Film Room – Syndication Server

2024 NFL draft: Missouri CB Kris Abrams-Draine prospect film review

Missouri CB Kris Abrams-Draine is a potential target for the Minnesota Vikings in the 2024 NFL Draft. Saivion Mixson digs into his film to find out how he fits

The Minnesota Vikings have nine picks going into the 2024 NFL Draft:

First round, 11th overall
Second round, 42nd overall
Fourth round (from Detroit)
Fourth round
Fifth round (from Kansas City)
Fifth round (from Cleveland)
Sixth round (from Jacksonville)
Sixth round (from Las Vegas)
Seventh round (from Atlanta via Arizona)

To maximize these picks, the Vikings front office has a lot of homework to find who in this draft is a good fit for Minnesota.

With the questions surrounding the pass rush and quarterback, one question that may have to wait until day two or even day three is how the Vikings address the cornerback position. Missouri’s Kris Abrams-Draine gives the Vikings a potential answer.

2024 NFL draft: Iowa CB Cooper DeJean prospect film review

How does Cooper DeJean fit with the Minnesota Vikings? Saivion Mixson dives into the film to find out.

The Minnesota Vikings have nine picks going into the 2024 NFL Draft:

First round, 11th overall
Second round, 42nd overall
Fourth round (from Detroit)
Fourth round
Fifth round (from Kansas City)
Fifth round (from Cleveland)
Sixth round (from Jacksonville)
Sixth round (from Las Vegas)
Seventh round (from Atlanta via Arizona)

To maximize these picks, the Vikings front office has a lot of homework to find who in this draft is a good fit for Minnesota.

With the questions in the secondary, a popular mock draft selection is Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean. Let’s quickly look into his film and see if he fits Brian Flores’ vision for this Vikings defense.

Lions vs. Buccaneers: What I learned from film study of Detroit’s playoff win

Lions vs. Buccaneers: What I learned from film study of Detroit’s playoff win from Lions Wire’s Jeff Risdon

Fresh off the first Detroit Lions postseason victory since the 1991 season, the team decided that one win wasn’t enough. The Lions beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-23, in Ford Field in Sunday’s NFC Divisional Round matchup to advance to the NFC Championship in San Francisco.

Just like the win over the Rams a week earlier, this was a stressful game decided in the fourth quarter. The first three quarters all ended with the score tied. The tension of such a closely-played, high-stakes contest shone through even on the silent All-22 game film.

This week’s film rewatch of the game, both of the broadcast feed and the All-22, revealed a lot about the Lions and where they win and lose games. Here’s some of what I took away from the rewatch.

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Film Room: Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown was outstanding against the Rams

Film Room: Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown was outstanding against the Rams, from Russell Brown

Regardless of being a consistent weapon in the Lions offense on a weekly basis, it still feels like Amon-Ra St. Brown is slept on. Which is hard to imagine as he finished the season with 119 receptions for 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns. Furthermore, he’s been on fire in his last five games with 39 receptions for 562 yards and four touchdowns.

As the Lions returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and hosted their first home playoff game since 1991, St. Brown was outstanding in the opening round of the playoffs. Finishing the game with 7 receptions for 110 yards, he made big play after big play on Sunday night. Each one of his receptions went for first down and he caught the first down pass that sealed the Lions first playoff win in 32 years. Let’s dive into the tape to see what makes Amon-Ra St. Brown so good as a pass-catcher for the Lions.

Starting with one of the first big plays of the game from St. Brown, it’s one where he shows his strength and play-making ability. Looking at the play above, you’ll see that the Lions come out in a 2×2 set with their ’11’ personnel (one running back and one tight end).

At the top of the screen, St. Brown is aligned as the ‘X’ receiver. Once the ball is snapped, he releases vertical but hits the cornerback with an inside jab step while pushing vertically along the sideline. As he gets about 7 or 8 yards downfield, he throttles down quickly and turns back to Goff on a curl route.

With an opening, Goff fires the ball to St. Brown and it leads to him securing the catch. Despite having the defender on his back, he tosses him off and puts his play strength and run after-the-catch ability on display.

The next play I want to focus on is one of my favorite catches from St. Brown on the season. Looking at the play above, the Lions come out in a trips left formation with their ’11’ personnel (one running back and one tight end).

