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Beginner Series: Screen Pass

Screen Pass

The screen pass is a staple of every professional offense. It is used to combat an aggressive pass rush and to get a safe and consistent 5 or 6 yards. The offenseive linemen let the defense move past them and the quarterback tosses it over their heads to the runningback, who has several offensive linemen as lead blockers. It effectively becomes a running play that has a head start past the defensive line. There are many different variations of the screen, the ones to be covered in this article are the HB Screen (slow screen), the WR Screen, the Bubble Screen, and the TE Screen.

Positional Responsibilities

Halfback Screen

Quarterback

The QB begins this play by taking his regular 5-step drop, acting like a typical pass play. He will then backpedal as fast as he can, as the defensive line will have nobody blocking them. When the D-line has gained enough depth, typically only two or three steps, he will lob a pass over the D-Line to the RB. In this gif, you can see the QB taking his normal pass drop until the line releases and he starts backpedaling.


Note the QB is looking to his left, away from where the RB wil be. This causes the safety to move away from the play as well, as shown in this gif.

Note how far away the safety is from the play when the throw is made.

Runningback:

The RB initially moves up into the pocket, acting like he is going to pass block.… Article continues here




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Marcus Mariota Scouting Report Cover

Scouting Report: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

Marcus Mariota was a three star dual-threat quarterback coming from Honolulu, Hawaii. He had interest from many schools especially in the PAC-12, but only received offers from Memphis and Oregon. Mariota chose Oregon due Mark Helfrich, Oregon’s then-offensive coordinator who later became head coach after Chip Kelly moved to the NFL. It was actually due to Mariota’s talent in a quarterback practice that caught the eye of Helfrich who instantly offered Mariota a scholarship even though Mariota had never started a varsity football game up to that point. The gamble clearly paid off and Mariota enters the 2015 NFL Draft seen as a high first round pick.

College Career Overview

Mariota started his career at Oregon redshirting in the 2011 season. Mariota led the Ducks to a 12-1 record and defeated Kansas State to win the Fiesta Bowl during his 2012 campaign. Mariota continued to play well even after suffering a partially torn MCL injury and while playing through it during the 2013 season earning him First-Team All-PAC-12 honors. As a redshirt junior in 2014, Mariota won the Heisman Trophy, but lost to Ohio State in the National Championship.

NFL Breakdowns’ Other Articles on Mariota

Marcus Mariota’s 7 Fumbles and 4 Interceptions in 2014
Marcus Mariota and the Vertical “Switch” Concept

Measureables

DOB October 30, 1993 Bench (225 lb) N/A
Height 6’3-3/4″ Vertical Jump 36″
Weight 222 lbs Broad Jump 10’1″
Arms 32″ 20 Yard Shuttle 4.11 sec
Hands 9-7/8″ 3 Cone Drill 6.87 sec
40 Yard Dash (10 yd split) 4.52 sec (1.57 sec) 60 Yard Shuttle N/A

 

Stats and Awards

University of Oregon (2011-2014)
2014 - 304/445 (68.3%), 4,454 yds, 10.0 y/a, 42 TDs, 4 INT, 135 rushes for 770 rushing yards and 15 rushing TDs, 1 rec for 26 yards and 1 receiving TD Heisman Trophy Winner, Davey O’Brien Award, Walter Camp Award, AP Player of the Year, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Unanimous All-American, PAC-12 Offensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-PAC-12 (2014)
2013 - 245/386 (63.5%), 3,665 yds, 9.5 y/a, 31 TDs, 4 INT, 96 rushes for 715 rushing yards and 9 rushing TDs First-Team All-PAC-12, CFPA Quarterback Award (2013)
2012 - 230/336 (68.5%), 2,677 yds, 8.0 y/a, 32 TDs, 6 INT, 106 rushes for 752 rushing yards and 5 rushing TDs, 1 rec for 2 yards and 1 receiving TD First-Team All-PAC-12, PAC-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year (2012)

 

Scouting Report

  • Extremely quick release.
… Article continues here




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Landon Collins

Scouting Report: Landon Collins, SS, Alabama

Having played running back and defensive back, Landon Collins was a five-star recruit coming out of Dutchtown High School. A standout athlete in both track and football, Collins was also named a high school All-American in 2011. He was recruited by nearly every major school but ultimately chose to play for the Crimson Tide where he would go on to win a BCS National Championship. He enters the 2015 NFL draft as the top-rated safety in the class and is projected to go in the first round.

