Tag: film review

Lions film review: Breaking down Brodric Martin and Pat O’Connor vs. the Packers

Lions film review: Breaking down defensive linemen Brodric Martin and Pat O’Connor vs. the Packers in Week 14

Thursday night’s thrilling win over the Green Bay Packers is one the Detroit Lions will remember for a long time, something head coach Dan Campbell emphasized in his postgame locker room speech. One of the reasons is because of how well a defensive front missing five of its seven starters held up well in the critical division win in Week 14.

For this week’s film review, I chose to focus on two of the prominent replacements for that Lions front, defensive linemen Pat O’Connor and Brodric Martin. They’ve both been with the team all year, raising expectations for their play more than the guys who just walked through the door in Allen Park.

I watched every play from O’Connor and Martin, focusing specifically on them in both the sideline and end zone angles via the All-22 tape.

I try to be transparent with my evaluation methodology. A win on a play earns a plus; a loss earns a minus. Not every play earns a mark, nor is it supposed to–especially for the interior linemen on both sides of the ball.

Here’s what I saw in watching the All-22 vs. the Packers and focusing on O’Connor and Martin in the middle of the Lions defensive line.

Pat O’Connor

O’Connor earned the lowest Pro Football Focus grade of the entire Lions defense for the game. And while there is some variance to his performance across the 43 snaps he played against Green Bay, I came away from the focused rewatch expecting him to be among the top five Lions defenders in Week 14.

One great example of O’Connor making a play that doesn’t get rewarded by Pro Football Focus came in the second quarter. Lined up as a shaded nose to the center’s right, O’Connor latched on and rode with the center, clearing out an attack hole for Alim McNeill to fill behind him and Brian Branch crashing around the outside on a run blitz.

O’Connor gave himself up on the play so his defensive mates could make the tackle. That McNeill slipped and Branch (in a rare bad game) took a poor angle was not O’Connor’s fault. No. 95 earned a plus from me on this play because if he tried to anchor, it would’ve disrupted McNeill and Branch’s roles. That they didn’t complete them shouldn’t downgrade O’Connor.

Later on that drive, O’Connor forced Love to throw later than he wanted and it resulted in a deflected INT in the back of the end zone. Detroit was (legitimately) guilty of pass interference on the play, negating the takeaway. Again, that doesn’t take away from O’Connor’s up-the-gut pressure helping create chaos for Green Bay’s offense.

In between those plusses, O’Connor earned a minus for an encroachment penalty. He also earned a minus on the touchdown, a play where pretty much every Lions defender involuntarily wound up on the ground.

Total tally for O’Connor:

12 plusses
5 minuses

The pass rush was where O’Connor thrived, earning 10 of his 12 plusses and just one of his minuses.

Brodric Martin

Martin primarily played heads-up nose tackle (0 tech) in place of injured DJ Reader. This is a role that requires Martin to be an immovable object in run defense and a bulldozer in the interior pass rush. Playing in just his second game of his second season after missing several weeks with a knee injury, Martin did not fare all that well in either capacity.

I think the first Packers drive of the second half was a good comparative spot for O’Connor and Martin. They were on the field together for the first four plays. O’Connor earned a plus on one play, while Martin earned two minuses as a pass rusher. Martin didn’t broach beyond the line of scrimmage on either pass-rush attempt, with one rep as a 3-tech (the rush tackle role) finding the Packers blocker winning a little too easily.

The biggest issue for Martin is that he doesn’t move his feet well, if at all. His initial thrust off the snap is nice, with both arms firing out and generally striking where DL Terrell Williams wants Martin’s hands to land. But too often, his feet don’t follow, leaving Martin overextended and easy to stand up or push aside for the blocker. His hands just aren’t active after that initial punch, either. In this game, he still looked very raw technically and lacked any follow-up plan beyond his initial movement.

Total tally for Martin:

2 plusses
8 minuses

Both plusses came in run defense, with the minuses split evenly between run defense and pass rush.

