By Matt Osborne, Staff Writer With Super Bowl LVIII only two days away, both teams are in their final hours of preparation for the big showdown. One of the most intriguing aspects of every Super Bowl is to see how much teams change their approach heading into the biggest game of the season. There’s something to be said about a team attempting to catch their opponent off guard by altering their game plan in a much different way than what likely is anticipated. If done correctly, this can lead to confusion which is advantageous…
Category Archives: NFL
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Don’t Overthink It
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The Ultimate Play Designer
Continue ReadingAndy Reid has been a head coach since 1999 with both the Eagles and the Chiefs. He’s the only coach to win 100 games and go to four consecutive conference championships with two different franchises, and the only coach to appear in five consecutive conference championship games. Reid has won two Super Bowls with the Chiefs and has a chance at another one this Sunday. He’s a remarkable coach for many reasons, but what he’s best known for is being the ultimate play-designer and play-caller on offense. His game script and how he designs…
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The Disguise
Continue ReadingSuper Bowl week is here and if we turn on any sports shows this week, chances are, analysts will mention the word “disguise” while breaking down the matchup. Both teams have been watching game films on one another and devising a game plan to win, which includes incorporating strategies of deception. Once the game kicks off, the Chiefs’ defense will implement disguises in coverage to throw off 49ers quarterback, Brock Purdy. The 49ers’ defense will do something similar throughout the game as they will attempt to appear like they’re running…
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Rejection and Redirection
Continue ReadingIn 2022, Steve Wilks was the defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers and became the interim head coach after Matt Rhule was fired following a 1-4 start. After Wilks took over, the Panthers turned the season around going 6-6 the rest of the way and almost winning the NFC South Division. Following that season, Wilks was a candidate to be the permanent head coach of the Panthers, but instead, was passed over in favor of Frank Reich. It was a tough situation for Wilks not to get the job, considering…
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Found a Way to Win
Continue ReadingThe 49ers and Chiefs are heading to the Super Bowl, which sets up an incredible matchup. The path that both teams took to get here wasn’t an easy one, but they each found a way to win. Yesterday, the Chiefs went up against a Baltimore defense that was considered “a historically great defense,” yet they found a way to move the ball and get into the endzone enough to win. The Chiefs also had the tough task of facing likely MVP quarterback, Lamar Jackson, who is extremely difficult to stop (especially on…
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It’s Irrelevant
Continue ReadingBy Matt Osborne, Staff Writer With the San Francisco 49ers preparing to play in their second-consecutive NFC Championship Game, it’s easy to forget the incredible story of their starting quarterback, Brock Purdy. After a standout collegiate career at Iowa State, Purdy was selected as “Mr. Irrelevant” – the title given to the last player selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. The title “Mr. Irrelevant” was created as a way to highlight the fact that some people said it was “irrelevant” who was selected as the last pick since that player wouldn’t accomplish…
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Ravens Are Unique
Continue ReadingAs fans, we know that ego, self-promotion, and arrogance are prevalent throughout sports – especially during postgame interviews and press conferences. So hearing or seeing coaches and players respond differently stands out and we take notice. Following last week’s convincing win against the Texans, there were two examples of this from the Baltimore Ravens. Their quarterback, Lamar Jackson is likely the league’s MVP this year (he had a strong performance last Saturday), but the small gesture he made in his postgame interview is worth noting. As he often does, he finished his interview with ESPN’s sideline reporter,…
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The Bills’ Despair
Continue ReadingThe weekend’s NFL Divisional playoff round delivered enjoyable games to watch and impressive performances by the league’s top players. Most people expected the 49ers and Ravens to win since they are number one seeds and loaded with talent, and the majority thought the Lions had the advantage, as well. While all three of these teams took care of business, the Packers, Texans, and Bucs can hold their heads high for their ability to overachieve this season. We wrapped up the weekend with the much-anticipated matchup between the Chiefs and the Bills as Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes traveled…
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A “No-Show”
Continue ReadingFans of the Bills, Bucs, Packers, Lions, Chiefs, and Texans are all fired up about their impressive Wild Card wins. Those teams showed up, did what they needed to do, and executed in a way that led to victory. On the flip side, when it comes to evaluating the teams that lost (especially the Eagles, Cowboys, Browns, and Dolphins), we have to point to what they didn’t do. They didn’t step up. They didn’t rise to the occasion. They didn’t get it done. They didn’t handle the pressure well. They didn’t…
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Not the “Same Old Lions”
Continue ReadingThe Detroit Lions have historically been known as losers with the saying “Same Old Lions” representing their franchise’s history of disappointment. However, the process of dropping that label began on June 23rd, 2020 when Sheila Hamp became principal owner of the Lions, taking over for her mother, Martha Ford. Hamp then hired Chris Spielman to the front office, Brad Holmes as general manager, and Dan Campbell as head coach. Together, they have changed the identity of the Detroit Lions which was on full display Sunday night as they won their…
