THE NEW BEARS' PLAN

I'm not going to lie, I also thought the Chicago Bears had gone crazy in their first round last draft. Go up a place and pay so much for Trubisky? Why? However, more than a month later, and analyzing what they've done in the off-season, there are things that are shaping in my head as I'll try to explain. Maybe I've gone as crazy as them, but I'm convinced they have a plan. A plan that has Mitchell Trubisky as the trigger man.

When Adam Gase packed up and went to Miami's sunny beaches, the Bears were left orphaned on the offensive end and chose to give power to their quarterback coach in 2015, Dowell Loggains. The Bears' offense last year did not draw too much attention or, at least, did not do so great except for some young guys such as Cameron Meredith, Jordan Howard or Cody Whitehair. The Bears’ plan, and Loggains’, begins with one of these three players. But let's start at the beginning.

TITANS 2012

Loggains is a very young coach, though with experience in this position within the NFL. In 2012, and also after being the QBs coach, he was hired as the Tennesse Titans' offensive coordinator, replacing Chris Palmer, whose 2011 team was one of the worst offenses in the entire league. Loggains was only a year in the position, but he made very clear the philosophy he likes to implement in his teams. Of those Titans I would like to emphasize two situations: the full house formation in the backfield and the game of short passes to medium areas.

2012 Tennessee Titans - Full House Formation por deionmarco

It is strange to see, today, as many situations with full backfield as could be seen in those Titans. They, filling the backfield, could play all kinds of runs, from zone to power run. These full house formations allowed the fullback, and the tight end located in the backfield, to reach the second level with some ease to block the inside linebackers. They had several variations, but it was common to use one for the lead block and another to seal the cutback defender, or to play kick-out, removing pressure to the offensive line, which could afford to focus on the defensive line and do double teams to open their gaps. In the video above we see how the two tight ends come from the backfield, one of them blocking the cutback defender and the other going to the playside run support. The running back, in this case, hit the bend (cutback) to cross the LOS. Also, with three men in the backfield, they could generate more blocks in pass protection or use it as a threat in the passing game. Loggains' favorite grouping personnel are Ace (12 personnel), Tank (22 personnel), Pony (21 personnel) and even Heavy (13 personnel).

The Loggains’ Titans had Craig Stevens play like a TE / FB hybrid they used a lot in the blocks for the run game and a very young Jared Cook playing the middle zones or as a threat in the red zone. Cook was an important factor in winning short first downs through the passing game or taking advantage of the attention generated by the run game to use play-action. In addition, they had another tight end, Taylor Thompson, to use as a blocker in their different heavy formations. The quarterback’s reads were not complicated as they relied on reading specific defenders to choose whether to look for one receiver or another, no lengthy progressions. Simple play for him. They just threw it deep when the scoreboard forced them to risk, since they were trying to take care of the ball and to minimize mistakes. In the following video, we can see one of these situations, and once again with a two tight end's formation. That team had a very defined gameplay, but between the lack of talent and injuries, did not have much success. They finished 23rd in points scored and 26th in yards gained on offense.

2012 Tennessee Titans - 2TE Formation por deionmarco

At the end of the 2012 season, Loggains left the franchise and, in 2014, he signed as the quarterback coach for the Cleveland Browns. He paired there with one of the most privileged minds in the current world of offensive football: Kyle Shanahan. The influence of the current head coach of the 49ers on Loggains was seen when he took command of the Bears offense in 2016 as offensive coordinator.

BEARS 2016

Dowell Loggains demonstrated a wealth of resources in a rather extensive running game. The team went from playing with I-Formation (mostly in off-set) to playing from shotgun or in pistol formation. Many stretchs / outside zones, split zones or toss plays were seen. And the heavy-run offense with the full house formation of 2012 changed to a heavy-run offense with the tight ends in-line or with situations similar to the old flexbone.

The Bears found in Jordan Howard a running back that fits perfectly the game that Loggains wants to execute. He is an excellent runner playing in zone schemes. He has a quick feet for the cutbacks, good vision and enough patience to see the open gap. In addition, he has no problem running between the tackles in power run and lowering the center of gravity to hold and break tackles. Howard can play very physically when the situation requires it. If you couple Howard with Jeremy Langford, Kadeem Carey and the rookie Tarik Cohen (keep and eye on this fast player in trick plays), you have a multidimensional crop. Loggains will do what he likes in an offense: run, run and run. His philosophy is to protect the ball as much as possible with his run-heavy offense. Burning the clock will be the priority goal for the Bears in 2017. In the following video we can see an example of the virtues of Howard:

2016 Chicago Bears - Off-set Counter OF por deionmarco

In addition, the Bears also have a fullback, Fredie Stevenson (selected in the last draft) and three tight ends to make the final roster (Zach Miller, Dion Sims and his second round of this year's Adam Shaheen). I don’t know about you, but I see a clear inclination, in this roster, to what I have told you about those 2012’s Titans.

The arrival of Sims and the election of Shaheen lead me to this point. To keep the passing game under control, Loggains likes to involve the tight ends. In addition, Kevin White is expected to overcome his physical problems to start contributing regularly. With Miller, Shaheen, Sims and White, the quarterback will have possession receivers at almost any snap, allowing him to continue to have 12 or 22 personnel (two RBs and two TEs), which is the backbone for a run-heavy offense. Mixing routes on two levels like the slant-flat concept, Hi-Lo crossers, sucker route, drive, snag, spacing or smash, and look for the comebacks on the outside, will be the main weapons used by Loggains to move the chains in the passing game.

