moves the chains with his feet:

LA does a really nice job on those first two plays, but you see how Trubisky has a good feel for when to step up in the pocket and just take off running. He’s got a good internal clock, a good sense of when pressure is coming.

Here’s Schwartz on Trubisky’s running ability:

First of all, it’s part of the run game, so I think that’s the No. 1 part. He’s certainly capable of pulling the ball and running for yards and first downs and things like that. It just adds another dynamic to the passing game.

We’ve seen it from so many different quarterbacks. If it’s not there, he can create and start a new play. He can also make a big play down the field. I think we saw that a little bit from him last year. I know in that game we were having a really good run defense game in that game, and he had a scramble late in that game that sort of took them out of the negative yards.

So we saw him move around a bunch. That’s part of what they do, and it’s been working for them. We’re going to have to do a good job keeping him contained, reading our keys, making sure we’re playing responsibility when it comes to the zone read and the RPOs and those things because if you don’t, he’s a guy that can make you look bad.

There are also a lot of instances where Trubisky is willing to throw short and take what the defense gives him.

On a play like this, they’ll run just a little bit of pre-snap motion, pull Cohen in, then roll him back out on a short route. Richard Sherman is willing to give up the underneath yards to prevent a deep toss instead:

That’s not dissimilar from the wheel route or that little out that the Eagles use successfully with Darren Sproles. In this case, San Francisco was willing to concede the short pass on 2nd and 4.

Schwartz with more on Chicago’s penchant for moving guys around at the line of scrimmage:

People use motion a lot of different ways. They use motion to ID defenses. They use motion to put stress on defenses from like having to cover a guy when he’s running as fast as he can away from you. They use those kind of motions to make you have to communicate, make guys have to change responsibilities across the way.

….

It’s nothing we haven’t seen from half a dozen teams this year. They’re not doing anything unique. They just have really good players doing it and they do a nice job in their scheme of putting you in positions that you have to communicate, and you also have to watch your keys. You can’t get distracted by other things.

More or less.

Chicago has a different coaching staff this year, so even though a lot of the personnel is similar, the scheme is not, and you weren’t getting as much of the Kansas City and LA Rams influence when the Bears played at Lincoln Financial Field in 2017. Schwartz described their offense as a “melting pot” and referred to Trubisky as a “point guard” type of quarterback who successfully navigates zone reads, various RPO looks, and those quick slants and hitches and speed-outs. You’ll also see jet sweeps and end-arounds from guys like Gabriel and rookie Anthony Miller, who leads the team with 7 receiving touchdowns but dislocated his left shoulder in week 17 and will not be 100% healthy if he’s on the field Sunday. Gabriel is also dealing with bruised ribs.

That’s about it. Chicago’s overall success this season can be credited to their incredibly stout defense, but the offense does some nice things and has a couple of tricky playmakers that need to be accounted for.

The Eagles win if they:

stuff Jordan Howard in the run game

limit third down scrambles and chunk yardage ground pickups for Trubisky

keep Cohen in front of them, communicate, and stay disciplined with pre-snap motion and some quirky receiver-involved plays

Mitch Trubisky is a second-year quarterback heading into his first playoff game. I don’t think he wins the game if he’s forced to throw his way to victory, so the game plan here should be relatively straightforward. This should be a very low-scoring game, maybe 13-10 or 17-14, something in that range.

The post Wild Card Weekend: A Look at Chicago’s Offense appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Wild Card Weekend: A Look at Chicago’s Offense published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

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