College Career Overview

Contributing mainly as a backup his true freshman year, Collins got his chance when starter Vinnie Sunseri suffered a season ending injury his sophomore year. He recorded 70 tackles, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles and 6 pass defenses as well as making the 2013 All-SEC 2nd Team. Returning for his junior year, he led the team with 103 tackles, to go along with 3 interceptions, 1 forced fumble and 7 pass defenses while being named an All-American. A forceful tackler, Collins will provide the team that drafts him an intimidating presence in the secondary.

Measurables

DOB May 24, 1993 Bench (225 lbs.) N/A
Height 6’0″ Vertical Jump 35”
Weight 228 lbs. Broad Jump 10’
Arms 31-1/2″ 20 Yard Shuttle 4.33 sec
Hands 9-3/8″ 3 Cone Drill 7.38 sec
40 Yard Dash (10 yd. split) 4.53 sec (1.58 sec) 60 Yard Shuttle 11.94 sec

 

Stats and Awards

University of Alabama (2014) 103 Tackles, 4.5 TFL, 3 INTs, 1 FF, 7 PD 2014 All-American

2014 SEC Champion
University of Alabama (2013) 70 Tackles, 4 TFL, 2 INTs (1 TD), 2 FF, 6 PD 2013 All-SEC 2nd Team
University of Alabama (2012) 17 Tackles 2013 BCS National Champion

2012 SEC Champion

Scouting Report

  • Played free safety, strong safety, and nickel linebacker
  • Very instinctive when playing downhill
  • Great in run support; setting the edge to help divert runs back towards pursuit
  • Operates well in zone coverage especially in underneath curl/flat zones
  • Has a nose for the ball and comes up with splash plays
  • Not comfortable matched up in man coverage
  • Leads with the shoulder too often and needs to wrap-up more when tackling
  • Below average hands; dropped easy interceptions
  • Doesn’t possess great speed and may be playing a little above optimal weight
  • Will be able to contribute on special teams

Film Study

Courtesy of Draft Breakdown, this scouting report consists of the games listed below and represents his 4th, 6th, and 10th games of the 2014 season:

  • 9/20/14 vs.
… Article continues here



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Coleman

Scouting Report: Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana

Tevin Coleman had a monster 2014 for Indiana, and ended up second in the nation to only Melvin Gordon in rushing yards. He was the bright spot on a bad team, rushing for over 200 yards four times, including one game where he rushed for 307 yards against Rutgers. On top of that, he eclipsed the century mark in all but one of his games. After his great year, he decided to forgo his senior season to enter the 2015 NFL Draft.

In order to watch Coleman, I went to Draft Breakdown, which has five of his college games.

Measurables

DOB April 16, 1993 Bench (225 lb) 22 reps
Height 5’11” Vertical Jump N/A
Weight 206 lbs Broad Jump N/A
Arms 32″ 20 Yard Shuttle N/A
Hands 8 5/8″ 3 Cone Drill N/A
40 Yard Dash 4.39 sec (Pro Day) 60 Yard Shuttle N/A

 

Stats

University of Indiana (2012-2014)
2014 270 att, 2036 yards, 7.5 ypc, 15 TDs 25 rec, 141 yards, 5.6 ypc, 0 TDs
2013 131 att, 958 yards, 7.3 ypc, 12 TDs 19 rec, 193 yards, 10.2 ypc, 0 TDs
2012 51 att, 225 yards, 4.4 ypc, 1 TD 10 rec, 49 yards, 4.9 ypc, 0 TDs

 

Scouting Report

  • Fast. Incredibly fast. Probably the top speed back in this class. However, not quite Chris Johnson or Darren McFadden fast.
  • Great frame but could probably put on a few pounds to make him beefier.
  • Displays some elusiveness, but not a tremendous amount.
  • Runs to the hole he’s assigned to go to.
… Article continues here