Quick hit thoughts on the new Lions DL

Myles Adams and Jonah Williams are keepers, based on their first game in Detroit. Adams was very effective with his technique and lateral quickness off the initial move. Williams plays to the stalemate well, something Martin could stand to learn from.

Mitchell Agude, playing as a practice squad elevation, didn’t use his hands well or have a Plan B as a pass rusher. His burst remains very nice, something that made many (myself included) expect Agude to make the 53-man roster over James Houston based on training camp and preseason. Lack of NFL reps showed more than a lack of ability.

 

Lions WR Tim Patrick is starting to carve out a role on offense

Lions WR Tim Patrick is starting to carve out a role on offense, getting more valuable by the week – film review by Russell Brown

When the Detroit Lions signed wide receiver Tim Patrick to their practice squad, I was very optimistic about his potential role and opportunity with the team. Over a month with the team and it’s pretty clear that Patrick is starting to develop his role within the Lions offense.

Setting in around 30 offensive snaps a game, Patrick is making the most of his opportunities. Whether he’s blocking or catching passes, it’s been nothing but positives for him. Especially since there was a lot of uncertainty around what he could and could not do for an offense as he spent consecutive seasons on injured reserve.

Looking healthy from a torn ACL in 2022 and torn Achilles in 2023, Patrick is becoming a difference maker that most fans didn’t think the Lions would need. Over the last two weeks, he’s recorded 5 receptions on 5 targets for 120 yards and four first downs. Let’s dive into some tape to see how it’s all coming together for him.

Starting with one of the most recent receptions from Patrick, it was one of the first plays of the game and it was a deep shot to Tim Patrick down the sideline.

On the play above, you’ll see the Lions come out in a trips formation and to the bottom of the screen is Tim Patrick. While working vertically down the field, Patrick gets past the defender and despite facing plenty of contact from him, Patrick does a great job making this catch. It was a great adjustment and one of those plays that not only gives Jared Goff confidence but gives the receiver confidence as well.

The next play I want to focus on is how Tim Patrick helps Jared Goff attack the middle of the field. One of the big things that helped the Lions offense last year was being able to hit on crossers over the middle, slant routes and dig routes.

So looking at the play above, the Lions come out from under center and prior to the snap, Jameson Williams is sent on a jet motion. In the process, the ball is snapped and while it appears like Williams could get the ball, Goff actually fakes a hand-off to Jahmyr Gibbs.

From there, Goff begins to process downfield and while he starts to his left, he quickly works right. As he does, you can see Tim Patrick running vertically upfield before breaking his route back to the middle of the field. Now I’m calling this route a dig but the more I watch it, it could be a deep curl. It does appear that Patrick slips just a step but overall, it’s a great pitch and catch from Goff and Patrick.

So far this season, Patrick is up to 8 receptions for 140 yards. Over the last two weeks, he’s had long gains of 29 yards (vs Seattle) and 42 yards (vs Dallas). As I said, the rapport is starting to build between Goff and Patrick. With that building, it should force defenders to honor Patrick more when he’s on the field, and that should do wonders for the rest of the playmakers on the Lions offense.

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Trevor Nowaske: Breaking down the Lions new SAM and how he played against the Cowboys

Trevor Nowaske: Breaking down the Lions new SAM and how he played against the Cowboys in Week 6

The Detroit Lions lost SAM backer Derrick Barnes in the Week 4 win over the Seattle Seahawks. Rather than looking outside the organization to replace the unique skills Barnes brought to the role, the Lions gave the first crack at replacing him to young Trevor Nowaske.

Nowaske, reclaimed earlier this year after being poached from Detroit by the Arizona Cardinals a year ago, filled in for Barnes in a very limited duty against Seattle. His role expanded quite a bit in Detroit’s Week 6 blowout win over the Cowboys in Dallas.

Nowaske played 29 snaps in Dallas of a possible 69 defensive reps. I watched all 29, focusing on No. 53 and how he performed on each. I evaluated Nowaske on every snap, giving him a plus for a positive play and a minus for a poor one. Not every play earns a plus or minus. Here’s what I took away from Nowaske against the Cowboys.

