#6497

Six Thousand.
Four Hundred.
Ninety.
Seven.

The number of texts messages exchanged between Colby and I since March fourth of 2010.

Go ahead, pick up your jaw.

I'm a texter, not a phone talker.

Once my phone reaches about 250, it can't delete messages by itself.

I had to download and Application just to delete my text messages. 

Totally random. 

So far it takes about 30-45 seconds to delete each message.

I'm incredibly anxious to see how crazy fast my phone is when it has full memory back.

  I'll never let my phone get back 25 texts after it finishes.

Dub Maddox: Throwing Mechanics

The following was submitted by quarterback impresario, Dub Maddox, from the Quarterback Academy. Coach Maddox is one of the most infectiously passionate leaders of men in football and his body of work at Jenks High School (OK) is a standard to which we should all strive for. If you've spent any time on this blog, you know that QBA and Darin Slack are highly regarded here and their products come highly recommended from personal use.

With all of the coverage of quarterbacks and the NFL draft everyone seems to be talking about throwing mechanics. After Tim Tebow’s 1st round selection the talk still continues. So the question still remains to be answered….”Is it possible to change a quarterback’s throwing motion?”

While reading the article, The Pursuit of the Perfect Throwing Motion by David Flemming I was intrigued by some of the things he learned from his study. In particular, he discovered throwing the football is the most complex motor skill in all of sports. With most exercise scientists and kinesiologists agreeing, more people are finding out what most coaches have known for quite some time. Changing a quarterbacks throwing motion is challenging and can be flat out intimidating.

Once most people come to this conclusion there tends to be two schools of thought as it relates to changing quarterback throwing mechanics.

1. It’s all about the footwork (the feet are what throw the ball)
2. You can’t change a quarterbacks mechanics (he can either throw or he can’t)

This is the dilemma I found myself in as a coach five years ago after getting upset in the first round of the playoffs. Having to watch a very talented sophomore quarterback struggle with his mechanics that season pushed me to a path of pursuit on how to teach the perfect throwing motion. As I began my research through clinics, DVD’s, books, college visits, and local guru’s, I had compiled a list of coaching points like, “Stand tall, step small”; “Flick the booger of the finger”; “Pick the dollar out of the left pocket”; “Turn the key”; “Answer the phone with ball”; “Crush pebbles with your feet” ; “Slap the wall”; “ watch how Brady, Montana, or Elway throw” and the list goes on and on. At the end of it all I was left with a myriad of different philosophies and techniques and the same conclusions that Flemming had in his article. As a result, I had almost submitted my belief on throwing mechanics to one of the two prevailing schools of thought. It wasn’t until I came across a 3 DVD set on Passing Mechanics by Darin Slack that I knew that I had finally found someone who had cracked the code on how to teach and train the most complex motor skill in all of sports. He was explaining the “Why” behind every motion and drill. He was backing every movement up with science and biomechanics. I felt like I had just discovered gold. I no longer had to submit to the two schools of thought on mechanics and what I didn’t believe to be true. After 5 years of coaching quarterbacks at Jenks High School and working for the Darin Slack Quarterback Academy here is what I have learned as it relates to the two prevailing schools of thought:




1. It’s all about the footwork (the feet are what throw the ball)
It seemed when I first started my pursuit of learning how to throw the football that everywhere I turned most coaches only focused on the feet. Most of the material I came into contact with stated that the feet are what throw the ball. My struggle with this concept stemmed from two pictures in my mind…a picture of a man with no arms and another picture of a man with no legs. If the feet are what throw the ball then how does a man without legs throw? At the NFL combine, Tim Tebow clocked a 4.7 forty time, 4.17 pro agility time, and a 38.5 inch vertical. If I submit to the school of thought that footwork is the key to consistent power, accuracy, and velocity then Tebow should be the best pure passer coming out of the draft. Yet he is the most scrutinized, Why? In Flemming’s article he states, “Throwing the football well is not about doing one or two big things great. Instead, it's about perfecting a thousand different parts of an intricate, complicated kinetic chain that starts in the toes and ends at the finger tips.” Through Flemmings article I am finding that people are starting to discover what I found through a set of 3 DVD’s 5 years ago. Throwing a football is more than mastering footwork; it’s about mastering the sequential movements in the kinetic chain through the entire throw. If I only focus on footwork I am only focusing on half of the kinetic chain. What about the other half? I go back to the picture with the man with no legs. What does he use to throw the football? It is his arm. If the arm is the mechanism that throws the ball then wouldn’t it be important to understand how this mechanism controls proper ball flight? To overcome the arm issue a quarterback must understand the 4 key positions of the arm motion in the kinetic chain.
(To demonstrate we will use Peyton Manning on the left and Jenks QB Sawyer Kollmorgen on the right)

Pre Pass Triangle-the kinetic chain in the arm starts in the Pre Pass Triangle position. With the elbows level at the base and a loaded wrist in the “cocked” position off the back shoulder, the triangle shape provides for a powerful position to launch the football. If the body was going to throw a punch it would load the arm instinctually in the same position. The Pre Pass Triangle position reduces tendency to internally rotate (wind up) on the throw, aligns arm in a power position, and reduces wasted motion for faster a faster release.

“L” Transistion-is the next position in the kinetic chain during the throw. The move to this position is done by using the 4 rotator cuff muscles that surround the scapula. The infrasprinatus and teres minor externally rotate the arm back into the “L” position. When the arm is in the “L” position it elongates the suprasprinatus and subscapularis which allow the muscles to accelerate the elbow to the lead position.


