Football Film Room Monthly Newsletter
May Recap
This month at Football Film Room…
Caleb Williams' 2024 Season: Better Than You Think
There’s a perception out there that Caleb Williams had a bad rookie season. That’s likely due to the fact that we’ve seen so many outstanding 1st-year performances in recent memory, like Jayden Daniels last year and C.J. Stroud the year before.
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How Steve Spagnuolo Fooled Joe Burrow in a Critical Moment
Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has a sick, sick mind. He’s made a career out of tormenting the best quarterbacks with his disguises and blitzes, and he has 4 Super Bowl rings to show for it.
Beating the Blitz With Tom Brady
There is no better answer for the blitz than a quarterback who knows what he’s doing, and more importantly, knows what the defense is doing.
HOSS Y-Juke
“HOSS Y-Juke” or “HOSS Juke” is a play that the Patriots made famous during their dynastic run. It’s a concept utilized out of an empty formation, which means there are 5 routes attacking the defense.
Executing the Spin-Dig
We’ve written before about how Sean McVay does a great job of finding ways to run the same route concepts out of different looks. This allows the offense to keep going back to the same plays they are great at executing regardless of the defense. Players being comfortable with a route concept and having an innate feel for it are critical to a given playcall’s execution, and that will certainly be a factor in this breakdown.
5-Man Pick Pressure (Mike Macdonald)
On running plays, there are blockers who clear the way for the ball carrier. Pick pressures work the same way for the defense.
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How the Packers Ended the Cowboys' 2023 Season with Split Zone
Adding split-flow action to zone runs can have a number of effects on a defense. It can force hesitation in second-level defenders. It can help create cut-back lanes. If a defense is in man coverage, it can remove defenders from the front side of the run. It can also cut off or impede an athletic defensive end who is chasing down plays from the backside and stopping them before they get started.
QB Counter Bash
At its core, QB Counter Bash is a read-option play for the quarterback that stretches the defense horizontally and creates a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t situation.
Counter Read with a Double "Bluff"
A mobile quarterback provides more ways for an offense to attack in the run game (No need to thank me for that groundbreaking insight).
Cover-1 Beaters
Beating man coverage is critical to winning in the NFL. Often, it comes down to a receiver’s ability to win 1-on-1 matchups and the quarterback’s ability to make accurate throws into tight spaces. However, there are also a number of ways to create open receivers with scheme.
Another Great Tendency-Breaking Route
We love tendency-breakers here at Football Film Room. Whether it’s routes that bait defenders or inventive blitzes that break down protections, we have a deep appreciation for the coaches who spend countless hours finding ways to set up their opponents and then pull the rug out from underneath them. There’s almost nothing better when watching film.
Using Wide Receivers in the Backfield
One great way for an offense to use personnel to its advantage is to align skill players in non-traditional positions. We see this regularly throughout the NFL with running backs and tight ends aligning on the perimeter to help provide pre-snap indicators
Defending Trips Bunch
Trips-bunch formations can ruin a defense’s day. They’re especially effective on 3rd down, in the red zone, or in other man-coverage situations. This is because they can lead to traffic that defenders have to fight through as well as free releases for at least one receiver.