Nowaske didn’t play in the first two defensive series as the Cowboys were almost exclusively in 10 (1 RB, no TEs) or 11 (1 RB, 1 TE) personnel packages; the Lions defense typically never uses the SAM (the 3rd LB) against those groupings. Dallas opened its third drive with 13 personnel (3 TEs), and that brought Nowaske onto the field.

Nowaske didn’t earn any mark on this play, a run that went to the other side of the formation. He did shed the block from the outside TE and got involved in the pileup after the tackle was already made, a good effort but not a consequential one for the play outcome.

The first plus came well into the third quarter, after Aidan Hutchinson’s unfortunate injury. Nowaske lined up in Hutchinson’s role as a stand-up EDGE against Cowboys RT Terrence Steele and immediately beat No. 78 with a bull move that he pulled off and shed to wrap up a fleeing Dak Prescott. It’s a clean-up sack, with Nowaske finishing what pressure DJ Reader and Isaac Ukwu started, but No. 53 did a great job here.

Nowaske earned his first minus on his next pass rush attempt, this time from the other side of the formation. He was easily nullified by Tyler Smith and didn’t do much with his hands or shoulders to try and break free.

The very next play was the Brian Branch “punchout” forced fumble, and Nowaske should have drawn a holding penalty on Smith on this one. Tough to rush the passer when the tackle has his full hand inside your shoulder pad under your jersey…

In an unexpected twist, Nowaske later earned a plus for his hustle and blocking on the Brian Branch interception that was nearly returned for a pick-six. Nowaske had a pass rush win on the play and then nicely got in the way of the Cowboys pursuit of Branch.

Overall tally for Nowaske

In the 29 snaps, Nowaske earned five plusses and three minuses. Nearly all of his grade-worthy action game while playing as the LDE in the base defense once Hutchinson left. The game was well in hand for the Lions by that point, for context.

In the run game, Nowaske earned one plus and one minus. Dallas barely ran the ball, so that’s not much of a sample size.

As a pass rusher, Nowaske picked up four plusses and two minuses. The plusses includes his sack and another QB pressure. His one rep in coverage was inconsequential.

I’d like to see Nowaske play with better pad level when setting the edge on the run. As a pass rusher, he did a pretty good job of not offering the blocker a clean target and generally (but not always) fought well to shed.

Lions Week 3 film review: Terrion Arnold vs. the Cardinals

Breaking down the game film of Lions rookie CB Terrion Arnold vs. the Cardinals and stellar Arizona rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr.

Most weeks, the Lions film review I do covers the entire team. This week is a little different. While I’ll roll out a general observations notebook later, I wanted to do a specific focus on first-round rookie Terrion Arnold.

There were a couple of reasons for this. First, my real-time game observation was that Arnold played better than his lowly PFF grade (54.2) indicated. Secondly, the draftnik in me wanted to see how he stacked up against Cardinals first-round rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona’s top offensive threat.

Completion No. 1

Arnold’s first play that he was involved in was Arizona’s fifth snap of the opening drive. Harrison and Greg Dortch are stacked twins to Arnold’s side (right side of the defense), with Harrison on the line inside of Dortch. Safety Brian Branch is tight on Harrison, but as soon as the routes begin, Branch runs with Dortch (and blankets him) outside. Harrison runs a 15-yard “in” route with Arnold over the top and shading outside, with safety Kerby Joseph as inside help.

Arnold passes Harrison off to Joseph as the wideout continues across the field and QB Kyler Murray holds the ball in the pocket. Arnold quickly sees that Harrison is the only viable option for Murray (everyone else is completely suffocated in coverage) and closes quickly, arriving just a half-sec after the ball does on the right sideline.

By the way Arnold and Joseph played this, it appears each thought the other had the responsibility on Harrison on that side of the field. Arnold reacted instantly when Joseph turned away, but it was too late to prevent the completion on a play where Murray held the ball for 4.8 seconds before throwing.