Elevate to “Zero”-is the lead position the elbow has to be in to support the wrist. You may have heard coaches say “get the elbow up”. The elbow only needs to go high enough to get over and ahead of the shoulder on the throw. The smoothness and efficiency of this move is the key to consistent power and accuracy on a throw. With the loading of the suprasprinatus and subscapularis muscles in the “L” position the elbow can now elevate and move ahead of the shoulder aided by the deltoid to get to “Zero”. “Zero” is orthopedic term given to the elbow in the lead position because the rotator cuff muscles are neutral with no strain on them. The “Zero” position places the elbow 6 inches ahead of the shoulder 45 degrees up and out and loads the tricep in a position to fire the ball down the target hallway.

Extension- is the kinetic chain of power that occurs as the tricep fires energy up through arm and out through the wrist/fingers into the ball. If the wrist fires early before the tricep the kinetic chain is out of order and the ball will sail or wobble. A quarterback that pulls down on the football does not extend and therefore is not getting the full benefit of the tricep. When trying to understand the power of extension on a throw, think of the difference between a pistol and a sniper rifle. Which one is more accurate and can shoot the bullet further? The sniper rifle. Why? It has a longer barrel that allows the force and spin to act longer on the bullet which in turn puts more accuracy and velocity in the bullet as it comes out of the barrel.


When a coach and a quarterback get on the same page and understand the (How’s and Why’s) behind the most complex motion in all of sports it provides for a drastic advantage on the playing field. However, getting your quarterback to understand the concepts of throwing mechanics will not support a change on its own, which leads us to the second school of thought.
2. You can’t change a quarterbacks mechanics (he can either throw or he can’t)
There are many coaches who know way more than I do about football that have said you can’t change or quarterbacks throwing motion. I have even heard some say to stay away from the quarterbacks arm entirely. I have always struggled with this. If I am in the weight room and I see a kid with 315 pounds on the squat rack and he has he is leaning over at the waist with his chest down and a curved lower back am I going to not try to fix him? The argument could be made that teaching a proper squat is easier than teaching the most complex motion in all of sports. But just because teaching a proper throw is more difficult does it mean that I am pardoned of having to teach it at all? Maybe it just means that I need to put more effort into knowing my craft. The key to changing any motion (especially the most difficult) is knowing how a quarterback learns to throw. Most quarterbacks learn to throw by picking up a football at a young age and just chunking it. This is called implicit learning. Implicit learning is learning in the absence of proper instruction. While learning to throw implicitly allows for a fluid motion it tends to produce bad mechanics. The other type of learning is called explicit learning. This is learning with proper instruction. This type of learning focuses on the non-negotiables or rules of the task. While learning to throw explicitly allows a quarterback to know all the( how’s and why’s) of throwing a football it tends to produce a mechanical and choppy motion. This is the point where a coach becomes frustrated and gives up submitting to the second school of thought… you can’t change mechanics. The secret to changing mechanics is in the power of a process and the formula is the hinge pin of The Quarterback Academy by Darin Slack.

In order to produce lasting change you have to take a quarterback and teach him the non-negotiable (how’s and why’s). Next, you build a battery of drills that isolate each mechanic and then build each drill sequentially on the previous mechanics (process). Then you rep the movements over and over until you are feeling the move instead of thinking about it. Instead of muscle memory we call it the power of informed feel. When a quarterback learns the (how’s and why’s) combined with the feel he now has the ability to Self-Correct, not Self-Destruct….advantage Offense. To learn more about throwing mechanics and quarterback play come to a camp or visit www. quarterbackacademy.com

Pick up the newly released book here;
http://nationalfootballacademies.com/r4-book/

Defensive Forecast

I just wanted to drop a line and document a trend within football, though I don’t have a particular conclusion in mind, but one you should be able to witness as it takes place during your favorite game. This is no profound Michael Lewis “Lawrence Taylor skill set arcing to the deliverance of a Michael Oher”, merely just a broad capture of a recent trend that could possibly lend itself to a forecast of things to come.

In back-and-forths I’ve been having with football guys I esteem greatly (some are contributors here) for the past year, and touched on a little in comments at smartfootball.com, my assertion is that the growing trend in football will see a defensive adaption featuring more off-man match from 1-high (or zero ) coverage [with a majority of this played out of untraditional nickel/dime packages].

As detailed previously in the Charlie Strong Orange/Tan package, Nick Saban Cover 1/9 Rat, Bo Pelini’s Spinner/Nickel Bomb – the off-man coverage (from primarily a 2-high shell) allows for efficient disguise, protecting against 4-verticals, while accommodating superior numbers against the run and maximum pressure on the passer. If I can ever get around to articulating my thoughts (with sexy powerpoints), we would also have these trends noted from Gregg Williams, Dom Capers, and Rex Ryan.

09_NCState_9Rat @ Yahoo! Video

It all essentially boils down to the pattern-match concept and how it has/is being used as an adaptation method. “Pattern match” really is just man-match (by the time you get 1.5 seconds after the snap it all ends up being the same thing). As detailed in the Saban series last year, man coverage married to zone coverage with ‘pattern match’ is not all that much different; the response will be nearly identical. The growing trend in playing “pro-style” catch man coverage technique is what accommodates the “untraditional” personnel matchups and the deep 1-high safety with pressure. This is a look that will become increasingly more familiar as you watch football this season.

The thing is, in the 80s and before, the game primarily was founded on exclusive man-to-man, 1-high defenses (because the traditional offense didn't align for a vertical/horizontal stretch). These defenses were WYSIWYG and ‘primitive’, usually with bump-and-run and 8-man fronts to match the standard 2-back offenses. As the trend shifted from 1-high MOFC to 2-high MOFO zone defenses, offenses counteracted with multi-faceted 1-back run games (with running quarterbacks). We arrive to where we are now, where the old ‘bump-and-run’ coverage is considered a barbaric dinosaur and press-man is welcomed by pass-first offenses.

Doing my best Ron Jaworski impersonation here, lets go to the tape….

