AFATT is... All Football All The Time
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
Dolphins NFL Drafts Are A
Disaster - Yeremiah Bell Goes
Down, What's Left Read More
Disaster - Yeremiah Bell Goes
Down, What's Left Read More
Who wins it all this year, seems
obvious now, but not so much
so earlier this year. Read More
obvious now, but not so much
so earlier this year. Read More
college, yet other than the Oilers of old, no one will try it in the
NFL?
To beat the spread offense in HS and college you must have exceptional
athletes in the defensive skill positions and you can't allow the defensive
line to get to your QB. At the pre-NFL level, all athletes are NOT created
equal and the best athletes at that level are usually on the offense while
only 3-4 of a team's top players are in the skill positions on defense. In
HS most of those players are two-way guys. Also, it takes a really good
QB and speed at the ends to do it well. Those players are relatively rare.
Also, it's very much a man-to-man scheme and hard to defend and hard
to stay with for an entire game because at some point a mistake will be
made and the spread is so open that it makes you pay dearly for those
errors. Even in college, where it's somewhat less effective than in HS the
same logic applies. But once you get to the NFL, the athletic difference
at every position in relation to skill, speed, heart, high motor, all of it is so
slight that the spread loses it's level of return for risk. It tends to be
somewhat predictable and can be countered with a good scheme and
game plan, blitzes, man to man coverage and the need for a running
game. You can't really have both...not enough room on the roster or
under the cap for both sets of skill players. A choice must be made and
at least in the modern game the choice has not been the high risk
scheme. A good coach once said, "you can't just rely on the pass...when
you pass three things can happen and two of them are bad!"
RickEagle and AFATT says so....
Email me at rick.eagle@afatt.com
Four games into the season, who was the best NFL draft pick this
year regardless of where they were picked? And if you were
conducting the NFL Draft over again, who goes first?
Well, not much has stood out, but Pat's call from April on Amobi Okoye
(4 sacks @ DT w/ Houston) sure looks good now. I think Brent Celek
(5th rd Eagles TE) has had an impact but probably only because LJ
Smith has been hurt. Still, he has heart, can block and catch in tight
spots...great value pick for Reid. Nobody is overwhelming me from the
first round; Johnson, Landry and Peterson seem to be underachieving
and I don't know what Staley (RT) or Willis(LB) are doing for SF, but at
least both have become starters, but their positions tend to be low profile
so it'll take a season to see results. I'm still expecting big things from
both of them.I thought Levi Brown would be a big factor as well, and
even as a late camp arrival in AZ he's still their RT starter. He seemed to
be more than adequate when I watched the Cardinals in two games this
year, vs Pittsburgh and Seattle, and he played pretty well, you know...
solid but didn't dominate...but he is a Rookie and sure played better than
Winston Justice (a 2nd yr Rookie)!! Only the Raiders would screw up
their prime pick and kill him before they even start...Russell still would be
the first and he'd be in there if it was someone else who picked him and
we'd have a better feel for his future worth...but we'll know in about three
weeks when Culpepper has his annual injury. I still think Quinn is the
real deal and the lack of success ND is having now shows just how good
he really was. I hope he gets a chance to prove me right. All in all, I'd
take lineman with the first 5 picks cause in almost every case a team that
is picking that high almost always needs that quality of OL help...if not
right away, then in the near future every time, and DL help as well. It's
still the only sure way to build back to championship status.
I guess if forced to choose...Russell #1 NFL Draft pick again - too strong
to pass up. But I wish I knew more about why he held out so long 'cause
that potential signing difficulty has to be figured in when you decide on
who should be your pick at #1. But as an Eagle fan I wish Santa would let
us have a #1 pick without the losing record required, then I'd take Calvin
Johnson instead of Detroit getting ANOTHER receiver...God could we
use a game breaker to help Westbrook. Oh well, I can dream can't I?
RickEagle and AFATT says so....
Email me at rick.eagle@afatt.com
NFL?
To beat the spread offense in HS and college you must have exceptional
athletes in the defensive skill positions and you can't allow the defensive
line to get to your QB. At the pre-NFL level, all athletes are NOT created
equal and the best athletes at that level are usually on the offense while
only 3-4 of a team's top players are in the skill positions on defense. In
HS most of those players are two-way guys. Also, it takes a really good
QB and speed at the ends to do it well. Those players are relatively rare.
Also, it's very much a man-to-man scheme and hard to defend and hard
to stay with for an entire game because at some point a mistake will be
made and the spread is so open that it makes you pay dearly for those
errors. Even in college, where it's somewhat less effective than in HS the
same logic applies. But once you get to the NFL, the athletic difference
at every position in relation to skill, speed, heart, high motor, all of it is so
slight that the spread loses it's level of return for risk. It tends to be
somewhat predictable and can be countered with a good scheme and
game plan, blitzes, man to man coverage and the need for a running
game. You can't really have both...not enough room on the roster or
under the cap for both sets of skill players. A choice must be made and
at least in the modern game the choice has not been the high risk
scheme. A good coach once said, "you can't just rely on the pass...when
you pass three things can happen and two of them are bad!"