Injury

On the next play that counted (an offensive holding negated a run play), Arnold did a fantastic job playing press-man on WR Michael Wilson out of the slot. Perfect coverage. Unfortunately, Arnold got his leg grazed by a diving Murray as he tackled the QB on a scramble down the field.

Arnold was not on the field for Arizona’s touchdown on this drive, a Murray-to-Harrison pass. He also missed the entire next Cardinals drive, a 3-and-out, replaced by Amik Robertson.

Completion No. 2

On his next play, the Cardinals tested Arnold. Man coverage on Wilson, lined up tight on the defensive right. Arnold immediately bails and plays outside technique. It’s a 17-yard in-route, and Wilson gains a step on the break inside. Arnold again closes quickly, but Murray hits Wilson on the other side of the field on a play where the QB had 4.1 seconds to throw thanks to a nifty pocket shuffle. Linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez didn’t have enough depth on his coverage drop to help Arnold out here.

It was all for naught, as the Cardinals were flagged for offensive holding.

DPI

After Arnold did well in setting an edge on a run play, the rookie got flagged for a defensive pass interference call on a lob throw to Wilson up the left sideline. Arnold did a great job not taking the cheese on a not-very-good stutter move from Wilson. He’s in strong position, but Wilson’s early reaction to the ball is a great “sell” to the official; Wilson puts both hands up and Arnold has both hands on him at that point and isn’t looking for the ball. Two flags flew.

Was it legit pass interference? Yeah, probably. If it happened to a Lions receiver, you’d better believe fans would agree. This got called more because of how well Wilson sold it than any egregious infraction by Arnold, in my opinion.

PBU

Just before halftime, Arnold played very well on Arizona’s drive that resulted in a Matt Prater field goal. Primarily in zone for the drive, Arnold and the Lions switched to man for a play with 13 seconds left, knowing the Cardinals were going to try and take a shot.

They did, and Arnold was in lockstep with Harrison. He effectively ran the route for the Cardinals wideout and broke up Murray’s pass, though Harrison did have a bit of a play at the ball.

What stood out here is how well Arnold kept outside technique in his coverage. He knew his help, in this case Brian Branch, was inside and Arnold couldn’t give an inch to the outside. And he did that expertly. Playing to the help is not something Lions cornerbacks have done well of late, but Arnold already has a very good feel for it.

The Kerby INT

Arnold was integrally involved in Kerby Joseph’s interception in the end zone to end Arizona’s first drive of the second half. The Cardinals got tricky and snapped the ball quickly before many Lions, Arnold included, were ready. Arnold (outside) and Joseph (inside) had outside bracket coverage on Harrison and they both did very well despite not being able to communicate pre-snap.

This is a play the Cardinals clearly drew up to attack the rookie. Murray never looked elsewhere; he had TE Trey McBride streaking away from a too-shallow Jack Campbell at the 15-yard line underneath the Harrison route.

Overall

Frequent readers know I like to do a simple plus/minus evaluation for individual players in the spotlight. In this game, Arnold earned 12 plusses and five minuses, one of which was the questionable pass interference call.

In man coverage, there were three minuses but eight plusses. That’s a great ratio for any cornerback, let alone a rookie playing on the road for the first time against a dangerous offense. Arnold had one minus earned on a run play, but overall looked very alert and active in run defense too.

The lower-mid PFF score appears to be heavily influenced by the penalty. Matched up against Harrison in coverage, Arnold allowed one catch for 17 yards; I couldn’t find on tape the alleged second completion PFF credited to Arnold’s coverage by Harrison, though they misidentified the first completion he allowed to Wilson. Harrison did catch another with Arnold in initial coverage, but he had passed him off to Joseph in high-middle help by the time of the throw and catch.

All-22 review: Jaguars’ concerning red zone sequence vs. Browns

All-22 review: Jaguars’ concerning red zone sequence vs. Browns

The Jacksonville Jaguars have started the season winless following this past weekend’s defeat to Cleveland at home, 18-13. 

