Tag Archives: Chicago Bears

Prime Pass Rushers Tilt The Field

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I forgot where we were having the conversation but I remember explaining to a football fan that nothing changes a team’s fortunes faster than a prime pass rusher. Not only does it improve your defense against the pass but it masks defensive deficiencies in the secondary. Its one of the reasons Taylor Blitz has Green Bay on its way to at least the NFC Championship Game this year with the acquisition of Micah Parsons.

This has been a lesson passed down from days gone by from two defensive terrorists The Chancellor has met that rushed the passer. Fred Dean & Cedrick Hardman. This especially holds true when a pass rusher in his prime is all of a sudden dropped on to a new team in a new division and I needed to elaborate further.

In 5th grade (1980) i remember the Raiders signing veteran Cedrick Hardman to rush the passer #86. He got 9.5 sacks as a designated pass rusher that helped Lester Hayes lead the NFL with 13 interceptions & they won Super Bowl XV.

The next year the idiotic move was San Diego sending a prime Fred Dean to San Francisco and they came out of nowhere to win Super Bowl XVI. It was Hardman, Dean and Lawrence Taylor that taught me the effects of great pass rushers.
To further the notion, the 1980 Chargers with Fred Dean was 6th in total defense & led the league with 60 sacks. Without Dean they gave up 1,500 more yards (4,691 to 6,136 yards allowed) and fell to a ranking of 27th and history misremembers them as Air Coryell & a terrible defense. They had finished 5th in ’79 & 6th in ’80 with Dean on the roster.
Other notables:
  • DE Charles Haley in ’92 – Cowboys were 16th in defense and rose to #1 and won Super Bowl XXVII
  • DE Jevon Kearse in ’99 – Titans had 30 sacks in ’98, they had 54 as Kearse’s Titans made Super Bowl XXXIV
  • OLB Von Miller in ’21 – Added to the #1 defense from ’20 & had 2 sacks in Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles.
  • OLB Haason Reddick in ’22 – Improved from 10th to 3rd in defense & 39 sacks to 770 sacks. Went to Super Bowl LVII.

In Kearse’s case he set the NFL Rookie Record with 13.5 sacks and the Titans became one of the league’s most physical defenses. Reddick was Taylor Blitz Times Defensive Player of the Year with 16.5 sacks and spearheaded one of the NFL’s historic sack totals. We hadn’t seen a sack total like that since the ’89 Vikings with 71 sacks, just 1 off the league record of 72 by Chicago. Both the Bears & Vikings were #1 defensively and the Eagles would have been had they not been in so many blowout victories.

Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick forces a first quarter fumble on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, January 29, 2023 in Philadelphia.

The NFL world is still buzzing with the idiotic trade of Dallas prime pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. Moves like this completely tilt the field when a defense receives a weapon to bolster its lineup. Especially in this division. We all know of the seismic shift that took place when Green Bay signed the late Reggie White back in 1993, but remember the Bears bringing in PFHOF Julius Peppers to the division in 2010?

Chicago went from 17th in defense in 2009 to 4th and made it to the NFC Championship Game where they hosted Green Bay. Peppers was an All Pro for the 6th time in his career & 4th in NFL DPOY voting.

They did it again trading for future PFHoF Khalil Mack in 2018 leaping from 10th in defense to 3rd. They had been #1 for most of the season and Mack made his 5th straight Pro Bowl, 3rd All Pro selection, came in 2nd in voting for NFL DPOY (he won it in 2015) and led the Bears to a 12-4 record and first round bye. Mack was Taylor Blitz Defensive Player of the Year a 2nd time and The Chancellor predicted the carnage he would lay in Green Bay that first game on Monday Night. Why??

Well it was the 2nd coming of what happened when the San Francisco 49ers made the surprise move to pick up PFHoF DE Fred Dean at the start of 1981. Rivals within the division were unable to prepare for this terrorist to be dropped in their lap. They were unable to prepare via the draft or free agent personnel and here comes 4 time All Pro Micah Parsons. They were already the NFL’s 5th best defense in 2024. Yikes!

