The Cincinnati Bengals remain unbeaten following a 31-10 win over the Cleveland Browns. Clinging to a seven point lead entering the fourth quarter against their AFC North rival, Brian Filipiak look at how the Bengals put the game away with consecutive touchdown drives ‒ the first of which was highlighted by a 25-yard touchdown run…
The Oakland Raiders travel east to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in a meeting with early-season playoff implications. Mark Schofield previews the matchup, specifically highlighting how tight end Heath Miller can be an asset in the passing game. The upstart Raiders sit in second place in the AFC West with a 4-3 record, and if…
The Oakland Raiders continued their solid start to the 2015 campaign with a convincing 34-20 victory over the visiting New York Jets on Sunday. Mark Schofield breaks down the key play, finding Taiwan Jones on the swing route. Quarterback Derek Carr turned in a very impressive performance, completing 23 of 36 passes for 333 yards,four…
Defenses rely on eleven players doing their jobs. Brian Filipiak breaks down how the New England Patriots team sack of Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill shows it takes a village. The Dolphins offense uses a heavy dose of misdirection in an attempt to deceive opposing defenses, both in the running and passing game. But the Patriots defense rarely fell victim…
On paper, the meeting between the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans did not appear to be a big matchup, but the game did have postseason implications, as both teams try to keep pace with the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South. Mark Schofield breaks down the big play: a long touchdown throw where Brian Hoyer uses…
Chuck Zodda examined the impact that longer extra points had on NFL kickers after Week 4, with the data showing an improvement over his pre-season prediction. Here is the data on extra points at the halfway mark, after Week 8 of the NFL season. By now, all football fans are aware that the NFL pushed…
Much has been made of the supposed plight of the kicker, with a number of pundits proclaiming a kicking crisis in the NFL. At the halfway point of the 2015 season, Chuck Zodda digs into the statistics to see if there is any merit to those concerns. Kickers were in crisis. That was the talking…
The New England Patriots scored a resounding division win over the Miami Dolphins, and Mark Schofield looks at how the Patriots opening drive of the game demonstrates versatility in their offensive approach is paying big dividends. New England begins this drive on their own 20-yard line following a touchback with Tom Brady under center and 12 offensive…
Things haven’t gone according to plan for the Indianapolis Colts this season, but they lead their division and Mark Schofield previews the critical matchup in their clash with Carolina Panthers: Can Castonzo get a punch on Allen? The Colts take on the undefeated Panthers in a game of great importance for their playoff hopes. While…
The New York Jets traveled to Foxboro looking to take down the New England Patriots and move into first-place in the AFC East. Down by seven with less than a minute left, the Jets turned to an onside kick in an attempt to gain one last possession. Chuck Zodda breaks down how they successfully recovered…
Brandon Thorn, from The Football Educator, guest writes this week to discuss how the 2015 Atlanta Falcons OL are the unsung heroes so far this season for head coach Dan Quinn’s squad. The purpose of this breakdown is to put a microscope on the offensive line, or as I affectionately refer to them as: the lifeblood of…
Success in the NFL is often predicated on the matchups: No one has profited more from exploiting mismatches than Denver’s quarterback Peyton Manning. Dave Archibald previews the matchup between the Broncos passing attack and Packers defense, as one of these unbeaten teams will leave Denver with a loss. It is hard to believe that future…
When a head coach is fired mid-season, teams often go back to basics and try to establish the ground game. Brian Filipiak looks at how the Miami Dolphins misdirection running game has gotten them back on track. The Dolphins started the 2015 season with a 1-3 record, which led to the firing of head coach Joe…
Through the first six games in his NFL career, rookie quarterback Jameis Winston is off to a solid start. While he has thrown seven interceptions and displayed some of the concerns that surrounded him in college, the QB has also displayed some poise in the pocket and the ability to function in a high level…
The turnover battle often determines the winner of the game, but not all turnovers are equal in their impact. Some truly tilt the game in one team’s favor and permanently change the course of the game. Philip Kibbey breaks down what happened on Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie’s pick six that put the New York Giants in the…
The team that wins the turnover battle usually wins the game, and it’s no mystery why: Whether a fumble that stakes an underdog to a lead, a giveaway that shifts momentum, or a pick-six in overtime, few plays make more of a difference in winning and losing. Dave Archibald looks at Aaron Colvin’s corner blitz…