Aligned as the lone receiver on the bottom of the screen is St. Brown. Much like the previous play, St. Brown hits the defender with an inside jab step before releasing outside. Rather than turning back to Goff on a curl route, St. Brown runs a wheel route instead. With enough separation, St. Brown is able to concentrate and get his hands up for the catch. His ability to run after catching it is just an added bonus.

Moving onto a huge 3rd down completion, we move to a play that happens coming out of the two-minute warning before the half. Previous Lions teams would have ran a screen or a draw play and gave the ball to the opposition with plenty of time. Not this Lions team.

They go for the jugular every chance they get.

Looking at the play above, the Lions come out in a trips left formation with condensed splits. Bunched together on the left side is Josh Reynolds, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. Once the ball is snapped, you’ll see all 3 receivers release vertically. As the defender across from St. Brown tries to jam him, you’ll see a quick arm over from St. Brown and that gives him plenty of separation.

Exploding off his inside foot, St. Brown snaps his route towards the sideline on a deep out route. With no defender in sight, he’s able to catch this one freely and clean. Goff really drives this throw and delivers a strike and it leads to a big first down for the Lions.

Lastly, I want to focus on one of the greatest plays we’ve seen in our lives. It’s the play that secured the game for the Lions. Coming out of the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter, the Lions were given a chance to talk this one out with Ben Johnson and Dan Campbell.

Looking at the play above, the Lions come out in a 2×2 set and aligned in the slot on the bottom of the screen, you’ll see St. Brown. Despite facing off-coverage from the defender, it’s not enough to slow him down. He pushes vertically and while it appears like he could be running a deep route, he snaps his route back towards Goff. While there’s contact from St. Brown, there’s also contact from the defender.

This gives separation to St. Brown and Goff gets the ball to him quickly. Turning up field right after catching the ball leads to St. Brown picking up the first down and it sets up the Lions to come out in the victory formation. After three straight kneel downs, the Lions win the game and advance to the next round of the playoffs!

When looking at the tape, you can see St. Brown make plays constantly. He’s by far the best player on the offense and is an absolute joy to watch every week. As he enters a contract year, it’s no secret that he’ll be worth every penny he’s given on his next contract. We can only hope that it’s an extension to stay in Detroit for a very long time. For now, look for him to continue to make big play after big play this weekend against Tampa Bay in the Divisional Round of the playoffs!

Film room: What I learned from the Lions win over the Rams

Film room: What I learned from the Lions playoff win over the Rams

For the first time in 32 years, the Detroit Lions won a playoff game. Sunday night’s nail-biting win over the visiting Los Angeles Rams ended the longest postseason victory drought in the NFL and set up a second playoff home date in the same postseason for the Lions for the first time in franchise history.

The emotions of the real-time watch on Sunday night made concrete analysis somewhat difficult. The re-watch of the All-22 and broadcast feed on Tuesday morning was a more measured, analytical take. Here’s what I took away from the film review of the Lions wild card win over the Rams.

Browns Film Room: A case to start LeRoy Watson over Geron Christian at left tackle

The Browns are down at left tackle, but there may be a case that LeRoy Watson, not Geron Christian should be the current starter

After his performance against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Cleveland Browns must seriously consider starting LeRoy Watson over Geron Christian at left tackle the rest of the way out.

Many do not even know who LeRoy Watson is. Despite signing with the Browns off of the practice squad of the San Francisco 49ers after the injury to Jedrick Wills, there is not even a picture in our system of him in a Browns uniform. However, we have reached the point, after he saw significant snaps with the reserves in Week 18, where he might be the option to throw out there at left tackle as the team prepares to travel to take on the Houston Texans in two days.

At this point, the Browns are not hoping some Pro Bowl left tackle plugs in and plays. They have seen three offensive tackles suffer season-ending injuries and are scraping the bottom of the barrel. However, the argument here is that Watson is closer to the top of the barrel than Christian is.

Here, we take a look and break down several reps from Watson’s showing against the Bengals.

