“Daddy, where do fumbles come from?” Startled, I nearly spit out my coffee. “Well … when a mommy and daddy fumble love each other very much …” I stammered. He interrupted me, “Dad!” I fixed a sober gaze on my son. “Do you really want to know?” He nodded. “Sacks, mostly.” “What?” “Look at the…
I write about the entire NFL for Inside the Pylon, but I’m a New England Patriots fan. My columns have spanned the schemes, players, and team-building strategies of all 32 franchises, but I spend more time watching and thinking about my hometown team than any other. I know the good Twitter follows, I know who’s…
In 2016 I watched many safety prospects, but rather than rank them sequentially I wrote up my cornerback “superlatives,” ranking players in various categories. Miami’s Rayshawn Jenkins and Colorado’s Tedric Thompson are very different styles of players, and it’s almost nonsensical to rate one as “better” than the other. These categories paint a better picture…
In 2016 I watched many defensive back prospects, but rather than rank them sequentially I wrote up my “superlatives,” ranking players in various categories. Florida’s Quincy Wilson and Colorado’s Chidobe Awuzie are very different styles of players, and it’s almost nonsensical to rate one as “better” than the other. These categories paint a better picture…
In 2016 I watched many cornerback prospects, but rather than rank them sequentially I wrote up my cornerback “superlatives,” ranking players in various categories. Florida’s Quincy Wilson and Colorado’s Chidobe Awuzie are very different styles of players, and it’s almost nonsensical to rate one as “better” than the other. These categories paint a better picture…
Series Introduction: A scheme fit is when a player’s traits and abilities line up with a certain coach’s style and scheme. Imagine if every NFL team could draft a player that fit perfectly into their scheme. That would benefit both the teams and the players simultaneously, as general managers and coaches wouldn’t be putting a…
Series Introduction: A scheme fit is when a player’s traits and abilities line up with a certain coach’s style and scheme. Imagine if every NFL team could draft a player that fit perfectly into their scheme. That would benefit both the teams and the players simultaneously, as general managers and coaches wouldn’t be putting a…
The ITP Draft Guide contains not only scouting profiles of 100 draft prospects, but additional essays, analysis, interviews, and more. The following description of February and March activities in the scouting calendar is excerpted from a larger article, found in full in the draft guide, describing the NFL scouting process. For many NFL team employees, April’s…
Most of the time, a blitz is a risk / reward proposition. A defense takes an extra player or players out of coverage, creating risk on the back end, in exchange for the reward of more rushers and hopefully more pressure on the quarterback. If the rush gets home, the risk pays off; if the…
The 2017 NFL Draft is shaping up as a strong one for defensive backs – NFL.com’s latest mock draft has 11 cornerbacks and safeties in the first 39 picks. The group down in Mobile, AL for the Reese’s Senior Bowl showcases that strength, with a number of intriguing prospects. While the NFL Draft is still…
The Cleveland Browns finished the 2016 season with one win, but the work is hardly done for General Manager Sashi Brown and his staff. The Browns boast the league’s worst record, and the 31st-ranked offense and defense by both points and yards. They need plenty of help. Fortunately, they enter the 2017 offseason with a…
Part of the fun of watching a football game is second-guessing the play calling. From the comfort of their couches (or Twitter), fans will criticize an offensive coordinator for running too much or too little, not helping a struggling lineman enough, not using a dangerous weapon, or any number of other sins. One curious play…
The 2016 season has been a disappointing one for two sets of Owls: Florida Atlantic and Rice. Each entered their Week 11 clash with a 1-7 record, with each team’s one win coming against a non-BCS opponent. Both sets of Owls were coming off a brutal conference loss – Louisiana Tech handed Rice a 61-16…
We produce a lot of content at Inside the Pylon: articles, features, videos, and podcasts. In the course of generating all that content, we sometimes say things that turn out to be wrong, sometimes incredibly so. So far in 2016, these are the things I personally have been the most wrong about: 5 – I…
Successful teams need to run the ball well in order to finish off opponents late in games. The Texans showed the ability to do just that against the Lions, as Dave Archibald explains. Most well-regarded offensive minds get their reputations for their work in the passing game. We think of the horizontal passing attack of Bill…
The Lions’ offense faced questions entering this season, and have quelled any doubts to this point. Matthew Stafford establishing himself as a premier quarterback might have even converted a lifelong Patriots fan. Dave Archibald breaks down the Lions’ signal caller most recent late-game heroics, something the veteran is making habitual. The 2016 season marks Detroit Lions quarterback…