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I am working on an edit for this post that will answer your questions, but it will take a bit of time to get them fully fleshed out, as I want to add in some reference spots for you. In the meantime, I will give you some cursory information that should whet your whistle while I go more in depth. Let me first get out of the way: The Cowboys are evil incarnate and if you become a Cowboy fan, you will rot in hell alongside Jamarcus Russel, and he won't give you any of his Skittles. On to your questions! quote:Q. Could somebody explain the statistics and 'boxscore' formats that are typically used to cover NFL games. Coming from the NBA these things can be a little confusing. While I'm not completely certain what you're asking, the main statistics that everyone cares about vary. this is because Offensive, Defensive, and Other statistics are all rated individually. For instance, no one cares if an Offensive player has any Sacks, and no one cares if a Defensive player has a high completion percentage. So, I will break it all down based upon position. Offense Quarterback The Quarterback is often referred to as "The most important position," or some variation thereof, on a football team. That is because, in most situations, the Quarterback is the first player to have possession of the football on Offense. The Center, the guy who plays in the middle of the Offensive line, hikes the ball to the Quarterback and the play begins. The stats that matter most for a Quarterback is his Passer rating. This rating is a mix of Completion Percentage, Passing Yardage, Touchdowns and Interceptions. In the NFL, a perfect passer rating is 158.3. More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passer_rating Fullback The Fullback position is largely gone from football these days. In the past, the Fullback was mainly a blocker for the Halfback (which we'll get to next). There is no statistical measurement of blocking as it is a very difficult thing to keep track of. Halfback The Halfback or Runningback is the primary player when running the ball (imagine that!). Usually, the Quarterback hands the ball to the Halfback who tries his best to weave his way through defenders and gain positive yardage. The primary stats most people care about for a Runningback are Attempts, Total Yards, Average Yards, Touchdowns and Fumbles. A Runningback who gets more than 1,000 yards in a season is considered above average. Tight End The Tight End was traditionally seen as a big guy who could block pass rushers and lay blocks down on running plays. However, the past 15 years or so have seen a large number of receiving tight ends pop up in the league, so the position has changed somewhat. All tight ends will be asked to catch the ball at some point, but some (Dallas Clark from Indianapolis and Kellen Winslow from Tampa Bay) are extremely good at it. However, their size and athletic ability makes the more suited to Tight End than receiver. The stats that matter most to a TE are the same as the ones that matter to a Receiver: Catches, Yards Per Catch, Yards After The Catch, Touchdowns and Fumbles. Wide Receiver Some one will inevtiably tell you that not all receivers are Wide Receivers, because some are Flankers and some are Slot guys, or several other terms that aren't important for this discussion. Just understand that there are several places Receivers can line up which dictates the routes they will run through the defense. The stats that matter are Catches, Yards Per Catch, Yards After the Catch, Touchdowns and Fumbles. There have been numerous attempts over the years at recording the Drops each receiver has, but this is not an official stat. Offensive Line I'm grouping the line together because it makes more sense for this particular discussion. They are the big guys who get little notice and less money (on average) than most other players, but IMVHO, are the most important guys on the Offensive side of the ball. The stats that matter are: Sacks Allowed. That's really all that matters. Officially, the NFL website only shows the Games Played and Games Started stats for Offensive Lineman. Linkage: http://www.nfl.com/players/jefffaine/situationalstats?id=FAI112720 Defense Linebacker These are the guys who stand behind the Defensive Line and either cover the short to intermediate receiver routes, or try to tackle the runner on running plays. There are several different Linebacker positions, and each one will have a preference to one of the stats, depending on their main responsibility (runn-stuffing versus coverage) but all of them care about these stats: Tackles (solo and assisted), Sacks, Forced Fumbles and Interceptions. Defensive Backs There are several positions that fit under the guise of Defensive Back. Cornerbacks, Nicklebacks, Dimebacks, Strong Safety, and Free Safety are all considered to be Defensive Backs. Like Linebackers, each different DB will be measured differently upon each stat because of different responsibilities, but the main stats are: Passes Defensed, Tackles, Forced Fumbles and Interceptions. Defensive Line These are the big boys up front whose two main jobs are to sack the Quarterback and Tackle the ball carrier before plays can develop. Again, each one will be measured with differeing weight on each stat, but the ones that matter most are: Sacks (solo and Assisted), Tackles for a Loss, and Tackles (solo and assisted). I think I'm gonna need more than one post! Edit: wow, I totally thought he was asking something different. Crap.
