Tag: NFL matchup

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell: Previewing Week 12’s biggest NFL matchups

It’s time for this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” with the guys breaking down Week 12’s biggest NFL matchups.

It’s time for Week 12 of the 2023 NFL season, including three Thanksgiving games, and the league’s first Black Friday contest ever. Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup, and Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire and the USA Today Sports Media Group, are here to get you ready for the most important matchups:

  • San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks — It’s time to stop thinking of Brock Purdy as a system quarterback, and here’s why.
  • Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions — Jordan Love is coming along both in and out of the pocket, and that could mean trouble for the Lions’ defense.
  • Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs — Steve Spagnuolo’s Chiefs defense is among the league’s best, but that’s not the issue here — it’s a Kansas City offense that can’t seem to get out of its own way.
  • Buffalo Bills at Philadelphia Eagles — With new offensive coordinator Joe Brady, here’s how the Bills can do things differently.
  • Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans — Breaking down C.J. Stroud’s three interceptions against the Arizona Cardinals last week, and what they might mean moving forward.

You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os” video right here:

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You can also listen and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

Watch: ‘NFL Matchup’ breaks down Tua Tagovailoa’s high-level skills

Watch: ‘NFL Matchup’ breaks down Tua Tagovailoa’s high-level skills

The early play of Tua Tagovailoa as the Miami Dolphins’ starting quarterback has certainly done well to inject excitement into the fanbase and create expectations that Tagovailoa is equipped to handled the pressure of playing the position in South Florida at a high level. Miami’s search for a proper heir to Dan Marino has been a long, difficult journey — and while Tagovailoa has much to do before he’s able to successfully close the book on the team’s search, he’s well on his way.

The Dolphins are 2-0 with Tagovailoa as the starter and their wins have come in very, very different ways. Week 8 against the Los Angeles Rams was a wild, thrilling win that featured a whole lot of defense and some key special teams plays; whereas Week 9 against the Arizona Cardinals saw Tagovailoa’s “arrival” as a starter with just a few key defensive plays sprinkled in.

When you add it all together, Miami should feel as though no matter what kind of script the game follows, the Dolphins will be ready and able to be in position to secure wins — thanks in large part to Tagovailoa’s early flashes. ESPN’s “NFL Matchup” put Tagovailoa under the microscope this past week and explored what exactly the rookie quarterback has been showing through his first two starts and why he appeared well positioned to springboard his play as a result of the early baseline:

Using the full field of play and having comfort working his eyes completely across the field, this is the kind of mental processing and footwork that strong quarterback play is made of. It would be understandable if the Dolphins kept him out of such reads as much as possible — but while the Dolphins aren’t breaking out a bunch of exotic pass concepts, they’re clearly willing and able to let Tagovailoa work through multiple reads. They could be vertical or horizontal but Tagovailoa’s done well with what has been put on his plate thus far, as illustrated by “NFL Matchup” analyst Matt Bowen.

The question now is what the Dolphins put on his plate next. Expect a little bit more each and every time he aces a test.