You could even bring up  PFHoF DeMarcus Ware when he joined Von Miller in Denver to win Super Bowl 50. Yet that was in his 2nd season in Denver and not the surprise element of tilting the field in the 1st.  Same can be said of fellow PFHoF DE Jared Allen. In his 2nd season in Minnesota (2009) he was among the league leaders in sacks (14.5) and led his Vikings to the NFC Championship Game featured here in a “Missing Rings” article.

Same can be said of the late Kevin Greene who tilted the field 3 times aiding 3 teams to either the conference championship or Super Bowl in 4 straight seasons. He led the league in sacks (14) in ’94 leading the Steelers to the AFC Championship then Super Bowl XXX the following season. He then joins the Carolina Panthers in ’96 leading the NFL in sacks again (14.5) and was the impetus in making the NFC Championship Game in their 2nd season of existence. He follows that up going to San Francisco as a designated pass rusher and accumulates another 10.5 sacks as they make the ’97 NFC Championship Game.
Fred Dean, Kevin Greene, Charles Haley, Julius Peppers, Jared Allen, and DeMarcus Ware are all enshrined in Canton. Von Miller will be there one day and with a few more All Pro selections Micah will be there as well. Just understand more than any other position, a prime pass rusher whether from a Defensive End or Outside Linebacker dramatically increases a team’s success more than any other position.
Starting in that 1981 season when I learned the lesson of the importance of the weak side pass rusher. All of a sudden drafting the Left Tackle became a focal point of the offense and many teams lead rebuilds around selecting one in the 1st round. It’s also when you started to see Left Tackle salaries soar. Do you realize in 2025, 23 of the NFL’s 32 teams have their LT in their top 5 highest paid players? If stopping prime pass rushers carries this type of weight what value do the pass rushers have themselves?
Nothing tilts the field for a team’s immediate fortunes like landing a prime pass rusher. Nothing… franchise QBs or all time great running backs don’t get dealt at their zenith.
Again the lessons learned have brought me as a defensive afecionado to writing about these exploits and spreading this with fellow fans. For me it started with Cedrick Hardman & Fred Dean, both of whom I had the chance to meet.
With Cedrick I used to run into him at The White House in Laguna Beach California early 2000s Talked football over many drinks. Same with Fred at the PFHoF hotel in Canton. We’re having a drink at the bar in Canton and I explained the both of them teaching me the lesson of pass rush terrorists and Dean said “Your ass is too young to remember all this zhit” I hit him back… “You know that’s the same muthaphukkin’ thing Cedrick’s ass said.” Great times ….great laughs. I had waited 37 years to shake Dean’s hand and thank him for that lesson.
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2025 NFC North Preview

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The NFL world is still buzzing with the idiotic trade of Dallas prime pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. Moves like this completely tilt the field when a defense receives a weapon to bolster its lineup. Especially in this division. We all know of the seismic shift that took place when Green Bay signed the late Reggie White back in 1993, but remember the Bears bringing in PFHOF Julius Peppers to the division in 2010?

Chicago went from 17th in defense in 2009 to 4th and made it to the NFC Championship Game where they hosted Green Bay. Peppers was an All Pro for the 6th time in his career & 4th in NFL DPOY voting.

They did it again trading for future PFHoF Khalil Mack in 2018 leaping from 10th in defense to 3rd. They had been #1 for most of the season and Mack made his 5th straight Pro Bowl, 3rd All Pro selection, came in 2nd in voting for NFL DPOY (he won it in 2015) and led the Bears to a 12-4 record and first round bye. Mack was Taylor Blitz Defensive Player of the Year a 2nd time and The Chancellor predicted the carnage he would lay in Green Bay that first game on Monday Night. Why??

Well it was the 2nd coming of what happened when the San Francisco 49ers made the surprise move to pick up PFHoF DE Fred Dean at the start of 1981. Rivals within the division were unable to prepare for this terrorist to be dropped in their lap. They were unable to prepare via the draft or free agent personnel and here comes 4 time All Pro Michah Parsons. They were already the NFL’s 5th best defense in 2024. Yikes!

