2015 - NFL Breakdowns

Geno Smith’s 13 Interceptions in 2014

An up and down season saw Geno Smith throw 13 interceptions in 13 games started. Still learning on the job and still showing many mental errors, there’s a fine line between interceptions that can be fixed and interceptions that are inexcusable. We’re going to break down which are which.

Regular Season Stats

	Completions	Attempts	CMP%	Yards	AVG	TD	INT	RATING
Geno Smith	219	367	59.7	2525	6.88	13	13	77.5

Interceptions by Zone

	OL	NL	M	NR	OR
30+	2	1	1		1
20-29		1	1		1
10-19		1	2	1
0-9
BEHIND LOS				1

1st and 16 at NYJ 24 (6:06) (Shotgun) G.Smith pass short right INTERCEPTED by C.Woodson at NYJ 30. C.Woodson to NYJ 28 for 2 yards (E.Decker).

Jets come out in a 1×2 shotgun set, while the Raiders are in a Cover-2 zone shell that’s actually hiding a Cover-3.

As Charles Woodson comes down from his starting Cover-2 spot, Geno Smith’s dropping back and staring right in Eric Decker’s direction. Smith could have still made this play work and fit the ball in there, but after reaching his final step in the drop he takes another hitch step before throwing, effectively throwing just as Decker has turned around. At this point it’s just too late, the combination of staring down and lateness is going to cost the Jets a possession.

1st and 10 at GB 27 (2:00) (Shotgun) G.Smith pass deep right intended for Z.Sudfeld INTERCEPTED by T.Williams [M.Daniels] at GB 3. T.Williams to GB 3 for no gain (Z.Sudfeld).

… Article continues here

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Cam Newton’s 15 Interceptions in 2014

Cam Newton threw 15 interceptions this season where 12 were in the regular season and 3 were in the postseason. In my previous film analysis we took a look at Newton’ 27 touchdown passes to see how he completed. This film breakdown will look at the opposite impact for his team that hindered the Panthers’ performance.

Regular Season Stats
Newton - 262/448 (58.5%), 6.98 y/a, 18 TDs, 12 INTs, 103 rushes for 539 yards and 5 TDs

Postseason Stats
Newton - 41/68 (60.3%), 6.53 y/a, 4 TDs, 3 INTs, 18 rushes for 72 yards
Note: Play numbers correspond to plays found here in the GIF Database.

Play 1
Situation: 2nd and 10 at CHI 25
Description: Q2 - (4:54) C.Newton pass short middle intended for B.Williams INTERCEPTED by L.Briggs (E.Ferguson) at CHI 21. L.Briggs to CHI 23 for 2 yards (B.Williams). The Replay Official challenged the pass completion ruling, and the play was Upheld. The ruling on the field stands.
Opponent: 5. CHI

Offensive Formation: Singleback Trips Bunch Left - “Lou” Call
Offensive Personnel: 12
Defensive Formation: Cover 1

Newton snaps the ball from under center watches the left side of the field. WR82 Cotchery lines up on the left side of the bunch and runs a wheel route, while TE84 Dickson is in front of the bunch running a seam route to find a gap between the linebackers and single-high safety. Newton releases the ball and it gets batted at the line of scrimmage into the air. LB55 Briggs dives at the ball and grabs it out of the air before it hits the ground.… Article continues here

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Tom Savage vs Indianapolis

Tom Savage was drafted by the Texans as a “project QB” for Bill O’Brien to work with and potentially mold into a starting QB. In his pre-draft scouting report Savage was noted as having a strong arm with a very good deep ball, the knowledge of how to run a pro-style offense, and the willingness to stay in the pocket and deliver a throw. His big flaws were his pocket awareness, advancing through his progressions, and his somewhat inconsistent accuracy in the short and mid range game. We were able to get an unexpected glimpse into Savage’s development when he was suddenly thrust into the starting role in the second quarter against Indianapolis in Week 15. Let’s see what skills, if any, Savage has improved in his time with the Texans.

