football explained Stories - Field Gulls
Football Explained: Safety
With this post I wrap the position portion of Football Explained. Yes, we only covered the defense—the standard 4-3 defense, but I have much planned between now and the full press Hawks coverage that we try to run August-May. Offense and special teams will just have to wait until...
Football Explained: Cornerback
Cornerback is the most technically demanding and acutely unforgiving position on the defense. A rookie corner must adjust to more complicated offenses, more skilled route runners, and tighter, more punitive restrictions on contact. Any mistake, be it misreading the play, erring on a cut, or failing...
Football Explained: Baiting The Fullback
I'm taking the weekend off as Sunday's my wife's birthday and Monday she leaves for California. Before I claw my eyes desperately fending accursed natural light, I want to share this very cool short video created by Scruffy Lefty. This is not a Seahawks specific play, but a generic weakside...
Football Explained: Seahawks 4-3 Explained (Play 2)
0:39 remaining in the 1st quarter Seahawks up 10-0 Arizona ball, 1st and 10 The Cardinals are in a run formation. Offset I left, tight end left, 2 wide receivers (not pictured.) Top: Leonard Pope (TE), Mike Gandy (LT), Reggie Wells (LG), Allen Johnson (C), Deuce Lutui (RG), Levi...
Football Explained: Seahawks 4-3 Explained (Play 1)
9:28 remaining in the 4th quarter Seahawks down 21-0 Pittsburgh ball, 1st and 10 The Steelers are in a heavy formation: I backs, two tight ends right and a single wide receiver (not pictured). Top (left to right): Marvel Smith, Alan Faneca, Sean Mahan, Kendall Simmons, Willie...
Football Explained: Strongside Linebacker
Most of the essential principles that apply to a weakside linebacker apply to a strongside linebacker. The typical difference between the two is that a strongside linebacker is stronger, specifically: able to fight off blocking tight ends and fullbacks, and more frequently deployed as a blitzer....
Football Explained: Middle Linebacker
Ever since Sam Huff became the middle linebacker in Tom Landry’s seminal 4-3 defense, the position has enjoyed a unique mystique. Middle linebackers are often known as the quarterback of the defense, and more than any other position, middle linebacker is accredited with the success of the...
Football Explained: Weakside Linebacker
In May of 1945, George Orwell wrote a now famous essay entitled Politics and the English Language. In it he argues both for a cleansing of the English language and that much of the needless adornment of the language is done to confound and to distance those in power from those not. That essay has a...
Football Explained: Left Defensive End
Traditionally, the left defensive end is the stouter, less pass rush-oriented compliment to the explosive right defensive end. Despite that, left defensive ends like Patrick Kerney, Julius Peppers, Jared Allen and Aaron Kampman are consistently among the top sack producers in the NFL. Some of that...
Football Explained: Left Defensive Tackle in a 4-3
User dcrockett17 emailed me this handy image: Now we come to my favorite position on the defensive line, the left defensive tackle. Commonly referred to as a "3 technique" defensive tackle, the left defensive tackle is the tackle equivalent of the right defensive end. It is the primary...
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