Tag: Film

Foster Moreau upgrades multiple dimensions to Saints offense, brings run-after-catch threat

Foster Moreau upgrades multiple dimensions of the Saints offense. He blocks well, competes on contested catches, and adds a much-needed run-after-catch threat:

A lot of New Orleans Saints fans are celebrating the addition of Foster Moreau as a hometown hero looking to overcome his recent cancer diagnosis, but it’s important to remember that he isn’t just a great story. Moreau is a heck of a football player, and he’s going to add some new dimensions to the Saints offense that had kind of fallen off by the wayside.

The Saints already had one quality tight end in Juwan Johnson. Now they have two of them, plus a position-flexible weapon in Taysom Hill. It’s a setup Moreau is familiar with from his time with the Las Vegas Raiders when he and Darren Waller worked together.

Moreau played well as a compliment to Waller, who did some damage to the Saints defense a few years back as a vertical threat. But their new pickup does more of his work underneath coverage where he can win on contested catches and make a play with the ball in his hands. We’ll let Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar break it down in more detail with his takeaways from studying Farrar’s game tape.

Farrar says, “While he’s not in the same downfield threat category as Waller, Moreau became a valuable outlet target for Carr with his ability to get open quickly off the snap, and maximize yards-after-catch opportunities. 241 of his 420 yards last season came after the catch, and that’s what he brings to the Saints.”

So Moreau adds a much-needed run-after-catch threat to the Saints offense. He averaged a healthy 6.6 yards gained after the catch per reception in his Raiders career, with an impressive 7.3 mark last season (for context, as a team the Saints averaged 4.8 yards). If Carr can continue to link up with Moreau on passes where he can catch the ball in stride and take off on the move, they’ll be productive.

“Basically, if you want an in-line tight end who can get open, body defenders out of the way, and make some amazing catches at the end, Moreau is a clear asset. The Chargers would be able to tell you all about that,” Farrar wrote, highlighting a play where Moreau got a step on his opponent off the line of scrimmage and tracked the ball well to make a clean catch down the sideline.

Yeah, the Saints can use that. Working Moreau into the lineup as a traditional tight end who can move defenders while blocking for the runner and catching passes adds a lot of versatility to the offense. His presence also frees up Johnson to do what he does best and create big plays against outmatched opponents downfield. If things go as planned, they’ll be quite a dynamic duo.

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Brian Baldinger approves of Chiefs’ signing of Charles Omenihu in free agency

NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger took to Twitter to break down Charles Omenihu’s 2022 film and applaud the #Chiefs’ decision to sign him. | from @TheJohnDillon

Few analysts understand the Xs and Os of the modern NFL better than Brian Baldinger, who took some time on Thursday to look at last year’s film from Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Charles Omenihu.

Omenihu, who signed with Kansas City earlier this year, was among the most coveted pass rushers available in free agency. He should be a dominant force on the Chiefs’ defensive front for the next two seasons and his impact could be felt immediately in Kansas City. Baldinger noted the explosiveness that Omenihu brings to the pass rush as a major factor in his projection for 2023, and broke down the veteran lineman’s tape from a game against the Seahawks last season.

In response to Baldinger’s analysis, Omenihu took to Twitter to let the former NFL offensive lineman know that he approved of the way his tape was reviewed.

If Kansas City can get the kind of production out of Omenihu that the San Francisco 49ers managed to, the Chiefs’ defense should be a much-improved unit as the team looks to defend their Super Bowl title next season.

The raw power that Omenihu brings to the table will be a boon for the team’s pass rush, which was already among the league’s best last year. With some time to acclimate to Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, Kansas City could see him blossom into a player who can produce double-digit sack numbers in short order.

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Analysis: Examining Jameis Winston’s injury, how Pete Werner and Alontae Taylor shine

Analysis: Examining Jameis Winston’s injury, how Pete Werner and Alontae Taylor shine, via @MaddyHudak_94:

The New Orleans Saints lost their first regular season game against the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2 somewhat inexplicably. It’s a difficult ask for the defense to pitch a shutout against Brady twice—though they did so through the first half. While they’ve performed at Super Bowl caliber, the offense looked like a group of strangers. Despite the overwhelming weapons at wide receiver, New Orleans could not sustain drives or momentum past the opening series. The offense has been out of sync barring one quarter this season.

