Articles by Joseph Acosta

In a world where every day you see a one-handed grab at every level of the game, Cincinnati Bengals’ CB Cam Taylor-Britt might’ve given us the catch of the year.

Holy SMOKES.
The patience and ability not to panic with the ball in the air and his back turned to Chiefs’ speedster Xavier Worthy is out of this world, and then he just casually sticks his inside hand out and makes the catch of the year.
This is made even better when you remember that Taylor-Britt was the player who talked a lot of trash about the Kansas City Chiefs in the week leading up to the game. Taylor-Britt was asked about the challenge of defending a guy like Worthy, and he had this to say in response:

This is why you always talk trash, kids. Because if it goes exactly how you think it does, you’ll make the most incredible play I’ve ever seen. […]

Late in the third quarter of the Miami Dolphins’ game against the Buffalo Bills, Dolphins’ QB Tua Tagovailoa was hit hard after scrambling for a first down. Tagovailoa was seen in the fencing position, a commonly known pose as a player exhibits concussion symptoms. The Dolphins’ signal caller immediately walked to the locker room with help, and QB Skylar Thompson entered the game.
Tagovailoa has been ruled out of the game with a concussion, the broadcast announced. You can watch video of the play he was injured on here.

Tua Tagovailoa has officially been ruled out with a concussion.— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 13, 2024

Per Amazon streamingcast, Tua is conscious, awake, alert and has full movement in extremities. With family in locker room.— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) September 13, 2024

Tagovailoa has a scary history of concussions. Back in 2022 against the Bills, he sustained what to appeared to be a serious head injury, but returned to the game. Tagovailoa himself called the injury a hyperextended back. He would play four days later against the Bengals, and was taken off on a stretcher after a hard hit to the head. He also missed the team’s playoff game later that season after being ruled out in concussion protocol.
This is the fourth known concussion of Tagovailoa’s career.
Tagovailoa has spoke openly about taking jiu-jitsu to learn how to roll and avoid falling on his head, among other things he has done. The NFL has also changed their concussion protocol after Tagovailoa’s injuries, which led to the Dolphins’ QB being taken off the field immediately.
The Bills beat the Dolphins, 31-10. Miami falls to 1-1, while Buffalo improves to 2-0.
We’ll update this story as it develops. […]

Through the early portion of the 2024 college football season, the top NFL Draft prospects have shown out. Guys like Texas QB Quinn Ewers, Michigan CB Will Johnson and Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan have all stood out early and cemented their names at or near the top of the draft class for their respective positions.
Most of the top games of the week are kinda bland this upcoming week, and top prospects won’t have enough competition to properly evaluate their draft prospects. However, there are still a number of potential draft picks facing real tests that could help make or make their pro stock.
Here are some NFL Draft prospects I have my eye on heading into week three.
Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College (@ Missouri, 12:45 pm, SEC Network)
Despite having 8.5 sacks last season, Ezeiruaku burst onto the scene in Boston College’s big win over Florida State. Ezeiruaku had two sacks against the Seminoles, showcasing a lot of burst and explosion that attract NFL scouts.

Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku is one of the most underrated defensive players in the country. Gets the OT to overset and swims inside for the sack. pic.twitter.com/RvCDO4X1AI— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) September 3, 2024

Ezeiruaku is so good at using his speed to force tackles to overset, then countering with a sick swim move back inside. Against Missouri’s high powered offense, he’s going to have a big task ahead of him to slow them down at any cost with his pass rush ability.
Deone Walker, DT, Kentucky (vs Georgia, 7:30 pm, ABC)
As talented as the massive Deone Walker is, Georgia has been the biggest thorn in his side. He had his worst individual game of the season against the Bulldogs last year, who also have NFL-caliber players on the offensive line. Walker is a great athlete for his size (6’6, 345 pounds) and has the capability of being a disruptive force up front, but his pad level has to improve while showing scouts that he can play on all three downs.

Going against the Bulldogs, he has the chance to further solidify his stock at the top of the NFL Draft board against a high quality opponent.
Devin Neal, RB, Kansas (vs UNLV, 7:00 pm EST, ESPN (Sep. 13)
Friday the 13th sees one of the best college football Friday slates I’ve seen in a while, beginning with the upstart UNLV Rebels heading to Kansas to play the Jayhawks and RB Devin Neal. While the Jayhawk passing game has gotten off to a slow start this year, Neal has run for over 100 yards in both of Kansas’ games and has two touchdowns. A senior prospect, Neal has such light feet and impressive footwork that allows him to make various cuts through lanes that most other backs can’t see or feel. Neal is more than likely going to make the first person miss as well, with a variety of jukes to put defenders on his highlight reel.

Kansas is going up against a UNLV team that currently is 17th in EPA per rush allowed, but only in the 40s when it comes to Success Rate allowed. If Kansas leans on Neal and the run game unlike what they did against Illinois, they should get the win.
Marcus Mbow, RT, Purdue (vs Notre Dame, 3:30 pm EST, CBS)
Mbow isn’t talked about very much (the Boilermakers’ offense as a whole isn’t, really) but he and the Boilermakers have a chance to pull off another stunner when the Fighting Irish roll into town. Mbow broke his leg last season, but is back and looks like he hasn’t missed a step. His grip strength and power he has in his hands stood out on tape, and his individual hand work is incredibly impressive.

