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What Really Matters in SB 50

Big Hog Mollies

Read & Learn!

By Greg A Bedard

When the stubby guy with a wicked bad Boston accent uttered the phrase entering his first draft as general manager of the Panthers in 2013, fans must have thought Carolina made a mistake hiring that Yankee.

“Big men allow you to compete,” Dave Gettleman said. “We're certainly going to look at the big hog mollies.”

Big hog mollies?

Gettleman, who had been grinding nearly 30 years as a scout, must have spent one too many nights in the film room.

“Yeah, people thought I was crazy,” Gettleman said now.

t turns out, a big hog molly is a term that helped explain Gettleman’s philosophy for building a football team: from the inside out.

Gettleman first heard the term “hog molly” from longtime scout George Sengal when he was in his early days working with the Bills. It’s another name for the Northern Hogsucker fish, which is very strong for its size (usually about two pounds) because it spends its life fighting against heavy currents in fast-moving streams. And it’s ugly. But for Gettleman, a hog molly represents a strong, big-bodied player who knows how to fight in the trenches.

“Tom Coughlin made a great statement to me fairly early when he came in [as Giants coach]: big men allow you to compete,” Gettleman said. “And the more you look at it, the more you watch film—I was a pro [personnel] guy for 15 years, all I did was watch film—and it’s true. If you’re not strong on either side of the line with the big guys, it’s going to bite you. It’s going to cost you. That was the one thing I knew we had to do.”
And that statement stuck in Gettleman’s head as he made his first two draft picks as the Panthers’ general manager: nose tackle Star Lotulelei (6' 2", 311 pounds) and defensive tackle Kawann Short (6' 3", 299 pounds).

. . .

A year later, Gettleman drafted LSU guard Trai Turner (6' 3", 310 pounds) and signed Andrew Norwell (6' 5", 320 pounds) as an undrafted free agent, rounding out the group of players that represent the foundation for what the Panthers do on offense and defense heading into Super Bowl 50. Lotulelei and Short give the Panthers a hard-to-move defensive interior on the line. They set the tone for the defense and allow linebackers Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis to run and hit without many blockers on them.

. . .

Once fans saw Gettleman’s plan at work on the field, it didn’t take long for them to go hog-wild for the hog mollies. The hog molly sandwich debuted at Bank of America Stadium before the 2014 season, and Gettleman was consulted on it, according to the Charlotte Observer. Among his directives: it should drip down the eater’s arm, and it should be on bread that won’t get soggy. The result: eight ounces of house-smoked beef brisket, french-fried onions, cole slaw, barbecue sauce, pickled jalapeno peppers and four slices of bacon, on a Kaiser roll.

“It really kind of took off,” says Gettleman.

All the way to the Super Bowl.
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Full article here: SI -Big Hog Mollies


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All these guys are big and strong on every team. It comes down to playing as a unit. Thats why the Pats can throw out 3 journeymen and 2 rookies on the OL and go 13-4. It's not like we haven't drafted lineman high. Hell it seems like ALL we have drafted is lineman high. So it comes down to coaching and YOUR boy Philbin didn't get it done so don't try to throw it our face now that its all about O-LINE. WE KNOW SONS, WE KNOW!!! :)
 
The Panthers D-line should have a much greater advantage over Denver's O-line than Denver's D-line has over Carolina's O-line. I'll be surprised if the game is close late. Everything points Carolina winning with relative ease.
 
[tweet]695742037417562112[/tweet]

Awesome C/G pull on the QB sweep.

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Analyzing the Unique Panthers Running Game

From SyedSchemes

The Panthers made it to Super Bowl 50 with one of the most dangerous running attacks in the NFL, having racked up at least 100 yards rushing in 29 straight games. Offensive Coordinator Mike Shula has utilized the strengths of Cam Newton to create a versatile and unique running attack that is very difficult to prepare for because of its mixed flow and deception. This article breaks down 6 key concepts from the Panthers running game that Denver will have to prepare for:

QB Buck Sweep (RPO)
Counter OF
QB G/T Counter Read or “Flash”
Jet Sweep Split Zone
Inverted/Power Veer
Triple Option


QB Buck Sweep (RPO)