2016 Chicago Bears - Shallow cross off-set por deionmarco

If you noticed the 2012 Titans' videos, the quarterback would start the snap under center. With Loggains in command, and within his offensive scheme, the quarterback will be placed in that spot many times throughout a game. If we go back in time (to 2013) and see Mike Glennon's season as Tampa Bay Buccaneers' quarterback, we can see how these situations are not going to be foreign to him. In that season, it was customary to see him start under center to hand the ball off or to use play action, so the new Chicago Bears’ quarterback will be familiar in these pro formations. They have a quarterback who knows how to handle a system like that and players valid enough to fit what your coordinator is going to ask them, so there’s a plan. The Bears have come up with a plan since the end of last season. Doubts come when we try to put the Mitchell Trubisky we saw in college in this whole system so different from the one he played at North Carolina, right?

HOW TRUBISKY FITS IN THIS PLAN

"But Trubisky has never played in such a system. He has never gone under center nor played that type of dropbacks! ", You will tell me that. Totally true, friends, but there’s a solution. Or, at least, I think that may be.

As I said before, the Bears' plan for this year is to prevent the quarterback from being the lead player. The majority of the offense is going to be based on the ground game and the spaces that can be created from this. Their offensive line is much better than you might think at first. The interior of that unit, in fact, is excellent. Sitton, Whitehair and Long are a very solid group and I would not be surprised to see their performance grow even more if injuries respect them.

So they have an offensive line that will play well and a running game capable of carrying the weight of the team. With this, the Bears can start thinking about giving snaps to their new quarterback. If the problem is for someone who has never do that to play under center, I am going to redirect you to what we saw last year with Dak Prescott.

In Dallas they were able to implement RPO situations so their rookie quarterback had a slightly less traumatic transition into the NFL. They mixed situations coming out under the center and situations playing from shotgun in order for his rookie quarterback to feel more comfortable, giving the full offensive’s load to his offensive line and Zeke Elliott, the running back. With this, Prescott was able to keep mistakes at a minimum, gaining confidence in his game to reached a level which surprised us all.

2016 Chicago Bears - Shotgun RPO 2ª Lectura por deionmarco

With Trubisky, the Bears have to do something very similar. He has very good accuracy in throws between the hashmarks in the RPOs, and it is something that should be exploded in the offense. Also, the new Chicago’s quarterback has the virtue to play well the sprint-action, so the roll-outs would be a good choice within those pro-style formations. These roll-outs are a chance to get him out from under center to look for the flood concept or the swap boot.

To use the play action, obviously, he has to learn how to make the dropback almost from scratch, but the news coming to us from the Windy City are promising. Moreover, before and after the Combine, there was already a visible progression in his footwork. Even so, last year, after Jay Cutler's injury, we saw Matt Barkley playing from shotgun many times, something Trubisky dominates best and demonstrates Loggains's adaptability for any contingency that comes his way.

Mitchell Trubisky Sprint Right Action por deionmarco

If you want to remain a run-heavy offense without having to start under the center, the offensive coordinator has different ways to do it. They could play from shotgun with 12 personnel (with tight ends in-line or in wing spots) or call the pistol formation (including diamond formation to fill the backfield), turning the play-action into a mesh point between the running back and Trubisky, with easy reads in the RPOs and with the possibility that Trubisky would use his legs to gain rushing yards, a threat that Glennon would not have. Obviously, Trubisky has to improve his footwork, his recognition of the pre / post-snap defenses and his decision making depending on what is presented to him in the field, as well as creating chemistry with his new crew. What is clear is that they wanted to surround him as best as possible so the offense’s load doesn’t fall on him. Anything more than 25/30 passes per game for any of these quarterbacks will be a problem for the Bears.

2016 Chicago Bears - Pistol Outside Zone por deionmarco

The summary of all this is that the Bears offseason may not be as crazy as it seemed at first. Or so I see it. They have drawn a road map since the end of last season and their goal has been to form a very solid offense that stays on the field as long as possible. They will not be in a hurry, but they have implied that Trubisky is the future man for this franchise, so they are trying to put him in the best possible position.

We will see a lot of run game in these new Bears, creating heavy formations to look for mismatches with their tight ends and to try to take advantage of the windows opened by opponents with fast men such as Victor Cruz, Cameron Meredith, Markus Wheaton or Deonte Thompson.

They remain, in my opinion, the weakest team in the NFC North, but I have the feeling that there are going to be positive signs coming throughout the season. I firmly believe in a plan that few are feel it coming, and that has a name above all: Mitchell Trubisky.

EL PLAN DE LOS NUEVOS BEARS

No voy a mentir, yo también pensé que los Chicago Bears se habían vuelto locos en su primera ronda del pasado draft. ¿Subir un puesto y pagar tanto por Mitchell Trubisky? ¿Por qué? Sin embargo, más de un mes después, y analizando lo que llevamos de off-season, hay cosas que me empiezan a cuadrar y os las voy a intentar explicar. Quizás me he vuelto tan loco como ellos, pero estoy convencido de que tienen un plan. Un plan que tiene en Trubisky a su punta de lanza.