Lions film review: Amon-Ra St. Brown was best offensive player vs Cowboys

Moving on from what happened at the end of the Cowboys and Lions game, it’s time to give kudos to a bunch of players for their performances in that game. When looking at the offensive film, one of the first players to standout was wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

To no surprise, St. Brown is the leading receiver for the Lions this season. Additionally, he’s having a career year with 112 receptions for 1,371 yards and nine touchdowns. Against the Cowboys, he had six receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown.

On Saturday, five of his receptions went for first down and so far this season, 70 of his receptions have gone for first down (tied for 3rd best in the NFL). Let’s jump into the tape and review why St. Brown was the best offensive player for the Lions against the Cowboys.

No matter the play, it felt like every single time St. Brown got the ball against the Cowboys, positive results happened. Looking at the play above, the Lions come out with a twins bunch formation to the left. With the tight end and another receiver to the right, I’d essentially label this as a 2 x 2 set with their ’11’ personnel (one running back and one tight end).

Once the ball is snapped, you can see St. Brown step back and turn to Jared Goff for the ball. Being that this play is a designed wide receiver screen, it’s an easy pitch-and-catch for the quarterback and receiver. One of the keys to focus on is left guard Jonah Jackson pulling on this play. With Jahmyr Gibbs and Jackson both going away from the ball, this pulls the inside linebackers away from pursuing towards St. Brown.

As you can see, the pass is completed and St. Brown gets a good block from Jameson Williams. Meanwhile, left tackle Taylor Decker gets out in space and blocks the safety that was over the top. With that, St. Brown is explosive and able to run after-the-catch for the first down.

As we’ve seen this year, St. Brown has carried the football a couple of times. However, his best carry of the season came against the Cowboys. When looking at the play above, you can see the Lions come out in their ’12’ personnel (one running back and two tight ends). With that, they have two receivers to the left of the formation. Jameson Williams is labeled as the ‘X’ receiver and in the slot is St. Brown.

Prior to the snap, Jared Goff puts St. Brown in motion and hands it off to him after the snap. On this play, the offensive line reach blocks to the left and it draws most of the defense in that direction. However, the key is from tight ends James Mitchell and Sam LaPorta.

Both of them go opposite of the offensive line. Despite slipping, Mitchell is able to seal off the defender playing on his outside shoulder and LaPorta is able to get out in space. This gives an opening for St. Brown and he takes full advantage with an 11-yard carry and first down.

Lastly, I want to focus on one of the final plays of the game for the Detroit Lions. This one is the touchdown that put the Lions in striking distance to either tie or win the game. Looking at the play above, you can see the Lions come out with their ’11’ personnel (one running back and one tight end) in a 2×2 set.

At the bottom of the screen, you can see St. Brown and Kalif Raymond bunched together. They run hi-lo concept and this particular one would be called Diagonal. In this instance, Raymond runs a corner route and St. Brown runs a diagonal route, also known as a bench or flat route.

As you can see, the defense works vertical with the Raymond on his corner route. This creates a throwing window and enough separation for St. Brown to do something after the catch. He does just that with his effort and ability to extend the football over the pylon for the touchdown. This was a great play design with even better execution from the Lions.

On his podcast, The St. Brown Bros Podcast with The 33rd Team, this drive was discussed. Amon-Ra had stated that before the drive, he got dabbed up by Dan Campbell and was told “we’re going to win this game.”

Regardless of the ending, the Lions final drive lasted 1:18 and they went 75 yards in 9 plays. During the drive, St. Brown was targeted 3 times with 2 receptions for 25 yards and a score. It’s been a joy to watch St. Brown throughout his career but especially this season. He’s had a career year and it’s been a big part to why the Lions won the NFC North and have a home playoff game. Look for him to dominate in the final weeks of the NFL as he’s “ready to run through a brick wall.”

Lions commitment to the run game is making a difference

The Lions commitment to the run game on offense is making a difference for the whole team

Several weeks ago, the Detroit Lions suffered their 4th loss of the season. It was by far the worst loss of the season and one that wasn’t expected from this team. The vibe towards the Lions was that they were losing their way and everything they were doing seemed difficult.

However, the last two weeks have told a different story. The Lions have shown strong performances on offense and they’re beginning to look like the team we saw earlier in the year. Much of the success is due to their commitment in the running game.

Currently, the Lions average 141.1 rushing yards per game. That’s the 3rd best in the NFL and they’ve discovered a good balance between running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs.