Purdue OL Marcus Mbow played for the first time since breaking his leg in Week 6 of last year. And it looked like he never missed a beat. He should have been able to beat up on Indiana State, and he did.29 pass snaps played, 0 pressures allowed. Pretty good way to return to the… pic.twitter.com/K16v7UG5qP— Cory (@fakecorykinnan) September 6, 2024

He goes up against a Notre Dame defense that is still very, very talented. They don’t mix up a lot of coverage on the back end, and they’re attacking up front. Mbow has the chance to rocket launch himself up draft boards with a standout performance. […]

Welcome back to Establish The Fun, where football is fun and we’re establishing that harder than the NFL did in Week 1 of the regular season. We’re back again ready to talk some football from a week that just warmed my heart.
RUNNING THAT DAMN BALL MIGHT BE BACK AND I AM HYPED.
Two-high shell defenses have begun fighting back, and they’re forcing teams to either matriculate down the field via quick game and RPOs or running that football. With every linebacker being 220 pounds, the run game could be on its way back. There’s been far too much throwing the ball for my liking, so bringing back the beefy boys in the run game is just my type of ball. It’s so powerful that this week of ETF is going to be entirely run game focused, because that’s what the people need.
So, let’s get into the film and watch some fun run games, starting in Houston!
The Texans found their curveball
Last season, one of the pitfalls of the Houston Texans’ offense was their inability to run the ball. They finished 26th in Expected Points Added per run in the entire NFL, and could never get the ground game off the, well, ground. Where this was even more interesting was that the Texans majored in 21 personnel (2 RBs, 1 TE), but when they ran out of 21, they were the 2nd worst team in football when judged by EPA/rush. After adding WR Stefon Diggs via trade and RB Joe Mixon in free agency, the question was how would it affect their run game that they really wanted to get to last year (26th in Early Down Pass Rate).
Well, if their win against the Colts showed anything, it was that they might’ve found their counter. Houston ran for 213 yards in a win over a very physical Indianapolis team. Joe Mixon turned back the clock, running for 159 yards and a touchdown and impressed the hell out of me. Let’s break down how they did it, and what made it so fun.
Houston didn’t have a single dropback or run out of 21 personnel in the entire game, but still were able to get some really nice looks and results from their offense. The answer? More 12 personnel! Houston finished 2023 29th in 12 personnel rate, but practically based their entire run game out of it against Indy. Last year, the most carries the Houston Texans had out of 12 personnel was 15, for 73 yards. Against the Colts on Sunday, the Texans ran for 131 yards on 21 carries out of 12 personnel. The use of TEs Dalton Schultz and Brevin Jordan really helped crank up that run game, and I’m very intrigued to see it continue.
They went to this concept a lot out of 12, an outside zone run from out of shotgun. The Colts are in nickel, which is huge for Houston to be successful here. The Texans couldn’t run people out of their nickel coverage, making it harder for them to pass. They motion Jordan over to the left, with Mixon and Schultz in the backfield. It ends up looking kind of like a pin pull, with Jordan and Schultz being pullers and WR Nico Collins pinning the nickel so Mixon ends up with a convoy of blockers in front of him.

Here it is again, but this time the Colts are walked down into a five man front. Jordan blocks the edge defender, and left tackle Laremy Tunsil climbs to the second level and introduces himself to LB Zaire Franklin. Mixon makes a good cut and just watch him finish this run through contact. That matters a lot, being able to fight for those extra yards. It’ll make this Texans’ offense even more lethal than before.

Now, let’s talk about Mixon. While the final years in Cincinnati weren’t the best, I think Mixon looks his best in an under center run game where he can use his vision and power to cause problems for defenses. Now, he’s able to get back to that in Houston.
This run concept should look familiar to most fans; it’s a zone toss that the 49ers run often with George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk. The Texans run it with Cade Stover and Jordan, and again, just watch Mixon run with some force. Jordan chips this edge defender and gets up to the nickel, and Stover, from his position in the backfield, takes on the EDGE. Mixon gets the ball and he has a whole lot of grass to work with. Look at Mixon slash and cut through the defense, he might be back, folks. This alignment is also important, because instead of having a fullback on the field, the Texans opted for a tight end. This kept Indy in nickel, and this result happens.

I wanted to also highlight this same zone concept, because of how well it’s blocked. Stover and Jordan again are the TE pair, but Jordan is locked on the EDGE because of how wide the player is. The Colts are in their base, and Stover goes to block the corner. That’s because WR Robert Woods lays the smackdown on the LB and springs this Mixon run. Run blocking is a team sport, y’all.

The Texans play the Chicago Bears on Sunday, another feisty run defense. I’m curious how they build off these staple concepts in their run game and incorporate Jordan, Schultz and Stover in the passing game as well.
Rhamondre Stevenson: Duo Demigod
The biggest upset of the week was the New England Patriots taking down the Cincinnati Bengals on the road. Where they stood out the most was Pats RB Rhamondre Stevenson and the run game, with Stevenson running for 120 yards on 25 carries and a touchdown. New England specifically kicked Cincy’s butt on a run concept called duo, a vertically-based run scheme.
Stevenson is such a cool runner, and I think these concepts really highlight his lightning quick feet and deceptive shiftiness as a runner, as well as some impressive blocking by the Patriots offensive line.
The duo run concept is built on double teams. The center and backside guard double team on the nose tackle, working up towards the backside LB. Then the frontside guard and frontside tackle work a double team on the other DT, moving up to the frontside LB. Normally there’s another player, a tight end most of the time, that ends up with a solo block on the EDGE as well. To put it simply, you’re trying to mash everything and everyone to the inside on duo via double teams.

