SoSH Football Central Covers Super Bowl XLIX

[mabrowndog]

Lots of stuff to come over the next two weeks from our bleary-eyed but gleeful correspondents. Tonight, Mark Schofield squeegeed the champagne spray off his monitor screen to take a quick look at Earl Thomas, who we've covered before and who will likely be the guardian at the gate on those Gronk routes up the middle off a free release that we all know and love.
 

 
While Richard Sherman – and more recently Kam Chancellor – grab the headlines in Seattle, Earl Thomas is the spine of the Seahawks defense. The safety handles the deep middle responsibility in Seattle’s Cover 3 scheme, as well as the free safety spot when they roll with Cover 1 coverage. Thomas excels in both schemes, simply eliminating inside seam routes and post routes at will.

 
Seahawks vs Patriots Quick Snap
 
 

 

[mascho]

I'm gonna have some of that champagne now.

 

[wibi]

Minor quibble but Thomas didnt actually intercept that ball on the play being shown in the article.  He bobbled it on landing and the ball hit the ground and was ruled incomplete on the replay.

 

[soxfan121]

Minor quibble but Thomas didnt actually intercept that ball on the play being shown in the article.  He bobbled it on landing and the ball hit the ground and was ruled incomplete on the replay.

 
Thanks. Article updated. 

 

[Tony C]

Football Central, Patriots Nation casts its lonely eyes on you.....please please give us substantive pieces to chew on -- it'll already been a long 2 weeks!

 

[mascho]

Here's what we've put up since Sunday night:
 
I've got a series counting down the Top 5 Offensive Plays of the Year:
 
Play 5
 
Play 4
 
Nomario breaks down the Revis INT from Sunday night:
 
Quick Out Route
 
Nazz looks at Nink's big night against the Colts:
 
Nink Was Everywhere
 
And SingaporeSoxFan's debut piece takes a look at how the Pats handle INTs in the wake of the Burnett slide:
 
The Morgan Burnett Electric Slide
 
ETA: We'll have some more stuff over the weekend, and we'll go deep on preview stuff next week. We're on to Glendale, believe me.

 

[soxfan121]

The Seattle Run Game Preview (Part 1) by Brian Filipiak

Q&A with Seahawks Insider Gregg Bell by A Cast of Thousands
 
Top 5 Patriots Offensive Plays of 2014 by Mark Schofield
 
Fumbling the Data: The Truth About the Patriots Fumble Rate by Daryl Sng
 
EDIT: More on the site. 

 

[Laser Show]

Just read the piece on defending Seattle's run attack. Extremely well done. Keep it up guys.

 

[rodderick]

Brilliant as always, guys. Just awesome work.

 

[mascho]

New stuff up now:
 
The Jon Ryan Punting Experience by Chuck Zodda
 
Seattle Run Game Preview Part Two by Brian Filipiak
 
Patriots Passing Preview Part One by Mark Schofield

 

[Saints Rest]

Just read the piece on defending Seattle's run attack. Extremely well done. Keep it up guys.

Me too.

Question: how is the Seahawks read-option offense different from that of the Tebow-led Broncos offense that the Pats destroyed 3 years ago?

Seems like discipline on the edges is key, which seems like Nink's bread and butter but Chandler's Kryptonite. How will the PAts attack this, considering it is pretty widely accepted that BB's strategy thru the years has been to stop that which an opposing offense does best?

In my mind, the two big matchups in this game are when Seattle runs and when the Pats pass. In the case of the latter, it's strength against strength; in the case of the former, it's strength against weakness. Can BB's schemes overcome their inherent weakness here?

 

[Toe Nash]

Loved that Ninkovich article. Watching the game, it was clear he had a great night, but you did a great job highlighting just how good.

 

[Super Nomario]

Me too.

Question: how is the Seahawks read-option offense different from that of the Tebow-led Broncos offense that the Pats destroyed 3 years ago?

The Broncos moved the ball effectively against the Patriots in those games when running was still an option. In the regular-season meeting, they scored on their first three drives, only passing the ball five times total (and one of those a trick play with Demaryius Thomas throwing it). Then they fumbled twice, the Pats built an 11-point halftime lead, and Denver got in situations where they had to throw, where they struggled. The playoff meeting got ugly fast, but McGahee and Ball combined for 30 carries for 120 yards, which is pretty decent.

 

[nazz45]

Me too.

Question: how is the Seahawks read-option offense different from that of the Tebow-led Broncos offense that the Pats destroyed 3 years ago?

 
Schematically it's not too different aside from a few wrinkles, but I would have to go back and watch the 2011 Tebow-led Broncos to really dig deeper... and no one should be punished like that. I think looking at the Chiefs is probably a better representation of the Seahawks offense.
 
Since you can also work play-action off the read-option look, the QB gap between someone like WIlson and Tebow is significant. I think with Tebow you could play zone coverage all day (which allows the secondary to be more active in the run game) and wait for one or two flutter balls to land in a DB's hands or 20 yards out of bounce. I think Wilson can slice up zone coverage if those are the only looks you throw at thim.

 

[soxfan121]

The Super Bowl XLIX Preview Central
 
Five new articles today, seven more tomorrow, twenty three for the week. 
 