This was yet another game where the Jaguars had opportunities to score but failed to produce.

One painful sequence stood out from the game: a goal-to-go situation late in the first half, during which Jacksonville had to take two timeouts and settled for a field goal due to a mix of communication issues and poor execution. 

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson and quarterback Trevor Lawrence addressed these issues in their respective post-game press conferences. Pederson pointed to situational awareness with the play clock running down.

“It can’t happen. It just can’t happen,” Pederson said.

Lawrence pointed out the team’s red-zone struggles as the Jaguars scored touchdowns on one-of-four trips inside the 20-yard line, noting some key plays from that key first-half drive and that they must do better in these situations.

“It’s just little details. We were in the red zone twice close, inside the 5-yard line and didn’t score,” said Lawrence, who completed just 14 of 30 pass attempts for 214 yards. “You can’t do that in this league. You’ve got to take advantage of those opportunities.”

Jaguars Wire took a closer look at what happened in this specific goal-to-go sequence and how it displays bigger problems for Jacksonville’s offense, a combination of mixed assignments and head-scratching decisions by personnel and coaching alike. 

What led the Jaguars to goal-to-go 


To set the scene, it was the second quarter of the game with the Browns up 10-0 following a field goal on their previous drive. The Jaguars took possession with 9:52 left in the first half.

This drive began with a play-action to draw Cleveland’s linebackers to the line of scrimmage and get Jacksonville tight end Brenton Strange open on a deep backside post. The route concept worked. 

However, wide receiver Gabe Davis was forced to block defensive end Za’Darius Smith and predictably got beat on the edge, forcing Lawrence to bail on Strange and complete a negative check-down play to Christian Kirk.

Jacksonville proceeded to pick up positive yardage on its next four plays: A 10-yard pass to Davis, a three-yard 3rd and 1 rush by running back Travis Etienne Jr., a 20-yard follow-up scamper by Etienne, and a three-yard run by running back D’Ernest Johnson.

Then another negative play occurred. As JP Acosta of SB Nation pointed out, this was a single-back stick concept that nearly turned into a disaster for Lawrence. Cleveland cornerback Martin Emerson almost secured the interception but dropped it while falling to the ground. 

The pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage by linebacker Jordan Hicks. Still, it was on a line toward rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who needed to turn his head around quicker given how quickly the throw left Lawrence’s hand. This play was designed to create an easy third-down situation, and it nearly turned into a turnover.

Facing 3rd and 7 at Cleveland’s 35-yard line, Lawrence took off for a 33-yard gain to give Jacksonville first and goal at the two, marking one of the Jaguars’ biggest plays of the game. 

The field goal that should never have happened

The following three-play sequence encapsulates the issues Jacksonville currently faces offensively.

Before a first and goal run, Pederson is forced to call timeout due to the play clock running down, the first discombobulating domino to fall as the Jaguars were within five yards of the goal line. Lawrence took the blame for it.

‘The clock was rolling and it was after a big play. We didn’t have the urgency getting out of the huddle, getting up to the line and seeing the play clock,” Lawrence explained. “I own that one, and we took the first time-out.”

On first and goal, Jacksonville came out with 12 personnel – two tight ends, two wide receivers and one running back – and motioned Thomas right to left before the snap. 

The play-call was a dive between the tackles against an eight-man box. Center Mitch Morse did not climb to the second level to block Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, while left guard Ezra Cleveland only brushed him on his combo block.

Owusu-Koramoah filled the A-gap and recorded a tackle for loss on Etienne.

The next play is an example of a lack of executing assignments by one or multiple players, something that has plagued the team throughout the Pederson era, especially since the Jaguars began a 1-7 slide in Week 13 of last season. 

The Jaguars came out of the empty shotgun with 11 personnel – one running back, one tight end and three wide receivers. Lawrence discussed this specific play when asked about the red-zone issues Sunday afternoon.