NFC North 2025 Prediction:

  1. Green Bay Packers 14-3 *
  2. Chicago Bears 10-7 @
  3. Detroit Lions 9-8
  4. Minnesota Vikings 6-10

The team best equipped to deal with Micah are the Detroit Lions with Pro Bowl Tackles Pinei Sewell (3rd) & Taylor Decker (1st). However the surprise retirement of 4 time Pro Bowl Center Frank Ragnow along with replacing Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson will bring the Lions back to the pack and may have closed their window.

The best offensive line in football losing their Center is bigger than fans think. Blocking audibles and slide protections aside, he’s being replaced by an older (33 yrs) Graham Glasgow. Some of those holes for Jamyr Gibbs & Montgomery on stretch plays may be missing the 1st part of the season. We know what happens when Jared Goff has pressure up the middle also.

The schdule isnt kind with the Packers, Ravens, and Chiefs out of the gate where a 3-3 record is likely. One game is where they take on their old OC Ben Johnson now with the Bears. At least that game is home where they start in Lambeau and face the Ravens & Chiefs also on the road. Then have back to back road games in Washington & Philadelphia. The two teams that played in last year’s NFC Championship after the Commanders upset Detroit. They could be 5-5 after 10 weeks.

Much like the memo that went out to Packers QB Jordan Love, the same can be said in Chicago. The Bears fortifying their front line trading for Pro Bowl G Joe Thuney & Jonah Jackson and bringing in C Drew Dalman from Atlanta are proof positive the front office has done everything to make you a winner. No excuses.

Williams is set to make the jump 2nd year NFL players experience if by nothing else the talent put around him to win. This new look like with RB D’Andre Swift, WR DJ Moore & Rome Odunze will score more points under HC Ben Johnson. He has to produce and will but not to the degree of winning the division.

The Vikings will take a significant step back with JJ McCarthy taking over for Sam Darnold. Many thought the Vikings overreached for him in the 1st round two years ago coming out of Michigan. Last year he was injured and missed the entire season so this is his true rookie year.

Can he pick up and perform where Sam Darnold left off? No, Darnold was at least going into his 7th season and learned under Kyle Shanahan the season before coming to Coach McConnell. You have to give grace to McCarthy learning on the job and will have his ups and downs. This division is too stout for a 1st year starting QB though.

That Green Bay Packers memo I joked about? Well Jordan Love, last year management gave you workhorse back Josh Jacobs. He responded with 1,329 yards & 15 TDs to keep the pressure off. You might have the best corps of young receivers in all of football in Reed (55 rec. 857 yds 6TDs), Doubs (46 rec. 601 yds 2 TDs), then Watson & Wicks. Who will emerge or will they stay the hungry group fighting to outperform their counterparts?

Pick your poison as this team has weapons and I’ve already forwarned how the defense should improve. Its Watson who has to stay healthy and make the plays early in games to give the Packers leads against quality opponents. This was missing last year but was front and center in 2023 when he played his way into the divsional round & contract extension.

With all the talent around him plus the move to add Micah to the defense, management feels this is a Super Bowl push season. Where does Taylor Blitz have Love & the Packers?? At least in the NFC Championship Game.

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Taylor Blitz Defensive Player of the Year 2024: Andrew Van Ginkel

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As we power toward the 2025 season, we have some unfinished business and its time to put it down on record although social media-wise many know who The Chancellor had selected: Viking Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkle.

At the start of 2024 many pundits had the Vikings finishing in the middle of the pack, having lost longtime QB Kirk Cousins and then rookie JJ McCarthy to a season ending knee injury. By the time  journeyman Sam Darnold took over at QB, no one knew what to make of this team or had a focal point Coach O’Connell could hang his hat on. Enter DC Brian Flores and his free agent LB he coached in Miami.

Here at Taylor Blitz we’ve chronicled defenses historically that thrive on speed, confusion and the ability to force turnovers. Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores is a Bill Belichick disciple and brought Fritz Shurmer’s Zone Blitzing/Amoeba principles to this Twin Cities defense. The Chancellor chronicled “The Eagle Defense” featuring Kevin Greene rom the LA Rams 89 playoff run.