2010 Green Bay Psycho @ Yahoo! Video

09 Green Bay Psycho 1 @ Yahoo! Video

09 Green Bay Psycho 6 @ Yahoo! Video

09 Green Bay Sacks 1 @ Yahoo! Video

A few of the elements I believe that are contributing to this paradigm are as follows:

Rule Changes – With continued rule enforcement (for player safety) at the higher levels of the game, defenses become hamstrung in their ability to be physical. Whether it is limiting receiver reroutes/leverage, horse-collaring, helmet-to-helmet hits, hitting near the sideline, or touching a quarterback’s head, defenses are being painted into a corner where they have little recourse against offensive plays. You can sit back and let offenses run their routes and try to respond to it after the fact (ala Tampa 2), or you can choose to play the percentages and 1) neutralize the running game with a numbers advantage and 2) force a quarterback out of his hitch with +1 pressure and/or 3) leverage receivers out of throws down the field. The trend we are seeing favors the latter choice and time will tell just how the offense will counteract this approach as it catches on.

Professional Control Group – The pro game isn’t the end-all of game development. The borrowing/learning of concepts between BCS college programs and the NFL resembles more of symbiotic relationship rather than that of the linear trickle-down that is widely believed. As with all elements of evolution, the strong (concepts) survive and those that don’t adapt become part of a dying breed. The method of the higher levels of the game boils down to surviving as many downs/snaps as possible. The more downs you win; the more games you’re likely going to win – the greater likelihood you still have a job in the morning. This cut-throat (survival) approach is what necessitates the 60 minute game be reduced to isolated situations. EVERY snap is its own war, its own unique opportunity to swing the tide of the game. Dial up the perfect play and you have the potential to break the game wide open.

This concept should be quite foreign to most people because we’re all accustomed to seeing the same 11 starters on the field throughout a game, so nothing really is changing. Especially in high school, where your best LB is also your best Safety and he may also be your best defensive end. Substituting this player would only make your chances worse on a down, not better; you don’t have an endless supply of specialists and are lucky to have 11 full-time starters. Consequently, you can sit in one personnel grouping (or two) all game and just play the odds because, quite frankly, it beats the alternative.

Example of special personnel grouping

What we’re talking about now is specialization. You have players who can specialize in certain functions (down and distance, play types, etc) and excel in those personnel packages. It used to be where the defense just matched offenses based on personnel. If the offense had 21/12 personnel in the huddle, your based defense was on the field. If the offense had 11/10 personnel, your nickel package came in the game. Anymore, we’re seeing defenses using personnel not so much to match the offensive players, but the specific situation within a game (though offensive personnel will mirror the situation). This was touched on previously when introducing the study of ‘untraditional use’ of nickel/dime uses in the NFL. Even though dime personnel is not warranted to match an offensive formation, it is used anyway (despite possible physical liability in matchups) for coverage/pressure. The trend was noted with Pelini’s Spinner package, but is also gaining popularity with Dom Caper’s “Psycho” groupings. As a side note, “Psycho” was introduced with the justification to the media that Capers simply didn’t have defensive linemen because of injuries late in the season. Even after the injury bug subsided, he continues to use it heavily between the 30’s primarily for 1-high, off-man pressure.

Roster Limitations – The trend outlined above, of maximizing the use of the entire roster with multiple personnel groupings dove-tails into the equalizer more distinct in the NFL (but affects the NCAA by way of recruiting classes); roster limitations. Since there is a finite level of talent on both teams in a game, you have to figure out how you can do MORE with less (than your opponent). The team that can win a war of personnel attrition either through prolonged exertion (wearing the opponent out) or by utilizing a deeper portion of the roster (is your #4 receiver better than our dime/money defensive back?). If your team simply cannot match the personnel groupings they are faced with, you will likely get the short end of the stick on that snap (which could prove to be a turning point in the game).

It, again, reduces the individual situation down to one-on-one personnel matchups and improving the likelihood of winning those battles. This is where the “Wildcat” trend comes in. Especially in the NFL, where the 53-man roster is stretched so thin, your roster has to be able to (counter) match the roster of all your opponents. If you are equal on 47 of 48 roster spots, but your opponent has a “quarterback/receiver/running back/punt returner” as their 48th man, how are you going to account for that? This is where a stockpiling of safety/corner hybrids comes into play and then leads to their gratuitous use on downs not warranted previously. You no longer end up with full-time offensive / defensive players. The result is you have a situational offense/defense that tactically specializes in specific scenarios.

Attacking protection – Because defenses will be compelled to use these multi-position athletes, you can now begin opening the door to a myriad of pressures and coverage-matching. You not only have a defender able to cover receivers man-to-man, but also have a better matchup against backs (than a linebacker would). This also blurs the front identification needed for protection (as well as bringing considerably more speed to the pressure than most offensive linemen are able to match) – is that #33 nickel on the edge now considered the “Mike” do you adjust protection to the bandit(s)? What happens when any one of a handful of guys near the box can be considered a potential rusher? This goes beyond the basic premise of nickel/dime packages – because the offensive personnel in the protection will not be accustomed to seeing these types of looks (7 man protections typically employ a TE. If there is a TE, you usually have at least 2 or 3 linebackers. If those 2 linebackers aren’t there now, how exactly are we going to handle this front and WHO should the offense expect to match the receivers?).

This is just a thought that has been keeping me up at nights and something I’ve been seeing a lot of for the past 18 months. It used to be that defenses were crazy to try man-coverage on pass happy spread teams, especially with a runner at quarterback. However, more and more, I’m seeing this old look adjusted to fit the current game. I’m not even a “man” guy, but I have seen the benefits from doing things differently and now even prefer the ‘catch-man’ technique and how it opens up a world of defensive possibilities.

Now, I'm not suggesting that defenses will be playing a ton of man-coverage exclusively, just that you can expect to see more untraditional personnel groupings on the field and the way more and more teams will go to acheive pressure will be from off-man coverage (moving away from fire zones).

Feel free to rip me a new one in the comments section…..