Stats
10/19, 127 yards, 6.68 YPA, 0 TDs, 1 INT, 2 fumbles, 1 Sack for 5 yards, 1 rush for -5 yards

Tom Savage enters the game for the injured Ryan Fitzpatrick with 13:20 left in the 2nd Quarter and the score tied at 7.

Play 1
Situation: 3rd and 4 at HST 42
Description: Q2 - (13:06) (Shotgun) T.Savage pass short left for D.Hopkins to IND 49 for 9 yards (J.Freeman; D.Toler)

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Hopkins is running a 10 yard in route on this play. Shaun Phillips (highlighted on the line) times the snap to near perfection and just beats Derek Newton around the edge. Savage feels the pressure coming from his right, moves to his left, makes a nice move to avoid the arm tackle, and then fires the pass to where only Hopkins can make the catch.… Article continues here

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Tom Brady’s 44 Touchdowns in 2014

Tom Brady had an excellent year playing for the Patriots leading them to a Super Bowl victory over the Seahawk. In this breakdown, we will look at some of Brady’s top touchdowns throughout the regular season and post season. For all thirteen of his interceptions in my previous article click here.

Regular Season Stats
Brady - 373/582 (64.1%), 4,109 yards, 7.06 ypa, 33 TDs, 9 INTs
Postseason Stats
Brady - 93/135 (68.9%), 921 yards, 6.82 ypa, 10 TDs, 4 INTs
Note: Play numbers correspond to plays found here in the GIF Database.

Before we begin looking at some of his plays, I wanted to take a look at the recipients of Brady’s touchdowns:

Receiver Breakdown

Rob Gronkowski	14
Brandon LaFell	9
Tim Wright	6
Julian Edleman	5
Danny Amendola	3
Shane Vereen	3
Brian Tyms	1
James Develin	1
Nate Solder	1

As you can tell Gronkowksi was Brady’s main target in the endzone, but Brandon LaFell was also used in a variety of packages for deep passes down the sideline as well as quick out routes to get open utilizing his excellent cutting ability. It’s no surprise to based on Julian Edleman’s history in the slot that he is not a main endzone target rarely an endzone threat, which is why TE81 Tim Wright stepped up for the Patriots after Buccaneers traded for him last season. Here are the touchdowns broken down by quarter and down:

Quarter Breakdown

1st Quarter	6
2nd Quarter	17
3rd Quarter	11
4th Quarter	10

Down Breakdown

1st Down	17
2nd Down	14
3rd Down	13
4th Down	0

Here are the routes run the scored various touchdowns by Brady’s targets:

Route Breakdown

Slant/Drag	10
Out/Quick-Out/Snag	8
Go/Stop-n-Go	5
Corner	4
Seam	4
Post	3
Fade	3
Flat/Dart/Crease	3
Dig/Cross	2
Hitch	1

As well as the distance and location of the touchdowns:

Distance Breakdown

Fewer than 6 Yards	18
Between 6 and 15 yards	9
More than 15 yards	17

Location Breakdown

Deep Left	Deep Middle	Deep Right
4	2	3
Intermediate Left	Intermediate Middle	Intermediate Right
6	4	0
Short Left	Short Middle	Short Right
11	6	7

Since the Patriots offense is based on a lot of quick west coast concepts like the Slant-Flat Play to attack Cover 1 and Cover 3 defenses.… Article continues here

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Cam Newton’s 27 Touchdowns in 2014

Cam Newton was drafted out of Auburn first overall in 2011. During the 2014 season, Newton dealt with some injuries but played the vast majority of the season completing 27 touchdowns for the Panthers’ offense and leading them to the divisional round of the NFC playoffs. In this breakdown we will look at all of Newton’s touchdowns both in the regular season as well as the postseason.

