NFL Week 4: The Jared Goff Cup

 

 

Greetings Tipsters

My first memory of American Football is sometime around 1976, I remember the enormous shoulder pads and the word ‘linebacker.’

What was a linebacker? I had no idea but the word conjured an image of someone tough and fast. Which wasn’t too far from the truth, back then and for some decades thereafter. Lawrence Taylor was a linebacker, played 13 seasons from 1981, one of the all-time best defensive players, he changed the game.

The game continued to evolve and linebackers ain’t as important as they used to be. The Outside Linebacker has become the Edge Rusher, who sprints off the line of scrimmage to smash the Quarterback. Captain of the Defense is still often a Middle Linebacker, someone sharp enough to read the Offense and tell people what to do.

American Football is an episodic game – play, reset, play again. The details are important. I watched a sack of Patrick Mahome at least seven times, from three or four angles, this morning, studying how the D got through the O line. A Cornerback got inside, hit him first, a Linebacker completed the sack. Any random snap, I might hit pause every quarter second and study how the tactics unfold.

There is something for every size of player too. David Parkin said, back in the 20thC, that Australian Football had something for every size. Not any more. I watched the AFL GF and there was a few 6’6” on each side and everyone else was close to 6’3’/190. LA Chargers biggest player is Joe Alt, 6’8” & 322. If Derius Davis, the smallest, dropped four pounds he would be exactly half Joe’s weight, he’s ten inches shorter.

Receivers, running backs, safetys, a lot of these blokes are under 6’ and 180lbs. The size and mobility difference also help make them more identifiable…

“But wait up,” you say, “they wear helmets, how can they be more identifiable?”

Take a look at the GF, most players similar size, same hairdo. Take a look at any NFL game – there be flowing locks, thick dreads and exquisite braids hanging over the back, red, black, purple, blue, blonde, skinny little blokes, short chunky, tall lean, sun-blocking vast. Then they sit on the sideline while the other team takes the field, we see them laughing over a great play, talking seriously about the next play. Gee, you might think that this sport was made for television.

Well, almost. It has evolved toward television but, like all football codes, is still telecast from the sideline. Players look upfield, coaches study film from behind the goals. American and Australian Football are the two codes most apart in playing style yet the two with the long downfield pass and spectacular high catch, and the view from behind the goal is almost always the most illustrative.

1997, me and my girl talked about a telecast that would allow us to pick our own camera angle. Still waiting for that – the NFL have it, but it costs a lot and pixillates enough to drive one slightly more mad.

I get enough, watched a game on Friday morning, two on Monday morning and Seahawks at Lions on Tuesday morning. Jared Goff threw 18/18, a record that may never be beaten – the previous best was 10/10. Average completion rate this season is 66%. On top of that, he received a pass for a touchdown in a beautifully designed and executed trick play.

The D is a bit of a worry, they gave up 395 yards in passing and let a lot of big plays through, plus gave up 12 penalties for 101 yards, two of those leading almost directly to touchdowns. Three and one is a good start, but, looking at the NFC North Division, the Vikings – the bloody Vikings! – are four/zip, conceding an average of just 15 points a game. I watched a video about the D structures, I might as well have watched one about quantum physics if I wanted bafflement. I’ll go watch it again soon.

Cheers Tipsters

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Image: Wikicommons

 

 

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