Cuando Adam Gase hizo las maletas y se fue a las soleadas playas de Miami, los Bears se quedaron huérfanos en la parte ofensiva y optaron por darle poder al que había sido el entrenador de quarterbacks en 2015, Dowell Loggains. El ataque de los Bears, el año pasado, no llamó la atención en demasía o, por lo menos, no lo hizo de manera positiva salvo por algunos nombres propios como pudieron ser Cameron Meredith, Jordan Howard o Cody Whitehair. El plan de los Bears, y de Loggains, empieza con uno de estos tres jugadores. Pero vamos a empezar por el principio.

LOS TITANS DE 2012

Loggains es un entrenador muy joven, aunque con experiencia en este cargo dentro de la NFL. En 2012, y también después de haber sido el entrenador de QBs, fue contratado para el puesto de coordinador ofensivo de los Tennessee Titans, siendo el sustituto de un Chris Palmer que llevó al equipo, en 2011, a ser uno de los peores en ataque de toda la liga. Loggains solo estuvo un año en el puesto, pero dejó muy clara la filosofía que le gusta implantar en sus equipos. De aquellos Titans me gustaría destacar dos situaciones: la formación full house en el backfield y el juego de pases cortos a zonas medias.

2012 Tennessee Titans - Full House Formation por deionmarco

Es extraño ver, hoy en día, tantas situaciones con el backfield tan lleno como se podían ver en esos Titans. Ellos, llenando el backfield, podían jugar todo tipos de carreras, desde zonales hasta de power run. Estas full house formation permitían al fullback, y al tight end situado en el backfield, alcanzar el segundo nivel con cierta facilidad para bloquear a los inside linebackers. Tenían diversas variantes, pero era habitual usar a uno para el lead block y otro para sellar al cutback defender, o para jugar kick-out, quitando presión a la línea ofensiva, la cual podía permitirse el lujo de centrarse en la línea defensiva y hacer dobles bloqueos para abrir sus gaps. En el vídeo de arriba vemos como los dos tight ends salen desde el backfield, uno bloqueando al cutback defender y el otro para el run support exterior. El running back, en este caso, juega el bend (cutback) para atravesar la línea de scrimmage. Aparte, con tres hombres en el backfield, podían generar más bloqueos en la protección de pase o usarlo como amenaza aérea saliendo en ruta. Los personnel grouping favoritos de Loggains son los Ace (12 personnel), Tank (22 personnel), Pony (21 personnel) e incluso Heavy (13 personnel).

Los Titans de Loggains tenían en Craig Stevens a un TE/FB al que usaban mucho en los bloqueos para el juego de carrera y a un jovencísimo Jared Cook jugando en zonas medias o como amenaza en la red zone. Cook era un factor importante para ganar primeros downs cortos mediante el juego aéreo, o aprovechándose de la atención que generaba el juego de carrera para jugar el play action. Además, tenían a otro tight end, Taylor Thompson, para usarlo como bloqueador en sus distintas formaciones heavy. Las lecturas del quarterback no eran complicadas ya que se basaban en leer a específicos defensores para elegir si buscar a un receptor o a otro, nada de progresiones largas. Juego sencillo para el pasador. Lanzar en profundo solo lo veíamos cuando el marcador obligaba a arriesgar. ya que intentaban cuidar el balón y minimizar errores. En el siguiente vídeo, tenemos una de estas situaciones, y una vez más con formación de dos tight ends. Ese equipo tenía un esquema de juego muy definido, aunque la falta de calidad, y las lesiones, no le permitió dar mucho más de sí. 

2012 Tennessee Titans - 2TE Formation por deionmarco

Al acabar la temporada 2012, Loggains salió de la franquicia y, en 2014, firmó como entrenador de quarterbacks en los Cleveland Browns, junto con una de las mentes más privilegiadas que existe en el mundo del football ofensivo actual: Kyle Shanahan. Y se nota la influencia del actual HC de los niners sobre un Loggains que tomó el mando de las operaciones del ataque de los Bears en 2016 y que empezó a dejar muestras de esto mismo en su primer año como OC de los de Chicago.

LOS BEARS DE DOWELL LOGGAINS

Dowell Loggains demostró una riqueza de recursos en el juego de carrera bastante amplio. El equipo pasaba de jugar con fomaciones en I (la mayoría en off-set) a jugar desde shotgun o en pistol formation. Principalmente, se vieron muchas stretchs/outside zones, split zones o toss plays. Y la heavy-run offense con la full house formation de 2012 pasó a ser heavy-run offense con los tight ends in-line o con situaciones similares a la antigua flexbone.

Los Bears encontraron en Jordan Howard a un runningback que se adapta perfectamente al juego que quiere plantear Loggains. Es un excelente corredor jugando en zone schemes. Tiene un footwork muy rápido en los cutbacks, posee buena visión y la suficiente paciencia para ver abrirse el gap. Además, no tiene problemas para correr entre los tackles en power run y bajar el centro de gravedad para aguantar, y romper, el tackle. Howard puede jugar muy físico cuando la situación lo requiere. Si a Jordan Howard le sumamos Jeremy Langford, Kadeem Carey y el rookie Tarik Cohen (atención al uso en trick plays de este rapidísimo atacante), nos queda un cuerpo de corredores repleto de variantes. Es decir, Loggains va a hacer lo que más le gusta en una ofensiva: correr, correr y correr. Su filosofía es proteger el balón lo máximo posible y esto lo va a intentar conseguir con su run-heavy offense. Quemar el reloj será su objetivo prioritario para 2017.