Weakside OLB

Van Ginkel was a wildcard on the defense and it was showcased from game 1. He lined up at OLB in a 3-4, double A Gap blitzing LB, in a 3-3 Nickle Backer, and the only ‘backer inside in the dime defense (red dot) and he terrorized Daniel Jones all day.

Dime “A” Gap ‘Backer

He finished with 4 tackles 1 sack, 2 QB hits, 1 pass break up and a game clinching 3rd quarter pick 6 of a bubble screen to ballon the Vikings lead to 28-6. This time he was lined up at Outside Linebacker on the Strong Side. A sudden lightning strike that brought the boo-birds out in Giants Stadium

3-3 Strong Side Outside ‘Backer

This play galvanized the team infusing belief and confidence in the 1-0 Vikings & sent the Giants into the tailspin that ended Daniel Jones’ tenure in New York as a starting QB. Ironically it was Van Ginkel who knocked him out of a game the season before when he was with Miami… yet I digress.

He finished off New York when in the season’s 5th week the surprising Vikings (4-0)  took on the reeling uncertain Jets (2-2) in London. With a 3-0 lead and Aaron Rodgers driving, Van Ginkel struck from an interior rush position baiting him into a “hot read” interception he took back 63 yards for a TD that had the Vikings up 10-0. Panic and dread came over the Jets sideline as Minnesota went on to a 23-17 win.

Wait.. finish off New York? Yes. Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh was fired just two days later after a disappointing 2-3 start.

The Vikings headed into their bye week at 5-0 and the defense was leading the NFL in sacks and ranked 4th overall. Van Ginkel & company stayed on The Chancellor of Football’s radar throughout the year.

For the season Van Ginkel finished the season with 79 total tackles, 11 1/2 sacks, 18 tackles for loss and an additional 19 hits on the QB. He tied for the team lead in tackles for loss which leads to punts to end drives and was 2nd on the team by 1/2 a sack. However he had 2 season changing interceptions for touchdowns that catapulted him to a 2nd team All Pro selection.

National recognition by the sporting press usually comes a year after a player has achieved a status where that doesn’t happen here.

The Vikings finished with a middle of the pack defense (16th) however a closer look shows they were tied for 1st in turnovers forced (33) and finished 5th (49) in sacks. Going into the winner take all finale the Vikings were 14-2 and had given up a lot of garbage yards in their wins. If they gave up just 201 yards less for the season they finish in the top ten defensively.

I wish he had more than the 1 forced fumble but this was a well rounded performance and worthy of Taylor Blitz Times Defensive Player of the Year.

Other Notable Taylor Blitz Defensive Player of the Year

2023. TJ Watt – Pittsburgh Steelers

2022 Hasaan Reddick – Philadelphia Eagles

2021 TJ Watt – Pittsburgh Steelers

2020 Aaron Donald – LA Rams

2019 Shaq Barrett – Tampa Bay Bucs

 

2018 Khalil Mack – Chicago Bears

 

 

2017 Aaron Donald – LA Rams   

2016 Khalil Mack – Oakland Raiders

 

 

2015 Thomas Davis – Carolina Panthers

2014 J.J. Watt – Houston Texans

2013 Richard Sherman – Seattle Seahawks

2012 Navorro Bowman: San Francisco 49ers

2011 D’Qwell Jackson: Cleveland Browns

Wilber Marshall Belongs In The Pro Football Hall of Fame

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While watching a young Derrick Brooks play linebacker with his explosive hitting style and speed, it made me think “Who does he remind me of?” Immediately my mind thought he was a Generation Y version of Wilber Marshall.

Marshall’s famous hit on Joe Ferguson in 1985… Ferguson landed in ’87.

He was a collision waiting to happen. Easily one of the most exciting football players I ever watched. Marshall was sudden and arrived at the football with a swiftness and anger rarely seen even in NFL circles. He made big plays…hits and turnovers that changed games. Something today’s soft NFL doesn’t allow. Any routine play could explode into a big moment when #58 was on the field.

