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Strategy Minicamps
How to beat your opponent with 11 living, breathing chess pieces
06 Aug 2007, 12:50pm by Mike Tanier
Play of the Day: The Screen Package
It's time to get the ball to our playmakers in space. In the seventh and final installment of Play of the Day, we'll break down three different wide receiver screens, plus a double-pump-fake screen straight from the mind of Sean Payton.
18 Jul 2007, 10:59am by Mike Tanier
Play of the Day: Bunch Right Skinny Post
Just in case you ever thought about being an NFL free safety, Mike Tanier offers a play designed specifically to confound and exploit you.
11 Jul 2007, 07:12pm by Mike Tanier
Play of the Day: Epic End Around
Full house backfield? Check. Dangerous tight end and former college quarterback turned slash receiver at fullback? Check. Reverse to the split end? Check. Today's play has the makings of something special. So why did the Redskins execute it so poorly? Today, we analyze an almost-disastrous reverse to Santana Moss, looking for ways to make it better while preserving its delightful wackiness.
03 Jul 2007, 01:33pm by Mike Tanier
Play of the Day: Goal Line Tight End Passes
The best way to score in goal-to-go situations is to run the ball, but no playbook would be complete without a few goal line pass plays to keep the defense guessing. Today, we'll draw up two passes for the tight end: one a traditional rollout, the other designed to leave a Hall of Famer wide open in the corner of the end zone.
25 Jun 2007, 11:54am by Mike Tanier
Play of the Day: Empty Double Slants
It's third and short. Time to go with two backs, three tight ends, and a power running play, right? Heck no! We're going no-huddle and empty backfield for today's play: a Colts gamble that, thanks to a crazy bounce, paid big dividends for the Titans.
21 Jun 2007, 01:09pm by Mike Tanier
Play of The Day: Shotgun Fake Option Seamer
Vince Young is in the shotgun. Will he handoff? Rollout? Run? Throw? Norm Chow doesn't want you to know. Today's play is a fake option pass that would look right at home in Mack Brown or Urban Meyer's playbook.
19 Jun 2007, 01:42pm by Mike Tanier
Introducing "Play of the Day"
Summer is here, and the time is right to start installing new plays. Over the next few weeks, Football Outsiders will take you on a tour of some of the NFL's most interesting plays, from rollout options to end arounds. In this introductory column, Mike Tanier explores how NFL coaches are creating exotic formations out of ordinary personnel groupings.
11 Jan 2007, 06:14pm by Mike Tanier
Too Deep Zone: Protecting Rex Grossman
Does Rex Grossman have what it takes to win playoff games for the Bears? Maybe not, but he has what it takes to not lose them. Mike Tanier dissects three weeks worth of game tape to learn how coordinator Ron Turner uses simple schemes and short throws to hide his quarterback's weaknesses.
05 Jan 2007, 12:29pm by Mike Tanier
Too Deep Zone: Running Against the Colts
Everyone knows that the Colts run defense stinks. But we've studied the tape to find out why. Mike Tanier breaks down several running plays that have worked against the Colts and looks for the reasons behind their defensive collapse. It turns out that there is no shortage of culprits.
03 Nov 2006, 01:56pm by Mike Tanier
Too Deep Zone: Multi-Tight End Sets in the Passing Game
Get ready for all of the seam routes, corner routes, and flat routes you can handle! In Part 2 of a Two Deep Zone/Minicamp special, Mike Tanier analyzes how teams are using multiple tight ends in the passing game, whether as blockers, receivers, or decoys.