2016 Chicago Bears - Off-set Counter OF por deionmarco

Pero, además, los Bears cuentan con un fullback, Freddie Stevenson (elegido en el último draft) y tres tight ends que van a hacer el roster final (Zach Miller, Dion Sims y su segunda ronda de este año Adam Shaheen). No sé vosotros, pero yo veo una clara inclinación, en esta plantilla, a lo que os he contado sobre aquellos Titans de 2012. La llegada de Sims y la elección de Shaheen me llevan a este punto. La seguridad en el juego de pase, que le gusta a Loggains, comienza en sus tight ends. Además, se espera que Kevin White supere sus problemas físicos y pueda empezar a aportar regularmente. Con Miller, Shaheen, Sims y White, el quarterback va a tener receptores de posesión en casi cualquier snap, lo que le permite seguir teniendo personal 12 o 22 (dos RBs y dos TEs), que es la columna vertebral para una run-heavy offense. Mezclar rutas en dos niveles como los conceptos slant-flat, Hi-Lo crossers, sucker route, drive, snag, spacing o smash, y buscar las comebacks en el exterior, van a ser las principales armas que emplee Loggains para mover las cadenas por aire.

2016 Chicago Bears - Shallow cross off-set por deionmarco

Si os habéis fijado en los vídeos de aquellos Titans de 2012, el quarterback iniciaba el snap debajo del center. Con Loggains al mando, y dentro de su esquema ofensivo, el quarterback se va a situar en ese spot muchas veces a lo largo de un partido. Si volvemos en el tiempo (a 2013) y vemos la temporada de Mike Glennon como quarterback titular de los Tampa Bay Buccaneers, podemos observar cómo estas situaciones no van a ser extrañas para él. En esa temporada, era habitual verle salir debajo del center para hacer el hand-off o para jugar play action, así que el nuevo quarterback de los Chicago Bears estará familiarizado en formaciones pro. Es decir, tenemos un quarterback que sabe manejarse en un sistema así, y jugadores lo suficientemente válidos como para adecuarse a lo que tu coordinador te va a pedir, así que hay un plan. Los Bears han llevado un plan desde que acabó el año pasado. Las dudas vienen cuando intentamos colocar al Mitchell Trubisky que vimos en college en todo este sistema tan distinto al que él jugó, ¿verdad?

COMO ENCAJA TRUBISKY EN ESTE PLAN

“Pero Trubisky no ha jugado nunca en un sistema así. ¡Nunca ha salido debajo del center ni ha jugado ese tipo de dropbacks!”, me diréis alguno. Totalmente cierto, amigos, pero hay solución. O, al menos, creo que puede haberla.

Como os decía antes, el plan de los Bears para este año es darle el mínimo protagonismo a su quarterback. Todo el ataque lo van a basar en el juego terrestre y en los espacios que puedan crear a partir de esto. Su línea ofensiva es mucho mejor de lo que podáis pensar. El interior de esa unidad, de hecho, es excelente. Sitton, Whitehair y Long forman un grupo muy sólido y no me sorprendería ver crecer aún más su rendimiento si las lesiones les respetan. Es decir, tenemos una línea ofensiva que va a jugar bien y un juego de carrera capaz de llevar el peso del equipo. Con esto, los Bears pueden empezar a pensar en darle snaps a su nuevo quarterback.

Si el problema son las salidas debajo del center para alguien que nunca las ha jugado, os puedo emplazar a lo que vimos el año pasado con Dak Prescott. En Dallas fueron capaces de implementar las situaciones de RPO para que su QB rookie tuviese una transición algo menos traumática. Mezclaban situaciones saliendo debajo del center y situaciones jugando desde shotgun para que su quarterback rookie se sintiera más cómodo, dando todo el peso del ataque a su línea ofensiva y a Zeke Elliott, su runningback titular. Con esto, Prescott fue minimizando errores, ganando confianza en su juego y llegó a un nivel el cual nos sorprendió a todos. 

2016 Chicago Bears - Shotgun RPO 2ª Lectura por deionmarco

Con Trubisky, los Bears tienen que hacer algo muy parecido. Él tiene muy buena precisión en los lanzamientos entre los hashmarks tras RPOs, y eso es algo que deben explotar en esa ofensiva. Además, el nuevo quarterback de Chicago, tiene la virtud de salir bien del pocket para jugar sprint-action, por lo que los roll-outs serían una buena opción dentro de esas formaciones pro-style, así que una posibilidad para salir debajo del center serían estos roll-outs buscando el flood concept o el swap boot. Los dropbacks jugando play action, evidentemente, los tiene que aprender casi desde cero, pero las noticias que nos llegan desde la Ciudad del Viento son inmejorables al respecto. Es más, antes y después de la Combine, ya se hablaba de una progresión visible en su footwork. Aun así, el año pasado, después de la lesión de Jay Cutler, vimos a Matt Barkley jugar desde shotgun muchas veces también, algo que Trubisky domina mejor y que demuestra la capacidad de adaptación que tiene Loggains para cualquier contingencia que se le presente.