Carolina is not the only NFL team that runs Buck Sweep, but Cam Newton allows the Panthers to run QB Buck Sweep, opening up other possibilities for the offense. Like the traditional version, the Panthers Buck Sweep involves 2 pulling lineman leading the way for Cam to run around the edge:

RPOBuckpngw696-1.jpg


Here, the left tackle, right tackle, and tight end (#88) Greg Olsen are all blocking down, while the center (#67) Ryan Kalil and right guard (#70) Trai Turner pull around to lead block for Cam. Meanwhile, (#35) Mike Tolbert motions behind Cam Newton and runs a swing screen to the left, drawing multiple Arizona defenders. Tolbert’s influence creates a huge numbers advantage for Carolina in the box, as none of Carolina’s blockers even have to account for the middle linebacker. The pulling lineman are untouched to the second level, leading to a touchdown:

OutnumberedRPOpngw869-1.jpg


As you can see, Cam and the Panthers also have the option to the throw the swing screen up top if they have a numbers advantage. Here, both Cardinal defenders immediately sprint out, making it an easy keep for Cam. This is an extremely difficult mixed flow read for linebackers; multiple lineman are pulling right, yet the running back is sprinting left, the QB can open and throw left, and there are three wide receivers able to block for the swing pass as well: Video on site

Denver has a few options to combat this RPO: they can play 1 high safety and bring another linebacker into the box, or play press coverage to the trips side while having the linebackers key the pulling lineman to make Cam get rid of the ball to the screen.


Counter OF

Counter OF is a scheme involving one guard and either a fullback or H-back as pullers. The Steelers often run Counter OF from a single back set, but the Panthers execute the play from I-formation. Counter OF is also known as power counter because of the similarities to Power run scheme. However, traditional Power has the pulling guard go up to the second level. In Counter OF, the fullback goes up to the second level:

CounterOFpngw699-1.jpg


Here, (#73) left tackle Michael Oher and (#68) left guard Andrew Norwell have a double team up to the linebacker. The center has a down block on the tilted 1-technique defensive tackle, and the right tackle (#74) is on man to man. Right guard (#70) Trai Turner is pulling for the defensive end, while fullback (#35) Mike Tolbert is pulling up for the play side linebacker after taking his counter steps to influence the linebackers: Video on site

This run exhibits great execution on three separate occasions: first, when the Seattle defensive end squeezes down to replace the left tackle, the pulling guard (#70) plays with great technique to hook, or “log” the defensive end. Next, fullback Mike Tolbert sifts through traffic to get up and deliver a block on the playside linebacker. Finally, running back (#28) Jonathan Stewart shows great patience to allow his blocks to develop. Many running backs would get tackled for a minimal gain here because of an unwillingness to let blocks develop.

. . .

Inverted/Power Veer

Inverted/Power Veer is an excellent compliment to QB G/T counter “flash” because the former is a full flow lineman and running back action while the latter is a mixed flow scheme. Inverted/Power Veer is blocked up front with a pulling guard like power, but one man is left unblocked and is the “read” man. The running back will run parallel to the line of scrimmage while the QB rides laterally to create a moving mesh point. If the read man steps out and angles toward the running back, the QB should keep it and run QB power. If the read man attacks downhill toward the mesh point, the QB should hand it off to the RB running outside. Note that the Panthers also occasionally also run Power/Inverted Veer reading the linebacker while “logging” the play side defensive end with the pulling guard: Video on site

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Read the excellent full article with more breakdowns and videos here: SyedSchemes - Panthers Run Game
 
j-off-her-doll said:
Awesome share, Sons.
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Thanks. Still digging around for some more relevant and recent info on Denver's defense. Though they may not have the talent to match that of Carolina, Phillip's scheme provides the flexibility and disguise in order to possibly confuse and throw off the rhythm of Carolina's option game. That's about all you can hope to do vs their option.

