In-depth film analysis of NFL Draft Prospects With a Fantasy Football Lens - by Matt Waldman ©2025
[youtube=http://youtu.be/JfTa4B7wQ_8]
Football Reads
Word of Muth: Crashing the Nickel Football Outsiders writer Ben Muth looks that the Patriots success running on the Buffalo Bills.
Inside an NFL Practice: What Teams do to Prepare for the Week Ahead A Ryan Riddle joint.
Logan Thomas vs. Geno Smith: Which QB is Destined for a Brighter NFL Future? Sigmund Bloom Continue reading
By Nathan Miller
Another season, another less than electric year for Darren McFadden. But this time it isn’t due to a lingering injury suffered on the field, in practice, or doing it Gangnam style across his imported mahogany floors. The culprit this time is a change in the Raiders offense to a zone blocking scheme during the offseason. Past history lulled us into thinking the change wouldn’t be a problem, but it is rearing its ugly head once the real games were underway.
Newly anointed head coach Dennis Allen installed Oakland’s new zone blocking scheme. The switch carries along with it a learning curve that can take time, and significant chunks of practice, to master. This is not only true for the front line that will be carrying out the new tasks, but also for the backs attempting to bounce through the holes the unit creates. Continue reading
Seeking Writers
Unlike my pals Cecil Lammey and Sigmund Bloom, I have a a day job that does not involve football. It means that I have to cut back on some of my football writing at certain points of the year. One of those difficult choices involved saying good bye to my in-season version of my Weekly Gut Check columns (I’m still writing the column from May through late August) and it has meant fewer posts with this blog – the two football vehicles I love the most.
It won’t always be like this, but in life one has to bob and weave with the times and even a stubborn guy like me learns the ropes at some point. One of these moves is having a guy like Nick Whalen provide his analysis at the blog. I’m looking for more writers to do the same. Continue reading
New to the RSP Blog? Take a minute to follow the RSP blog and receive email updates of new posts. Here’s a good starting point for content to see more film analysis of players. Whether you’re new reader or you’ve been following since the blog’s inception (thank you), learn about the Rookie Scouting Portfolio publication and how it gives back to a good cause.
By Nick Whalen
Nick Whalen is a former high school quarterback with experience as an assistant student coach with Drake University, Carthage College, and Montana State. He also spent two years as an assistant student coach with Western Kentucky. He has been a quarterback, wide receiver, and defensive back coach for three different high school teams. Whalen is a writer at Dynasty Rogues. Here’s his RSP Writer’s Team and Q&A. He’s sharing an enlightening take on my favorite quarterback anti-hero, Jay Cutler.
Special moments in life are associated with where you were when they happened. First kiss. 9/11. Hearing about the death of someone close. But a new one for me happened on April 2nd 2009: The day the Chicago Bears traded for Jay Cutler.
I had just finished watching film from spring practice when I turned on ESPN.com and experienced instant euphoria. As a Bears fan living in Wisconsin, my lifelong pain of watching Cade McNown, Henry Burris, Rick Mirer, Chad Hutchinson, Shane Mathews, Jim Miller, and Kordell Stewart was over. The Bears had finally acquired a quarterback capable of leading the team and not simply “managing” the game.
Or so I thought.
During Jay Cutler’s first three years, I found myself making excuses for his play. His offensive line is bad. His weapons aren’t talented. His offensive coaches aren’t playing to his strengths. No more excuses. I decided to break down Jay Cutler’s game versus Green Bay to illustrate what he needs to fix. Continue reading
War Daddies. Chris Brown introduces this coach’s term of endearment for big, bad defensive tackles that man the middle of a defensive front in his ode to the position at Grantland. Brown, the author of the always excellent Smart Football, explains that when it comes to prioritizing the factors that make a good defensive tackle, size is only a fundamental consideration.