What this does is forces the corners, who get paid to cover and not tackle, to do what they don’t like to do: actually hit people. In a one-on-one situation between a running back and a corner, I like the back’s chances of making that DB miss and getting a lot of good yards. Would the Pats take that deal?

The Patriots goal was to take advantage of a weaker defensive interior for Cincinnati and let RB Rhamondre Stevenson go to work on the defensive backs for Cincinnati. Stevenson did just that, and showcased some of his greatest qualities.
This is one of the first plays of the game. The Pats have an extra lineman and tight end on the field together, lined up to the offense’s right (your left). Cincinnati is in a four-man front, before LB Germaine Pratt walks down to make it five. Based on the alignment pre-snap, here’s what the blocking would look like:

For Stevenson, his job is to read the playside LB (in this case number 55, Logan Wilson) and make his read off of his alignment. If he falls back to the outside, take it up the middle. If he gets mashed in, bounce it. Stevenson presses the line of scrimmage, running to it with urgency. He sees Wilson get mashed in, so he bounces it. Cornerback Daxton Hill is there to try and make a tackle, but Stevenson calmly excuses himself past Hill and gets downhill.

Stevenson is such a fun runner because of the growth that he’s shown in the NFL. In college at Oklahoma, he was more of the downhill, plodding runner. Now, he’s got some of the lightest feet in the game, but can still shed tackles like most backs his size (227 pounds). This works so well on duo because he can press the line and use his quick feet to make corners miss or his size to bowl them over. Again, Pats run duo and get everything mashed down, a great job by left tackle Vederian Lowe and left guard Michael Jordan (not related to THE Michael Jordan—this one went to Ohio State). Stevenson slips the tackle of the corner and makes his way into the open field, and he just absolutely dusts this poor safety. Again, the man is 227 pounds. He shouldn’t move like that.

When the Patriots needed the tough yards the most, they went back to Stevenson and back to duo. Just watch how the Patriots are able to just clutter everything up on the inside and basically turn the front into a big trash compactor. Stevenson makes a sick cut to the outside, making one guy miss, then makes another guy miss to salt this game away. One of the most underrated fun watches in the NFL is Stevenson, and Sunday was his moment in the sun.

If the Pats can keep doing this on the ground, this changes their outlook on the season. QB Jacoby Brissett missed some throws, but made timely scrambles when necessary. The defense played lights out, holding the Bengals to 10 points. Stevenson was masterful on the ground. That’s their formula for success in 2024. They’ll get the chance to test it on Sunday against a Seahawks front that is rejuvinated under new head coach Mike Macdonald. We’ll see if Stevenson can be the duo demigod like he was in Cincinnati.
Dobbins is a free back!
Chargers’ RB JK Dobbins has been through a snakebitten NFL career. A torn ACL, LCL, and meniscus in 2021 forced him to miss his entire second NFL season after running for over 800 yards with the Baltimore Ravens. A torn achilles robbed him of his 2023 campaign, and Dobbins ended up signing with LA in hopes of jumpstarting his career once again.
Through one game with the Chargers, it’s clear how much the pairing need each other. Dobbins ran for 135 yards on 10 carries to go along with a touchdown in the Chargers’ win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Dobbins ripped off runs of 46 and 61 yards almost a year after tearing his achilles. It was a super cool moment for him, but it also shows glimpses of what he and the Harbaugh offense can do to NFL defenses.
On the first big run, the Chargers are running inside zone. As safety Marcus Epps runs into the box, the Chargers switch the strength by motioning both TE Hayden Hurst and Dobbins. While the front didn’t change, Epps’ assignment in the run scheme does. He’s the backside defender, having to stay out of the muck in case Dobbins cuts back away from the inside zone track.
Guess what Dobbins does? That’s right, he cuts back. The A gaps are left wide open because both DTs are in the B gap, meaning the linebackers have to fill hard. Epps gets lost in his run support and ends up taking out his backside EDGE in friendly fire. Dobbins sees this, cuts back off a great Zion Johnson block, and he’s off to the races from there.

The second big run was another way Dobbins and the Chargers made the Raiders’ defense pay for their over aggression. LA is trying to mash everything to the inside on this run play out of I-formation (be still, my beating heart). The Raiders are absolutely jacked up to stop this run—just look at LB No. 5 Divine Deablo. The motion eye candy doesn’t do much, but then the ball is snapped. There’s instant penetration off the right side of the ball, where the play is supposed to go. It’s panic time, sound the alarms, negative play incoming. However, remember Deablo? He gets too aggressive playing this gap, and the backside is wide open. Dobbins cuts it back and we have another big explosive run.

On Dobbins’ touchdown, the Raiders again found themselves on the wrong end of a blitz, but I think it shows how far Dobbins’ has come in his recovery. Chargers start out in pistol but motion Dobbins to QB Justin Herbert’s left. The Raiders are bringing Epps off the edge from outside the video, but the problem is he and EDGE Maxx Crosby end up occupying the same gap. Another rockstar double team from the Chargers’ right guard and tackle, and Dobbins is free. He makes a guy miss and gets into the end zone for his first touchdown of the season.