RickEagle and AFATT says so....
Email me at rick.eagle@afatt.com
Four games into the season, who was the best NFL draft pick this
year regardless of where they were picked? And if you were
conducting the NFL Draft over again, who goes first?
Well, not much has stood out, but Pat's call from April on Amobi Okoye
(4 sacks @ DT w/ Houston) sure looks good now. I think Brent Celek
(5th rd Eagles TE) has had an impact but probably only because LJ
Smith has been hurt. Still, he has heart, can block and catch in tight
spots...great value pick for Reid. Nobody is overwhelming me from the
first round; Johnson, Landry and Peterson seem to be underachieving
and I don't know what Staley (RT) or Willis(LB) are doing for SF, but at
least both have become starters, but their positions tend to be low profile
so it'll take a season to see results. I'm still expecting big things from
both of them.I thought Levi Brown would be a big factor as well, and
even as a late camp arrival in AZ he's still their RT starter. He seemed to
be more than adequate when I watched the Cardinals in two games this
year, vs Pittsburgh and Seattle, and he played pretty well, you know...
solid but didn't dominate...but he is a Rookie and sure played better than
Winston Justice (a 2nd yr Rookie)!! Only the Raiders would screw up
their prime pick and kill him before they even start...Russell still would be
the first and he'd be in there if it was someone else who picked him and
we'd have a better feel for his future worth...but we'll know in about three
weeks when Culpepper has his annual injury. I still think Quinn is the
real deal and the lack of success ND is having now shows just how good
he really was. I hope he gets a chance to prove me right. All in all, I'd
take lineman with the first 5 picks cause in almost every case a team that
is picking that high almost always needs that quality of OL help...if not
right away, then in the near future every time, and DL help as well. It's
still the only sure way to build back to championship status.
I guess if forced to choose...Russell #1 NFL Draft pick again - too strong
to pass up. But I wish I knew more about why he held out so long 'cause
that potential signing difficulty has to be figured in when you decide on
who should be your pick at #1. But as an Eagle fan I wish Santa would let
us have a #1 pick without the losing record required, then I'd take Calvin
Johnson instead of Detroit getting ANOTHER receiver...God could we
use a game breaker to help Westbrook. Oh well, I can dream can't I?
RickEagle and AFATT says so....
Email me at rick.eagle@afatt.com
Brady will have four Super Bowl
rings by the age of 30. Is he the
best QB ever?
If the Pats win the Super Bowl this
best quarterbacks in NFL history (on
a great team). Now, do not get me
wrong I think Tom Brady is a great
QB. He is calm in the pocket, he has
a quick delivery, and he can make
any throw on the field. But.... How
often do you see Brady running for
his life? How often do you see Brady
put in terrible field position? How
often do you see him having to come
If the Pats win the Super Bowl this
from behind. He has been blessed
with not only a fantastic line but also
a great defense, and superb
coaching and front office. He is great
but do not crown him just yet.
I hate this debate because you
always have the guy that says well
Marino was a great QB but he
did not have any rings. So by that
rationale Trent Dilfer with his Super
Bowl was better than Marino.
Certainly not. So how do you rank
the greatest QB's of all time. I do not
believe you count the rings and
crown the winner. Their are twenty
one other starters on that team and
for the guys with a lot of rings they
were all surrounded with Hall of Fame
players. I love Troy Aikman but, I
could name ten other quarterbacks
that I could stick on those Cowboy
teams of the 90's and they could
have won three Championships. The
same thing could be said for Terry
Bradshaw and even Joe Montana.
So, Tom Brady is one of the best
quarterbacks of all time and he does
have three rings. But, if we put
Payton Manning on those same
Patriot teams I would guess he could
have three Championships too.
JasonCowboy and AFATT says so....
Email me at jason.cowboy@afatt.com
Picking the best QB ever is like trying
to pick the best band, best song or
best album (oops I'm dating myself,
huh)- uhmm- CD ever...ask 10
people and get 10 answers. The
game (as has music) has changed so
much since the early days that
comparisons are highly colored by
opinion (favorite teams) vs stats
(sacks since...playing both ways
since, size and speed of post 60's
athletes, etc.) Consider this...rings
schmings - Bradshaw has a handful,
Montana does too, Elway has a
couple; Starr, Staubauch, Greise,
and Favre all have jewelry, while
Marino, Graham, Tittle, Unitas, and
Lane don't own "rings" but are truly
great champions to every devoted
football fan. Having said that, here's
my take on who's the best. First,
every team's QB gets most of the
credit and most of the blame.