Regular Season Stats
Newton - 262/448 (58.5%), 6.98 y/a, 18 TDs, 12 INTs, 103 rushes for 539 yards and 5 TDs
Postseason Stats
Newton - 41/68 (60.3%), 6.53 y/a, 4 TDs, 3 INTs, 18 rushes for 72 yards
Note: Play numbers correspond to plays found here in the GIF Database.

Before we begin looking at some of his plays, I wanted to take a look at the recipients of Newton’s touchdowns:

Receiver Breakdown

Kelvin Benjamin	9
Greg Olsen	5
Corey Brown	2
Fozzy Whittaker	2
Jason Avant	1
Jonathan Stewart	1
Ed Dickson	1
Mike Tolbert	1

Kelvin Benjamin, the rookie wide receiver from Florida State University, really stepped up and made an impact catching 73 balls for 1,008 yards. He should continue to grow as Newton’s primary target alongside 2015 NFL Draft pick Devin Funchess from Michigan. Greg Olsen remains a valuable endzone target also when the Panthers aren’t running a variation of a misdirection involving Newton’s athletic ability. Here are the touchdowns broken down by quarter and down:

Quarter Breakdown

1st Quarter	4
2nd Quarter	6
3rd Quarter	7
4th Quarter	10

Down Breakdown

1st Down	9
2nd Down	7
3rd Down	10
4th Down	1

As well as the distance and location of the touchdowns:

Distance Breakdown

Fewer than 6 Yards	6
Between 6 and 15 yards	11
More than 15 yards	10

Location Breakdown

Deep Left	Deep Middle	Deep Right
3	0	2
Intermediate Left	Intermediate Middle	Intermediate Right
3	1	3
Short Left	Short Middle	Short Right
5	2	3

I find it interesting that the vast majority of Newton’s touchdowns were on the sidelines as opposed to over the middle of the field.… Article continues here

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Blake Bortles’ 11 TDs in 2014

Blake Bortles went to the Jaguars with the third overall pick in the 2014 draft. The team originally planned to sit him, but Chad Henne’s poor play sent the rookie into the lineup and he started the rest of the season for the Jaguars. With Bortles at the helm, the Jaguars went just 3-10, but he did not have much of a supporting cast, throwing to mainly rookie WRs with an offensive line that allowed him to be sacked more than any other QB. His stats do not look great, but he showed some promise. This post will look at his “best” (from a results standpoint) plays from 2014, his 11 TD passes.

Over my next few articles, I’m going to be covering the biggest positives (touchdowns) and negatives (turnovers) from the young QBs in 2014. Derek Carr lead off with his 21 passing TDs in 2014. Teddy Bridgewater was next with 14 TDs passes and one rushing TD. Now it’s Bortles’ turn. First, I’m going to cover some charting data I came up with while watching his passing. Then, on page 2 and beyond, there are my thoughts of the individual plays themselves.

Here’s data on the yardage from Bortles’ TDs:

Yardage Breakdown

Yards	270	Average	24.5
Yards after catch	88	Average	8.0
Yards in Air	176	Average	16.0
Yards in Air+	202	Average	18.4

The difference between “Yards in Air” and “Yards in Air+” is that I give credit for yards in the endzone in “Yards in Air+.” So, if the line of scrimmage is the 2 and he throws a TD pass that’s caught 7 yards into the endzone, the YIA for that play is 2 while the YIA+ is 9.… Article continues here

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Teddy Bridgewater’s 15 Total TDs in 2014

During the 2013 college season, Teddy Bridgewater was widely considered by draft pundits to be the best QB available in the 2014 draft. However, his stock dropped during the pre-draft process, and the Vikings took him #32 overall after trading up. Bridgewater played well in the preseason, leading all QBs in TD passes. However, he was still the backup at the beginning of the season, at least until Matt Cassel went down for the season with an injury against the Saints. Then Teddy took over. He had the most success record-wise of any rookie QB, going 6-6 in his 12 starts.