Weeks ago against Chicago, it felt like they went away from them when they went down 10-0 in that game. Even when they took the lead 13-10 at halftime, it felt like they had gained some momentum and would start running the football more. Their first two drives in the second half totaled 6 plays for 11 yards and only one was a run play. That play went for a total of four yards.

Between Gibbs and Montgomery in that game, they only had 21 total carries but both backs were averaging over 6 yards per carry. The Lions turning the football over didn’t help but had they stayed committed to both running backs in that game, I think there would have been different outcome.

Over the last two weeks, they’ve flipped the script. Between Montgomery and Gibbs, they’ve totaled 60 carries for 320 yards and four touchdowns. Meanwhile, that’s good for 5.33 rushing yards per carry.

As we’ve seen all season, getting the ball in the hands of Jahmry Gibbs is important. He runs hard and is one of the most explosive running backs in the league. As for Montgomery, he’s consistent between the tackles. He sheds initial contact well and is always falling forward for positive yardage.

In week 17, the Lions face one of their toughest tasks of the season by traveling to Dallas to take on the Cowboys. While the Cowboys have one of the best defensive units in football, they’ve shown they can lose games when they can’t stop the run.

Going back two weeks ago, the Cowboys got absolutely shredded on the ground by the Buffalo Bills. They gave up 266 rushing yards on 46 carries and three touchdowns against them. Last week against the Dolphins, they showed improvements by only allowing 91 rushing yards on 26 carries.

In total this season, the Cowboys have an average run defense. They allow 115.7 rushing yards per game and have given up 13 total rushing touchdowns this season.

If the Lions want any chance of beating the Cowboys, they will commit to running the football and chewing up the clock. They’ve shown they can do it against just about every single one of their opponents. Gibbs and Montgomery have proven to be one of the most consistent duos in the league and the Lions should continue to lean on them.

While the Lions have already won the NFC North, they can put pressure on the rest of the NFC by beating the Cowboys and continuing to fight for the number one overall seed in the NFC playoffs. One of the key ways they do that is with a continued commitment to the ground game.

Breaking down Nick Mullens’ game-ending INT, why didn’t he throw to Brandon Powell?

Tyler Forness breaks down the final interception from Nick Mullens and explains why he didn’t throw it to a wide open Brandon Powell

Sometimes when you see an interception thrown my the quarterback, especially one that is a backup like Minnesota Vikings QB Nick Mullens, it’s easy to place the blame on the quarterback. They are the one who makes the decision and throw that results in the interception.

However, it’s not always that simple. Yes, their pass resulted in an interception, but was it bad process? How did the result happen? The full answer lies in the process that Mullens used, especially when you see someone like Brandon Powell wide open with his arms up.

First, let’s talk about the formation. They start in a 3×2 set with Ham motioning in as an extra pass protector. Justin Jefferson is in the inside slot with Brandon Powell between him and K.J. Osborn. Having Jefferson in the slot will give him a free release and that’s key here.

The concept here is dual crossers from the strong side with a Y-cross from the far side with Johnny Mundt. It’s design is to put the safeties in conflict and in doing so, creates an opening for Jefferson at the top of the screen. Jefferson widens his route to create some extra space with the safety up top to make the throw a little easier for Mullens.

The progression has Powell, who runs into the flat as an outlet, essentially meaning that he’s an afterthought of the play. Mullens sees that Jefferson gets open and makes the correct read to get him the football. Unfortunately, the pass comes out of his hand like a wounded duck and it gets intercepted by Ifeatu Melifonwu.

The question that everybody had after the game was: Why didn’t Mullens throw the ball to Powell? The answer is simple.

Jefferson was open for a touchdown.

Yes, it stinks that pass got intercepted. Yes, the throw was bad but the process to make the decision to target Jefferson was smart. A good throw makes this a touchdown. Considering multiple factors, including you need a touchdown to win the game at the end, Mullens used the right process, he just can’t throw up a wounded duck. That is what you get with a backup quarterback at times and it’s beyond frustrating.

When the Vikings look to determine their starting quarterback for Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers, process is going to be more of a deciding factor than strictly results, but you still have to make the throws.