Here's some general notes I found from the late DC Jim Johnson in that regards:

1.) Dive/QB

2.) Pitch

3.) Pass

– Have Two Fronts

– Totally take away one thing (Dive/QB)

– Defend one thing (Pitch)

– Give them one thing which they are not good at (Pass)

Jim Johnson went on to say “You’ll never stop the option, the key is to disrupt their rhythm and make them uncomfortable.” He also talked about “safe pressure” and said something very worthy, “I never lost sleep at night wishing we were more aggressive on defense”
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This was related more to the college game as Newton is obviously a better passer than what defenses face in a college option QB.
 
On the season Newton averaged 7.8 YPA, and Carolina's D allowed 6.2 YPA (+1.6). Denver's D also allowed only 6.2 YPA, but Manning managed only 6.8 YPA (+0.6). Newton's rating was 99.4, and Carolina's D held opposing QB's to a rating of 73.5 (+25.9). Denver's D allowed a higher (though still good) 78.8 rating, but Manning managed just a 67.9 rating (-10.9).

If we decide that the playoffs are a better predictor, things get better for Denver in some areas and worse in others. For Carolina, it just gets better. Carolina is +3.1 in YPA and +45.7 in QB rating; Denver is -1.2 in YPA and +10.2 in QB rating. Denver is allowing 7.0 YPA but holding opposing QB's to a 71.5 QB rating; similarly, Carolina's YPA allowed went up (6.8), and the QB rating allowed went down (67.7). Like its defense, Denver's offense improved its QB rating (81.7) but accomplished fewer YPA (5.8); unlike its defense, Carolina's offense improved in QB rating (113.4) and YPA (9.9!).

Prior to the playoffs, anyone would have - rightly - said that Seattle and Arizona is a much more difficult path to the SB than Pittsburgh (without A. Brown and on their 83rd RB) and New England (with a decimated O-line). After Carolina completely dominated each (forgetting the half they forgot to play against Seattle), people forgot that the Cardinals and Seahawks were popular SB picks and probably the second and third best teams in the NFL. Carolina doesn't have to force anything, because they can win this game in a number of ways. Manning will struggle to move the ball, and Denver will struggle to pass without committing turnovers. Denver's interior O-line is significantly inferior to Short and Lotulelei, and Manning hasn't shown that he has the arm to attack the holes in Carolina's zones. Denver's run game is not as good as Seattle or Arizona's, and both Seattle and Arizona have much better passing games than Denver (not particularly close in either category). Carolina's weakness on D is supposed to be the deep ball, and Seattle and Arizona were two of the better teams in the NFL in this category, while Denver is toward the very bottom. People picking Denver think that Denver will be able to play keep away from Carolina by running the ball and throwing short passes, but Carolina's D should handle Denver's running game, and good luck throwing short with Kuechly and Davis in the middle.

Carolina's O vs Denver's D should be a great battle, and I expect the wins on drives to be about split between the two. Carolina's D vs Denver's O, though, is a complete mismatch. Varsity vs JV.

Newton is a top-5 player, and Kuechly is a top-5 player; Newton is the QB of the offense, and Kuechly is the QB of the defense. When you have superstars leading both units, it elevates the play of the team, and we've seen that all year with Carolina.

I'm thinking something like 34-10 with the potential to be worse.
 
Why Denver Should Bring Relentless Pressure

The only mind-blowing points in this article, is that this somehow doesn't pertain to other QB's (no names needed).


By Neil Hornsby

While Cam Newton is rightly the de facto MVP of the league, it’s still worth reiterating: As well as he has played, this has been far from a one-man show. His offensive line has been a major contributor.

I believe the most telling number going into Sunday is how Newton’s performance is affected by pressure. First, consider just how outstanding he is when his offensive line gives him a clean pocket:

Rank Quarterback Drop Att Comp Yds TDs INTs Rating
1 Russell Wilson 357 357 260 2,907 26 4 116.3
2 Kirk Cousins 396 396 304 3,181 23 4 114.7
3 Cam Newton 388 388 251 3,213 32 5 112.6
4 Andy Dalton 297 297 210 2,450 22 7 110.2
5 Matt Stafford 416 416 313 3,261 24 8 108.7

Predicated on his ability to make big plays (his 32 TD passes when kept clean were the most in the league) his 112.6 passer rating is the league’s third best. However, when he’s under some form of pressure, things deteriorate quite markedly.