Head coach Dennis Allen in his postgame remarks referred to the turnover battle as the story of this matchup and noted it was the deciding factor in Sunday’s loss. It doesn’t explain everything, but the game was tied until the fourth quarter. Five turnovers are insurmountable. Mark Ingram has to be better at ball protection to remain the next man up in the absence of Alvin Kamara.

The focus, ultimately, was on Jameis Winston’s turnovers and inaccuracy on deep balls. I think the back injury took people off guard, myself included, and it was hard to evaluate that inside the game in real-time. That, in tandem with the deep throws that were leaned on perplexingly given how they failed, made me explore his play on film deeper. I also did some research on his specific spinal fractures. Here’s what I saw:

Analysis: New playmakers emerge on Saints defense in Week 1 win

Analysis: New playmakers like Justin Evans and Marcus Maye emerged on the Saints defense in their Week 1 win in Atlanta, via @MaddyHudak_94:

The New Orleans Saints salvaged their season opener to defeat the Atlanta Falcons through impeccable fourth-quarter play. Otherwise, it wasn’t pretty. Taysom Hill, plainly, was the entire offense through three quarters. He ran in 2 of the team’s 4 total first downs in the first half. New Orleans converted a mere 3 of 11 third down attempts prior to the fourth quarter.

Then Jameis Winston briefly entered the injury tent and proceeded to play the best quarter of his career. He amassed 75 passing yards in his first scoring drive. The offense converted 10 passing first downs in the final quarter alone. Winston brought poise under center that had felt absent since Drew Brees retired – doing so with zero turnovers. That calm command was matched in the kicking game with Wil Lutz’s return. After missing a 44-yard attempt early on Sunday afternoon, Lutz recorded a 49-yarder in the third quarter and sealed the victory with 19 seconds left on a 51-yard field goal. The Saints found a way to win, but it wasn’t pretty. Let’s take a deeper look after reviewing the tape:

PFF’s 4 highest grades for offensive players in Jaguars loss to Steelers

These players graded out as the top dogs on the #Jaguars offense.

PFF has released their grades for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ third preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the results aren’t pretty for the teal and black offense. The grades certainly don’t account for the supreme effort put forth by the Jags’ offense in the one-point loss, but with their highest rating being a paltry 79.6 out of a possible 99.9, they don’t speak to a great all-around performance by the unit.

They only managed to put kicker Ryan Santoso in a position to hit a three-point field goal four times in the game, with only half of his attempts resulting in points to show for their trouble. The only touchdown the Jaguars scored on offense was on a broken play where C.J. Beathard made a heroic scramble for the goal line in the red zone.

Jacksonville has one more chance to get right before the regular season, so the guys who played well will need to pull some extra weight in preparation for the final preseason game on Saturday. Here are the players who received the highest PFF grades on the Jaguars’ offense:

Kurt Warner breaks down film of Broncos QB Russell Wilson

What are the Broncos getting in Russell Wilson? Kurt Warner breaks down the film.

Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson traded in his Seattle wings for Denver’s horsepower.

As we await training camp, fellow Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner is in the lab breaking down film. What a (football) guy.

Before breaking down Wilson’s film, Warner gives the former his flowers, saying, “A lot of excitement in Denver about what Russell Wilson brings to the table along with a really good roster, really good defense, a lot of young talent offensively. And there should be a lot of excitement. Russell Wilson [is] one of the best quarterbacks in the league and as I watch tape on him, I get more and more impressed.”

Now, to the tape.

Warner takes a look at how well Wilson is at “the second-level throws.” In Warner’s words, he means the 15- to 25-yard throws. Or “the deep overs,” he says.

