We broke the huddle and walked to the line of scrimmage. It was third and goal, and we were trailing Hamilton College on the road. We needed points late in the third quarter, and opportunities were becoming scarce. My parents, who made the eight-hour drive to see this game, stood nervously near the end zone.…
I fear, too early: for my mind misgives Some consequence yet hanging in the stars Shall bitterly begin his fearful date With this night’s revels and expire the term Of a despised life closed in my breast By some vile forfeit of untimely death. But He, that hath the steerage of my course, Direct my…
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…
The NFL season is upon us, and after another whirlwind offseason of coaching changes and player movements, I’m pleased to present the 2nd edition of my NFL Roster Valuation model. For those not familiar with the previous iteration, the goal of my roster assessment isn’t to fall in line with others that put together individual…
This is a multi-part series covering several areas of offensive line play in 2017; predictions on the five best OL units, top 3 OL at each position based on tape study, surprise OL unit, top backup OL, and a Q&A session with Chiefs RT Mitchell Schwartz – covering different aspects of his career and OL…
On August 11, the Buffalo Bills shocked everyone by trading away young stars Sammy Watkins and Ronald Darby in two separate deals that were announced only minutes apart. Coming back in these trades were cornerback E.J. Gaines (from the Rams), wide receiver Jordan Matthews (from the Eagles), and a second and third round pick in…
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 winds of change have circled the Chargers franchise for the past few years. Upon the end of the 2015 season, there were rumors the Chargers would vacate San Diego and look for greener pastures in another city. The team stayed put for the 2016 season, only to be relocated this past January to the City…
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…
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…
With the Super Bowl upon us and the football season finish line right in front of our eyes, what better time than now to reflect on past big games and how their participants compare to this year’s combatants: the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots. In my previous article looking at recent conference championship…
If you’re watching the game from home, how can you tell when a blitz or defensive line stunt is coming? This article shows blitz and stunt indicators as well as how offenses react to them. Blitzing and defensive line stunts are all about timing as well as spacing. One spacing indicator of defensive line stunts…
Before the Buffalo Bills were outgained by Le’Veon Bell and the Pittsburgh Steelers, they lost to the Oakland Raiders. Badly. The loss raised questions about where this team goes in the future, who was to blame for the loss, and what the biggest needs on this team are. One thing I noticed watching the game live and have…
Author’s Note: The title of this piece has been changed. This is not a list of my top candidate’s for the position of GM, but reflective of research into GM hiring dating back to 2006 and the clusters of candidates that Owners seemingly gravitate towards. As of this publication, all 32 General Managers are still…
Sometimes in fantasy football you need to think big to win. Doug Moore presents his Week 9 fantasy football bold predictions that will separate you from the competition. We are now over halfway through the fantasy football regular season, which marks the time when owners may need to take some risks in order to orient themselves for a strong playoff…
Sometimes when your opponents zig, you need to zag. Doug Moore presents his Week 8 fantasy football bold predictions that will separate you from the competition. We are just about at the halfway point of the NFL season, and you need to be sure you have the right players in your fantasy lineups with six teams…