“You look back at the drive earlier in the first half [when] we had the two time-outs … I think I missed Brian who was open, and then after that had to scramble,” Lawrence said.

It is good to see the franchise quarterback admit a mistake on a specific play like this. However, it did not help that his offense played from that specific formation in this area of the field, an empty look without additional blocking help.

While the play design and execution were good to start, Lawrence bailed from the pocket as he anticipated but did not necessarily face pressure, resulting in another missed opportunity for the Jaguars. 

Then, before third and goal, the Jaguars burned another timeout to avoid a delay of game penalty, a clear indication of poor communication which Lawrence verified post-game.

“It’s just communication. We’re getting in, getting in late, we’re trying to figure it out,” Lawrence said. “Obviously [tight end] Evan [Engram] went down today before the game, so some things changed, but it doesn’t matter. There’s no excuses. You’ve got to perform and you’ve got to be able to adjust.”

On third and goal after the timeout, the offense once again came out of 11 personnel. The formation is trips left with Thomas motioning left to right pre-snap to create doubles. 

Thomas and Strange run a bench concept to the right, while Davis and Kirk run crossers from the left. The issue here is that the play has Johnson chipping before running a delayed angle route to work from the right side of the field to the left.

As you can see above, there are no open receivers against the Browns’ Cover 1-hole defense, forcing Lawrence to attempt a tight window throw while Davis was not looking, which ended up behind the receiver and fell into the turf.

The initial pressure forced Lawrence to take an extra hitch and navigate the pocket, potentially delaying the pass’ delivery.

If anything, this is not an ideal play selection in this situation against this coverage, especially in a condensed field zone and against a Browns defense that is known for shutting down quality offenses.

After starting the sequence two yards from the goal line, the Jaguars settled for three points, four yards removed from the plane.

What to make of the goal-line sequence

This sequence and overall drive displayed a key element that Jacksonville is missing: An offensive identity. 

It has been difficult to decipher what the Jaguars’ offense is supposed to be or what they want to lean on through two games. Jacksonville’s apparent lack of vision for its offense is costing the club games, and casting a shadow over the strong performance of its defense to start the season.

Inconsistent play-calling and play choices in critical situations have been detrimental, whether it be on goal-to-go, third downs or even early downs. The Jaguars have also abandoned their successful under-center play-action passing game at times.

There are communication issues, missed assignments and a lack of discipline displayed on tape on numerous occasions dating back to last season.

Each factor was apparent in Jacksonville’s biggest missed opportunity against Cleveland, the above drive. 

Film review: Jaguars’ Evan Engram has a new role in 2024

Film review: Jaguars’ Evan Engram has a new role in 2024

Jacksonville’s regular season is just over a week away from commencement. The team spent a decent chunk of the past week cutting their roster down from 90 to 53 players and constructing the 17-man practice squad.

Last week marked the final preseason game for roster bubble players to make their case to be on the gameday roster. While the game offered plenty of standouts, it also provided a glimpse at a player who is one of the most important skill players on the team.

Tight end Evan Engram put up career-high numbers with 114 receptions and 963 receiving yards with the Jaguars in 2023.

Yet, it seemed it was not utilized in the way many have hoped since he was selected in the top 15 picks of the 2016 NFL Draft, as he averaged a career-low 8.4 yards per reception.

But it looks like new offensive coordinator Press Taylor has found a way to use Engram. 

There were whispers during training camp of Engram taking on new roles this season, and it appears they are coming to fruition.

Not necessarily by shifting to an in-line focus, considering Engram spent roughly one snap there for every two in the slot or out wide in 2023, but as an even greater alignment-versatile player who could be a Swiss army knife for the Jaguars’ offense moving forward.

Last Friday night showed what could be expected from the former All-American standout.

The clips above show Engram lined up as a fullback with Luke Farrell as the in-line “Y” in this offset strong I-formation during the first two plays for Jacksonville’s offense. The former can be seen making blocks at the second level and slowing down the backside defender on the respective reps.