Displaying a play of the Seahawks in the red-zone, Warner breaks down the route concepts and the defensive look. Typically, the defense’s coverage dictates where the ball’s going to go pre-snap. That’s why defenses disguise coverage. That’s also why teams prefer mobile QBs in the modern era of football in case a play breaks down. As you can see, the most physical sport in the world is mostly mental. With physical attributes only highlighted if the right split-second decision is made.

In this play, though, there’s a single high safety. Meaning the defense is in a Cover 1 or 3 scheme. For reference, Cover 2 or 4 would have the defense showing two high safeties. Also, typically, the defense is running zone if the CBs have their backs to the sideline and man if lined straight up on the opposing WR.

So if the defense shows a single high safety with the CBs’ backs facing the sideline, it’s likely a Cover 1 or 3 zone. But if the CBs are lined up straight on their opposing WRs, it’s Cover 1 or 3 man. In the play Warner dissects, the defense is in a Cover 1 or 3 zone defense pre-snap.

How you attack a single high safety, as any elite Madden gamer knows, is by sending vertical routes at the safety. Especially in a zone play. The lame-duck safety is going to have to pick a vertical to cover, in theory, and the other side will be open for the pitch and catch. It’s exactly what Wilson does. Although the first-read isn’t open. Wilson doesn’t force the throw; instead, scoring a touchdown by going down his progressions to see who is open.

Check out Warner breaking down the tape in the above video, and be sure to check out his YouTube channel: Kurt Warner x QBConfidential.

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Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie’s film study habits will set him up for NFL success

#Chiefs first-round CB Trent McDuffie considers himself a “student of the game” and spends a ton of time studying film.

Kansas City Chiefs first-round draft pick Trent McDuffie won’t ever be recognized as the biggest or fastest cornerback in the NFL.

It’s not something that anyone thinks will be a problem or he wouldn’t have been made a first-round pick, but it means that his preparation will always need to be a step above the rest. To this point in his football-playing career, one of the biggest boons to his success has been his film study habits.

McDuffie spends a lot of time watching film and that in turn informs his play. He refers to himself as a “student of the game.”

“I break down film every single day of the week,” McDuffie told reporters at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine.

When McDuffie says every day of the week, he means it too. He studies upcoming opponents, past opponents, also college and NFL players, both past and present. He has a distinct and thought-out plan of attack too, including a dedicated four and a half hours of film study every night.

“I love studying film,” McDuffie said. “I love watching guys all over the league, past, present. I spend a lot of energy and create an organized plan to watch as many games as I can. Beginning of the season, I watch last season’s film. Going through the season, I try to get through every game and all the games from last season. So, I start at 5:30, end at about 10 o’clock at night. I watch at least four games a day. I feel that has helped me so much.”

How much has it helped him exactly? Well, among draft-eligible cornerbacks he had the lowest yards per coverage snap allowed (0.6) according to PFF. He knows his opponents and their tendencies extremely well and as a result, he’s able to limit what they’re capable of doing on the field.

“You like to look at where they are going to line up on the field,” McDuffie explained. “I’m a big situational football guy. So, what am I going to get on mixed downs, third downs, third-and-shorts, third-and-longs? All that will help me determine what the receiver is going to do, what kind of routes they like to throw. Then it also comes down to the timing of the quarterback and the receiver. A big part of DB is defending that timing. Being physical when you need to be physical, and understanding when they are going to take the vertical. So, just knowing all of that through the film-watching helped me a lot.”

That film-watching has also helped with his versatility. McDuffie says he feels comfortable and confident playing both man and zone coverages. His film study habits have helped him find success with a number of different playstyles and coverages that could be called in a variety of situations.

As for whether it’ll all translate to the NFL, preparation is preparation. Don’t expect McDuffie’s habits to change now just because he has made it to the big leagues. They’ll continue to inform his success as they did at Washington.

“I think it just comes back to preparation,” McDuffie said. “I spend a lot of time, a lot of energy, learning the plays and developing my skills and techniques. I’d say I’m dedicated to what I do.”

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Russell Wilson watched all of the Broncos’ games from 2021 multiple times before trade

“From the moment I figured out that this was going to probably happen, I’ve watched all 17 games two or three times.”