Circling back to compare Marshall’s greatest season against that of D Brooks, keep in mind Hall of Fame member Brooks won ’02 NFL Defensive Player of the Year:

  • ’91 Marshall -135 tackles 5.5 sacks 4 FF, 1 FR 5 ints – 1 TD return
  • ’02 Brooks – 118 tackles 1 sack 1 FF, 1FR -1TD, 5 ints – 3TD returns

One might respond Brooks led his Bucs to a Super Bowl XXXVII win, just keep in mind Marshall led the Redskins to the XXVI title in his. Yet in this spectacular season Marshall didn’t make the Pro Bowl when he should have been up for the ’91 DPoY. Even in that voting he came in 6th. Something was definitely wrong.  Stats gainst those NFC OLB contemporaries:

  • ’91 Marshall -135 tackles 5.5 sacks 4 FF, 1 FR 5 ints – 1 TD return
  • ’91 Seth Joyner – 110 tackles 6.5 sacks 6FF, 4FR – 2TDs, 3 ints
  • ’91 Pat Swilling – 60 tackles 17 sacks 6FF, 1FR, 1 int – 1TD
  • ’91 Charles Haley – 53 tackles 7 sacks, 2FF & 1FR

Sack and forced fumble on Jim Kelly

Somehow Charles Haley bumped him from the Pro Bowl roster. He was traded to the Dallas Cowboys after the season for being a malcontent in the Niners locker room and this wasn’t close to one of Haley’s best seasons. Come on now…

All Marshall could do was leave his mark on the playing field in the playoffs. First he tied the NFC Championship Game sack record with 3 in their 41-10 win over the Lions. Then in Super Bowl XXVI Marshall recorded 11 tackles, 1 sack and 2 forced fumbles to lead the Redskins to a 37-24 triumph. He was the best player on the field, winning his 2nd World Championship. We’ll cover his 1st in a minute…

Did you know the reason you enjoy free agency in the offseason can be traced to this man?? His talent was so sought after the Washington Redskins broke an unwritten rule & signed him away from the Chicago Bears after the ’87 season. Not since John Riggins in the mid 70s had this happened with any player. Plan B Free Agency started in the NFL 2 years later but that was 2nd teamers and special teams guys. Not stars.. you didn’t see that for another 5 years.
Do you also realize the animosity Marshall built up within NFL ranks that kept him from being voted to the Pro Bowl is one of the reasons fans get to vote on it now? The chatter began leading up to XXVI on how a player of Marshall’s caliber wasn’t being recognized. This prompted Tom Jackson on NFL Countdown to help push this as he had this piece touting who he thought was the best linebacker in football the following season:
The season Jackson is referring to was Marshall’s 92 campaign where he finished with a career best 138 tackles, 6 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 3 recoveries along with 2 ints with one returned for a TD. He was an All Pro for the 2nd time and was 3rd in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting. This was his 6th with over 1oo tackles. It would have been his 7th straight but in the strike shortened season of ’87 he only played in 12 games and garnered 93 combined tackles.
Marshall could play Will, SAM over the TE, cover backs and slot receivers and blitz the QB like no other player. He also produced highlight reel hits where you heard the collective “Ooooh!!” reverberate through the stadium. Other linebackers loved watching him play as I found out “Hollywood” Henderson was a big fan of Marshall along with The Chancellor when we were talking about OLBs of the past.
Don’t take our thoughts as gospel. In the 1st part of his career he was a rising star on the greatest defense in NFL history. The ’85 Bears. Listen to Mike Singletary, Dave Duerson, Gary Fencik & Mike Ditka’s describing his play:
Another visceral look:
Marshall was Defensive Coordinator Buddy Ryan’s enforcer who would make plays all over the field. Look up any highlights on the ’85 Bears and Marshall is the one who flashed before your eyes making big hits and knocking out quarterbacks. As he did later in his career he showed up big in meaningful games.

Marshall forcing an Eric Dickerson fumble during the ’85 NFC Championship Game.