In the two offensive series he played, Engram lined up almost everywhere. Along with the first two plays at fullback, he saw snaps as an H-back and motioned to create Bunch and Trips looks out of shotgun and single-back formations.

Engram also played in the Z alignment off the line of scrimmage, as the in-line Y and in the slot. When the Jaguars approached or entered the red zone, Engram became the offense’s focal point. 

The former Ole Miss standout caught two touchdown passes from star quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Both of them were well-thrown, accurate passes.

Yet, Engram’s prowess as a receiver stood out. That is his superpower.

The Jaguars are not going to succeed offensively if they keep him as an in-line-only player and restrict him. Engram is most dangerous when in space and playing one-on-one against slot cornerbacks and safeties in the red zone.

Here, the Jaguars run a spacing concept out of a bunch set with Engram running a seam route as the Y on the weak side of the formation.

He baits the cornerback into committing his hips to the boundary, allowing him to swim over the defender and work back inside. Lawrence makes a fantastic throw between two defenders as Engram displays excellent concentration to secure the grab for six points. 

Engram’s usage in this offense already seems different than in years past. He appears less restricted by his alignment and more loose moving around the formation.

His ability to threaten defenses from any alignment makes the Jaguars offense much more dangerous. That will be key, especially with the development and progression of first-round wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.

The Jaguars are entering a crucial season in a year where the AFC looks as stacked as ever and the AFC South is on the rise. Engram will be an integral part of the offense in more ways than one and his two lone drives in the final preseason game provide a sneak peak of what is to come.

Defensive end Mitchell Agude has a real chance of making the Lions 53-man roster

Defensive end Mitchell Agude has a real chance of making the Lions 53-man roster after adding SAM duty to his resume

Who doesn’t love a good story? Especially when it’s an athlete and their journey to the league. In this case, we could be on the verge of seeing dreams come true for Detroit Lions defensive end Mitchell Agude. We’re six days away from finding out what each teams 53-man roster will look like in the NFL. The question for Agude will be if he makes the Lions roster or not.

In 2023, Agude was undrafted out of Miami (FL) and he ended up signing with the Miami Dolphins. Part of the final roster cuts last summer, he was waived and about a month later, he signed to the practice squad of the Lions.

Prior to the NFL, Agude spent a season at Miami (FL) and two seasons at UCLA. With the Hurricanes, he was able to record 39 tackles, 7 tackles for loss and four sacks. During his career with the Bruins, he had 78 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

Some will say that it’s “just good” but for Agude, it’s remarkable. Reason being is that Agude is lucky to be alive. When he was 9-years old, he was skateboarding at Santana Park in Corona, California and suffered a near-death experience. He fell off his skateboard and hit his head on the concrete. This forced him into a coma and for one and a half days, doctors drained fluid from his head. The fall caused a severe brain bleed and seizure.

After three days of the doctors trying to figure out a way to save his life and essentially telling his family that he’ll be in a vegetative state for the rest of his life, Agude woke up. From there, everything kind of went back to normal in his life. It was a miracle for him and his family.

The only hiccup he had after the accident was trying to convince his mother, Grace Agude, to let him play football. He wanted to follow in his big brothers footsteps and play the game. Despite years of his mother not allowing him to play contact sports, she finally let him in the 7th grade. From there, the rest is history.

Now, Agude is on the brink of making the Detroit Lions 53-man roster. Up to this point, he’s had a very strong summer with the Lions. He’s recorded 8 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. Let’s dive into some film and see what Agude is doing so well for the Lions defense!

The first play I want to highlight is how Agude (DE #50) reads and reacts well to a screen pass to the running back. Looking at the play above, you’ll see Agude aligned in a tilt-7 technique against the Chiefs right tackle.

Once the ball is snapped, the Lions call for a E/T Stunt with Agude and Mekhi Wingo (DT #94). This is where the defensive tackle loops around outside and the defensive end crashes inside to the B-gap. This normally frees up the tackle to get a much clearer path to the quarterback.

