Coffee & Cigarettes: NFL Philosophy reads

Former NFL Operations Coordinator. Now, anonymous blogger/twitterer. Really good stuff.

The Illusion of Balance | NFL Philosophy
It never fails. Every NFL Sunday you inevitably hear the saying, “They’ve got to stay balanced,” or, “Balance is what wins games. Teams that run the ball more win games.” The announcer or analyst then throws out the stat that Team A is 6-0 this season when they run the ball 25 times or more.

The Failure of Head Coaches | NFL Philosophy
That title is actually misleading. Most head coaches failures aren’t really their own. Honestly. The blame should be placed squarely on the front office and owners who hired them. By hiring the wrong guy for the job, they’re setting him up for failure. It’s not the coach’s fault for accepting a high paying promotion with great power even if he’s not ready for it. Who wouldn’t?

Restructuring Contracts and Extensions | NFL Philosophy
Now that you have the basis for understanding the difference of cap implications between salaries and signing bonuses, let’s talk about how teams can manipulate these to help create cap space.

Position Breakdown: Offensive Line | NFL Philosophy
Our series continues, breaking down each position by the skills necessary to be successful in the National Football League. Today, we take a look at the offensive line. The offensive line has one main purpose: keep defenders off of the quarterback and running back so that they can do their jobs. If an offensive line can do that effectively the it severely tilts the game into their favor.

Position Breakdown: Defensive Backs | NFL Philosophy
The way NFL football is evolving, defensive backs are playing an ever increasing role in the outcome of games. Teams need to be strong on the back end of the defense so that teams aren’t putting up points in bunches on them.

Position Breakdown: Linebackers | NFL Philosophy
For the 2nd installment of the Positional Breakdown series, I take a look at linebackers. Linebackers are multi-tool players that need to excel in many different areas. Maybe more than any other defensive position, linebackers need to be instinctive and fast to their responsibility. Instincts play such a big role in diagnosing a play and then a linebacker must get to his spot or get to the football without putting himself in an awkward position (no man’s land) while doing so. This is why in practices you’ll inevitably hear a coach say, “Trust what you see.” Linebackers are to see and respond. They don’t have time to think. Even a single false step leaves them on the wrong side of a hole on a running play or leaves the seam open for a TE to go streaking.

Position Breakdown: Defensive Line | NFL Philosophy
The defensive line may be the most important unit on the field. If the defensive line does it’s job, they can create havoc for a quarterback or stone a run game all on their own. If the defensive line can get pressure on the QB, it makes the back-seven’s jobs much easier. There is no substitute for lining the front with studs. A strong d-line can impose it’s will on an offense and take over a game.