Audi Q5

I've convinced Colby to let me have one of these.

Now if I can just convince my bank account.

confession part II

I'm been sitting at the computer ALLLLL DAAAYYY LoOOng. 

We got the internet this morning. 

Colby has been anxiously involved in his homework and I've been anxiously engaged in, well, the internet.

I've posted way too much. 

[ please don't judge me]

Luckily I have tomorrow off as well so I won't feel nearly as crappy about wasting today

knowing I can also waste tomorrow.

Bentley

Remember Bentley?

I miss his sweet face and his intimidating bark.

I gave him back to J last December when I realized I couldn't take him with me to an apartment.

I was heart broken to say the least. I cried for a full week.

Sometimes I still find myself being sad about it.

Last week we went to Petco and it was pet adoption day.

It made me so sad to see all the dogs.

Before the tears came I begged Colby to leave.

I know Bent is being treated like a king and he couldn't be in a better home.

It's still sad to think I'll never see him again.

Judgement*

I was able to attend the Relief Society Broadcast last Saturday with my sister Abby and my sweet Mom.
There were three amazing speakers and every single talk was pointed straight at me, I'm sure of it.
President Monson's talk however had me at Hello.
  It was on judgment and nurturing those around us.
  He told a story about a young couple who had just gotten married. They lived in a basement apartment. A couple mornings a week the neighbor would hang her laundry out to dry on the line and Lisa would comment on how dirty the neighbor's laundry was. Her husband would never respond to her remarks.
One morning Lisa glanced out the window and was shocked at the cleanliness of the laundry.
 "She finally figured out how to clean her laundry" She exclaimed.
 "actually" John said, "I got up very early this morning, and cleaned our windows."
   How often are we judging others and overlooking our own faults?
The Prophet also mentioned a few things I'll never forget.
  *Charity is loving each other no matter what.
*Charity is recognizing that everyone around us is doing the best they can.
*Charity is having patience with those who have let us down.
*True Charity is love and action.
and most importantly
*Charity never faileth.

Cave men.

Colby and I have lived in what we refer to as "The Dungeon" for five whole months. We get crappy cell phone service, zero tv channels {that includes even the basics}, and barely there -only on a good day-if standing by the window that I can barely see out of maybe I can use it- internet.

Until Today.

That's right, the cave men caved.

We walked into best buy last week and demanded TV and Internet. 

Turns out you don't have to demand it,

they'll just give it to you.

 

4th Grade.

I can't decide how I feel about my new font.

It reminds me of 4th grade when we were learning cursive.

 Elizabeth was too long so I decided to go only by Libby.

Only I couldn't write a lower case b in cursive.

So my name looked like Lilly.

The teacher hated me so she called me just that.

Lilly. 

I hated her. 

But, she forced me to learn my cursive b.

I still hate cursive, and now go by Elizabeth - when cursive is required.

BoO!

I'm totally stoked for Halloween! 

Can you tell?

I'm loving my new template and you shouldn't be surprised if it sticks around for a bit.

 Every day I remind Colby we need killer costumes this year.

 Every day he tells me he doesn't have any ideas.

  Maybe Tomorrow?

Or, Maybe tomorrow he'll like one of my ideas?

I Love the holidays. 

Almost as much as I love spending the holidays with Colb.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN - In advance.

Our Soldier

My cousin Aaron is just a few years older than I am and I've always looked up to him. It wasn't until I graduated from High School and Aaron returned from his mission that we became close. We hung out all the time. I would stay at his house way to late watching Aqua Teen Hunger Force and when my Mom would call to check on me, he'd vouch for me. We talked about life and dating and sometimes we'd spend hours making fun of each other. He's one of those people that can just make you smile.
  This week he left for Afghanistan to serve our country. I've always been amazed with the sacrifice made by our soldiers and those serving but it's different somehow when its a relative.
 Aaron is going to do great and his family is going to be blessed because of his hard work, I'm so grateful for his willingness to serve. More than anything I'm grateful for the sacrifice that his wife has made, she's incredible and Aaron couldn't have a more amazing wife.
  Anica threw a going away party the night before he left and a few of us had a chance to attend. It was a blast and it was so fun to see everyone.

Me & Aaron

  Jessie, Logan, & my cousin Adam

Aunt Jenny at the feeding farm with Lucy and Elsie

Ayda, Grandma, and Annie

Jessie & Logan

Abby & Jon

Lucy

Match Zone or Match Man: An Alternative Perspective

Hopefully, this will jumpstart me a bit so that I can start fulfilling my obligations to this blog again.

Recently, on this site, as well as on others, the term “match zone” has gained a great deal of currency. There is good reason for this: without question, match zone is the defensive technique in pass coverage that is currently most in vogue throughout all levels of advanced football. No doubt because of the pioneering advances made by Nick Saban, Gary Patterson, and a few others in diagnosing the pattern combinations and route distributions that are the hallmark of every sophisticated passing game, match zone techniques and coverage concepts serve as the foundation of virtually every defensive structure. In a sense, match zone has breathed new life into the 1-Hi looks that for a while looked incapable of handling the vertical threats posed by today’s spread offenses. However, in another sense, and I will be the first to admit that I may be completely wrong here, match zone may simply be today’s Tampa 2, another knot in the tactical and strategic evolution of defensive football.

This will be short piece, and much to my chagrin, one bereft of the ever useful power-point diagrams of my colleagues on this site. My goal in writing is to play a little bit of devil’s advocate, to point out what I view as some structural deficiencies that undergird match zone concepts, and in so doing, suggest that perhaps the old way of defending space is not as antiquated and insufficient as the prevailing defensive orthodoxy of today seems to suggest.

