I absolutely love articles like this that help educate an accurately described “don’t know ball” fan like me.
I grew up with five older brothers. These days, our football competitions are restricted to football knowledge. SSJ has been helping me score points against my brothers. I will be forever grateful!🙏
So Demarcus Lawrence, Leonard Williams, Hankins, and Nwosu on first down and ten. Put Mafe, Leonard Williams, Murphy, and Hill on passing downs. Murphy may play on first down this year and get subbed out when he needs a break with Hankins or Reed depending on if it's run or pass.
So long as no one gets injured it's a deep defensive front 4 or 5. There should be plenty of rotation to keep guys fresh. Can't wait to see it implemented.
Love the breakdown. I always like to see the matchups play out and which coordinator plans better. Also like to see the adjustments after the half, means that they have a plan and can still adjust if need be. I felt Clint Hurtt never really made adjustments, even when the D was getting gashed repeatedly. He could have been outplayed, or the personnel just weren't trained or able to make the adjustments. Either way, I am very excited to see all the pieces fall into place this year.
Thanks for breaking it down for some of us less than nuanced at the game viewers.
The SSJ community and the 'know ball' dynamic lol....makes me laugh. I stopped teaching gap assignments when I coached. Instead I would have linebackers fill whatever gaps opened in front of them...depending on what the offense was doing combined with whatever stunt we were pulling off would naturally create open lanes...the same lanes the running backs are looking for. So instead of assigning a specific lane I'd tell linebackers to fill those gaps as soon as they started to open (regardless of where they were) and run through the gap (which can also be on the outside) break down and make a play or give pursuit....but you've gotta be fluid in this sport....as you said, every one's got plan until....
I'm guessing my response to your post yesterday is the reason for your first sentence and I apologize if it came across as snarky. I didn't mean it to be. And in the same breath, I f*cking despise that phrase and how often I see it in comment sections. So if you don't mind, I will try to explain my own reasons and I won't speak for anyone else.
To ME, "don't know ball" is *almost* always used on this world wide web we all worship as a cheap, lazy, arrogant way of shutting down conversation with anyone who disagrees with a 20 year old's football take who never put shoulder pads on in their life. When used by people who played and/or coached, my reaction is that they should be ashamed of themselves. I have seen a 13 year old tell film analyst Ted Nguen that he didn't know ball. I saw another young punk tell Richard freakin' Sherman that he didn't know ball after his retirement. In a way, that dumb, stupid phrase encapsulates what I hate most about conversation online. It's a way of almost muting the dissenting opinion, but with only a decree that you are an expert on the subject and they are ignorant of the thing they enjoy (okay, at least football). We don't do politics here but to use their versions it's "MAGA neocon" or "libtard" to me in value added to a conversation. It simply exists to shut an opinion you disagree with.
Originally, I WAS being snarky...wish there was a font I could use for that....but I do agree with you when you say it's 'a cheap, lazy, arrogant way of shutting down conversation'...I couldn't agree more.
I love learning more about the Xs and Os. Things are so much more sophisticated than back in my day (1970s) I also feel MM wants his players to be able to play many different roles/positions. Look at how many different positions Leo Williams lined up in last year. And how many roles he played at any one of those positions. His dropping back in pass coverage against A Rogers led Rogers to throw it right at him. Rogers is a guy who knows where all the threats are and almost never throws a bad pass. But a DT dropping into coverage was so unexpected it was a pick 6.
I also think he is so high on Emmanwori because of his ability to play so many positions and roles on the defense. I saw a stat on him at S. Carolina where he had over 100 snaps at each of the following positions. Safety, outside corner, nickel corner and ILB. Having so many versatile players on the field would mean the offense might still not know the defensive package they are up against despite knowing the 11 players out on the field. Most teams give away the package from the personnel on the field.
Hankins is the only guy on the line without much versatility. I wonder, after watching that video, if he only comes in to play 0-tech in two-gap alignments, or if he lines up a 1-tech also. It seems like his being on the field might be more of a tell, but he's probably mostly out there when everyone knows the offense is trying to run the ball anyway. Big Cat, Big Murph, and JReed are all studs and can play anywhere along the line. I really hope Murphy takes a leap forward this year.
I wonder if Emmanwori will play nickel corner in situations where Spoon would have played last season? This could allow Spoon to play more snaps outside than we've seen so far and limit how many snaps need to go to Jobe or some other CB.
I hope Murphy takes a leap this year as well. I don’t think the plan was to use Hankins this year, but it didn’t work out for them to pick up a NT in the draft. I think Emmanwori will play nickel, but probably when they line up a TE in the slot. A lot of teams have a Fant or Arroyo type TE who is a physical mismatch for Witherspoon. Emmanwori is a perfect option to play that big nickel.
This is an excellent breakdown. Football is like a chess match and a game of matchups.
I am very interested in what we do with the new players in the defensive backfield as well 3 safeties? Big nickel? McD and his defensive is very difficult to guess.
THIS!
I absolutely love articles like this that help educate an accurately described “don’t know ball” fan like me.