Against the Rams in the NFC Championship Game, Singletary’s hit on 4th and 1 and two forced fumbles by Eric Dickerson, one by Marshall below, and the complexion of that game changed. I can remember when Marshall crushed Henry Ellard on a shallow cross knocking his own chinstrap sideways.Then to ice the game Marshall recovered a fumble forced by Richard Dent and returned it 52 yards for the TD that punctuated their 24-0 victory.

In Super Bowl XX Marshall set the tone sharing the first sack of the game with MVP Richard Dent. He finished the game with 4 tackles, 1/2 sack and a fumble recovery.

Wilber was the enforcer on 2 teams lauded as 2 of the greatest champions of the Super Bowl era in the ’85 Bears & the ’91 Redskins. He finished as the 1st defensive player in the modern era (sacks being recorded as an official statistic beginning in ’82) to finish with over 40 sacks & 2o interceptions. His 45 sacks, 23 interceptions, 24 forced fumbles and 16 fumble recoveries illustrate how well rounded he was.

Fans are still making highlights on his exploits as one of the most destructive forces in NFL history. He helped shape two of the greatest champions of the last half century. His play was so sought after the Redskins ushered in the age of true free agency to acquire his services from Chicago. The era of excellence for the Bears ended with his defection. OLB Ron Rivera nor Jim Morrissey brought playmaking to the position as the 80s concluded. Not Jack Tatum level hits nor level of play.

In fact Randall Cunningham was interviewed on “All The Smoke Podcast” and watch how fast he answered this question and circled back to Marshall’s impression on him:

He finished with 2 All Pro Seasons and 3 Pro Bowls but helped usher in an era where fans along with players are able to voice who should be honored with a Pro Bowl trip. Marshall’s excellent play was the impetus as to why this has come to be.

The ’85 Bears are being honored with DT Steve McMichael being enshrined this August. Yet the most unforgettable player from that defense remains on the outside looking in. This needs to be corrected. His standoff with the Bears organization over past finances shouldn’t be a deterrent for the team to keep him from being honored also. So The Chancellor of Football will help make that push.

Please write & nominate #58
Send letters to:
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Attention: Senior Selection Committee
2121 George Halas Dr NW, Canton, 
OH 44708

For induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I present Wilber Marshall.

Coaches and players from the past advocated for on Taylor Blitz Times in order:

Robert Brazile 2011 (inducted 2018)

Ran into Robert Brazile after the Gold Jacket Dinner. Great time.

Kevin Greene 2011 (inducted 2016)

With Kevin Greene after the Induction ceremony.

Sterling Sharpe 2011

Terrell Davis 2011 (inducted 2017)

Jerry Kramer 2011 (inducted 2018)

“Hey big guy!” The laughs at the Hall of Fame party were priceless.

Everson Walls 2011

Randy Moss 2011 (inducted 2018)

Cris Carter 2011 (inducted 2013)

Tom Flores 2012 (inducted 2021)

Lester Hayes 2012

Chuck Foreman 2012

Edgerrin James 2013 (inducted 2020)

Andre Reed 2013 (inducted 2014) 

Roger Craig 2013

Corey Dillon 2014

Ken Riley 2015 (inducted 2023)

Ken Stabler 2015 (inducted 2016)

Drew Pearson 2016 (inducted 2021) 

Cliff Branch 2016 (inducted 2022)

Todd Christensen 2017

Hardy Nickerson 2020

2021 NFC South Previews & Predictions: Chance at Redemption

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One year after Tom Brady parted with Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots, he won his 7th Super Bowl validating he had plenty left in his tank. Is it possible for lightning to strike twice?? After all this is the 1st team to return all 22 starters from a championship team in nearly 40 years. In most football circles the Bucs are the talk to make it to Super Bowl LVI out in Sofi Stadium.

