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…
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…
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 Atlanta Falcons are first in points scored with 33.8 and second in yards with 415.8, making a case for one of the most explosive offenses in NFL history. Much of their offensive success could be credited to offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who has come up with creative game plans for a talented group of…
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…
Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, and Matt Ryan are one of the best collections of quarterbacks to ever play in the Conference Championship round of the NFL playoffs. There is no doubt. You have arguably the best signal-caller of all-time at the helm of the most successful franchise of the last 15 years, one…
We have now passed the halfway point of the 2016 NFL season and one of the better games of the season so far came in Week 8, as the Atlanta Falcons beat the visiting Green Bay Packers 33-32 at the Georgia Dome. After the Packers went up 32-26 with just under 4 minutes left, we…
The Panthers are coming off of a Super Bowl appearance, and have struggled at the outset of the 2016 season. Mark Schofield outlines mistakes they’ve made and explains why the Carolina Panthers need to read Inside the Pylon. Now, I know that Inside the Pylon is a relatively new kid on the proverbial football media block. We’ve only been around for…
Every year, storylines come and go during the course of an NFL season. Whether it is strong offensive line play, a breakout receiver, or a rookie stealing the spotlight, you can count on the NFL to entertain. Brandon Thorn breaks down the Week 5 storylines below in his scouting notebook. Entering this season my Twitter account…
Four weeks are behinds us and it’s time to start getting that roster right for a playoff push. With Week 4 history, Doug Moore presents his Week 4 fantasy football bold predictions that will separate you from the competition. With bye weeks upon us and the weather starting to turn, it is time to separate pretenders from contenders in fantasy football…
It’s not only in fantasy that there are lots of personnel mixes that can win – especially when formations come in to play. Mark Schofield takes a look at what the Atlanta Falcons are doing with their tight ends to find success. While scouting NFC wide receivers and tight ends for the Bleacher Report NFL1000 project, I…
The start of the NFL season is upon us (finally!) and before the Week 1 action concludes, it is important to look at all the rosters to see which teams currently have holes and which teams are stacked. Jeff Feyerer used his roster evaluation system to break down each team’s roster and see which teams are primed…
The Vikings enter 2016 with what is already a top defense in the NFC, and possibly the NFL. How is this defense constructed that makes it so good? Justin Twell examines the Minnesota Vikings linebackers, the linchpins of this successful defensive group. When you think of the Minnesota Vikings success in 2015, one of the…
The 2016 NFL season begins now, with 32 teams scheming to knock off the reigning champion Denver Broncos. The NFL Draft is just around the corner, but the first step in any offseason plan is to assess a team’s needs. Here we look at what the Atlanta Falcons team needs are. These reports were compiled with…
Football is littered with specialized terminology. From pin deep punt to NCAA concept, commentators rarely get to explain everything you need to know before the next play. Inside The Pylon’s glossary was developed to give fans a deeper understanding of the game through clear explanations, as well as image and video examples. Please contact us with…
The team that wins the turnover battle usually wins the game, and it’s no mystery why: whether a strip-sack on a well-designed blitz, 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 how Indianapolis Colts linebacker D’Qwell Jackson walks…