However, you’ll see the running back check release on Wingo and in the process, he turns around and catches the screen pass. Fortunately, Agude doesn’t get too deep into the backfield and he actually does a pretty good job reading the offensive lineman releasing up field. He reacts quickly to the running back getting the ball and he makes great effort tracking this down for a minimal gain.

Next up is a rep from Agude where he shows off his pass-rush ability. You’ll see him highlighted on the play above as he works against the Chiefs right tackle. Once the ball is snapped, he shows a quick get-off but most importantly, watch his hands and pad level.

Once the right tackle throws his punch, Agude does a great job chopping the hands of the offensive tackle with his inside arm. Following it up, he rips underneath while dropping his pad level. As he begins to turn the corner, he takes it a bit wide and this allows the right guard to pick him up.

Which, keep in mind, is a great play by Chiefs right guard Trey Smith. This gives Patrick Mahomes enough time to step up in the pocket and get rid of the ball. Overall, this rep from Agude is encouraging as the Lions look for a pass-rusher opposite of Aidan Hutchinson.

Lastly, I want to focus on Agude playing off-the-ball and aligned in a ’30’ alignment for linebackers. Teams searching for a SAM linebacker will need them to play on and off the line-of-scrimmage consistently. They’ll need to play in coverage, stop the run and rush the passer. Through two preseason games, we’re seeing Agude being able to do that.

The play above highlights just that. As I mentioned, Agude is aligned in a ’30’ and while it’s unclear what pass coverage drop he would have, if any, it’s promising to see him play well against the run. Watch how fluid he is with his lower half while being able to locate the ball carrier. In the process, he attacks up field with a good angle and good play speed to make this tackle for a minimal gain.

Overall, it’s been very encouraging to see Mitchell Agude playing well for the Detroit Lions defense. Coming into this season, it felt like James Houston was somewhat on the hot seat. Houston needs to stay healthy, get on the field and produce.

Fortunately for the Lions, they’ve got a player waiting in the wings and potentially pushing Houston out of his spot. Looking like a more natural fit for that SAM linebacker position, it wouldn’t be surprising if Agude ended up making the 53-man roster over Houston and other defensive players.

Right now, Agude is doing all of the little things right. He does a good job with his run fits, flashes the ability to rush the passer and shows great effort on just about every single play. As he looks to live out his dream, he could be causing nightmares for the decision makers on the Lions roster. Over the next week or so, we’ll see if he can make his dream come true.

Brain Baldinger breaks down Chiefs’ win over Ravens in AFC Championship Game

NFL analyst Brian Baldinger took to Twitter to break down the #Chiefs’ win over the #Ravens in the AFC Championship Game.

The Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl-bound after defeating the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.

Exceptional efforts from quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, and the Chiefs’ entire defensive unit helped lift Kansas City to its second-consecutive Super Bowl appearance, and NFL analyst Brian Baldinger was ready to break down the game shortly after the final whistle blew.

Baldinger has made a name for himself as one of the most respected members of the media, making digestible breakdowns of key moments and matchups on Twitter to teach fans about the intricacies of the game of football.

His analysis of Kansas City’s win over Baltimore was one for the ages and gave context to all of the events that helped the Chiefs take down the top-seeded Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.

Check out Baldinger’s breakdown of all the action from Sunday’s hotly-contested AFC Championship Game below:

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.

Lions vs. Packers: What I learned from film review of Detroit’s Thanksgiving loss

Takeaways from the film study of the Lions’ Thanksgiving loss to the Packers, a game Detroit lost from the very first play

Thanksgiving was a tough football meal to digest for the Detroit Lions. Losing 29-22 in Ford Field to the Green Bay Packers in a turkey of a game ruined the holiday buzz.

I delayed this week’s film study and lessons learned from it a little to make sure the bad taste of the loss was out of my mouth and not overly clouding my judgment. It turns out that the leftover helping of All-22 didn’t make it taste any better. In fact, I feel even worse about the way the Lions played now after studying it more.

Here’s what I took away from the film study of the Lions’ Thanksgiving loss to the Packers.