In conclusion, it’s fine to be mad at the result because of a wonky throw that only happens once out of every 100 attempts, but throwing to Powell for him to only gain 10 yards when the touchdown was there isn’t something worth being mad at. In fact, it would have some fighting against Kevin O’Connell for being “too conservative” as a playcaller.

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Lions film review: Offensive line gives this team an identity when healthy

Lions film review: Offensive line gives this team an identity when healthy, from Russell Brown

It’s no secret that the Lions offensive line is one of the best in football. When they’re not healthy, the offense can still score. However, when the starting five (from left to right) of Taylor Decker, Jonah Jackson, Frank Ragnow, Graham Glasgow and Penei Sewell are on the field at the same time, this team becomes different.

Their identity changes.

The whole script changes for the offense because they’re able to run the ball more effectively and quarterback Jared Goff gets far more comfortable in the pocket. Will Burchfield from 97.1 The Ticket, had a great post on X that showcased the importance of the Lions starting offensive line. It read:

When the starting offensive line is on the field together, the Lions are 5-0 and average an NFL-leading:

38.4 points per game
421.2 yards per game
179.4 rushing yards per game
5.5 yards per carry
Goff has a passer rating of 121.73

If this offensive line can stay healthy as the Lions push to the playoffs, it could be a fun winter for the fans and this team. When looking at the game against the Broncos, it was evident that the offensive line gets after it. They’re physical up front and create endless opportunities for the offense.

With 185 rushing yards and 448 total yards of offense against the Broncos, it was one of the best offensive performances on the season from the Lions. They went 5-for-10 on 3rd down and they converted on their only 4th down conversion of the game. Let’s look at the film to see some of the best blocks of the day from this Lions offensive line.

If you’re a defensive lineman and you get aligned between right tackle Penei Sewell and right guard Graham Glasgow, I wish you the best of luck. Those two together make it a tough day for the opposition when they get to combo block.

The play above is a perfect example. Highlighted are Glasgow and Sewell, and they’re going to double-team Dre’Mont Jones (Broncos DL 93). With the defender aligned in the B-gap as a 3-technique, it makes it a much easier block. Once the ball is snapped, they crash into the defender and take him for a ride.

Jones is one of the better defenders for the Broncos. However, he’s faced with a tough match-up on this rep. They turn him and clear him out of the way so Jahmyr Gibbs isn’t met immediately by contact.

The most consistent and potentially, most dominant offensive lineman for the Lions is Penei Sewell. He’s been so good when run and pass blocking. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Sewell has allowed a 2.8% pressure rate this season. That would be the lowest total for any offensive tackle in football.

Looking at the play above, it’s a pass play for Jared Goff and the Lions. But once the ball is snapped, you can see Sewell highlighted. Once the defensive lineman attacks the outside shoulder of Sewell, you can see that Sewell is under control and not panicking. His foot speed is good but his hand speed is quick and ready to attack. Meanwhile, he hits a snatch-trap technique on the defensive lineman. This forces the defender into the dirt and helps give Goff a clean pocket.

Additionally, look at right guard Graham Glasgow. He looks for work once he knows that Sewell has secured the defensive end. So rather than standing still, Glasgow turns his head inside and gets the ribs of the defensive tackle. Meanwhile, Decker and Jackson do a nice job on an exchange for the left side. Goff is kept clean, it allows the routes to develop and it ultimately leads to a first down for the Lions.

The last play I want to focus on is one where quarterback Jared Goff is given plenty of time. In previous weeks, it felt like Goff was rushing through his reads and progressions. Against the Broncos, he looked more comfortable and much of that is due to the starting offensive line being on the field.

Looking at the play above, the Lions come out in a shotgun formation and once the ball is snapped, the Broncos four-man rush is immediately stopped in it’s tracks. This allows Goff to move in the pocket and scan the field. In the process, he finds Jameson Williams wide open in the middle of the field for a a first down.

Against the Broncos, Goff was only sacked twice and was only pressured 8 times (per Pro Football Reference). He looked more comfortable and much of that is due to the offensive line. Additionally, the Lions offensive line paved the way for the Lions to pile on 185 rushing yards. It was a big win for Detroit as they got their 10th win of the season. It’s evident that when the offensive line is healthy, they give this offense and team a new identity.