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Mariota Switch Concept

Marcus Mariota and the Vertical “Switch” Concept

Marcus Mariota has a lot of doubters due to the offensive system he ran at Oregon. Many claim this to be a gimmick offense and instantly write off any sign of pro readiness. Although Mariota did run a lot of non-pro concepts especially in the Rose Bowl game versus Florida State I wanted to take a further look and see if he ran any other concepts besides the “Smash” Concept we saw in that video. As I was in the process of writing Marcus Mariota’s scouting report I found this simple eight second play, that we will take a closer look at to see if he has any aptitude towards running a pro style offense in the NFL after he gets drafted tomorrow.

Opponent: Arizona
Situation: 3rd and 4
Description: Q3 - (11:22) Marcus Mariota pass complete to Byron Marshall for 23 yds to the Ariz 28 for a 1ST down
Oregon’s Play Call: Rip 79 Switch

Interactive Exercise

1. I want you to take this screen shot that I have attached above and draw out the routes that the wide receivers run. This is a good exercise to actively visualize what the offense is actually doing on the play instead of being passive. Also, write out the names of the routes too!

2. I want you look at the defense and guess what Mariota’s pre-snap reads are based on the offensive play diagram you drew in Step 1. Draw them out! For me I go in this order safeties, cornerbacks, linebackers, and then defensive line.… Article continues here




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Winston cover

Scouting Report: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State

Jameis Winston was the top dual-threat quarterback from the 2012 high school class from Hueytown, Alabama. He also earned Gatorade Player of the Year recognition for the state of Alabama while in high school. Winston committed to Florida State University after receiving offers from many major NCAA programs including Alabama, Louisiana State University, and Stanford. Winston is seen as the top quarterback prospect and a potential number one overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the upcoming 2015 NFL Draft.

College Career Overview

Winston started his career at Florida State University redshirting behind future first round quarterback EJ Manuel during the 2012 season. During the 2013 season Winston named the starter and led the Seminoles to an undefeated record winning the National Championship versus Auburn 34-31 while securing the Heisman Trophy. During Winston’s historic redshirt freshman season he set many records throwing for 4,057 passing yards and 40 passing touchdowns to just 10 interceptions. In his redshirt sophomore season, Winston played in all but one regular season game and won every game except for his final game versus the Oregon Ducks in the 2015 Rose Bowl losing 59-20. Winston finished the 2014 season with 3,907 passing yards and 25 touchdowns to 18 interceptions.

Other NFL Breakdowns Articles on Winston

Jameis Winston’s 18 Interceptions in 2014
Jameis Winston’s 7 Fumbles in 2014

Measureables

DOB January 6, 1994 Bench (225 lb) N/A
Height 6’3-3/4″ Vertical Jump 28-1/2″
Weight 231 lbs Broad Jump 8’7″
Arms 32″ 20 Yard Shuttle 4.36 sec
Hands 9-3/8″ 3 Cone Drill 7.16 sec
40 Yard Dash (10 yd split) 4.97 sec (1.74 sec) 60 Yard Shuttle N/A

 

Stats and Awards

Florida State University (2012-2014)
2014 - 305/467 (65.3%), 3,907 yds, 8.4 y/a, 25 TDs, 18 INT, 57 rushes for 65 rushing yards and 3 rushing TDs Heisman Trophy Finalist, Manning Award Finalist, Maxwell Award Finalist, Davey O’Brien Award Semifinalist, Walter Camp Award Semifinalist, First Team All-ACC, ACC Athlete of the Year (2014)
2013 - 257/384 (66.9%), 4,057 yds, 10.6 y/a, 40 TDs, 10 INT, 88 rushes for 219 rushing yards and 4 rushing TDs Heisman Trophy Winner, Walter Camp Award, Manning Award, Archie Griffin Award, AP Player of the Year, Sports News Player of the Year, Consensus All-American, First-Team All-ACC, ACC Offensive Player of the Year, ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year (2013)

 