I grew up with five older brothers. These days, our football competitions are restricted to football knowledge. SSJ has been helping me score points against my brothers. I will be forever grateful!🙏
Thank you SSJ another great article. I love going deeper into football with film study, well done.
So Demarcus Lawrence, Leonard Williams, Hankins, and Nwosu on first down and ten. Put Mafe, Leonard Williams, Murphy, and Hill on passing downs. Murphy may play on first down this year and get subbed out when he needs a break with Hankins or Reed depending on if it's run or pass.
So long as no one gets injured it's a deep defensive front 4 or 5. There should be plenty of rotation to keep guys fresh. Can't wait to see it implemented.
Love the breakdown. I always like to see the matchups play out and which coordinator plans better. Also like to see the adjustments after the half, means that they have a plan and can still adjust if need be. I felt Clint Hurtt never really made adjustments, even when the D was getting gashed repeatedly. He could have been outplayed, or the personnel just weren't trained or able to make the adjustments. Either way, I am very excited to see all the pieces fall into place this year.
Thanks for breaking it down for some of us less than nuanced at the game viewers.
In short, to Quote that cradle robbing Bill Belichick, " Do your job."
The SSJ community and the 'know ball' dynamic lol....makes me laugh. I stopped teaching gap assignments when I coached. Instead I would have linebackers fill whatever gaps opened in front of them...depending on what the offense was doing combined with whatever stunt we were pulling off would naturally create open lanes...the same lanes the running backs are looking for. So instead of assigning a specific lane I'd tell linebackers to fill those gaps as soon as they started to open (regardless of where they were) and run through the gap (which can also be on the outside) break down and make a play or give pursuit....but you've gotta be fluid in this sport....as you said, every one's got plan until....
I'm guessing my response to your post yesterday is the reason for your first sentence and I apologize if it came across as snarky. I didn't mean it to be. And in the same breath, I f*cking despise that phrase and how often I see it in comment sections. So if you don't mind, I will try to explain my own reasons and I won't speak for anyone else.
To ME, "don't know ball" is *almost* always used on this world wide web we all worship as a cheap, lazy, arrogant way of shutting down conversation with anyone who disagrees with a 20 year old's football take who never put shoulder pads on in their life. When used by people who played and/or coached, my reaction is that they should be ashamed of themselves. I have seen a 13 year old tell film analyst Ted Nguen that he didn't know ball. I saw another young punk tell Richard freakin' Sherman that he didn't know ball after his retirement. In a way, that dumb, stupid phrase encapsulates what I hate most about conversation online. It's a way of almost muting the dissenting opinion, but with only a decree that you are an expert on the subject and they are ignorant of the thing they enjoy (okay, at least football). We don't do politics here but to use their versions it's "MAGA neocon" or "libtard" to me in value added to a conversation. It simply exists to shut an opinion you disagree with.
Originally, I WAS being snarky...wish there was a font I could use for that....but I do agree with you when you say it's 'a cheap, lazy, arrogant way of shutting down conversation'...I couldn't agree more.
I love learning more about the Xs and Os. Things are so much more sophisticated than back in my day (1970s) I also feel MM wants his players to be able to play many different roles/positions. Look at how many different positions Leo Williams lined up in last year. And how many roles he played at any one of those positions. His dropping back in pass coverage against A Rogers led Rogers to throw it right at him. Rogers is a guy who knows where all the threats are and almost never throws a bad pass. But a DT dropping into coverage was so unexpected it was a pick 6.
I also think he is so high on Emmanwori because of his ability to play so many positions and roles on the defense. I saw a stat on him at S. Carolina where he had over 100 snaps at each of the following positions. Safety, outside corner, nickel corner and ILB. Having so many versatile players on the field would mean the offense might still not know the defensive package they are up against despite knowing the 11 players out on the field. Most teams give away the package from the personnel on the field.
Hankins is the only guy on the line without much versatility. I wonder, after watching that video, if he only comes in to play 0-tech in two-gap alignments, or if he lines up a 1-tech also. It seems like his being on the field might be more of a tell, but he's probably mostly out there when everyone knows the offense is trying to run the ball anyway. Big Cat, Big Murph, and JReed are all studs and can play anywhere along the line. I really hope Murphy takes a leap forward this year.
I wonder if Emmanwori will play nickel corner in situations where Spoon would have played last season? This could allow Spoon to play more snaps outside than we've seen so far and limit how many snaps need to go to Jobe or some other CB.
I hope Murphy takes a leap this year as well. I don’t think the plan was to use Hankins this year, but it didn’t work out for them to pick up a NT in the draft. I think Emmanwori will play nickel, but probably when they line up a TE in the slot. A lot of teams have a Fant or Arroyo type TE who is a physical mismatch for Witherspoon. Emmanwori is a perfect option to play that big nickel.
This is an excellent breakdown. Football is like a chess match and a game of matchups.
I am very interested in what we do with the new players in the defensive backfield as well 3 safeties? Big nickel? McD and his defensive is very difficult to guess.