Dobbins is going to mean a lot to this version of the Chargers. This team is built through the trenches and up front, and in order to generate explosive plays, it’ll have to be on the ground. Even coming off injury, Dobbins looked much more explosive than Gus Edwards, and with more time to truly get his legs under him he’ll turn those big runs into touchdown runs. That’s exactly what LA needs, though. A back who is going to be able to be explosive and loosen up the defense a little bit.
The Chargers passing game is currently a little suspect, so their ability to run the ball for big plays is going to be pivotal to their offensive success, because the passing game might not do it. If Dobbins can remain healthy, he becomes a crucial part of this offense, and the reason why Harbaugh ball works in the NFL once again. […]

After a breakthrough 2023 in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers rewarded QB Baker Mayfield with a three-year, $100 million contract that would ensure his role as the starting QB for the immediate future. The deal was a rarity for Mayfield, who hasn’t had much stability since entering the NFL with the Cleveland Browns. Tampa made a bet on his confident, yet calculated play that got the Bucs to the second round of the playoffs, and while they had to replace OC Dave Canales with Liam Coen, the results were expected to be the same.
On Sunday, the results weren’t the same. They were better. Mayfield went 24-for-30 for 289 yards and four touchdowns in the opening to his encore performance as the Bucs dropped 37 points in a win over the Washington Commanders. After going back and watching Mayfield’s performance on film, it shows a QB who is building on his 2023 with confident passing and a guy who was on an absolute HEATER on Sunday.
What I was curious about the most with the Bucs and Mayfield was the ability to continue peppering passes and concepts outside the hashes without making him throw over the middle too much. Mayfield has an incredibly strong arm—he can hit every throw out by the sidelines, and there’s less to read in that situation for him rather than the muddied mess that is middle of the field passing. So far, under Coen, that formula hasn’t changed. Of course, there’s the caveat of the Commanders potentially being the worst defense in the NFL, but Mayfield and the Buccaneers put some really nice stuff on tape.
What encouraged me the most was how Coen and the Bucs used short motion and alignments to run basic sideline concepts for Mayfield. These simplified the read and let Mayfield do what he does best, which is throw the ball really hard towards the edges. On his touchdown to Jalen McMillan, Coen uses this motion to change the coverage responsibilities of the Commanders in Cover One. At first, this is what each defender in coverage’s responsibility is:

Now, as you watch the video, you’re going to see how the responsibilities change with the motion. When McMillan goes in motion, the outside corner takes WR Chris Godwin and switches McMillan to the nickel corner. But wait, there’s more! As the play is developing, McMillan and TE Cade Otton switch their stems, meaning Otton runs outside and McMillan runs inside. All of this switching and motion crosses the wires of communication for the Commanders, and McMillan is left wide open.

This same short motion was used again, but this time with wideout Mike Evans, who I’m sure you’ve heard of. The Commanders are showing pressure, but drop into Cover Two at the snap. How that breaks down looks like this:

Now, watch what happens when Evans goes into short motion. The Bucs are running a flood concept to the right side, but with Evans going in motion he runs the out route right behind the linebacker, in line with the corner to that side. Godwin runs a route right at the linebacker, and McMillan runs a go route. The motion forces two defenders to have eyes on Evans and McMillan is left wide open. If it weren’t for pressure, this ball would’ve been housed.

The funniest part is, earlier in the game the Buccaneers ran the same concept, but this time TE Cade Otton goes in exit motion and runs the go route. The Commanders are in Cover 3, meaning that outside corner has to carry Otton vertically. The linebacker is put in a bind with Godwin below him and Evans behind him, and Mayfield layers this to Evans for a big gain.

Even without motion or anything to dress up the play, Mayfield was feeling himself on Sunday. He was firing passes to the edges of the defense, showing off his arm strength (which has never been his problem). The Bucs are running a classic bench concept, with Chris Godwin running the short out route and WR Trey Palmer running the corner route behind it. The Commanders find themself in Cover Two to that side, which means Mayfield has the simple read of throwing it where the corner isn’t. Watch how he layers this pass to Palmer. It’s a really impressive throw, one that Mayfield makes look easy.

The Bucs could’ve put up more points if they really wanted to. Mayfield missed the McMillan go route due to pressure, but on the very first drive he has McMillan on a real sweet design out of a bunch that completely loses the Commanders secondary. McMillan hauls that in and we’re looking at a 40-piece for the Bucs offense in the first game of the season.

Nice little man-beater from the Bucs, especially out of bunch. Lot of teams lock the middle defender onto the receiver that’s on the LOS in bunch, so you create a natural pick for Jalen McMillan. Definitely gotta come back to this pic.twitter.com/pim3lr8LRw— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) September 10, 2024

Again, we have to add the caveat of this being the first game of the season and the Commanders potentially being horrible, but this was really impressive from Tampa Bay. Coen was building on concepts Mayfield was really confident in last year, and was able to dress it up in a sick way.
If this is what Mayfield has in store for an encore, count me in. […]

Hours before the Miami Dolphins’ comeback victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, superstar wideout Tyreek Hill and defensive tackle Calais Campbell were detained by police in what is looking more and more like an abuse of power than anything else. Hill and Campbell were released and still played in the victory, but both players spoke adamantly about the situation after the game.