Feb 7, 2021; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrates during the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

However The Chancellor’s crystal ball is focused elsewhere in the division. For once upon a time there was a quarterback whisperer at coach who resurrected the career of a former starter who hadn’t met expectations. Yes we’re talking about Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints and no we’re not talking Drew Brees. We’ll get to that…

2021 NFC North Predictions

  1. New Orleans Saints 13-4*
  2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12-5**
  3. Atlanta Falcons 6-11
  4. Carolina Panthers 4-13

Tampa has to absorb every team’s best effort as they were forced to in the 31-29 opener against Dallas. In the next 7 weeks Brady, Gronk, Evans and the Bucs face 3 of the top 11 defenses from 2020.  Two of which are on the road where they face last year’s #1 ranked Rams with Aaron Donald and the Saints defense which finished 4th. 

In two of others, they face the Patriots on the road who finished #1 in defense in 2019 before having 8 defenders opt out last year. The other is the Chicago Bears who sacked Brady 3 times and punished the offense on a Monday Night winning 20-19.  Ohhh… check that former Taylor Blitz Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack sacked Brady on 3 occasions himself:

We had to remind you more than just Super Bowl LV was played and the Bucs offense has been bullied before. Other pundits have blinded you with ridiculous talk of the Bucs going undefeated but the fire breathing defenses the champs will face in these first 8 games will ensure 3 to 4 losses by the midway point. These teams will be taking their best shots when relatively healthy.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown and the offensive line will see former DPOY in Mack, Aaron Donald and throw in a Cam Jordan of New Orleans for good  measure. This offensive line has several sleepless nights coming this fall. These teams also reflect 4 of Tampa’s losses last year.

What will keep Tampa afloat and spur on a late season surge is Devin White and their 6th ranked defense. Between White (140 tackles/9 sacks) and Lavonte David (117 tackles /3 f.fumbles) this team has the most active set of linebackers in football. Once you combine DT Vita Vea, and interchangeable OLBs Jason Pierre Paul and 2019 Taylor Blitz Defensive Player of the Year Shaq Barrett this might be football’s best front 7. The Achille’s Heal is the play and health of their secondary. 

Tampa will make the playoffs and have a chance to defend their title. 

However there is a serious threat within the division seething over the Bucs hoisting the Lombardi Trophy last year. Its the New Orleans Saints. Fueled with the knowledge they had swept Tampa last year and former Bucs LB Kwon Alexander and QB Jameis Winston had to eat it and watch their former team become champions without them. 

Furthermore this group still hasn’t gotten over the horrible non interference call in the 2019 NFC Championship vs the Rams, or the Minneapolis Miracle in another heart breaking playoff loss in ’18. Sean Payton, Winston and everyone within that organization believe the Bucs stole their trophy last February. Sending Drew Brees, the NFL’s all time leading passer into retirement without a 2nd championship. 

Yet when you really take a look back an older Brees just couldnt throw the ball deep anymore and that allowed Saints opponents to clamp down on all patterns under 25 yards. 

Its up to the quarterback whisperer Sean Payton to work his magic a 3rd time. A 3rd time?? Yes… a 3rd time. Payton’s greatest work in sculpting a championship quarterback came before Drew Brees. Remember Kerry Collins??

Collins teamed with KiJana Carter on an undefeated Penn St team from 1994 and Kerry was the 1st franchise QB for the Carolina Panthers. Their 1st ever draft pick. He had moderate stats playing for a defensive minded Dom Capers in a conservative offense. They made the ’96 NFC Championship led by the late Kevin Greene, Lamar Lathon and a blood thirsty defense. Collins only threw for 14TDs that season.

Collins flamed out and after a series of personal battles found himself with a young offensive coordinator named Sean Payton in New York. Under his tutelage, Collins went from averaging 2300 yards per season to 3800 over 3 seasons. The crowning gem was the 2000 NFC Championship Game where Collins who was never expected to be a great pinpoint passer, set records for 1st half points, passing yards and passing TDs with both 4 in a half & 5 in a game. It was Payton’s masterpiece as Collins threw his 5th TD with 12:52 left in the 3rd quarter and the Giants were up 41-0 and began to remove starters. Collins could have thrown for 11 TDs in that game it was that lopsided:

Only Collins and Sid Luckman have thrown 5TDs in an NFL or NFC Championship Game… from 1933-2021. 