Rank Quarterback Drop Att Comp Yds TDs INTs Rating
15 Ryan Tannehill 244 199 102 1,310 9 5 76.8
16 Matt Ryan 208 178 105 1,241 4 5 76.1
17 Derek Carr 175 144 76 1,061 7 6 75.6
18 Kirk Cousins 225 193 104 1,314 7 7 72.3
19 Cam Newton 192 157 80 1,120 6 6 71.1
20 Ben Roeth 163 137 71 1,157 3 6 69.5

Now his TD to interception ratio drops to 1:1 and he becomes only the 19th best, by passer rating, which falls a whopping 41.5 points.

For those who think that’s because when he’s under pressure he resorts to his legs to win the game consider this: In the five games he was under pressure the most, he scrambled five times for 33 yards total when pressured—hardly the stuff of legend. His best ground work this year has been on designed runs, where he ran 86 times for 427 yards at 5.8 yards per attempt.

So, obviously, the better he’s protected, the better he plays and for the most part his line has done a superior job in that regard. However, when they have given up pressure things have become far trickier for their “Superman” signal caller. To underline that point, the game in which he was pressured the most (at Atlanta, Week 16) is the only game they lost and was the only performance from his last 10 that we graded as negative.

However, this weekend he won’t be facing the Falcons, now it’s by far the best defense in football and a group that have made life incredibly difficult for nearly every QB its gone up against.

Denver’s defense can pressure the QB from nearly every position and that is made clear by the fact that even the interior line gets significant push. Derek Wolfe has 40 total pressures and is 11th in pass rush productivity among 3-4 DEs, while his partner in crime, Malik Jackson, is even more accomplished, generating 60 pressures and ranking eighth.

The match-up on the interior though, while it favors Denver, is not a clear win for the Broncos. Jackson and Wolfe will be going up against Andrew Norwell, Ryan Kalil & Trai Turner. Although every one of those linemen is a better run blocker than pass protector, their skills in pass blocking range from excellent (Turner) to average (Kalil). It’s highly unlikely they will capitulate in the way that the New England Patriots line did in the AFC title game.

. . .

If Carolina can pass protect with five, and far more importantly not have Miller destroy everything they do, they have a quarterback who can make things happen. As the numbers show, if Newton’s under pressure he becomes just another player, the advantage swings to Denver.

That’s why I feel the eventual winner of this encounter is likely to be the same as the winner of Remmers vs. Miller.
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Full Article Here: MMQB - The Super Bowl’s Biggest Mismatch, Starring Von Miller


Soak it up Dolphin fans and let's begin applying some common football sense to our own team.
 
Good stuff guys :up:


I'm just hoping there isn't a wardrobe malfunction at halftime. Lady gaga :crying:
 
Broncos Tunnel Screen, Now Slant, and Trips X-Drag Concepts

Older article but great detailed breakdown of a few of Denver's offensive plays featuring Demaryius Thomas.


By Dan Syed

With Demaryius Thomas franchise tagged and Peyton Manning officially returning to Denver for 2015, let’s take a deeper look into the QB-WR duo that has combined for nearly 300 Catches, 4,500 yards, and 35 TD’s in the past three seasons. Peyton gets the ball to Demaryius in a variety of ways, but particularly loves three Pass Concepts designed specifically to get the ball to his favorite Receiver: The Tunnel Screen, the “Now” Slant, and the Trips X-Drag.

TUNNEL SCREEN:

The Broncos run the Tunnel Screen (a/k/a Jailbreak Screen) more than any team in the NFL, with 6’3 230 Thomas on the receiving end almost every time. Denver runs the play from a variety of formations. Below is the play, with Denver is in Trips tight:

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- Assignments: (#1 WR): Sell Vertical, Bend back square to QB (#2 WR): Block out CB on #1 WR (#3 WR): Arc Block to Safety over #2 WR( Right Tackle): Sell Stretch Left, arc to first defender outside box (Right Guard): Sell Stretch Left, arc to first defender inside box

