"Modern tight ends like Eifert, Gates and Gronkowski can outrun the linebackers and outmuscle the defensive backs. Defenses can’t match up with them." One solution might be for a team to take it's 3rd or 4th string TE and train him to be a special D-back with the responsibility of covering the opponent's top TE. Not necessarily a perfect solution but I am surprised that no team has at least tried it.
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Remember Mark Bavaro? I remember him on the Giant's carrying defenders with him! This article is right no. the TE is critical and why the Jet's and Giants lose more than they should. Bill Belicheck knows this all too well.
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While I have always thought that the TE was the key to successful offense, I really think you should've led with the phony (and costly) patriotism of the NFL. I'd rather that money went directly to the VA.
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Great column--by far the best football writing out there--at least that I know about. More! ME
Check best sports page in nation the Boston Globe
By lumping together the clock management scenarios the Giants have faced, TMQ missed an opportunity to mine the subtle, fascinating differences among them. In the 2011 Super Bowl, the right move was to take a knee and milk the clock all the way down to almost zero, then kick a winning field goal from the one. Belichick realized that, so he made the right move to let the Giants score. That final NY touchdown INCREASED the Pat's slim chances of winning because Brady got the ball back and was able to throw a hail-mary into the end zone. In September's Dallas game, a touchdown would have likely iced the game, putting the Giants up 10. Running was a good but not great option because it still would have left time on the clock, if the Giants only scored a field goal. And recall, Eli got confused and instructed Rashad Jennings not to score -- no doubt thinking back to Ahmad Bradshaw NOT being able to stop himself from scoring in the Super Bowl. So against Dallas, running and trying to score a TD was the right move, but the odds slightly favor scoring the TD - even by a pass - over milking the clock. In contrast, it would have been just the type of conservative move TMQ bemoans had the Giants just run the clock down against the Pats, giving Brady the ball back with more than a minute. A 5-4 team going against the Pats has to play to win. The right move was to go for the touchdown. Better to be up 5-7 points against the Pats with 2 minutes to go, then up 2 points with 1 minute to go.
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Another interesting clock management scenario occurred just before the ill-fated goal line pass at the end of the last Super Bowl. The play just before the pass was a running play that ended with just under a minute left. Although he's never admitted it, I'm convinced Pete Carroll assumed Belicheck would use a time out to try to preserve as much time as possible following a likely Seattle score. As the seconds ticked by without a NE time out, I think Carroll got a bit panicked about getting the play call and require personnel in and that contributed to the failure of the play. As to why Belicheck didn't call the time out, only he knows.
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See NFL Films "Do Your Job", a fine TV special on the 2014 Patriots, which shows Belichick calmly looking at the Seattle sideline, saying nothing, as the D coordinator Matt Patricia repeatedly asks "Do you want the timeout?". Boston Globe writer Dan Shaughnessy later said Belichick "looked across the field and saw that something was not right on the Seattle sideline", and that the Patriots won the Super Bowl because Bill Belichick did not panic.
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Basing half million $ college football coach bonus on GPA -- what a joke when GPA is equal to a D-! Sorry, need a football minor league, since these guys are NOT getting a real education!
Color of Starbucks cup--a real 1st world problem--lighten up!
Color of Starbucks cup--a real 1st world problem--lighten up!
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The tight end of tight ends was John Mackey. Mike Ditka agrees.
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TMQ's criticism of the Giants' playcalling on their final 3 plays is not just wrongheaded, it's results-driven and hypocritical to boot. With 2:06 to go and the Patriots having 2 timeouts (including 2-min warning), NYG could guarantee milking the clock only down to 1:15 or so, and only if they were to end up settling for a field goal. (Had they scored a TD on any of those 3 plays, the clock would have stopped with at least 1:45 to play.) Leaving 1:15 for the Patriots offense only needing to kick a FG is a poor ex ante strategy; the better choice was to go for a TD in the hopes of forcing the Pats to score their own touchdown, granted at the expense of leaving them closer to 2 minutes and possibly a timeout. Given that better option of trying to score a TD, throwing on 1st down was a fine decision (albeit it would have been nice had that play at least burned the 2-minute warning). I guarantee had Giants done as TMQ says was "obvious" -- run 3 times into the line, gotten the clock to 1:15, and kicked a FG -- and lost, they'd have been mentioned in the "Buck-Buck-Brawkkkk" section of this post.
But it was 1st and goal, Pats had 1 timeout with 2:06 on the clock. If the Giants run the ball, the Pats use their last timeout. Giants can throw or run on second down and bring it to the 2 minute warning. If they run again on 3rd down, the Pats have 1:15 AND no timeouts. Instead, they essentially gave the Pats another timeout so they had 1:45 and those last 30 seconds were crucial in gaining the yards they needed to win.
If I heard correctly last night (MNF, I was dozing...), 6 Super Bowl winning QBs lost during the week, something that had never happened in the NFL before.
There is "something new under the sun"...
There is "something new under the sun"...
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This is very interesting. The thought had never occurred to me! Kudos!