Over my next few articles, I’m going to be covering the biggest positives (touchdowns) and negatives (turnovers) from the young QBs in 2014. Derek Carr lead off with his 21 passing TDs in 2014. This article will cover Teddy Bridgewater’s 14 passing TDs, plus his rushing TD and a bonus play. First, I’m going to cover some charting data I came up with while watching his passing. Then, on page 2 and beyond, there are my thoughts on the individual plays themselves.

Here’s data on the yardage from Bridgewater’s TDs:

Yardage Breakdown

Yards	320	Average	22.9
Yards after catch	151	Average	10.8
Yards in Air	169	Average	12.1
Yards in Air+	196	Average	14

The difference between “Yards in Air” and “Yards in Air+” is that I give credit for yards in the endzone in “Yards in Air+.” So, if the line of scrimmage is the 2 and he throws a TD pass that’s caught 7 yards into the endzone, the YIA for that play is 2 while the YIA+ is 9.… Article continues here

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Tom Brady’s 13 Interceptions in 2014

Tom Brady played incredibly throughout the 2014 season throwing for 43 touchdowns and only throwing 13 interceptions on his way to winning Super Bowl XLIX. This film breakdown will take a look at those 13 interceptions Brady threw throughout the regular and postseason.

Regular Season Stats
Brady - 373/582 (64.1%), 4,109 yards, 7.06 ypa, 33 TDs, 9 INTs
Postseason Stats
Brady - 93/135 (68.9%), 921 yards, 6.82 ypa, 10 TDs, 4 INTs

Play 1
Situation: 2nd and 5 at NE 25
Description: Q3 - (7:15) T.Brady pass deep left intended for B.LaFell INTERCEPTED by S.Smith at NE 47. S.Smith to NE 13 for 34 yards (J.Edelman).
Opponent: KC

Offensive Formation: Shotgun Slot Left Far
Offensive Personnel: 12
Defensive Formation: Cover 3

In this play, WR11 Edelman is in the slot running an out-and-up, while WR19 LaFell is running a deep hitch route. The Chiefs pre-snap line up in a Cover 1 look, but drop the strong safety and the far outside cornerback in to deep zone coverage forming a Cover 3 shell.

This play is the fault of a route miscommunication. WR11 Edleman stops on his out-and-up while Brady was expecting him to complete his route giving CB21 Smith a very easy interception. Outside of the route miscommunication the placement of this ball was horrible as it was too far inside. If Edleman kept running this would have led Edleman right into Smith anyways even if he continued on his route.

Play 2
Situation: 3rd and 4 at NE 26
Description: Q4 - (10:44) (Shotgun) T.Brady pass short middle intended for B.LaFell INTERCEPTED by H.Abdullah at NE 39.… Article continues here

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Derek Carr’s 21 TDs in 2014

While he was the third QB drafted in 2014, Derek Carr was the first to start. He started all 16 games for the Raiders in 2014 and led a very bad team to three wins. While he wasn’t the most efficient, there were quite a few positives to take away from his play and many people are hopeful that he can turn into the franchise QB the Raiders have been missing for a long time.

Over my next few articles, I’m going to be covering the biggest positives (touchdowns) and negatives (turnovers) from the young QBs in 2014. Derek Carr leads off with his 21 passing TDs in 2014 (he didn’t have any rushing TDs). First, I’m going to cover some charting data I came up with while watching his passing. Then, on page 2 and beyond, there are my thoughts of the individual plays themselves.

Here’s data on the yardage from Carr’s TDs:

Yardage Breakdown

Yards	257	Average	12.2
Yards after catch	123	Average	5.9
Yards in Air	134	Average	6.4
Yards in Air+	200	Average	9.5

The difference between “Yards in Air” and “Yards in Air+” is that I give credit for yards in the endzone in “Yards in Air+.” So, if the line of scrimmage is the 2 and he throws a TD pass that’s caught 7 yards into the endzone, the YIA for that play is 2 while the YIA+ is 9.

Carr averaged 9.4 yards/completion in 2014, but you would expect that to be increased with TDs passes.… Article continues here

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Jimmy Garoppolo vs Buffalo - 10/17, 90 yards

Jimmy Garoppolo is slated to start for the Patriots’ opening day squad in place of quarterback Tom Brady due to Brady’s four game suspension in Deflategate. Garoppolo will face the Steelers in Week 1, the Bills in Week 2, and the Jaguars and Cowboys in Weeks 3 and 5, respectively. Before Brady returns to the lineup in Week 6, Garoppolo has a chance to show his skill set and the NFL will get a chance to evaluate him to see if he’s a viable candidate as successor for the Patriots organization once Brady retires. In this breakdown we will look back at some of Garoppolo’s plays versus the Bills in Week 17 after Garoppolo took over for Tom Brady in the second half.

Stats
Garoppolo - 10/17, 90 yards, 5.3 ypa, 4 rushes for 16 yards, 3 sacks for 19 yards
Note: All plays correspond to the plays listed here in the GIF Database.

When Garoppolo entered the game, the Patriots were already trailing 17-6 versus the Bill’s second ranked defense by DVOA. Let’s take a look at some plays:

Play 1
Situation: 1st and 10 at NE 20
Description: Q3 - (15:00) NE 10-Garoppolo now at QB. (Shotgun) J.Garoppolo pass short left to D.Amendola pushed ob at NE 25 for 5 yards (D.Searcy).

To start the 2nd half the Patriots run the same slant-flat concept that Josh McDaniels and the Patriots ran in the Super Bowl. For a complete breakdown of this play in depth with its history too: Click here.… Article continues here

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Yearly Archives: 2015

Geno Smith’s 13 Interceptions in 2014

An up and down season saw Geno Smith throw 13 interceptions in 13 games started. Still learning on the job and still showing many mental errors, there’s a fine line between interceptions that can be fixed and interceptions that are inexcusable. We’re going to break down which are which.

1st and 16 at NYJ 24 (6:06) (Shotgun) G.Smith pass short right INTERCEPTED by C.Woodson at NYJ 30. C.Woodson to NYJ 28 for 2 yards (E.Decker).

1st and 10 at GB 27 (2:00) (Shotgun) G.Smith pass deep right intended for Z.Sudfeld INTERCEPTED by T.Williams [M.Daniels] at GB 3. T.Williams to GB 3 for no gain (Z.Sudfeld).

Cam Newton’s 15 Interceptions in 2014

Tom Savage vs Indianapolis

Tom Brady’s 44 Touchdowns in 2014

Tom Brady had an excellent year playing for the Patriots leading them to a Super Bowl victory over the Seahawk. In this breakdown, we will look at some of Brady’s top touchdowns throughout the regular season and post season. For all thirteen of his interceptions in my previous article click here.

Receiver Breakdown

Quarter Breakdown

Down Breakdown

Route Breakdown

Distance Breakdown

Location Breakdown

Cam Newton’s 27 Touchdowns in 2014

Receiver Breakdown

Quarter Breakdown

Down Breakdown

Distance Breakdown

Location Breakdown

Blake Bortles’ 11 TDs in 2014

Yardage Breakdown

Teddy Bridgewater’s 15 Total TDs in 2014

Yardage Breakdown

Tom Brady’s 13 Interceptions in 2014

Tom Brady played incredibly throughout the 2014 season throwing for 43 touchdowns and only throwing 13 interceptions on his way to winning Super Bowl XLIX. This film breakdown will take a look at those 13 interceptions Brady threw throughout the regular and postseason.

Derek Carr’s 21 TDs in 2014

Yardage Breakdown

Jimmy Garoppolo vs Buffalo - 10/17, 90 yards

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