Above, the Broncos fake stretch play action going left, with the Tunnel Screen coming from the right. In order to execute the Tunnel Screen, Demaryius Thomas must first create space between him and the cornerback lined up over him by so the next inside Wide Receiver can block out his man. Thomas does this by selling hard vertically for 2-3 yards to drive back the cornerback before bending back to the ball with shoulders square to Manning. The inside most Wide Receiver here then arc blocks to the next inside defender (here, it is #29 Safety Eric Berry). This area is also known as “the sidewalk.” This creates the lane for Demaryius Thomas to run inside of:

ScreenShot20150305at72413PMpngw696-1.jpg


Now, the inside of the defense must be sealed off to give Thomas a lane to run. Both the right guard and right tackle take their outside zone step to the left to sell the play action stretch, and then widen out to their blocking assignment. The right tackle blocks the first player outside the box (the alley), and the right guard blocks the next inside player (here, the outside linebacker). This creates the lane or “Tunnel” (depicted in blue in first picture) to run through. After he sells vertical (driving back the corner nearly 7 yards) and bends back square, he catches the ball and finds the crease between where the Safety and Corner have been blocked out and where the right guard and tackle have sealed off the defense: Video on site

Denver can also run Tunnel Screen from a 2-WR or 1-WR 1-TE set to a side:

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Denver also runs the play with the Center pulling, depending on the front 7 look the defense is giving. Here the Tunnel Screen is once again run with a play action stretch fake going the other way. The #2 Receiver blocks the defender over Thomas, with the Right Tackle blocking the “sidewalk”, the right guard blocking the “alley”, and the center going straight down the middle of the field looking for someone to block: Video on site

The Tunnel Screen has become a staple of the Broncos offense; Manning loves to call it against blitzes, in short yardage when the box is loaded, and against both press and off coverage. Overall, it’s a great way to get a big fast Wideout an easy catch and have the ball in space.

“NOW” SLANT:

The “Now” slant (Or no step slant) isn’t a screen, but it functions similarly to the Tunnel screen by getting the ball to Demaryius Thomas on an easy catch in space with a head of steam. The Broncos run the “now” slant with Thomas from various formations. Thomas is always the outside most Receiver and either one or two inside Receivers clear out the space within the first five yards of the line of scrimmage for him. Thomas takes one jab step outside without going upfield and runs his slant route:

The play is particularly effective against Man coverage and blitzes because as long as Thomas beats his man with the outside jab, he’ll catch the ball on the run with the space vacated by other defenders: Video on site

Thomas does an excellent job of planting a foot in the ground and getting upfield almost immediately after the catch. The play is extremely simple yet incredibly effective for the Broncos. Denver especially likes the “now” slant in the red zone, serving almost as an extended handoff but gaining almost 7 yards a pop. While the above cutup has Wes Welker running a route, toward the goal line it appears as if the Bronco Receivers are just clearing out to block: Video on site

TRIPS X-DRAG:

The Broncos like the Trips X-Drag in 3rd and more than 7. Demaryius Thomas is the lone receiver on the backside of Trips (or Tight End Trips), with the Running back as #4 strong, meaning he is also to the side of the Trips. Thomas runs a drag route across the formation, while the 3 Receivers on the other side push vertical but really look to block, as they know the ball will be out quickly to Thomas with a head of steam. Also take note of the running back, who runs an angle route but is also clearly looking to block. The running back is specifically looking to pick the linebacker or DB who is pursuing Thomas from the middle of the field:

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A few clips of the Broncos running Trips X-Drag, picking up yards on 3rd and long either for a first down or to set up better field position: Videos on site

These 3 concepts made up around 20% of all of Demaryius Thomas’ production on the 2014 season. They are plays specifically designed to get the ball in his hands, as no other Bronco runs them. Even with some questioning Peyton Manning’s health, notice that all these pass concepts are short throws and actually highlight Manning’s greatest strength: assessing the defense and calling the right play. When Manning notices a blitz or off coverage, the Tunnel Screen is a great audible. When Manning sees Cover 0, Cover 1, or an edge blitz from the secondary, the “now” slant is a perfect check.

Full article with videos here: Syedschemes
 
What was reinforced to me (now that SB50 is over) is... that a really good Defensive philosophy executed well will beat the most dynamic QB.

Would this be a bad place to mention I advocated for Wade to replace Coyle after the 2014 season?
 
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