BOLO 2013 New Orleans Saints defense - that's an easy one. Of the 34 players that finished with the team in 2013 (including injured reserve), only 7 are still on the team.
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One note about Jerry Rice vs. Gronkowski TD-reception rate: The league of 20-30 years ago was far less friendly to passing teams, and receivers, than it is now. There was no such thing as calling illegal contact after 5 yards, QBs were on their own, and receivers running over the middle literally took their life in their hands. In such an era, Rice's (and both of his quarterbacks') accomplishments continue to amaze. Praise Gronk and other modern TEs, but it really is a different league today.
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Literally? Did anyone lose their life running over the middle?
Nick H, maybe not immediately but I think the well-documented effects of cumulative head trauma speak for themselves.
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As long as covering the tight end remains an afterthought to defensive coordinators, guys like Gronkowski will be fawned over as "great" receivers. Of course you can catch a lot of passes and ramble downfield unimpeded if the entire middle of the field is open to you, just as people like Lawrence Taylor used to charge the quarterback, completely unblocked, and come away with raves about his ability. I guarantee that one day, just as left tackles were 'invented' to combat edge rushers, failed tight ends (fast but poor blockers) will be converted to tight end coverage specialists and the problem of matching up with TE's height and weight advantages over defensive backs and speed advantage over linebackers with be a thing of the past. Why it's taking so long completely eludes me. The Tampa-2 is simply a dumb coverage to use if the opponent features a tight end who runs seam routes.
Gronkowski *is* a great receiver, and to imply otherwise is just absurd.
I don't think your assessment of the mismanagement of the clock by the Giants is as egregious as you make it out to be. Being 2:06 on the clock,Coughlin figured that any play called would take them to the 2 minute warning. Calling a pass play 5 yards from the end zone hoping to get the touchdown on a team with no running game makes sense. Unfortunately this didn't end at the 2 minute warning. The next play is guaranteed to stop the clock so pass or run doesn't matter. The final play call was likely a call where Manning was instructed to take a sack if he can't find someone open as occurred in the game. Considering a touchdown is so much more valuable than a field goal at this point, it is clear that Coughlin did not trust the team's ability to run it in. This series of events seems to be more of an indictment on the team's running ability than on Coughlin's clock management.
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How many years after Belichick got two star tight ends - any used them - did it take the rest of the League to come around?
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I guess the solution to covering TEs is that some TEs are going to have to be converted into a new kind of defensive back. Either that, or linebackers will have to get faster.
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Well I'm a New England fan so obviously a huge fan of Gronk, our huge tight end. The season and a half ground he went missing with some serious injuries he was sorely missed. Gronk is fun to watch because he's so big he can drag 3-4 players and still gain yardage. He also makes amazing catches due to large hands and impressive height combined with superb athleticism .
But I sometimes think that Cronk is more impressive as a blocker. Fact of the matter is patriots opponents never know where Gronk is going to appear and that makes him sometimes uncovered Per the infamous opening Pittsburgh game.
But I basically agree with the author hear that tight ends are now being maximized for the tremendous versatility they offer. And that only makes the game more exciting and Unpredictable.
But I sometimes think that Cronk is more impressive as a blocker. Fact of the matter is patriots opponents never know where Gronk is going to appear and that makes him sometimes uncovered Per the infamous opening Pittsburgh game.
But I basically agree with the author hear that tight ends are now being maximized for the tremendous versatility they offer. And that only makes the game more exciting and Unpredictable.
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You can tout both Gresham and Eifert but they have let fans down in Cincinnati. Gresham was a high round pick of Cincinnati's and basically he is best remembered for jawing with the opponent with no achievements to back it up, or dropping critical third down passes. I'm glad he's having success in Arizona, but I'm even happier he is not with the Bengals.
Eifert is still too early in his career to be crowned as some supreme, all pro tight end. He was injured all of last year and after last night's performance of three drops and some questionable route running, I'm not sure of the comfort level the team will have with running the key offensive plays through him.
Also, the Bengals have a lot of offensive play makers so the fact that he is able to get open isn't surprising, since they can spread the field and provide space for him to work in.
The guys who were truly remarkable were the guys of old like Mark Bavaro or Ozzie Newsome. They just went about their business, kept quiet, ran their routes, caught their passes, made critical blocks and helped their teams win.
Eifert is still too early in his career to be crowned as some supreme, all pro tight end. He was injured all of last year and after last night's performance of three drops and some questionable route running, I'm not sure of the comfort level the team will have with running the key offensive plays through him.
Also, the Bengals have a lot of offensive play makers so the fact that he is able to get open isn't surprising, since they can spread the field and provide space for him to work in.
The guys who were truly remarkable were the guys of old like Mark Bavaro or Ozzie Newsome. They just went about their business, kept quiet, ran their routes, caught their passes, made critical blocks and helped their teams win.
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Mr. Easterbrook, I think you are a sensational, witty and knowledgeable writer. Thank you!!
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Tight end prominence owes to a confluence of factors. All players in all sports, for a variety of reasons, are more athletic as a whole. The rank and file, not just the hall of famers, have improved.