Russell Wilson is studious. So much so that he brings back memories of the Peyton Manning era.

When Wilson knew a trade to the Denver Broncos was possible, he started watching film from the team’s 2021 season — including preseason.

“I watched the preseason,” Wilson said at his introductory press conference last week. “I’m a little crazy. I wanted to watch the preseason to see some of the younger guys who maybe got injured or got hurt or whatever their situation was. Maybe they didn’t play yet or was behind a great player.”

Wilson didn’t just watch highlights or cutups, either.

“I wanted to watch the full games because the full games tell you everything,” the quarterback said. “Full games tell you situational football — what went right, what went wrong.”

Wilson studied up on his soon-to-be new team and his new teammates.

“What have been the strengths and what are maybe the areas of improvement? I think a lot of that was a key part for me to watch and process all 17 games. I’ve watched all 17 games now at this point. From the moment I figured out that this was going to probably happen, I’ve watched all 17 games two or three times.

“I think a lot of it is doing what I love — watching film and studying it, and seeing what guys are really great at. Situational awareness is everything — from winning a game to winning often. That was a big part of it.”

It seems safe to say Denver’s offense — and the entire team — is in good hands following the arrival of Wilson.

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Film room: Analyzing Graham Mertz’s masterful performance vs. Rutgers

What did you think of Mertz’s performance?

The Wisconsin Badgers put together yet another complete performance Saturday, defeating Rutgers 52-3 thanks to suffocating defense and an explosive offensive performance.

I could write for days about how good Jim Leonhard’s defense played Saturday and has played all season. But that’s somehow become a given at this point, furthered every week by another fresh batch of turnovers.

The biggest story surrounding the team this season, and the thing that’s had a big impact on the outcome of each game, is the play of quarterback Graham Mertz. The emergence of Braelon Allen is a big one and the improvement of the offensive line is arguably the second-biggest.

Related: Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 10 — Lookout for Wisconsin

But Wisconsin needs great play from Mertz to win the Big Ten. Against Rutgers that’s exactly what we saw, furthering the continued improvement he’s shown this season.

Here is why Badger fans should be excited about what Mertz can do the rest of this season, and the rest of his Badger career:

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Film room: Wisconsin RB Braelon Allen has arrived

Film room: Wisconsin RB Braelon Allen has arrived

Wisconsin freshman running back Braelon Allen won’t turn 18 years old until after the 2021 football season. He reclassified in high school, joining the Wisconsin program this summer and forgoing a final season of high school football.

Now through five games of college action, one thing has become clear: the former four-star recruit is good beyond his years. Allen has officially arrived after two really impressive showings the last two weeks as a big part of Wisconsin’s rushing attack.

Allen carried the ball 16 times last night for 108 yards, 6.8 yards per carry and 1 touchdown. Every time he touched the ball we saw progressing comfort, better vision and more and more examples of his burst in the open field.

He’s 6-foot, 2-inches and 238 pounds. So when the freshman takes it into traffic through the middle, we see him fall forward for positive gains. Does he have the instant cut and vision we saw from Jonathan Taylor for four years? Not yet (well, nobody really does). But the signs are there of a workhorse back that can both wear a defense down inside, and take one to the house at any moment.

And dare I say: signs are there of a young running back who has star potential (I’m saying Jonathan Taylor’s name without actually drawing the comparison because it’s an impossible one).

Are there still areas where he can progress? Yes. But Allen is only 17 years old and is still new to the speed of college football.

Related: Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 7 — Chaos, again

Look at this play. The freshman will soon have the awareness to find the lane faster and turn well-blocked plays into 20-yard gains. But even when he runs into a lineman at first, the speed and quickness is there to pick up 11 yards.

Chez Mellusi will continue to be a big part of the Badger backfield moving forward. But as time moves along and Allen continues to impress on every touch, it’ll be tough to keep the ball out of his hands.

(Note: Ball security is a minor issue and will need improvement. Hopefully, that comes with more experience and more reps).

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.

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