We have to apologize as we had to lend visual context to understand how spectacular a passing performance Collins put on under Payton’s guidance. Then go through the NFL’s All Time leading passer in Drew Brees and now you come to Jameis Winston.

Winston is clearly a greater passer than Kerry Collins as he was a Heisman Trophy Winner at Florida State when he threw for 4,000 yards and 40TDs as a freshman. Yes a freshman. Remember him winning the National Championship in front of 110,000 out in the Rose Bowl to conclude that year?? Funny how the media …keeps forgetting to show that yet I digress. 

What will Sean Payton be able to sculpt as he has a 5,000 yard passer with 30TDs in his last full season from Winston?? If Payton could reach NFL record heights with Brees, championship heights with both Collins and Brees what can he do with … hold on…. wait a second… “this just in” *Ahem* Jameis Winston throws for 5 touchdowns in a 38-3 drubbing of Green Bay!

Where was I? New Orleans will win the NFC South and the question is how far can Payton go with Winston?? Alvin Kamara will have a 1,000/1,000 yard season now that Latavius Murray signed with Baltimore. By the time teams begin to figure out New Orleans Payton will decide what to do with NFL single season reception record holder Michael Thomas coming off injury.

Stacked and motivated!

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Overcoaching Vol IV: 2019 Week 1 Editorial Rant – Packers v Bears

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Quit overcoaching!!!! All these young goofy coaches know nothing of running the football to establish tone and attitude. Who are you fooling in shotgun and a shuttle step handoff?? Your running back isnt generating any momentum once they get the football. Each time they go down at first contact at the line of scrimmage. Yes talking mainly about Chicago Bear coach Mike Nagy but this extends to Green Bay’s Lafleur’s play calling as well.

3d illustration of an NFL logo behind a transparent silver American football on top of a green football field

How many times did we see that last night with both teams?? Root your lineman in the ground, three point stance and fire forward…have your running back back step and explode forward generating momentum when he hits the line of scrimmage whether you run through 1, 3,5, or 7 hole.

He might break a tackle!!!

Employ a hop step, counter step, or back step for the runner and go!!

With your QB constantly in Pistol or Shotgun you cant fool the linebackers. They are seeing their keys and even the ball movement is too evident with this shotgun handoff bullshit… they’re looking right at the exchange.

What is being lost is nuance… and physicality. Keep this up and Bill Belichick and the Patriots will be lined up in a Power I and taking another title. All these gimmicky Sports Center coaches swam upstream like fish to get swallowed by a fat old carp named Belichick who knew better.

What most people havent noticed is Belichick is the greatest collector of information and teacher of situational football. Yes he runs pick plays to get slow mediocre receivers open but he runs the football with muscle and authority UNDER CENTER. He keeps the linebackers from gaining half a step in scraping toward the hole the runner is heading for.

Belichick actually is employing elements of his 2001-2004 playbook when he was feeding Antowain Smith and Corey Dillon down opponents throats. Go look at the TDs when Smith scored in Super Bowl XXXVIII against Carolina. He has DE Richard Seymour and LB Mike Vrabel on offense blocking at the goalline and knocked Panthers back in the endzone.

Fast forward to last January and the Super Bowl and Sony Michel was behind #46 Devlin and a power set and ran for 3 TDs against San Diego in the playoffs, nearly 100 yards in the AFC Championship and another score in Kansas City… then when the Super Bowl was on the line and gimmicky Los Angeles needed the ball back, Belichick put the team in power running sets and ran it down their throats…

Remember the NFL is starting its 100th season. Running the football with force has won all 100 of those years!! Get your knuckles in the dirt and fire off the damn football and knock your opponent back!!

Last night were two anemic offenses that never set anything up. It was like a boxer not throwing jabs…to set up the cross or uppercut to knock the opponent out. If you throw punches your opponent can see coming from a mile away…??

Quit with the 725 colored chart play call sheets… ain’t nothing but 25 pick plays from 12 formations anyway. Run the football with power and nuance linebackers to be where you want your offensive linemen to block them. Under center YOU get to dictate where that happens.

Jesus I see another 4 receiver spread formation from the 5 yard line and I’m going postal….