Hill was also asked about the detainment, offering a sobering reminder of what it means to be Black in America.

Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill said he has no idea why he was placed in handcuffs and said he wasn’t ready to describe this morning’s events — but wants to take advantage of his platform:“What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?” pic.twitter.com/aCQWec7q8Q— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) September 8, 2024

On Monday, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel spoke about the situation, and many of his quotes were incredibly thought-provoking, evoking the helplessness he felt when all of this went down (via NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe):
“It’s been hard to not find myself more upset the more I think about it. The thing that fucks me up being quite frank is I don’t know exactly what that feels like. Super proud of our guys understanding the civic responsibility of a platform.”
It’s a reminder that while McDaniel may be seen as Black by the NFL (the San Francisco 49ers got two third-round picks when he was hired as a part of their diversity initiative), the world doesn’t see him that way. McDaniel said he’s never been in the situation Hill and Campbell were in because while he is biracial, he is a white-passing man. “My appearance lends me to the journey of many not alienated,” McDaniel said on Monday. “It’s important to listen… it’s important to realize when your words don’t mean shit.”
For McDaniel to speak so powerfully on the situation Hill and Campbell found themselves in is a great show of support by the coach, but it offers a lot of NFL fans an opportunity to look at themselves in the mirror. McDaniel didn’t make this detainment about him and how it affected him going into the game, but wanted to support by listening and not always talking.
You can find McDaniel’s full response here:

#Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel got very emotional and choked up talking about Tyreek Hill getting detained on Sunday.”The thing that f***** me up honestly, to be quite frank, is knowing that I don’t know exactly. I don’t know what that feels like.”Full answer via @MiamiDolphins: pic.twitter.com/Pwrlr3XZ5t— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 9, 2024 […]

The 2024 season opened up with some of the worst passing performances we’ve ever seen across the league. Through the Sunday slate of games, there have only been 33 passing touchdowns through Week 1, which would be the lowest total the NFL has seen over the last five years, per 33rd Team’s Steve Palazzolo:

Week 1 NFL passing touchdowns2019 : 612020: 522021: 612022: 512023: 372024: 33**Pending MNF— Steve Palazzolo (@StevePalazzolo_) September 9, 2024

It just looks like passing has become less efficient, with running the ball taking the early lead in efficiency through the first week of the NFL season:

In response to the NFL becoming more pass-heavy in recent years, many have commented that eventually we would reach a point where it became more efficient to run than pass— and the pendulum would swing the other way. My friends, we may be rapidly approaching that point. pic.twitter.com/Rxm5XIJnGl— Jake Grossman (@jakegrossman0) September 9, 2024

So, what happened here? What caused passing in the NFL to take such a major slide in the first week of the season?
Defenses are winning the chess match
Football strategy can be seen a lot like chess, with moves and countermoves being made with the players as the queens and rooks on the chessboard. So far, defenses are winning this match. With the continued usage of two-high shells, it negates the explosive downfield passing, forcing teams to use the run game or quick underneath game. We’re seeing a lot less passing overall, with teams opting to run that damn ball in order to force teams out of those light boxes and two-high shells.

Pass % in Week 1 over the past 6 seasons:2024: 60.3%2023: 62.1%2022: 63.2%2021: 63.9%2020: 61.2%2019: 63.8%I think this is because we have officially left the QB golden age & defenses are playing more conservatively (baiting more runs/short passes) https://t.co/bwmEB8T2hm— CoachSwami (@Moonlightswami) September 9, 2024

Because of how conservative defenses are calling the game, it’s forcing offenses to either eat their vegetables via the quick game or make explosives via running the football. Offenses have to be able to throw the next punch.
Lack of preseason reps
I know, I know. “Preseason isn’t important! The joint practices during the week are what matters!” While I partially agree with you, getting up to game speed isn’t something that just can be done in an instant.
If you think about all the teams that played well in this first week, most of their starters played in the preseason. Kansas City played their starters for at least the first couple of drives in all three games. Houston played their guys a lot, and they all looked like they didn’t miss a step. While it’s not critical that your starters get all the preseason reps, joint practices can only do so much. A lot of teams (cough cough, Cincinnati) use Week 1 as basically the fourth preseason game, and it leads to performances like theirs. Not playing at all in the preseason then expecting to come out and play immediately well is a bad process, and we’re seeing the fruits of that.
Playing QB in the NFL is really f****** hard
This goes back into the first point, and it could just stand by itself. Playing QB in the NFL is as hard as it’s ever been, because of how fluid everything is. Simulated pressures are all the rage; what you see pre-snap isn’t going to be the same thing post-snap. It stresses the mind of signal callers who have to diagnose the play, get to the right guy all in about three seconds because if you don’t you’re getting crushed by a 270 pound defensive linemen. Defenses are making it hard on the QB by throwing everything and the kitchen sink at them, while offenses ask more of the QB in accessing middle of the field targets and moving underneath defenders.
Overall, this should be the biggest takeaway. Playing QB in the NFL is hard, and offenses should make it easier on them by running that damn ball. […]

Hours before the Miami Dolphins were set to host the Jacksonville Jaguars in their 2024 season opener, superstar wideout Tyreek Hill was arrested and cited by police officers for reckless driving. This morning, Hill was driving into the stadium and was stopped by police officers, before being handcuffed and placed face down into the pavement by officers.