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Jul 6, 2010 01:52
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Well, I'll go after this one that no one else has yet:quote:Q. The fixtures format is quite interesting and nothing like I have seen in any other sport. Can anyone give a brief rundown on what the effects of this are? I understand how it works from the wiki, but it seems to me that crappy teams are unfairly rewarded by playing other crappy teams (via the whole 'play the teams in other divisions who finished in the same spot as you last season' thing), and good teams have a harder time by being made to play other good teams? Is that the whole point of it? I've been watching football my whole life and even I'm confused by it. Here's a handy dandy table for you: quote:• Each team plays home and away against its three division opponents, which accounts for six games on the schedule. Link: http://football.about.com/cs/football101/a/bl_schedproced.htm
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Jul 6, 2010 01:59
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sc0tty posted:Loads of great info so far. Plenty to read through. I'll go through and update the first post with as all the awesome offense/defense breakdowns and stuff like Gendo's stat breakdown as the thread goes. Keep them coming. It's really all about your personal preference. Since I am a Tampa Bay fan, I frequent not only NFL and ESPN, but fansites dedicated to Buccaneers news. I usually go to NFL.com for the videos and draft coverage. Lots of times they will have players in and will demonstrate football theory on the set during interviews like this one: http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/09000d5d818f3528/Bold-predictions ESPN is awesome during the season and the draft, though they always promote their Insider thing which I've never bought, but I hear has good information. SBNation.com is also pure sports awesomeness. Draftguys.com is wonderful starting in about November and going up until the draft. They don't post much besides then. Hope this helps!
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Jul 6, 2010 04:15
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Doppelganger posted:What are the most important qualities for different defensive position players to have? This is an extremely complicated question to answer, but I will do my very best for you. There are two major defensive formations used in the NFL. These are the 4-3 and the 3-4. The first number refers to the number of Defensive Lineman and the second to the Linebackers. Note: There are exceptions to every single rule I'm about to put forward, this is simply the basics of formation theory. 4-3 First, we will start with the 4 Defensive Lineman. On either side are Defensive Ends, and in the middle are 2 Defensive Tackles. Defensive Ends in this formation should be about 280 pounds, tall (6'3" or taller) with long arms and very quick off the line, usually referred to as having a "quick first step." This allows them to get around the Offensive Tackles on either end of the Offensive Line. The good ones will also have different moves they employ, like the swim move, where they move their arms up over their heads to push the Offensive Lineman's hands out of the way. Another popular move is the spin move where they will spin in a circle to try and confuse the Offensive Lineman and get past them. Defensive Tackles in this scheme should be around 6'4", about 290 pounds, and also be quick off the line. They will use the same moves as the Defensive Ends in most cases. Linebackers should be taller than 6'2", weigh around 260 pounds, and have good or great speed. Linebackers will often be tasked with coverage short to intermediate routes, so having good hands for making interceptions is also important. The Middle Linebacker or MLB is considered to be the Quarterback of the Defense, calling out the Defensive plays and assigning coverage and blocking assignments. The Weakside or Will Linebacker is usually most responsible for coverage, and should be the fastest Linebacker. More on this in a minute. The Strongside or Sam Linebacker is usually most responsible for making tackles on ballcarriers. They are usually a little larger than the other two. 3-4 In this formation, The Defensive Ends should act similarly to the Defensive Ends in a 4-3. They are trying to swallow blockers and get after the passer. In the middle is the Nosetackle or NT. This guy's primary responsibility is to hold one or two lineman in place and not allow them to open holes for a ball carrier or block anyone