Scouting Report

  • Very quick decision maker
  • Throws with excellent anticipation
  • Shows the ability to go through progressions in a pro-style offense
  • Throws an accurate deep ball
  • When his throw is inaccurate it’s usually behind the receiver
  • Confident.
… Article continues here




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FeaturedImage

Scouting Report: Nelson Agholor, WR, USC

Nelson Agholor was born in Nigeria before moving to the United States at the age of 5. While at Berkeley Prep (Tampa, FL), he was rated a five-star recruit playing running back, wide receiver and defensive back. Agholor committed to the University of Southern California in 2012 and earned All-Pac 12 honors in his sophomore and junior years while leading the team in receiving. He enters the 2015 NFL Draft as a wide receiver that’s rising up draft boards and should hear his named called before the 2nd day concludes.

College Career Overview

Having played primarily at running back in high school, Agholor played in all 13 games as a backup receiver his true freshman year in 2012. As a sophomore, he started all 14 games and led the team in receiving with 56 receptions, 918 yards, and 6 TDs. He also displayed dangerous abilities as a punt returner and was even named to the 2013 All-Pac 12 2nd Team as a return specialist. In 2014, Agholor returned as a starter and began to dominate towards the end of the season by catching 62 of his 104 receptions, 908 of his 1313 yards, and 8 of his 12 TDs in the final 7 games. Playing in USC’s pro-style offense, Agholor has a variety of routes in his repertoire while also being able to run them from the outside and slot positions.

Measurables

DOB May 24, 1993 Bench (225 lbs.) 12
Height 6’0-1/8″ Vertical Jump 36-1/2”
Weight 198 lbs. Broad Jump 10’5”
Arms 32-1/4″ 20 Yard Shuttle
Hands 9-1/4″ 3 Cone Drill
40 Yard Dash (10 yd split) 4.42 sec (1.53 sec) 60 Yard Shuttle

 

Stats and Awards

University of Southern California (2014) 104 Rec, 1313 Yards, 12.6 YPC, 12 TDs 2014 AP Third Team All-American
University of Southern California (2013) 56 Rec, 918 Yards, 16.4 YPC, 6 TDs 2014 First Team All-Pac 12
University of Southern California (2012) 19 Rec, 340 Yards, 17.9 YPC, 2 TDs 2013 Second Team All-Pac 12

Scouting Report

  • Experienced route runner displaying good footwork when running double moves and complex routes
  • Adept at finding holes in underneath coverage especially from the slot position
  • Displays consistent awareness in working back to the quarterback
  • Great burst off the line of scrimmage and possesses good game speed
  • Lined up all across the formation from the Z, the slot, and in the backfield
  • Good body control and can adjust mid-air to the ball’s trajectory
  • Experience in kick/punt returns aided his ability to make defenders miss in the open field
  • Quick release off the line of scrimmage but may face difficulty in the NFL with being jammed due to his slight frame
  • Not a natural hands catcher and needs to work on catching the ball away from his body
  • May have limited potential at the next level due to his slight frame; relegated to slot duties
  • Below average blocker, not having enough mass to hold or drive blocks

Film Study

Courtesy of Draft Breakdown, this scouting report consists of the games listed below and represents his 2nd, 5th, and 9th games of the season.… Article continues here




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Paul Dawson

Scouting Report: Paul Dawson, ILB, TCU

Paul Dawson is a 5th year senior from TCU. A converted WR and Junior College transfer, Dawson displays an uncanny ability to intercept and defend passes as well as the instincts to get into the backfield and make plays. Dawson had a breakout season in 2014 and quickly shot up draft boards with his surprising play as a part of TCU’s dominant defense.