What separates a defensive tackle who earns an invitation to compete for a roster spot from a defensive tackle that has an integral role for an NFL team is fluid athleticism and a good football IQ. It might be important to have (Read the rest at Football Outsiders)
All work and no play makes Matt a dull boy. All work and no play makes Matt a dull boy. All work no play a dull boy. and makes Matt . All work and makes Matt a boy. All work and no play makes Matt a dull boy. All and no Matt a dull . work and play Matt a dull boy.
I’ll be back in a couple of weeks. I’m busy vomiting words. Thanks for your patience. I miss this place.
Matt
All work and no play makes Matt a dull boy. All work and no play makes Matt a dull boy.
All work and no play makes Matt a dull boy. All work and no play makes Matt a dull boy.
.yob llud a ttaM sekam yalp on dna krow llA .yob llud a ttaM sekam yalp on dna krow llA
.yob llud a ttaM sekam yalp on dna krow llA .yob llud a ttaM sekam yalp on dna krow llA
Six years ago, I met an athletic trainer for the University of Georgia football team. I joined a local gym and wanted to begin a weight training program. I was leery of the bells and whistles that “athletic clubs” have in their facilities and even more skeptical of the trainers who seem to be more about sales than fitness. I also wanted a workout that incorporated a lot of body weight exercises and the supervision of an experienced, educated, trainer. The gym management got my drift and recommended one guy.
The only appointment that this trainer had available in his schedule was 5:00 a.m. three times a week. The idea of studying a football game at 5:00 a.m. was one thing, an intense workout seemed like masochism. But as bleary-eyed as I was that first morning, I knew I’d made the right decision when this trainer walked us right past the the sea of Nautilus equipment and other gadgets.
“You see all of this here? This sells gym memberships. We’ll use maybe three of these machines. Let’s do some real work.”
And within two months, I lost 20 pounds and 10 percent body fat with a workout that consisted of free weights, sprints, jump rope, and medicine ball workouts.
Among the several great nuggets of information that he eventually shared with me about Georgia football was the school’s preference to Read the rest at Football Outsiders
[youtube=http://youtu.be/0stjkvvdZV4]
Chris Potter and Marcus Strickland, two of the better saxophonists of my generation playing with a great group that includes the fantastic Benny Green on piano, Martin Wind on bass, and Matt Wilson on drums.
Reads
From the “isn’t that charming and hip, but completely stupid file,” The USB Typewriter. If someone rigged any of my devices with this hipster pile of garbage as a gift, I’d deck them. Or at least I’d be imagining how I’d dismember them as I do the polite thing. Of course, I think the polite thing to do in the long term is throw a hay maker so they never do something like that to a writer’s helper ever again. If you want to pretend you’re Hemingway go ahead. Try writing a piece to deadline with that contraption and you’ll have killed yourself decades earlier than For Whom The Bell Tolls.
Back to School: How Mike Shanahan is Using RG3’s College Offense with the Redskins by Chris Brown
Futures: Tyler Wilson by Matt Waldman
Why Fathers Really Matter by Judith Shulevitz. A fascinating article touching upon epigenetics – or how your environment triggers your genes to change.
iPhone 5? Yawn. What Will the ‘Phone’ of 2022 Look Like by Alexis C. Madrigal. What will it look like? Most likely, none of the things in this article.
Listens
Superego – The Superego podcast is a great mix of old-school radio drama techniques, stream-of-consciousness, existential-style humor, and just plain funny. Set against the format of “case studies” of varying psychological profiles, the skits and sketches range from the absurd to the thought-provoking. Highly recommended (thanks Interlocuter, whomever you are on iTunes, for the description).
Views
28 Mind Bending Examples of Optical Illusion Photography
Thanks
I mean it. And you probably know why. I’m just slammed with work like nobody’s business right now to go into detail.
This Week’s On The Couch with Sigmund Bloom stars OFBG (original Footballguy) Jason Wood and yours truly as we have a quality football hang: