In Part 1, Chuck Zodda broke down the first half of Super Bowl XLIX and the special teams battle pitting Jon Ryan vs Julian Edelman. After being captivated by Katy Perry’s halftime extravaganza, Chuck went back to the film room to examine whether the Seattle Seahawks punt unit could once again stop Edelman and the…
The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots both feature talented special teams performers. In the wake of Super Bowl XLIX, Chuck Zodda revisits concepts from his special teams previews, and looks at the battle between punter and returner — Jon Ryan vs Julian Edelman — that ensued in Arizona. You may now resume regular breathing.…
Chuck Zodda has an infatuation with special teams. He enjoys long punts through the air, well-lit wall returns, and quiet time spent alone with punt gunners. But he also has a side that loves confrontation – in this case, the epic battle about to be waged between the Indianapolis Colts‘ Pat McAfee and New England…
Julian Edelman of the New England Patriots is one of the best punt returners in the NFL. Not the best of all-time ‒ that’s still Devin Hester. Edelman’s combination of skill, technique, instincts and speed allow him to capitalize on mistakes ‒ like the ones made by Britton Colquitt and the Denver Broncos. Two weeks…
How did Julian Edelman get free for a big punt return against the Bears? Most people head for the beer stand when the punter takes the field; not Chuck Zodda. Whether how to block a punt, execute a punt return or cover a kick, no one is more excited about the kicking game. The New…
Mark Schofield continues his countdown of the five most important New England Patriots offensive plays of the year, with Julian Edelman‘s catch and run against the San Diego Chargers. Click here for Play #1: The Pass, Play #2: Gronk’s Rumble, Play #3: Amendola’s Scramble, and Play #5: Wright’s Catch. Top 5 Patriots’ Offensive Plays of…
Indianapolis (6-3) hosts New England (7-2) on Sunday night, and the Colts defense will try to slow down the Patriots passing attack. Mark Schofield has reviewed the film and breaks down how the innovative coverages, willingness to double-cover wide receivers, and struggles against tight ends form the basis of a game plan for Tom Brady.…
Each week, Mark Schofield reviews the film to find the New England Patriots Optimum Offense Play of the Week. Against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2 it was Tom Brady’s touchdown pass to Julian Edelman in the 2nd quarter. Following Darrelle Revis’s first interception of the 2014 season, New England began an 8-play, 61-yard drive…
There are some games on the NFL calendar that get circled no matter the circumstances. Whether it’s a great rivalry, two entertaining teams, or two star quarterbacks going against each other, they’re games worth watching. Every year you can count on Steelers vs. Ravens, Packers vs. Bears, and Cowboys vs. Eagles to at least deliver…
The route stem is the initial vertical segment of a receiver’s route, consisting of the part of a route before the receiver makes a cut. This terminology originates from the “route tree”, a grouping of different routes (traditionally numbered 1-9) that are taught as the basics of receiver route running. The route tree consists of…
Since 2000, every franchise had selected a wide receiver in the first round—except the New England Patriots. That streak ended Thursday night, when New England tabbed Arizona State wideout N’Keal Harry with the 32nd selection. The Patriots’ spotty track record choosing receivers, along with concerns about elements of Harry’s game, raises some interesting questions. In…
For the Patriots, as with everyone else, the draft is a critical time to address your needs. Not only their success but also Bill Belichick’s emphasis on versatility makes his drafting strategy one of interest. So, Dave Archibald wonders, what the heck is with the fifth round? On Friday, the New England Patriots traded a 2020 fifth-round…
Something about the numbers in Super Bowl LIII doesn’t add up. The Patriots had 407 yards of total offense. Tom Brady averaged nearly 7.5 yards per attempt on his 35 passes—basically his career (and 2018) average—and was only sacked once. The Patriots carried the ball 32 times for 154 yards, an impressive 4.8 average (and…
When the New England Patriots have the football during Super Bowl LIII, the marquee matchup might be in the trenches. Arguably the game’s best all-around player, Aaron Donald, squares off against a cohesive Patriots’ offensive line that has performed yeoman’s work in the past few weeks keeping Tom Brady clean. But when Brady drops to…
After a truly mesmerizing display on Monday Night Football, the offensive juggernauts in Los Angeles and Kansas City are on a bye this week. If you haven’t had a chance to look at the highlights, I suggest you get on that immediately. Within these highlights, you’ll see where the NFL, and by proxy fantasy football,…
After taking a sabbatical to cover the Brownsian fall of Hue Jackson, it’s back to fantasy football in Week 10. Last week saw a plethora of fantasy story-lines from Julio Jones’ first touchdown, to the potential emergence of total wildcard Nick Mullens, to the long awaited re-emergence of Duke Johnson. This week I’ll be looking…