DOB 1993 (not known) Bench (225 lb) 21 reps
Height 6’0-1/8″ Vertical Jump 28″
Weight 235 lbs Broad Jump 9’1″
Arms 31.5″ 20 Yard Shuttle 4.49 secs
Hands 9.5″ 3 Cone Drill
40 Yard Dash (10 yd split) 4.93 sec (1.69 sec) 60 Yard Shuttle

Stats and Awards

TCU (2011-2014) Awards and Accolades
2014 - 136 tackles, 20 TFL, 6.0 sacks, 5 PD, 2 FF, 3 FR, 4 INT Consensus First Team All-American and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. (2014)
2013 - 91 tackles, 10.0 TFL, 0.5 sacks, 3 PD, 1 INT
2012 - 14 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 1 FF
2011 - 47 tackles, 7.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 2 FR

Scouting Report

  • Fantastic zone coverage linebacker with a keen eye for the ball and an uncanny ability to read and react to throws.
  • Has the smarts to know when to break out of his zone and go for the QB.
  • Defends his zones with knowledge of his limited athleticism and doesn’t allow himself to get beat deep.
  • Reacts quickly to receivers in his zone and stops them before they can get a big gain.
… Article continues here



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Jameis Winston fumbles cover

Jameis Winston’s 7 Fumbles in 2014

Jameis Winston’s 18 interceptions this past season were analyzed to see fully what happened, but that led many to compare Winston’s seven fumbles to Mariota’s seven fumbles and question why Winston doesn’t have similar ball security concerns. This breakdown will help answer that by looking at Winston’s fumbles this past season.

Here are Jameis Winston’s game logs courtesy of FoxSports.com:

Play 1
Opponent: NC State
Situation: 1st and 10 at FSU 25
Description: Q1 - (6:05) Jameis Winston sacked by T.Y. McGill for a loss of 4 yards to the FlaSt 21 Jameis Winston fumbled, forced by T.Y. McGill, recovered by NCSt Monty Nelson , return for 0 yards

Winston takes the snap from under center and fakes the handoff to his runningback. Winston feels the pressure and steps up into the pocket keeping his eyes downfield. His wide receiver is completely covered but Winston looks to throw him open as he starts breaking outside. Winston takes a big wind-up and gets stripped as DT75 McGill spin moves out of C75 Erving’s control and crashes into his leg in the backfield.

If you watch Winston he is staring down his receiver the entire play and doesn’t see his fullback releasing to the right underneath the five zone coverage. Winston needs to move on from his first read and find his checkdown.

Play 2
Opponent: Syracuse
Situation: 2nd and 6 at SYR 48
Description: Q4 - (9:17) Jameis Winston sacked by Ron Thompson for a loss of 15 yards to the FlaSt 37 Jameis Winston fumbled, forced by Ron Thompson, recovered by FlaSt

Winston from shotgun takes the snap and starts his reads down the field looking for one to get open.… Article continues here




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Mariota Fumble INT Cover

Marcus Mariota’s 7 Fumbles and 4 Interceptions in 2014

Marcus Mariota’s draft value has been all over the board with many believing he will be picked second overall later this April. While everyone is talking about Jameis Winston’s 18 interceptions in 2014, Marcus Mariota’s fumbling issues have been documented since he started for the Oregon Ducks in 2012. Since Mariota became the starter, he has fumbled the ball 27 times with 11 of them lost to the opposing team. In this film breakdown I wanted to take a closer look at his seven fumbles and four interceptions in his 2014 campaign.

Marcus Mariota’s 2014 Game Logs courtesy of FoxSports.com:

Play 1 (Fumble)
Opponent: Washington State
Situation: 3rd and 9 at ORE 37
Description: Q1 - (7:35) Marcus Mariota sacked by Ivan McLennan for a loss of 12 yards to the Oregn 25 Marcus Mariota fumbled, recovered by Oregn

Washington State brings five pass rushers in an overload blitz from the right side of the offensive line. RG76 Pisarcik gets dominated instantly off of the snap by a great bullrush by one of WSU’s inside linebackers. DT96 Cooper runs a stunt from the 3-tech position. NT98 Pole does a great job of splitting through the A-gap between the center and the left guard who should be combo-blocking, all while RB21 Freeman misses on his cut block to stop OLB3 McLennan on the right edge who actually gets the strip after DT96 Cooper slows Mariota down with a leg tackle.

From Mariota’s perspective this is a busted play from the start, but since his first read is on the left side of the field he doesn’t sense the pressure until it’s right in his face (admittedly quickly since the bullrush was just that good on the right guard).… Article continues here




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