Let’s begin by boiling away the fat of match zone. In layman’s terms, what is match zone? At its core, match zone is a man/quarters concept predicated on upon a 3 on 3 triangle with a linebacker. Now, if we pause to think about it for a second it is not difficult to see from what match zone as both a concept and technique and concept evolved, and here, I’m not simply repeating Brophy’s citation of Saban’s remarks on its historical evolution dating from his days with the Cleveland Browns. Match zone evolved out of the Banjo bracket concepts that dominated college football throughout most of the 1990s. I coached in the then Big 8 when Kansas State was making its rise in football and very well remember the aggressive Banjo concepts they used in the their under-coverage as a way of bracketing and walling off the shallow routes that were then gaining in popularity amongst college offenses. And I think we all know that Banjo is essentially a man technique played within a defined zone: defender plays his man until said man leaves his zone and is then passed off to the adjacent defender.

Match zone builds on banjo by adding a number of additional elements into the mix, the most important two being a hyper-developed concept of pattern reading, or pattern matching to be precise, and the RAT, about whom I will write in a future post. For now, I will focus primarily on pattern matching. I use the term “matching” and not “reading” here not simply to reinforce Saban’s language, but because pattern matching and pattern reading are not interchangeable concepts. To match a pattern, it is necessary to first read the pattern. A defender matches an offensive players route when he diagnoses his intention; he’s then matched on him in what amounts to man-to-man coverage. This here is what I see as the rub about the very term “match zone,” for it’s really a misleading coinage, because what it is in reality is not match zone, but really match-man. What distinguishes match-zone from pure man is the way in which “matching” as a technique is integrated within the schematic structure of the defense as a whole. This is where the pattern reading aspect of match zone comes into play, the aspect that enables it to diagnose threats and cover them not simply with a lone defender, as in pure man, but in coordinated collaboration with another defender whose action’s are predicated upon his ability to read, diagnose, and match the pattern in question.

Now, I think it should be pretty clear where I’m going with this. Because defenders are taught to match the route of the receiver they by default become chasers. In other words, when defenders match a route they are in effect chasing it; defenders thus are not covering space, but rather receivers. This is why I prefer the term match man to that of match zone. The term zone implies space and area; match zone teams do not cover space, but people.

Why am I making a big deal about this? I’m harping on this because I believe that there are some profound structural issues with this concept as a whole, especially versus spread offenses. The first problem should be self evident. Since everybody is chasing in match zone the concept is suspect versus any team that has a QB that can run. A good friend of mine who coached for a long time in the Big 12, a predominantly match zone conference, told me that if Vince Young played today he’d run for over 2,000 yards. I have no reason to doubt him. With the exception of Robert Griffin at Baylor the Big 12 today is quarterbacked by kids who can chuck the ball, but who are not much of a threat with their legs. Today, if I were still coaching, I’d be tempted versus a heavy match zone team to line up in Empty a lot and run a great deal of QB draw, as well as motion a back into the backfield from Empty in order to run zone read, and later Jet.

Another problem with Match Zone is its lack of physicality. How is it possible to blast a receiver if you’re always chasing him?

Now, I’m aware that the RAT, to a degree, functions as the punisher in most match concepts, but RAT is only one player and thus one that can be identified and schemed around. I know this sounds counterintuitive, man teams are rarely ones that punish receivers on a routine basis. Here, I’m drawing on my friends insights regarding the 2006 Colorado defense. CU was a 2 shell team that played a lot of quarters, 2, and Tampa 2. They did nothing fancy except squeeze down zones and tackle extremely well. All one needs to do is to watch their tape against Texas Tech and Kansas. Versus both teams, CU aligned in some type of a two shell or four across look and pretty spot dropped the entire game. What made their spot dropping effective, as opposed to, let’s say, what VaTech did versus Boise State earlier this year, was that CU’s people were dropping and reading at the same time; in a word, they a had a keen sense of what was developing behind them.

I will conclude my remarks with some words as to how I, as Run-N-Shoot guy, would treat match zone. To be totally honest with you, I would rather face a match zone team as a Run-N-Shoot coach than a pattern reading – spot drop team (more on this formulation in my next post). Why? Pure and simple: match zone teams, especially those that are heavy fire zone ones, by and large, always end up, regardless of shell, in a 1 Hi look. I can thus tell my people to disregard the other 6 generic shells we use to categorize coverage and instruct them to focus their attention on attacking the technique of the defender charged with matching them. So, for all intent purposes, match zone takes the thinking out of things for my receivers because for as far as they’re concerned all they’re facing is man.

What is interesting about this, historically speaking, is the fact that match zone as a both a technique and concept reinforces something that John Jenkins spoke about frequently during his days with the USFL Gamblers and later with the Houston Cougars: all zone coverage eventually becomes man at some point or another. Jenkins remark was particularly on point for his own offense, because the Run-N-Shoot is a vertical stem offense, especially his variation of it. Even back in the 1990s Jenkins was teaching his receivers, regardless of coverage, to attack the individual technique of the man against whom they were stemming their route; he was less concerned with the overall scheme of a coverage than with the individual technique of a defender. The explicit goal of every receiver, even versus soft looks was to collapse the cushion and the force the defender to play man. In a way, match zone does this, but in a more economically effective way; for, the receiver does not even have to collapse the technique in order to get the match man technique he desires.

TCU "2 Read": Adaptation To The Spread (3x1)

The robber rules of “2 Read” are rather simple and the biggest part understanding TCU defensive scheme is just coming to grips and accepting the split-formation concept they utilize.

Using the same “2 Read” technique rules we already covered, we plainly go over adding another receiver (3) to the read side.

To the trips side, the free safety and corner will be playing straight drop back and essentially end up in a split field ¼ match. The primary adjustment becomes the strong safety. He will be outside of the #2 receiver. He is going to play standard “blue” coverage rules, staying on #2 to prevent three verticals. He will still “Swing deep to 3” but he is not looking to jump the flats as he was versus 2 receivers.

