Football Film Room Monthly Newsletter
March Recap
This month at Football Film Room…
The First Ever Football Film Room Mailbag!
First, thank you all for your questions and for your continued support of this Substack. I wasn’t sure what type of response I’d get to the mailbag request, but you all delivered. We’ll definitely be doing this again.
What Does the Russell Wilson Signing Mean for the Giants?
Just days after signing Jameis Winston, the Giants added quarterback Russell Wilson, who presumably will be the starter for the 2025 season.
Vikings Appear Ready to Begin the McCarthy Era
It seems (for now) that the Vikings will not sign Aaron Rodgers and are ready to hand the keys to the offense over to J.J. McCarthy.
Is Sam Darnold Worth a Big-Money Contract?
The biggest question with Sam Darnold is whether or not 2024 was an anomaly. It’s unfair to say he was just a product of a great situation, because if you put the 2019 or 2020 version of Darnold on the Vikings, he doesn’t have the same season that he did last year.
Assessing the NFL Quarterback Carousel
The first week of free agency saw 3 teams acquire a new starting quarterback for the 2025 season. One more will compete for the starting job in his new location, and there are still a few others out there waiting to be signed.
Deebo Samuel is a Perfect Complement to the Commanders Offense
Six. That’s the number of times the Commanders ran the ball with a wide receiver last season. It seems like that’s going to change in 2025 now that they’ve traded for Deebo Samuel, who has carried the ball 226 times over the last 4 seasons.
In-Game Adjustments
Good play-calling is often about taking in information during a game and making tweaks or adjustments in response. The best coaches present different looks to the defense, see how they react, and then have the flexibility to call plays or alter routes to precisely attack them.
The Benefits of Under-Center Play-Action
Play-action is a quarterback’s best friend. It forces hesitation in the pass rush and influences defenders in coverage, often leading to defined reads and easy completions. Doing it from under center can have an even greater impact on the defense.
The Benefits of No-Huddle Up-Tempo Offense
Going no-huddle up-tempo can create distinct advantages for an offense.
Get a Founding Member Subscription to access our Playbook and have 68 breakdowns like these at your fingertips:
The Trap Play
Traps, while generally not a staple of any run game, are great change-of-pace plays that can catch the defense with their pants down.
Low Red Zone Winners
Winning in the low red zone isn’t just about putting a bunch of big bodies on the field and pushing the defense back to get a yard or two. In today’s NFL, it’s about succeeding with scheme and creating space.
In the Passing Game, 4 is the Magic Number
One of the best ways to attack a defense through the air is with 4 receivers to one side of the field. That can either mean starting with a 4-strong formation or finding ways to get 4 routes to one side.
Dagger
Dagger is one of the best passing concepts in football and can be run against a multitude of coverages. There are several versions of it as well as many ways to dress it up. In this breakdown, I’ll show you a few creative examples.
Double-A-Gap Pressure
Few defensive looks stress protection schemes like double-A-gap pressure fronts. That’s because the most dangerous pressure to an offense is the type that comes up the middle in the quarterback’s face. So the offense must protect the inside at all costs.
Cutting the Crosser
3rd-and-short-to-medium situations tend to be man-coverage downs for the defense. As a result, offenses like to dial up their man-beaters.