The New England Patriots fascinate me. They have been the class of the NFL for a long time. Depending on your definition of a dynasty, you could state that New England’s has spanned the last two decades. Or they had one in the early 2000s and we’re presently living in the second iteration. Either way,…
The Chicago Bears quarterback situation heading into the 2017 season might just be the most interesting in the entire league. The Jay Cutler era is officially over. In comes Mike Glennon from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and, of course, there was the NFL Draft day 1 surprise as the Bears traded up from the #3…
Joe Williams should have been included in the 2017 Inside the Pylon Draft Guide. That’s what I was saying in January. As it was, my fellow running back scouts and the big four of Jon Ledyard, Jeff Feyerer, Shane Alexander, and Dan Hatman decided he was not a top 100 player in this draft. By…
The speed with which the defender exhibits moving from Point A to Point B to decrease the distance between themselves and the ballcarrier is known as closing speed. Acceleration, foot speed, and the angle the defender takes to get to the ball all factor into whether a defender displays great closing speed or not. These…
Every spring, NFL teams meet with prospects for the upcoming draft in the months leading up to the draft itself. There are many opportunities for players and teams to meet with one another, including all-star games, pro days, the NFL Scouting Combine, workouts, and private visits. Each type of meeting has different rules that govern…
The Arizona Cardinals’ top two selections in the 2017 NFL Draft are perfectly suited to the defensive scheme run in Phoenix. Budda Baker and Haason Reddick give defensive coordinator James Bettcher even more options in the hybrid scheme. For another piece breaking down Baker and Reddick’s fit in Arizona, check out this piece by Ollie…
The Cleveland Browns made the right decision staying with Myles Garrett and not taking Mitchell Trubisky. In the end, I believe the Trubisky hype was all media-driven and that the Browns were locked in the entire time, which is what I maintained throughout the process. Cleveland allowing teams to come up around them for Deshaun…
The first round of the NFL draft is in the books, and three quarterbacks heard their names called, all in the first dozen selections. This is in line with what some were expecting, given the number of teams picking in the top 12 that needed to address the quarterback position. However, the order in which…
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 NFL’s rules are designed to create parity with the draft and roster turnover through free agency. But don’t tell that to Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. As if you didn’t already know, the Patriots have had unprecedented success in the last two decades – winning five Super Bowls in that span. And…
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…
It’s to be expected that each of Bill Belichick’s players are told to simply “do their job”. The phrase “Do Your Job” is basically the approach of being prepared to execute the assignments given to a player. It’s a team-first philosophy where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This is why…
After a historic comeback Sunday night, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady won the Super Bowl MVP award after he willed the team to an overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons historically blew a 21 point lead on their way to a 34-28 loss. The story could have been so different for Atlanta…
Following Super Bowl LI, Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan took some heat over his decision to abandon the run with the Falcons leading the New England Patriots 21-3 to open the second half, and climbing to a 28-3 lead midway through the 3rd quarter. The Patriots staged a historical comeback ending in the Falcons defeat…
The Super Bowl showdown between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons is less than a day away. With that, it’s time to examine some keys for both teams as we approach the big game. We will go in-depth and examine just what both Atlanta and New England will need to accomplish in order to…