In the worst case scenario, “all verticals”, the corner will zone turn to bail and split the difference of #1 and #2 receivers. The free safety will backpedal weave leverage of the vertical #3 receiver. This is the ‘jailbreak’ option versus this coverage, if three verticals aren’t run to the trips side, the pattern distribution can easily be accounted for in the rules.

So if #2 receiver or #3 receiver is not vertical, now we're back to the manageable 2 receiver threat. If #3 runs a shallow out (for example) the free safety is no longer threatened in the middle of the field, so he will settle and look to rob any route by #2. The corner will have the post by #1 all day, so the free safety is free to look of #1.

Versus a standard trips flood (#3 shallow out, #2 sail, #1 is in), the corner would stick with his communication rules, call the “IN” by #1 and gain depth over the receivers. With the “IN” call, the strong safety will hang (on the curl) and break late on the out of #2.

This was just an overview of the split-formation coverage of TCU out of their robber package. Feel free to check out the RUNCODHIT articles on their usual 2x2 coverage (Blue/ Cover 5) that we’ll see a lot of in their push for National prominence this season.

TCU "2 Read": Adaptation To The Spread (2x2)

While exploring the defensive adaptations to offensive trends towards "the spread" (Va Tech in the 90s / Saban Cover 3 adjustments ), and not intending to repeat any of the fantastic coverage of TCU defensive tenets done at Run COD Hit, it would behoove us to at least go over how TCU would confront 2x2 / 3x1 formations out of their base split-field coverage, '2 read'.

TCU's 42 defense is based out of Cover 2 "Read", which is really just a robber + quarters read out of a MOFC look. TCU will typically not play ‘2 Read’ against any 1-back look (preferring Blue or Cover 5), so what we are presenting is just a ‘worse-case’ scenario against this coverage.

Since they are splitting the formation in half, they are just reducing the concept down to the 1, 2, or 3 receiver matching. Just like the Rip/Liz adjustment covered before, when facing a balanced 2x2 formation, the secondary would have to declare which side they are going to play as the 'read side' (where the FS will be robbing). If '2 Read' is called, versus a 2x1 formation, the FS would naturally rob the receiving strength (2 receiver side). With 2x2, you would have to declare "reading left" to communicate the 'read side' and the 'away side', alerting the away safety on how he will handle #2. To the 'read side', this is how zone distribution would essentially play out in a nutshell.

"2 Read" is the base coverage TCU bases out of (it really is just robber). They may not even run this coverage much after installation, but it remains the elementary foundation for all subsequent variations regularly employed.

To get down to brass tacks, the rules are relatively simple and outlined below:

Since they are splitting the formation in half, they are just reducing the concept down to the 1, 2, or 3 receiver matching. Just like the Rip/Liz adjustment covered before, when facing a balanced 2x2 formation, the secondary would have to declare which side they are going to play as the 'read side' (where the FS will be robbing). If '2 Read' is called, versus a 2x1 formation, the FS would naturally rob the receiving strength (2 receiver side). With 2x2, you would have to declare "reading left" to communicate the 'read side' and the 'away side', alerting the away safety on how he will handle #2. To the 'read side', this is how zone distribution would essentially play out in a nutshell.

"2 Read" is the base coverage TCU bases out of (it really is just robber). They may not even run this coverage much after installation, but it remains the elementary foundation for all subsequent variations regularly employed.

To get down to brass tacks, the rules are relatively simple and outlined below:

Read Left

• Read side Corner- 1x7 match deep vertical threat
• Strong (read) Safety - 5x1 force on run / pass read: open to flat "swing deep to 3"
• Free Safety- alley fit on run / pass use 'Robber rule' - vertical by #2 / no vertical by 2, rob curl-to-post of #1
• Strong Backer -match #2 - #3
• Weak Backer - match #2 weak vertical
• Weak (away) Safety -run force / pass curl-flat "swing deep to 2"
• Away side Corner-deep 1/2 (over post of #1)

Read Side Communication

Corner is 1x7 in press bail shuffle with a man-clue of the #1 receiver. Corners always 1x7 unless #1 receiver is outside of numbers (they never cross the numbers in robber). Corners always play inside leverage, always protecting the post (because you don’t know if you’re going to get help from the FS). The post-snap cushion is not enforced, and in fact, Patterson wants receivers to break the defender’s cushion so he’ll only have to play one side now. If there is only one receiver split, the corner will man-turn into the route. If there is more than one receiver split, he will zone-turn into the route. Because this is a robber concept, the corners are taught to make the post a priority and, if necessary, align as much as 4 yards inside the receiver to protect the middle of the defense. With these rules, Patterson essentially invites offenses to run the post-corner because he feels he can take everything else away and force this difficult throw. To get the most out of this coverage, a pattern-match communication system is utilized to hasten how the 3 key defenders respond. The corner will communicate pattern response to his area players (FS & read side safety). Of the read side calls he will make (and responses) are:

CHINA

If #1 is short/hitch the corner makes a “China” call. This flags man responsibility for the Strong (read) Safety. The read side safety will run under (to) #1 because the corner is sinking (on corner route) to match the first outside short threat (flat). A short #1 with a detached #2 receiver typically is going to give you a “smash” (or China) concept, with #2 continuing to press vertical. With #1 shallow, the corner will declare “China” and immediately look to match #2 over the top (and outside). The “China” call also help identifies that there is no post threat from #1 and that #2 is the only other possible threat vertical, so the Free Safety will look to aggressively jump the route of #2.

OUT

If #1 receiver breaks out (he’s no longer vertical) the corner will continue to sink and look to match #2. The ‘out’ call alerts the Strong (read) Safety to look to rob #1 underneath at 10 yards out. Since this overhang safety is always aggressively expanding to the flat, he won’t be giving up much separation on #1, so the throw (to #1) would have to be shallow and near the sideline for a completion.