Mitchell Trubisky Sprint Right Action por deionmarco

Si quieren seguir siendo una run-heavy offense sin tener que salir desde debajo del center, el coordinador ofensivo tiene diferentes maneras de poder hacerlo. Jugando desde shotgun con personal 12 (con los tight ends in-line o con los tight ends en posiciones wing) o mandando la pistol formation (incluída la diamond formation para llenar el backfield), convirtiendo el play action en un mesh point entre el RB y Trubisky, con lecturas sencillas en las RPOs y con la posibilidad de que Trubisky use sus piernas para ganar yardas por tierra quedándose él el balón, una amenaza que con Glennon no tendrían. Evidentemente, Trubisky tiene que ir mejorando su footwork, su reconocimiento de las defensas pre/post-snap y su toma de decisiones dependiendo de lo que se le presenta en el campo, así como crear química con sus compañeros. Lo que está claro es que le han querido rodear lo mejor posible para que no recaiga sobre él el peso de la ofensiva. Todo lo que sea ver más de 25/30 pases por partido en cualquiera de estos dos quarterbacks, será un problema para los Bears.

2016 Chicago Bears - Pistol Outside Zone por deionmarco

El resumen de todo esto es que los Bears no se han  vuelto tan locos como parecía en un principio. O así lo veo yo. Ellos han trazado una hoja de ruta desde que acabó la temporada pasada y su objetivo ha sido formar un bloque muy sólido en ataque para mantenerlo en el campo todo el tiempo posible. No van a tener prisa, pero han dado a entender que Trubisky es su hombre de futuro para esta franquicia, por lo que están intentando ponerle en la mejor situación posible, sin presiones de ningún tipo. 

Veremos mucho juego terrestre en estos nuevos Bears, crearán formaciones pesadas buscando los mismatchs con sus tight ends e intentaran aprovechar los huecos que dejen los rivales al cerrarse con hombres rápidos como Cruz, Meredith, Wheaton o Thompson.

Siguen siendo, en mi opinión, el equipo más débil de esa división, pero tengo la sensación de que va a haber un crecimiento progresivo a lo largo de esta temporada. Progresión que vendrá por ese plan que pocos parecen ver, o creer, y que tiene un nombre por encima de todos: Mitchell Trubisky.

ARE THE CHIEFS WORSE AFTER MACLIN´S RELEASE?

"I've got a ton of trust in the young guys that they'll step up and do a good job for us. We've got enough talent here to do whatever we need to do. I don't worry about that". These statements are from Andy Reid just after the team cut his star wide receiver signed to a big-money deal two years ago. In 2015, Jeremy Maclin came to the franchise with the intention of being the receiver that gave the team a quality jump to a very predictable offense that displayed notorious deficiencies in the passing game. Kansas City gave Maclin top wide receiver money after his great 2014 in the Eagles. The Chiefs signed him a five-year contract and $55 million with $22.5 guaranteed. 

In his first year, Maclin catched 87 receptions for 1088 yards and 8 touchdowns. A good season, although not a the level of excellence that he got under Chip Kelly's offense. Even so, he was the best receiver on the team and gave a very reliable target to Alex Smith. In addition, his injury in the wildcard game against the Texans made him impossible to play against the Patriots in the Divisional Round, something that diminished clearly Andy Reid's offense that day...

By 2016, Maclin´s role was expected to rise, but physical problems and the appearance of Tyreek Hill limited his receptions, and his statistics dropped sharply. In 12 regular season games he got 44 receptions for 536 yards and only 2 touchdowns. Obviously, any team expects much more from their highest paid receiver, but this is not reason enough to cut him, more so if you pay attention to what is left on the roster.

We are going to analyze how the Chiefs can compensate the loss of Maclin, if it can hurt them, or not, and the player that will have to step up after his departure.

THE NUMBER ONE RECEIVER

Jeremy Maclin was the undisputed number one wide receiver on that offense, so initially his replacement would have to come out between Chris Conley, Tyreek Hill or Albert Wilson. I don't think so. I clearly see a man to be the "go to guy" of this offense. Travis Kelce is the man that Andy Reid grabs to be the backbone of the offense. Undoubtedly, the tight end is the most dangerous player they have right now.

Kelce is a terrible mismatch for rival defenders. In the previous video, we can see how he plays againts the linebacker in that man to man defense. He plays a very quick cut and takes advantage of the space created by the wide receiver to gain yards after catch. He's the playmaker the Chiefs have, along with Hill, to attack by the air. The tight end can come out from any spot in the offense. Attached to the offensive line, within the numbers or glued to the boundary. His physique, and speed in each cut, allows him to gain separation either against linebackers or against defensive backs. He's a constant nightmare for defenses. Last year, he was the most targeted player by his quarterback (85 receptions for 1125 yards and 4 touchdowns), but beyond his stats, Kelce generates space for his teammates as he draws two and up to three defenders. In the following video, we can see his speed, his excellent route-running and his fantastic hands against cornerback in man to man defense. If the defense is man-to-man. If he stays healthy, the tight end will once again become the cornerstone of the whole offensive system. 

THE EXPLOSION OF TYREEK HILL

Maclin was the man who could play better in the deep passing game. His location of the ball, his hands and his route running made him very dangerous down the field. However, the Chiefs, and Alex Smith, are not much threat since they don´t put the ball too many times in the air for long distance plays. The inconsistency of Smith in the deep throws is something that has harmed Maclin's perfonmance. The next video shows us how good Maclin is in the deep passing game.