Second, teams that have a skilled,
consistent organization, good drafts,
solid cap plan and quality ownership
that is "hands off" tend to be teams
that make very few mistakes on or off
the field. Third, those mistakes will kill
a team's mo during a game, bring bad
chemistry to the locker room,
penalties through failure of technique
and produce loses or the tendency to
think you're beat before the game is
over. So I think Brady exemplifies all
the right qualities of greatness
because he is part of the Patriot
organization. He is a solid leader, is
always prepared, rarely makes
mistakes- neither with on or off field
decisions, he has the attitude of "can
do", not "must do" and most
importantly, he's a part of a team that
KNOWS HOW TO WINS GAMES and
expects! to do so. We could talk
about other QB's, in other eras but
Brady has ensured that he will be in
the Hall. As a Patriot, he'll never be
my favorite anything, but give him
and his team their due...all the
qualities are there for a vote as the
best QB of the modern game. I give
him this too. I have never seen a
better QB when the game is on the
line and it's absolutely essential that
the right play, audible or read is
needed for the slight margin of
victory. That's why other teams
coaches make film of Brady's few and
far between mistakes and show it to
their squads the day before playing
against the Patriots. Because the
errors he makes are so rare that
teams must be reminded that
occasionally, he will make one. That's
the only way to convince their teams
not to be beaten before the game
even starts. And BTW, the best band,
best songs and best albums have
always been by the Beatles - hands
down!
RickEagle and AFATT says so....
Email me at rick.eagle@afatt.com
rings by the age of 30. Is he the
best QB ever?
If the Pats win the Super Bowl this
best quarterbacks in NFL history (on
a great team). Now, do not get me
wrong I think Tom Brady is a great
QB. He is calm in the pocket, he has
a quick delivery, and he can make
any throw on the field. But.... How
often do you see Brady running for
his life? How often do you see Brady
put in terrible field position? How
often do you see him having to come
If the Pats win the Super Bowl this
from behind. He has been blessed
with not only a fantastic line but also
a great defense, and superb
coaching and front office. He is great
but do not crown him just yet.
I hate this debate because you
always have the guy that says well
Marino was a great QB but he
did not have any rings. So by that
rationale Trent Dilfer with his Super
Bowl was better than Marino.
Certainly not. So how do you rank
the greatest QB's of all time. I do not
believe you count the rings and
crown the winner. Their are twenty
one other starters on that team and
for the guys with a lot of rings they
were all surrounded with Hall of Fame
players. I love Troy Aikman but, I
could name ten other quarterbacks
that I could stick on those Cowboy
teams of the 90's and they could
have won three Championships. The
same thing could be said for Terry
Bradshaw and even Joe Montana.
So, Tom Brady is one of the best
quarterbacks of all time and he does
have three rings. But, if we put
Payton Manning on those same
Patriot teams I would guess he could
have three Championships too.
JasonCowboy and AFATT says so....
Email me at jason.cowboy@afatt.com
Picking the best QB ever is like trying
to pick the best band, best song or
best album (oops I'm dating myself,
huh)- uhmm- CD ever...ask 10
people and get 10 answers. The
game (as has music) has changed so
much since the early days that
comparisons are highly colored by
opinion (favorite teams) vs stats
(sacks since...playing both ways
since, size and speed of post 60's
athletes, etc.) Consider this...rings
schmings - Bradshaw has a handful,
Montana does too, Elway has a
couple; Starr, Staubauch, Greise,
and Favre all have jewelry, while
Marino, Graham, Tittle, Unitas, and
Lane don't own "rings" but are truly
great champions to every devoted
football fan. Having said that, here's
my take on who's the best. First,
every team's QB gets most of the
credit and most of the blame.
Second, teams that have a skilled,
consistent organization, good drafts,
solid cap plan and quality ownership
that is "hands off" tend to be teams
that make very few mistakes on or off
the field. Third, those mistakes will kill
a team's mo during a game, bring bad
chemistry to the locker room,
penalties through failure of technique
and produce loses or the tendency to
think you're beat before the game is
over. So I think Brady exemplifies all
the right qualities of greatness
because he is part of the Patriot
organization. He is a solid leader, is
always prepared, rarely makes
mistakes- neither with on or off field
decisions, he has the attitude of "can
do", not "must do" and most
importantly, he's a part of a team that
KNOWS HOW TO WINS GAMES and
expects! to do so. We could talk
about other QB's, in other eras but
Brady has ensured that he will be in
the Hall. As a Patriot, he'll never be
my favorite anything, but give him
and his team their due...all the
qualities are there for a vote as the
best QB of the modern game. I give
him this too. I have never seen a
better QB when the game is on the
line and it's absolutely essential that
the right play, audible or read is
needed for the slight margin of
victory. That's why other teams
coaches make film of Brady's few and
far between mistakes and show it to
their squads the day before playing
against the Patriots. Because the
errors he makes are so rare that
teams must be reminded that
occasionally, he will make one. That's
the only way to convince their teams
not to be beaten before the game
even starts. And BTW, the best band,
best songs and best albums have
always been by the Beatles - hands
down!
RickEagle and AFATT says so....
Email me at rick.eagle@afatt.com