IN

If the #1 receiver is not shallow (‘china’) but breaks inside at a depth greater than 8 yards (‘dig’ / ‘curl’) , the corner will communicate an “IN” call . This alerts the read safety that there is a threat coming inside over the top (of his drop). The safety should look to become an outside-in player (he’s going to the flat right now, because he’s got a curl player dropping - the FS).

Strong (Read) Safety

The (overhang) Safety aligns 5 yards deep on #2 (removed). Versus a standard tight end or pro look, he would align 3 yards deep and 7 yards widen (discouraging being reached on perimeter action). On EMOL high-hat pass read the target depth for his drop will be 8-10 yards. He is going to remain shallow on his drop with the intent to expand to the flat as quickly because the FS will be dropping inside of him in the curl (if that is what is threatened).

Don't get hung up on semantics - the 'read' safety "swing(ing) deep to 3" is essentially the standard 'curl-to-flat' responsibility, but an emphasis on staying shallow and man-conscious. This methodology helps the defender be less dogmatic and be an aggressive matcher in coverage ( if a man runs through his zone – he's got him vertical ). The rationale behind teaching it this way is to encourage the safety to open up and get to the flat (with no landmarks).

Free Safety

The alignment of the free safety will be 8-10 yards deep over the read side guard. This allows him to gain a clear read on an uncovered linemen and an quick response path to the inside vertical threat of #2.

Once the offense breaks the huddle, the free safety will identify the backs, determine the read side and communicate to the other defensive backs, “check 2 – read right” (coverage and what side is being matched). The response of the free safety is just like robber, with the #2 receiver as his pass key:

• #2 goes vertical, he matches all of #2 inside leverage.
• #2 does anything but vertical, he robs the curl/post of #1.

This vertical-clue will handle all routes deeper than 8 yards. If #2 is out (and under 8 yards), the free safety is communicating “WHEEL” to the corner (see the curl-flat combo illustrated above). This is essentially telling the corner, “you have an outside route by #2 - so you have curl-post help (from FS)”. This works even if #2 isn’t going to wheel that out route, but it lets the corner know he can now back off of #1 because of the help available.

When #2 is no longer vertical (out / out-up), the free safety then reads the hips of the #1 receiver. If #1 sinks his hips (for a break) the free safety will drive at the receiver’s break and step in front of him (interception point).

If the #1 receiver doesn’t sink his hips, the free safety immediately turns into the middle of the field (away from the receiver) to rob the post.

Inside linebackers
TCU's rules split-coverage rules mean they never have to displace the 6 in the box. The stacked (inside) backers would always match 2-to-3 regardless of formation with the other (away from final 3) being the rat in the hole. So if you’re a 4-2, its all relative if you play this with a 3-3; the numbers are the same. These players doesn't have to be anywhere fast, in fact, the slower they are at reacting the better, because they should be thinking draw or screen (off pass-action) initially.

For read side linebacker, once pass shows he is to middle drop vertical to find/match the final 3 receiver. This player is looking to defend his run gap first, then take away the hot (throw). By slow-playing pass action, he always tries to make #3 go over the top of him, and from there it just becomes a "man-to-man" zone as in basketball (boxing out #3 deep).

For the away side linebacker, it is essentially the same as the read side linebacker, with the exception of matching #2 (away) vertically. Typically, this player is the (wider) bubble backer and against any 1-back look, TCU will be slanting the defensive line. This linebacker must replace the former middle-of-the-field safety in the hole. Rather than a ‘robot’ reaction away from the ‘final 3’ player, he would gain depth vertically on #2. If #2 pressed vertically after 8 yards, the away side linebacker would have to carry him man-to-man regardless if he makes a break deep in his route. It isn’t pretty, but that is the answer for 1 back routes.

Weak (Away) Safety
On pass read, this player will play like a standard curl-to-flat player in cover 3. He has no immediate curl help and will work in tandem with the corner. He does not carry #2 deeper than 8 yards and does not reroute. He should never cross the hash when responding to an inside route, as the away side linebacker will be working to that area.

This is actually a great addition to standard robber coverage and the adjustment (with split-field) principle helps prepare your players for the ‘breakable’ scenarios. In the next (soon) installment, we will go over the very basic trips (3x1) adaptation using this same coverage.

Brazil: FOOD!!

You know how we love to post about food!  On your Brazilian vacation, be sure to try some of these dishes.  Brazil is well known for its exotic  and flavorful cuisine.

Feijoada

Feijoada is a popular Brazilian stew, made of black beans and pork.  It is Brazil’s national dish, and served at almost any restaurant.  Feijoada is also often served with oranges to aid digestion.

Churrasco

Grilled meat, or most commonly grilled steak served in South America.  A Churrascaria is a steak house serving Churrasco, where waiters often come around with skewers, and slice the meat directly onto your plate. 

Bobó de camarão

Bobó de camarão is A Brazilian recipe made of shrimp, coconut milk, manioc cream, garlic and onion.  It is very popular, and served in many restaurants.  Be sure to try this dish on your Brazilian adventure, as Brazil has great seafood selections. 

PIZZA??

Pizza is in fact a very popular dish and Brazil, and familiar for all of those finicky eaters.  Soon after WWII many Italian immigrants fled to Argentina and Brazil, creating an Italian influence on Brazilian cuisine.

Waterfalls of Brazil

Take a look at at the breathtaking falls of Brazil.

 

Iguazu Falls, Iguassu Falls, or Iguaçu Falls (Portuguese: Cataratas do Iguaçu [kataˈɾatɐz du iɡwaˈsu]; Spanish: Cataratas del Iguazú [kataˈɾataz ðel iɣwaˈsu]) are waterfalls of the Iguazu River located on the border of the Brazilian State of Paraná and the Argentine Province of Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu.

Below you can see what the falls look like from above.  Pretty amazing if you ask me!

Ahhh, Beautiful Brazil... Ready to go?

& Again ..