Per ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, there was an altercation between Hill and the officers which led to Hill being placed in handcuffs. Hill’s agent Drew Rosenhaus came down to the scene and was able to deescelate the situation, allowing Hill to enter the stadium.
The Dolphins issued a statement on the situation:
“This morning, WR Tyreek Hill was pulled over for a traffic incident about one block from the stadium and briefly detained by police. He has since been released. Several teammates saw the incident and stopped to offer support. Tyreek and all other players involved have safely arrived to the stadium and will be available for today’s game.”
Hill is active for the game against the Jaguars. […]

It’s the fourth quarter. Game on the line in the NFL opener between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs. Lamar Jackson has caught fire on the final drive, and the Ravens are in the red zone with the chance to score. So they have … backup RB Justice Hill block all-world DT Chris Jones?

The final two plays of the Ravens’ season-opening loss to Kansas City were the brutal finishing touch on a poor opener up front. The Ravens had to replace three starters up front, including both guard spots, and it showed. Jackson was on the run all game, with 12 of his 16 rushing attempts coming via scramble (according to Next Gen Stats):

Lamar Jackson scrambled 12 times against the Chiefs, 19.5% of his dropbacks—his 3rd-highest rate in the last four seasons.Most of his scrambling production came on the ground, gaining 75 rushing yards on 10 scrambles. His lone completion was his 49-yard TD.#BALvsKC | @Ravens pic.twitter.com/hHbDY2wRcl— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 6, 2024

The Raven’s passing game could never settle in and it constricted themselves, a task that you never want to do against this Chiefs’ defense. While there were many occasions where they just got beat up front (that Chris Jones guy is really good), there were some bizarre protection busts that forced the Ravens to turtle in on themselves.
Before we get to that final play, what happened earlier in the game will inform us of why the final protection even happens in the first place. The Ravens’ offense loves to full slide their protection when they see pressure; what that means is whichever side the protection wants to slide, the entire offensive line shifts their eyes and hands over there. It’s great when you’re facing teams that Cover 0 a lot and you have a QB like Lamar Jackson who will make the first free runner off the edge miss. Not as great when you end up wasting guys because you’re adding protection for blitzers that never come.
That’s where Chiefs’ DC Steve Spagnuolo won the battle. For example, on this play the Chiefs walk safety Justin Reid all the way up to the line of scrimmage. Before the ball is snapped, this is what it looks like, with all the potential blitzers labeled:

Lamar sees this and knows the Ravens don’t have enough in protection to account for all 7 guys, so he motions Isaiah Likely into the pass pro and makes him a blocker. From there, the ball is snapped. However…

The Chiefs spin out to Tampa 2 with LINEBACKER Drue Tranquill being the deep 1⁄2 defender and SAFETY Justin Reid as the middle runner. On top of that, the Ravens full slide to account for the numbers to the right, but the numbers on the right drop out and they end up sliding to nothing. Because Chris Jones is on the left side, Likely and LT Ronnie Stanley double him and it leaves everyone else with a solo matchup, which they won all game. While full sliding and adding in a blocker is fine, it wastes two potential routes in Likely and RB Justice Hill (who checks and releases) and Lamar has nowhere to go with the ball.

The Ravens full slid again in this game, and were again wasted. This time, Baltimore is in 12 personnel (one RB, two TEs on the field) and the Chiefs match with their base (four down linemen, three linebackers). Tranquill walks out over to the offense’s right edge, and the Ravens full slide to the numbers again, leaving Likely in as a pass protector and RB Derrick Henry as a check and release player (check for any free runners, then run into the flat). The issue here is, with seven man protection only three guys are running any routes and the Chiefs can devote more numbers to the pass. Nobody is open except for maybe WR Rashod Bateman late, but by that time the pressure is there and Lamar is forced to sail it.

Which brings us to the final two plays of the game. I’m not sure why the Ravens felt the need to full slide the protection AWAY from Chris Jones, but let’s look at the personnel here. Derrick Henry isn’t on the field; he probably won’t play much in 2-minute situations. The Chiefs are in a three-down front with Chris Jones lined up over the right tackle. LB Leo Chenal is lined up at the LOS, but he’s just a spy, waiting for Lamar to make his move out the pocket. For some reason, they slide away from Jones instead of to him, leaving Justice Hill with the same task JJ Barea had in 2011: stopping a guy who is at least 100 pounds bigger than you and much, much stronger as well. Lamar has to rush his throw and instead of being able to properly place this throw, he miscommunicates with Bateman (Jackson said after the game the pass was intended for Bateman and the pressure forced him to go quicker; he probably wanted Bateman to break towards the grass) and it’s incomplete.

The same thing happens again on the final play, again Jackson is forced to step up and rush the throw to Likely, who was an inch short of a heroic play. A tough break, but the margins in the NFL are so small that a busted protection like this that leaves Justice Hill on a perennial DPOY candidate can be the difference in a win or loss.