While there is more emphasis on the passing game, coaches also want safeties who can stop the run, guys with good tackling ability who can cheat up in the box, and blitz. Thus, coverage skills of safeties have suffered, and the tight end is open. Also, the supreme wide outs make good decoys.
Tight ends who are good in space and can also block like Gronk and Witten are difficult to find. The spread offenses popular in college do not utilize the tight end. Perhaps the player personnel directors should look for more college power forwards who played football in high school like Gates.
I prefer the beauty of the passing game. But frequently the winner is the team that can impose its will with the run. Therefore, you really need a blocking tight end in many instances. You need that sure-thing, robust package in short yardage/ goal line. Seattle's play call in the Super Bowl was the worst ever.
The problem with most running backs receiving is not that they are musclebound. It's that they lack soft, experienced hands, and frequently had their hands mangled during rushing attempts. A back who can run after the catch is perhaps more deadly than a tight end. That's why TE Todd Christensen should be in the hall of fame.
While there is more emphasis on the passing game, coaches also want safeties who can stop the run, guys with good tackling ability who can cheat up in the box, and blitz. Thus, coverage skills of safeties have suffered, and the tight end is open. Also, the supreme wide outs make good decoys.
Tight ends who are good in space and can also block like Gronk and Witten are difficult to find. The spread offenses popular in college do not utilize the tight end. Perhaps the player personnel directors should look for more college power forwards who played football in high school like Gates.
I prefer the beauty of the passing game. But frequently the winner is the team that can impose its will with the run. Therefore, you really need a blocking tight end in many instances. You need that sure-thing, robust package in short yardage/ goal line. Seattle's play call in the Super Bowl was the worst ever.
The problem with most running backs receiving is not that they are musclebound. It's that they lack soft, experienced hands, and frequently had their hands mangled during rushing attempts. A back who can run after the catch is perhaps more deadly than a tight end. That's why TE Todd Christensen should be in the hall of fame.
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Great comment, but I would disagree with the assertion that Seattle's play call in the Super Bowl was the worst ever. During the season, Marshawn Lynch ran the ball from the 1-yard line 5 times, which yielded 1 TD, 2 runs for no gain, 2 runs for a loss. Regarding the decision to call a pass play, NFL teams had thrown the ball 108 times on the opposing team’s 1-yard line during the season. Those passes produced 66 touchdowns (a success rate of 61.1 percent, down to 59.5 percent when you throw in three sacks) and zero interceptions. The 223 running plays had generated 129 touchdowns (a 57.8 percent success rate) and two turnovers on fumbles. Certainly one could argue that momentum was on Lynch's side at the time - but to say it was the worst call ever just doesn't jive with the stats. Plus, had Butler not made one of the best plays in Super Bowl history, it probably would have been a TD.
Calling it the worst might not jibe with the stats, but it certainly doesn't jive. That would be Barbara Billingsley's job!
One thing that probably didn't make the cut is that Eifert played awful Monday night and the Bengals only put up 6 points and lost to a bad Texans team.
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Dez Bryant spent more energy calling reporters foul names during a locker room rant mid-week than he did trying to prevent the final interception by Tampa Sunday.
But - "Dez is passionate. He's a leader." - Jerry Jones
(I will admit I would not blame any pundit who picked the Boys for the Super Bowl to feel a mite moronic about now.)
But - "Dez is passionate. He's a leader." - Jerry Jones
(I will admit I would not blame any pundit who picked the Boys for the Super Bowl to feel a mite moronic about now.)
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I believe Jones referred to Greg Hardy as a "leader" too.
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Indeed.
1. cowboys still worthless despite presence of future hall of famer jason witten.
2. Now the Lions are mathematically alive to finish 9-7.
2. Now the Lions are mathematically alive to finish 9-7.
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Dez Bryant being a prima donna and playing bad situational football is nothing new. But as his string of bad plays and poor decisions continue, one has to wonder how much blame to assign to the coaching staff. In critical situations, the Cowboys continue to target him and Bryant continues to fail to wrap up the ball, play defense, or otherwise care about anything other than an easy completion. Clearly Bryant's best role in any important situation is as a decoy.
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Gregg, I think you're mistaken. The NFL IS a vital part of our national security.
The unemployment rate for males aged 18-19 is 15%, and the rate for males aged 20-24 is 10.6%. According to the Dept. of Labor, 12.4 million males between the ages 18-24 are not working.
Additionally, in October the Washington Post estimated there were 357 million guns in the US in 2013.
Our government kept young men occupied during the great depression in CCC work camps across the country. Now the government subsidizes the NFL and keeps young men busy with football and cheap beer.
Sorry for getting all political about football...
The unemployment rate for males aged 18-19 is 15%, and the rate for males aged 20-24 is 10.6%. According to the Dept. of Labor, 12.4 million males between the ages 18-24 are not working.
Additionally, in October the Washington Post estimated there were 357 million guns in the US in 2013.
Our government kept young men occupied during the great depression in CCC work camps across the country. Now the government subsidizes the NFL and keeps young men busy with football and cheap beer.
Sorry for getting all political about football...
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