I rocked the kitchen again tonight, all by myself. Colby watched from the table and attempted to do some homework. I almost called him in but then I didn't.
      I used another amazing recipe from the cooking blog of my dreams.
Favorite Family Recipes 
   We had the chicken roll ups - which tasted very close to my Mom's chicken rolls - I was impressed!
             Can't wait for another round!

Success .. Kind of!

This would be attempt #2! Cafe Rio sweet pork. It turned out far more amazing than I could have ever imagined. Seriously people, Crock pots rock if you let them!
  I can't take all the credit though, Colby helped - A LOT. He'll tell you I did it all by myself but you've already read the previous post so you know that's not the case.
  I'm jumping out of my boots anxious to try something else or to even try this one again. It was soo yummy!
  Here is the Blog I got the recipe from. It won't take you to the specific recipe because I want you to enjoy her whole blog. I'm in Heaven! I can't wait to make something new - crock pot included or not!
  For my own use - (i'm afraid she'll delete this recipe and I'll never see it again) I'm copy and pasting just the pork recipe. She also had recipes for the rice a few other cafe rio hits.

2 pounds pork (we use boneless pork rib meat)

3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness but any will work) - Colby and I used Kroger brand and it turned out great.
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry) or on low for 8 hours. Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!
Now that I know I can handle it, I'm open to any and all recipes you guys would like to share. I'm decided to start a cooking blog - I know I know, Like Libby needs another blog right? But I love to blog and I'm hoping it will help my love to cook. If nothing else I'll have it made into my own little recipe book.
 

I suck at crock pots.

 

This picture is gross isn't it. It just happens to be my fist encounter with the crock pot. I've been talking myself into using it for weeks. My friends at work have been cheering me on and giving me all the advice they can find. I was nervous, for a lot of reasons. 

*I suck at cooking, it overwhelms me

*My Mom's Kitchen will vouch for the first one - well the old oven and microwave would - if they were still alive.

*I have a HUGE fear of burning my house down by being careless. So leaving something on while no one is home just plain old stresses me right out.

*I've been given some poor feed back in the past. 

So I finally jumped in and forced myself to do something a domestic house wife would do - cook something using the crock pot. I pulled the crock pot out of the box :), followed very specific instructions and went to town. I called Colby later in the day to see how things were going - or to see if our home was still standing. He assured me all was well and the dinner smelled delicious.

  I came home anxious to taste and enjoy our first 'crock pot meal'. 

I took of the lid and started to cry, like really cry. I had failed. I had been told the recipe I was using was easy easy easy and fool proof.

  After Colby talked me out of being a failure, we headed to Cafe Rio. My pulled pork might have failed but The Rio never lets me down. 

Later I filled the pot with water and turned it back on. Most of the ashes were cooked off and I was able to scrub the rest of the junk out and salvage the crock pot. -Much to my dismay. I never wanted to use that stupid thing again. 

 

Denver, CO

Colb and I had the chance to visit my brother Taft and his cute family at their new home in CO. We planned on it all summer long but it wasn't until we had a date set and I'd taken the time off of work that it really felt real. Which was good, I was distracted once the time came. We left early Friday and drove through Wyoming. I did a lot of sleeping and Colby did a lot of driving. Quite possibly the most boring drive ever if you're wife's a sleeper in the car. :) I used to get car sick as a kid if we drove farther than Layton from Roy so I eventually programmed my mind (or my butt as my dad would say) to put myself to sleep as soon as we pulled out of the drive way. I no longer get car sick but the button in my butt still kicks in every once and a while.
  We got their just in time to get ready and settled in and then headed to a Rockie's game. We visited the 16th street mall which was awesome and watched the Rockies whale on the D-Backs. Great game, yummy Rockie Dogs, and awesome company. We had a ball!
  Day two Taft and Colb hit the Golf course while Lesha and I hung out. We talked a lot and played with Linc. I learn so much from Lesha, She's an incredible mother and has the best advice.
  Later Taft took us to the famous Cherry Cricket while Lesha was as work and then to his boss' house to play games. Also a good time. We played catch phrase and made some good friends. Taft's boss and his wife are so much fun. They were so sweet to have us and even hugged me as we were headed out.
  Sunday we hit up a Farmer's market just to check it out. Later we shopped Nordstrom Rack and got lunch at Lesha's work, The Waterton Tavern. I'm now craving this place. I enjoyed what the menu referred to as "The Roxy". I was sure I had died and gone to heaven, not kidding. Colby and I were both shocked that I ate so much. Seriously, I'd pay $25 dollars for the Burger again. (just don't tell P that, I don't want it to go to head) :)
 Sunday night Colb and I went for a walk around their neighborhood and admired the little city that they have chosen to call home for a little bit. We loved it so much, we're hoping to move their one day. (if taft and lesha don't move ha ha)
  We stayed up watching tv and laughing and enjoying the company.
  We had to head home Monday morning and we were both disappointed. It was sad to say goodbye to Lincoln, he's growing up so fast. He mastered both our names while we were there and it was so sweet to hear him say them.
  Our drive home was uneventful. We found a little outlet mall that we quickly rushed through before heading the rest of the way home. I slept a lot less :) and Colby and I were able to just chat. We talked about life, goals, and Colby prepared a mini family home evening for us. It was such a fun trip. Now, if we could get Taft and Kady to move their families in the same direction,  that would be awesome! For now though, I'll take every second I can get wherever my family is.
  *Pictures from our adventure. VERY few but I'm getting better.

Bronco's Stadium - I'd love to go inside some day.

-Rockies Game

I LOVE this picture of Colby and Lincoln.
Also, Linc was helping us pack so he was taking my pillow to the car. He put it down in the wood chips and laid on it. It was adorable. However, I couldn't get the camera out fast enough.

Right before we left. I love his crazy hair and his sweet smile. Thanks for having us Arnold family, we're already trying to come back, possibly for longer. We love you!