It’s one game, so I’m not going to ring the alarm bells just yet, but last night was a bad start to the year for Baltimore up front. Pass protection was an obvious issue, but the run game couldn’t really generate much push either. Missed angles on some of their gap scheme runs kept potential big plays from being made. On top of that, there were the numerous illegal formation penalties that shot themselves in the foot before they could get going. They knew they couldn’t block up front, which shortens the offense to the screens and quick game we saw from Baltimore last night.
For the Ravens to get to everything they want to be, this inexperienced offensive line is going to have to grow up—fast. […]

Welcome back to the third season of Establish the Fun, a sentence I definitely didn’t think I would be saying when I started writing this column. When I started this fresh out of grad school and without much of a clue for what I wanted to do in this space. I never could’ve imagined the ride that this column would take me on, and the growth it would allow me to have as a writer and as someone who studies football film for a living. I couldn’t be more grateful to everyone for reading and enjoying my work. It means the world to me!
Alright, now that the sappy stuff is out the way, I’m hyped for this NFL season. There’s so much fun schematic stuff going around the NFL on both sides of the ball, and the talent level at a lot of positions is truly awesome. To open up this first session of Establish The Fun, we’re looking at some rookies, both on the field and on the sideline. Let’s start with the first overall pick and how the Chicago Bears are hoping to make life easier for him.
Caleb Williams brings Minecraft creative mode to Chicago
When QB Caleb Williams was selected first overall back in April, the excitement was palpable. “The Bears finally have a QB,” was echoed largely throughout the football universe, and I largely agree. However, I think I’m excited for Williams in Chicago because this offense seems to be built around their QBs skillset, unlike the last time the Bears had a promising rookie QB. With coordinator Shane Waldron (who I think is a good OC) calling the plays and a bevy of skill position talent, Williams is set to thrive in Chicago, but his best work might come with Waldron getting him outside the pocket.
Make no mistake about it; Williams is more than capable of dicing teams up from within the constraints of the pocket. However, he truly is at his best when he’s in Minecraft creative mode, using his athleticism and arm talent to make passes at various angles. His spatial awareness and improvisation have already been on display in the preseason, and it’s something the Bears are going to harness in their 2024 campaign. Of the 20 passes he threw in the preseason, a quarter of them were on designated rollouts and bootleg action. This is a great plan for Williams, who can use the run fakes to get himself outside the pocket, and from there the magic happens.
Williams has such an effortless release of the ball, and can get any pass off from different angles. If he needs to build himself a nether sword to complete this pass he has it in the bag and this trait is most noticeable outside the pocket. He’s such a creative thrower on the move and can generate velocity from those awkward positions that the inefficient plays look like a run of the mill snap for Williams.

What I love about Waldron getting Williams on the move is that it simplifies the reads for him as well. As good as I think Williams can be from the pocket, it’s still a tall task to ask a rookie to sit in the pocket consistently and diagnose pre and post-snap coverages, while making the correct throw. Getting him on the move simplifies the read for Williams, allowing him to execute quicker and at a higher level.
Plus, if things go wrong, he can always just do this:

He built an entire golden Minecraft civilization with this one, sheesh.
The question for Williams this season will be his execution from within the pocket. While I think he can execute from there—he’s shown this preseason an ability to not panic and get to the backside of passing concepts—it’s about if he’s willing to do that. The drawback to being in Minecraft creative mode all the time is that when you go back to survival mode, sometimes when you try and build something cool you blow yourself up. In college, Williams was able to mitigate some of the pressure by being a much better athlete than anyone else on the field (an 6.2% average sack rate from Williams across his USC career isn’t sparkling, but with his style of play you’ll take it, but when he’s pressured it jumps up to an average of 18.7%—yeesh). While it’s still yet to be figured out if that’ll work for Williams in the NFL, what he’ll have to learn is that he’ll have to take the single or double, not turning every play into a TikTok highlight reel.
I say all of that just to also say: look man if it works the way it did in college then more power to him. I think this is the perfect encapsulation of Caleb Williams as a passer at this current moment. The Bears call a bench concept to Williams’ left, with the tight end running a short hook route and backside dig by the receiver to his right. The Bengals cover the bench concept perfectly, but this play still somehow goes for 40+ yards. Is it fair to say Williams should’ve gotten to the backside of this quicker and found the hook route or dig? Sure, that’s where most QBs would go. Does he render it null and void because he can do that? Pretty much.

This is where Williams both thrives and can be better. The growth for Williams will come in the form of just being a step quicker (NFL windows close so much quicker than the fastest college windows) and being able to mitigate pressure and negative plays. The best part about this, though? He’s in a great place to do it. Insulated by a good group of receivers and an offensive line that’s at least capable of playing well, Williams isn’t going to be asked to do the 800 level QB’ing just yet. By giving him situations in designated rollouts where he can use his athleticism and creativity without the threat of complex full field coverage reads, the Bears can ease him into the NFL world and watch him thrive.
BOW BOW BOW BOW(ers)
Brock Bowers represents the forthcoming evolution of the NFL tight end. Coming out of Georgia, he’s generously listed at 6’4 and 230 pounds, but what he brings to the game is a natural feel for receiving and a dynamic ability after the catch. With beefy boy ball coming back into the limelight, 12 (one running back, two tight ends) personnel is all the rage. You can basically play matchup ball based on how defenses defend you. If they want to match your two tight ends with bigger linebackers on the field, then you can throw the ball out of 12 and watch the LBs try and figure out how to defend these guys. On the flip side of that, if teams want to match the offense’s 12 personnel with a slot corner on the field, they run the risk of getting put into the turf in the run game. Last year, the Raiders were near the bottom of the league in 12 personnel usage (per Sumer Sports), but with Bowers that looks to change. Although he’s only played one game in the preseason for Vegas due to injury, how the Raiders moved him around showcases a really fun glimpse into his future in Vegas and what the offense can do with him as the queen on their chessboard.