The star appearance of the former West Alabama graduate was the most positive feature in an offense that seemed very limited again in 2016. His versatility was used wonderfully by his coach, which placed him in different spots giving them a constant threat in any type of situation, whether in running or passing game. He was located 52% of his snaps out wide, 39% in the slot and 8% starting from the backfield. His speed is exceptional, electric and dominant. We saw him come out the backfield (even playing wildcats), return punts / kicks or move around the field to look for medium or deep routes, and this is where I will elaborate.

Now, after Maclin's release, Kansas City still has Tyreek Hill to stretch the defense vertically and leave the defenses clear to take advantage of Kelce, or another teammate, on underneath routes. The small receiver is very difficult to defend. If you play in man to man, pressing with the jam, it's very likely that his quick feet get the release to win separation. On the contrary, if you give him space in off-man, his vertical release eats (literally) that cushion before the cornerback has time to react and follow his route. Andy Reid has found his DeSean Jackson and wants to use it in the same way.

In my opinion, Tyreek Hill can not be the WR1. All that versatility I spoke to you may be detrimental to him. I will explain it. Hill, besides being a weapon on the offense, also participates on special teams as a returner, being, at the moment, one of the most dangerous of all in the NFL. This, in a player who is physically small, and somewhat fragile, can end up being a problem. Too many hits, too much time on the field and too much risk for Reid to be left without such a valuable weapon and that supposes so much to him. A WR1 must play all possible snaps when his team has the ball, but overloading Hill can be counterproductive. Last year, still being one of his best players, Andy Reid already took care of him giving him more rest than the Chiefs demanded. Of the 991 snaps played by Kansas City, Hill participated in 401, 40% of the total. No doubt, in 2017 he will have more snaps, but not those that a WR1 should have. Kelce and Hill are the two playmakers needed to make Reid's West Coast Offense not as predictable. They are the ones who create mismatches and those who can give the quality leap into the receivers' crop. They are in charge of making the passing game dangerous.

AND THE REST OF WIDE RECEIVERS?

Reid's WCO allows his players to be open in the route scheme created by the coach. This scheme looks for the weaknesses of the defensive coverage without needing a great one on one by his wide receivers. All those bunch formations to look for routes in traffic, the screens or mixture of concepts for short and fast routes, allows to operate well to wide receivers as possession's receivers. Of course, without the variations given by the playmakers, this scheme would be somewhat lame. Maclin's natural replacement, in this type of game, has to be Chris Conley. Former Georgia Bulldog, drafted in the third round of 2015, has been taking more snaps over the last two years, ending 2016 with 44 receptions for 530 yards, but with no touchdowns on his box-score (he has only one touchdown and he got it in his rookie year). Conley plays very well the comeback route when he's defended in off-man. Good cuts, ball location and, above all, his turn to get some extra yards after the reception, make him be a good target for the quarterback in first or second down.

Conley has good speed, so he will be deployed, along with Hill, to go deep. It was customary, in 2016, to see him play fade routes outside the numbers looking for deep throws. He has to improve his release versus press, and he must refine his speed cuts a little more to look for doubles moves. I'm sure Andy Reid has a lot of confidence in him and in the progression he's been making since joining the team, although Alex Smith targeted him for only 12'9% of the routes he ran. The rest of the wide receivers that have options to make the final roster will come from the list of Abert Wilson, De'Anthony Thomas, Demarcus Robinson, Seantavius ​​Jones and rookie Jehu Chesson. Wilson is a good slot receiver. He's a good route runner in underneath zones to gain separation and give a clear target to his quarterback. Demarcus Robinson play has gained attention in the off-season. The staff is delighted with the second-year player after playing only six snaps with the offensive team in 2016. He played every game of last year, but did so in special teams like gunner and, right now, is the top favorite to occupy the spot that Jeremy Maclin left free on the roster. Thomas's case is different. His speed makes it dangerous in trick plays or in different situations such as screens, but his protagonism is falling as time passes.

Finally, and although he is not a wide receiver, I want to name a player who creates me some interest, tight end Demetrius Harris. I have noticed, in the games that I've analyzed, how the Chiefs were introducing this boy as the year progressed. Reid moved Kelce all over the field while using Harris in-line to block, playing with 12 personnel many times. Harris entered the passing game step by step, and showed a very interesting progression in his route running. If Reid manages to implement the passing game with two tight ends formations, the offense will have more facility to move the chains. Keep an eye on him.

THE RUNNING GAME

I'm not the smartest guy in the class if I tell you that you can not attack by air without a decent ground game. Unless you have Aaron Rodgers commanding the offense, that can not be done. And the 2016 Chiefs did not have a established running game. Spencer Ware is their starting running back, but injuries unable him to reach his full potential. I really like this guy and I think the tandem he can make with Kareem Hunt will give another dimension to the Chiefs' running game. Obviously, the offensive line has to accompany his runners. Not that they were bad or played poorly, but there were situations in which you saw them issues. We could see how physically and power wise lacked in their game. This was more noticeable when the offense was in short yardage plays. The push at the point of attack was not the right one, and it was common to see rival defensive lines dominating the trenches. In 2016 there was a lot of action from the backfield and that hid the little consistency that had the ground game. His performance should be much higher in 2017 if they want to make their passing game more reliable.

In addition to this, and after Maclin's cut, it will also be important the running back's passing game. Ware already showed that he can adapt to almost any route coming out of the backfield, and that he can also move in motion to look for the mismatch against linebackers.