trying to sack the Quarterback. The Linebackers are usually larger than the backers in the 4-3. They are the primary pass rushers, attempting to get to the Quarterback on passing plays. They should also be good at "wrap-up" tackling, literally wrapping their arms around players and pulling them to the ground. Strength is a very important consideration. Now, there are two basic coverage schemes which can also have a big factor on the physical characteristics of the players. These are Man Coverage and Zone Coverage. Man Coverage In Man, the Defensive Backs cover the wide receivers man-on-man, following them in their routes and trying to discourage the Quarterback from throwing to the receivers. If a pass is thrown, they must either knock the ball down, tackle the wide receiver, or make an interception. In this scheme, tall, fast DBs are needed. The Linebackers pick up any Tightends, Runningbacks or Receivers running in the middle of the field. Zone Coverage The most popular Zone Coverage scheme in the past 15 or so years is the Tampa 2 or Cover 2 scheme. The two safeties stay deep, covering the down the field routes. the Cornerbacks are tasked with covering the short or intermediate routes, depending on the playcall. The Linebackers cover the middle of the field. Derrick Brooks helped define what the Weakside Linebacker does in the Tampa 2. Here's his wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derrick_Brooks The idea of Zone Coverage is a Defensive player stands in one spot and covers their "zone". Theoretically, this will help bait the quarterback into throwing passes he thinks he can make, but the fast DBs will make a play on the ball. Also, since the Quarterback must take more time to make a decision, the Defensive Line has more time to fight through blocks and get a sack or disrupt the Quarterback. Smaller, faster DBs are the bread and butter of Zone Coverage. Ronde Barber is a good indication of the physical type needed: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=1260 I should add there are also Cover 1, Cover 3 and Cover 4 schemes which can effect things. Please understand that this is the most basic breakdown I could do and there are numerous hybrids, exceptions and other things that must be taken into consideration from team to team, year to year, and even play to play. I hope it helps to answer your question. WombBroom fucked around with this message at 05:16 on Jul 6, 2010 |
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Jul 6, 2010 05:13
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color posted:In the Tampa 2, Brooks played the "mike" or middle backer in the Tampa 2 who dropped into coverage regularly to protect the intermediate middle of the field. No offense, but I am a Tampa Bay fan and have been my whole life. Derrick Brooks was the weakside linebacker. quote:Derrick Brooks was the perfect weakside linebacker for Tony Dungy's defense: fast, agile and complete. He could roam from sideline to sideline to cut off the run, and move just as fluidly when dropping into pass coverage. He was a great student, too. Perfect. Link: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2010-01-10-all-decade-olbs-derrick-brooks_N.htm I'm not aware of any programs that help you draw up defenses, but I'm trying to find a way to grab some screenshots of Madden '08 to use as teaching tools.
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Jul 6, 2010 06:44
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jeffersonlives posted:The other thing with reads is that most defenses (and offenses and even individual players) have significant tells that can be discovered through film study. To expand on this, one term you'll hear thrown around a lot is the "3-technique tackle". This refers to the gap this tackle plays, not some secret football technique no one will tell you about. Specifically, the gap between the Offensive Guard and the Offensive Tackle on the Strongside of the Offensive Line, or the right side when looking forward as the Quarterback. It goes (sorta) like this: **DE***-******NT**-***UT***-***DE LT**-**LG**-**C**-**RG**-**RT The Spacing isn't really perfect, but you get the general idea. The Nose Tackle or NT would be the 1 Gap penetrator, and the Under Tackle or UT would be the 3 Gap or 3 technique. Link:http://chi.scout.com/2/651881.html All 3-technique tackles will be compared to Warren Sapp forever and ever, Amen. WombBroom fucked around with this message at 01:10 on Jul 8, 2010 |
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Jul 8, 2010 01:02
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