Against the Vikings, this is Bowers’ snap count by alignment, via Pro Football Focus. As you can see, it’s a charcuterie board of various alignments and positions on the field. What this does is both accentuates his strengths as a receiver and after the catch, while hiding his deficiencies as a blocker (which aren’t even that massive, he’s just on the smaller side for a tight end). Bowers spent most of the game off the ball or detached from the line of scrimmage, which helps in creating advantageous angles for him as a blocker. By placing him off ball, the Raiders allow him to generate more force through acceleration through pure mass (shoutout Isaac Newton). I think Bowers and the receiver messed up the blocking assignments on this power rep, but you can see where the Raiders’ vision is with Bowers. He’s lined up at FULLBACK here, and this gives Bowers a runway to success as a blocker.

Where Bowers won a lot in college as a blocker was on split zone concepts where he was slicing back across the formation from off the ball. By doing this, Bowers has a more advantageous situation where he can either slice back into the passing concept, or use his momentum to block free edge rushers.

All of this is taking place while the Minnesota Vikings are in their base personnel (three down linemen, two edge rushers, two linebackers), which will come into play as we get into the passing game.
Bowers is a matchup nightmare as a receiver, a true threat after the catch who can win on manufactured touches as well as creating separation. What Las Vegas did in Minnesota was design Bowers touches where his ability after the catch is highlighted, but out of various alignments. Normally, you see a tight end run the clear out route for the wide receiver to run underneath. The Raiders flip this, with Bowers lined up out wide and he comes underneath the clear out route and moves the chains against man coverage. Note, a corner is defending Bowers here with the Vikings in base.

Another one where Bowers doesn’t get the target, but he’s lined up out wide in 12 personnel. Again, Minnesota is in base, the problem the Raiders can force upon defenders with Bowers.

Here’s some Bowers at fullback for your viewing pleasure as well. You can see the bind that it puts the linebackers in. They’re in a five man front, meaning someone from the line has to drop. You can see the hesitation between the edge defender and off ball linebacker as Bowers runs into the flat. It leaves him wide open, and from there he can be a weapon with the ball after the catch.

To put it quite simply, the Raiders need Brock Bowers to be good. They haven’t hit on a first round pick—or any pick for in that case—in a very long time, and Bowers becoming a legitimate threat at tight end would work wonders for this offense. As the NFL gets bigger offensively, Bowers finds himself coming on at the perfect time, the true definition of a “move” tight end.
Weaving the Dolphins’ defense
I was really intrigued by the hiring of Anthony Weaver to coach the Miami Dolphins’ defense, for a multitude of reasons. It’s the first branch of the Mike MacDonald tree (I know, I know, the defense didn’t start with him but for the purpose of this exercise I’ll start here), which seems to be the new defense putting the hotshot McVay/Shanahan acolytes in hell, but it also feels like a perfect coach-team fit. The Dolphins’ defense is far too talented to finish 16th in EPA per play allowed in 2023, and 13th in EPA per pass, and with Weaver calling the plays, I’m excited how he brings the MacDonald style of defense to Miami. What I love about this defense is their ability to generate pressure without devoting too many numbers to the blitz. The way they do this is through simulated pressures, looks that show maybe 7 or 8 people blitz but only four do. The problem is, you don’t know which four are coming. This causes chaos up front, and gives the defense advantageous matchups in a lot of different places.
In their first preseason game against Atlanta, Weaver does a great job changing the picture post-snap and gets QB Michael Penix Jr. to throw a quicker route into the flat, where the defense has the advantage. Up front, he uses a pick between the linebacker and DT to get a nice situation for his lineman, but the RB makes a great block. Overall great process leading to a good result.

What MacDonald did so well in Baltimore, and what Weaver is hoping to accomplish in Miami, is using simulated pressure and creepers to cause havoc, while still keeping things simple for his own team. In order to bring a second level guy, you gotta drop a first level guy; it’s the law of equivalent exchange, shoutout to Fullmetal Alchemist. Here, the Dolphins are adding a second level defender and dropping a first level one, but you never know which one it’ll be. Watch the entire play. The QB goes to make a check at the line and points out the man the RB should pick up in the protection (he ends up sprinting into the flat). However, the Dolphins run a twist up front and get enough pressure to force the QB to check it down right into a waiting defender’s vicinity. Miami brings the DB from the offense’s left, and in exchange drops the backside EDGE and runs Cover 2. Not the flashiest play, but it works well.

Why I think I’m higher than most on the Dolphins’ defense this year is because I think the personnel fits this defense so much better, starting at the linebacker position. Nabbing Jordyn Brooks from Seattle in free agency was great business, and his ability to be a multifaceted tool for this defense plays well with LB David Long, who is more of a hammer coming downhill against the run and as a blitzer. They’ve shown flashes of playing on a string together, and it looks real sweet.

The Dolphins host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, and with a QB like Trevor Lawrence coming to town, being able to show him multiple pictures should help them manufacture pressure while star pass rusher Jaelan Phillips still eases back into playing speed. I’m excited for Weaver to get a chance to display what he’s learned from Baltimore. […]