Kareem Hunt has the right skills to shine in this offense. That offensive line can benefit from the footwork and explosiveness that characterize the rookie. But, also, he has good hands to receive some throws. In his college days at Toledo, we have been able to see him playing checkdowns and routes to the flat from the backfield, The RB screens that so much, and so well, play the Chiefs, adapt very well to Hunt's virtues. In the open field, he is extremely dangerous given his speed and elusiveness. Undoubtedly, the performance of these two runners is vital to alleviate Maclin's loss and to give consistency to the offense. Andy Reid must recover the running game to be able to develop the passing game.

If you ask me if the Chiefs are better without Maclin than with him, my answer is no. If you ask me if they are worse, I could not tell you that either. Maclin was clearly underutilized in a system that did not suit him. These Chiefs have a very recognizable trademark, which characterizes them over all other teams. They are a compact squad and they know very well how they play, trust that and die with their ideas. Jeremy Maclin has proved to be an excellent receiver, but he stays somewhat short as WR1 in a team that doesn't risk in the situations that can best suit him or in a system where it is not extremely necessary that type of wide receiver. This, on the other hand, is contradictory with Patrick Mahomes' pick at the most recent draft. The former Texas Tech quarterback was chosen to flip the offense and be more aggressive in the deep game, so the Maclin's loss is not much understood in this regard. However, the Chiefs' stars are fairly well defined in the names of Kelce and Hill and, along with that group of work-man like receivers, make a neat offensive team and very versatile if those pieces stay healthy.

In short, I have the feeling that the Chiefs decided to shed their best wide receiver, but not their essence. That way they have managed to be a respected and, to some extent, fearsome team, and that is what will make them again among the candidates to play in the post season. 

Rubén Ibeas @rubenibg

ADIÓS, MACLIN, ¿SON AHORA PEORES LOS KANSAS CITY CHIEFS?

"Tengo mucha confianza en que los jóvenes den un paso adelante y hagan un buen trabajo para nosotros. Tenemos suficiente talento para cualquier cosa que necesitemos hacer. No estoy preocupado". Estas declaraciones son de Andy Reid justo después de conocerse el corte del que había sido su wide receiver estrella en los dos últimos años. En 2015, Jeremy Maclin llegó a la franquicia con la intención de ser ese receptor que le diese un salto de calidad a un ataque muy predecible y que presentaba unas carencias notorias en el juego de pase. Los Chiefs le firmaron un contrato de cinco años a razón de 55 millones de dólares, de los cuales 22'5 eran garantizados. Es decir, Kansas City le dio dinero a Maclin como si fuese un receptor top de la liga tras su gran 2014 en los Eagles.

En su primer año, Maclin consigió 87 recepciones para 1088 yardas y 8 touchdowns. Una buena temporada, aunque sin llegar a la excelencia que consiguió bajo las órdenes de Chip Kelly el curso anterior. Aún así, fue el mejor receptor del equipo y le dio un objetivo muy fiable a Alex Smith. Además, su lesión en la wildcard ante los Texans, le imposibilitó jugar contra los Patriots en el Divisional, algo que mermó claramente al ataque de los de Andy Reid.

En 2016, se esperaba que Maclin siguiese subiendo sus prestaciones, pero los problemas físicos y la aparición de Tyreek Hill limitó sus recepciones, y sus estadísticas bajaron notablemente. En esta temporada, en 12 partidos de liga regular, sumó 44 recepciones para 536 yardas y solo 2 touchdowns. Evidentemente, cualquier equipo espera mucho más de su receptor mejor pagado, pero esto tampoco es para cortarlo viendo lo que les quedaba en el roster, ¿no? ¿O sí lo es?.

Vamos a analizar como pueden suplir la pérdida de Maclin y si les puede afectar, o no, en un esquema muy instaurado en el equipo, más allá de otro problema que se les venía encima en las oficinas de la franquicia, ya que los 10 millones que se ahorran los Chiefs con el corte, los necesitaban para terminar de firmar a sus jugadores elegidos en las tres primeras rondas del draft de 2017.

EL WIDE RECEIVER 1

Jeremy Maclin era el indiscutible wide receiver número uno en esa ofensiva, por lo que su sustituto tendría que salir entre Chris Conley, Tyreek Hill o Albert Wilson. Pues bien, yo no lo creo. Tengo un receptor clarísimo para ser el "go to guy" de este ataque. Travis Kelce es el hombre al que se agarra Andy Reid para ser el eje de la ofensiva. Sin duda, el tight end es el jugador más desequilibrante que poseen ahora mismo.

Kelce es un mismatch terrible para la defensa rival. En el vídeo anterior, podemos ver como se deshace del linebacker en esa defensa individual. El corte es muy rápido y se aprovecha del espacio creado por el wide receiver para ganar yardas after catch. Es el playmaker que tienen los Chiefs, junto con Hill, para atacar por aire. El tight end puede salir desde cualquier spot en ataque. Pegado a la línea ofensiva, dentro de los números o pegado a la línea de banda como receptor exterior. Su físico, y velocidad en cada corte, le permite ganar separación ya sea contra linebackers o contra defensive backs. Es una pesadilla constante para las defensas. El año pasado, fue el jugador que más balones recibió de todo el ataque (85 recepciones para 1125 yardas y 4 touchdowns), pero más allá de sus estadísticas, Kelce genera el espacio para sus compañeros, ya que atrae a dos y hasta tres defensores. Si se mantiene sano, el tight end volverá a ser la piedra angular por donde gire todo ese sistema ofensivo. A continuación, podemos ver su velocidad, su excelente route-running y sus fantásticas manos frente a un cornerback. Si la defensa está en hombre a hombre, Kelce es un peligro constante.