We hope you are enjoying the education.

 

[MyDaughterLovesTomGordon]

I'm really enjoying the work. Maybe there are football sites I don't know about, but this is the most useful coverage I've seen anywhere. Great use of technology to tell the story. 
 
I find myself really focused on Thomas when the Seahawks are on defense. In the first pass-defense write-up, there's lots of talk about how much ground he covers. It seems like he'd have to be really impulsive to make those breaks. Are QBs not look-faking and pump-faking him all the time? Seems like he'd be prone to bite on those from time to time and leave the outside vulnerable. 
 
Maybe the corners just don't have a problem getting beat one on one. 

 

[mascho]

Thanks for reading MDLTG.
 
I think part of the issue with Thomas is that he commands so much respect, that teams don't do a lot near him to hold him in the middle of the field. So he's free to bail on the deep middle earlier that other free safeties. That, plus the skill of their corners, works so well for them.
 
I am curious to see if New England tries a few shots with Tyms down the middle, either to put pressure on Thomas, or to just hold him in the middle of the field. Also curious to see if Seattle uses Thomas on RBs like they have. That puts Chancellor in the middle of the field, where he is less adept. 

 

[IdiotKicker]

Five more pieces out this morning:
 
Patriots Passing Preview Part III: Beating Cover 3 by Mark Schofield
 
Diagnosing Steven Hauschka by Chuck Zodda
 
Resurgent Gronkowski: The Patriots Most Important Player by Joshua Soden
 
Confidence: Super Bowl Gambling Preview by John Limberakis
 
Patriots Super Bowl History in the Brady Belichick Era by John Vampatella

 

[Curtis Pride]

So far, 18 articles by 10 authors, plus a Q&A with a Seattle writer. One is a five-parter on the Pats' top 5 offensive plays.

 

[Tony C]

awesome stuff. best analysis out there.

 

[mascho]

Thanks for reading man. Really glad you've enjoyed it.

 

[mabrowndog]

Our final Super Bowl preview piece:
 
Jeremy Turner (JerBear) breaks down potential methods to defend and contain Russell Wilson.
 
While the mainstream media focused on everything BUT football this week, our writers kicked their asses up and down the analytical spectrum in every possible way.
 
Thanks to all for reading.

 

[DaveRoberts'Shoes]

I didn't write an article on him specifically, but I think Sherman will play and be ok to start but his use of that arm could be significantly hampered by a few hard tackles

 

[Kevin Youkulele]

Our final Super Bowl preview piece:
 
Jeremy Turner (JerBear) breaks down potential methods to defend and contain Russell Wilson.
 
While the mainstream media focused on everything BUT football this week, our writers kicked their asses up and down the analytical spectrum in every possible way.
 
Thanks to all for reading.

You guys really covered yourselves in glory with these analyses.  Very, very well done.

 

[BoneForYourJar]

I've learned more about football this past week than the rest of my life combined, and 80% of it through SoSH FC.  Thanks for the great work. 

 

[Just a bit outside]

I've learned more about football this past week than the rest of my life combined, and 80% of it through SoSH FC.  Thanks for the great work. 

I agree. You guys are a must read for anyone who likes the strategy behind the game. Thank you.

 

[mascho]

Thanks for reading guys, glad everyone is enjoying the work.
 
The season rolls on for us at FC tomorrow, we'll have Super Bowl recap stuff this week and then we'll transition into our off-season stuff, with season recaps, draft previews, draft prospect breakdowns, mock drafts, and more. 

 

[bankshot1]

thank you SoSH FC- you guys did a great job

 

[Mystic Merlin]

For those of you looking to kill time and avoid the absolute dogshit pregame filler on NBC/ESPN/NFLN, here's some great articles and a podcast from Greg Cosell:
 
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doug_farrar/2015/01/28/super-bowl-preview-podcast-with-greg-cosell-and-doug-farrar
 
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/greg-cosell-s-super-bowl-preview--how-the-patriots-will-defend-seattle-162146044.html
 
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/greg-cosell-s-super-bowl-preview--new-england-s-approach-to-seattle-s-d-183207106.html

 

[drbretto]

Thank you all for this thread. That was 2004 again for me.

Whoops. Wrong thread. A little excited.

 

[dylanmarsh]

Not sure where to ask this, but why did the game clock continue in the second quarter when Amendola stepped out of bounds with 2:09 on the clock? He was touched but he stepped out on his own. The clock ran down to the two-minute warning following the play.

 

[JerBear]

Not sure where to ask this, but why did the game clock continue in the second quarter when Amendola stepped out of bounds with 2:09 on the clock? He was touched but he stepped out on his own. The clock ran down to the two-minute warning following the play.

 
NFL Rulebook

 
 

1. With the exception of the last two minutes of the first half and the last five minutes of the second half, the game clock will be restarted following a kickoff return, a player going out of bounds on a play from scrimmage, or after declined penalties when appropriate on the referee’s signal.

 

[Curtis Pride]

Football Central has a few stories on the Super Bowl up right now:
 
Malcolm Butler in the Middle
 
Ninkovich Sack
 
Patriots' First TD Drive: Finding Tharold Simon