LA EXPLOSIÓN DE TYREEK HILL

Maclin era el hombre que más y mejor podía jugar en profundo. Su localización del balón, sus manos y su route running  le hacían muy peligroso campo abajo. Sin embargo, los Chiefs, y Alex Smith, no son muy dados al riesgo de ver volar el balón mucho tiempo por el aire. La inconsistencia de Smith en los lanzamientos profundos es algo que ha perjudicado el juego de Maclin. En el siguiente vídeo, podemos ver la excelencia de Maclin en el juego profundo.

La aparición estelar del ex de West Alabama fue la nota más positiva dentro de una ofensiva que volvió a parecer muy limitada en 2016. Su versatilidad fue utilizada a las mil maravillas por su entrenador, el cual le colocaba en diferentes spots dándole una amenaza constante en cualquier tipo de juego, ya fuese terrestre o aéreo. Fue situado el 52% de sus snaps jugados en el exterior, el 39% en el slot y el 8% saliendo desde el backfield. Su velocidad es excepcional, eléctrica y dominante. Le vimos salir desde el backfield (incluso jugando wildcats), retornar punts/kicks o moverse por todo el campo para buscar rutas medias o profundas, y es aquí donde voy a insistir.

Ahora, ante la baja de Maclin, Kansas City tiene a Tyreek Hill para estirar la defensa verticalmente y dejar el medio limpio de defensores para aprovechar a Kelce, u otro compañero, en rutas underneath. El pequeño receptor es muy difícil de defender. Si le juegas en hombre a hombre, presionando con el jam, es muy probable que sus rápidos pies consigan el release para ganar separación y si, por el contrario, le das espacio en off-man, su vertical release te come (literalmente) ese colchón antes de que el cornerback tenga tiempo para reaccionar y seguir su ruta. Andy Reid ha encontrado a su DeSean Jackson y lo quiere usar de la misma manera.

En mi opinión, Tyreek Hill no puede ser WR1. Toda esa versatilidad de la que os hablaba antes puede ir detrimento suyo. Me explico. Hill, además de ser un arma del ataque, también participa de los equipos especiales como retornador, siendo, ahora mismo, uno de los más peligrosos de toda la NFL. Esto, en un jugador que físicamente es pequeño, y algo frágil, puede terminar siendo un problema. Demasiados golpes, demasiado tiempo en el campo y demasiado riesgo para que Reid se quede sin un arma tan valiosa y que supone tanto para él. Un WR1 debe jugar todos los snaps posibles cuando su equipo tiene el balón, pero sobrecargar de acción a Hill puede ser contraproducente. El año pasado, aún siendo uno de sus mejores jugadores, Andy Reid ya cuidó de él dándole más descanso del que los Chiefs demandaban. De los 991 snaps que jugaron los de Kansas City, Hill participó en 401, un 40% del total. Sin duda, en 2017 tendrá más snaps, pero no los que un WR1 debe tener. Kelce y Hill son los dos playmakers necesarios para que la West Coast Offense de Reid no sea tan predecible. Ellos son los que crean mismatch y los que pueden dar el salto de calidad dentro del cuerpo de receptores. Son los encargados de hacer que el juego aéreo sea peligroso.

¿Y EL RESTO DE WIDE RECEIVERS?

La WCO de Reid permite a sus jugadores estar abiertos en el esquema de rutas que crea el entrenador. Este esquema busca la debilidad de las coberturas defensivas sin necesidad de un gran uno por uno de sus wide receivers. Todas esas bunch formations para buscar rutas en tráfico, las screens o mezcla de conceptos para rutas cortas y rápidas, permite funcionar bien a los wide receivers como receptores de posesión. Evidentemente, sin las variantes que te dan los playmakers, este esquema se queda algo cojo.

El relevo natural de Maclin, en este tipo de juego, tiene que ser Chris Conley. El ex de Georgia, elegido en tercera ronda de 2015, ha ido tomando más snaps a lo largo de estos dos años, hasta terminar en 2016 con 44 recepciones para 530 yardas, aunque sin ningún touchdown en su cuenta (el único touchdown, que posee en la liga, lo consiguió en su año rookie).

Conley juega muy bien las comeback cuando es defendido en off-man. Ese corte, localización de balón y, sobretodo, su giro para conseguir alguna yarda de más después de la recepción, le hacen ser un buen objetivo para el quarterback en el primer o segundo down.

Conley tiene buena velocidad, así que será el encargado, junto con Hill, de ir en profundo. Fue habitual, en 2016, verle jugar fade routes por fuera de los números buscando los lanzamientos largos. Tiene que mejorar su release en press, y debe refinar un poco más sus speed cuts o cortes para buscar doubles moves. Tengo claro que Andy Reid tiene mucha confianza en él y en la progresión que está teniendo desde que llegó al equipo, aunque, el curso pasado fuese buscado por Alex Smith solamente un 12'9% de las rutas que corrió. Además, debe mejorar el porcentaje de drops que tuvo, ya que un 4'5% no es nada bueno.

El resto de wide receivers que tienen opciones al roster final saldrá de la terna entre Albert Wilson, De'Anthony Thomas, Demarcus Robinson, Seantavius Jones y el rookie Jehu Chesson. Wilson es un buen slot receiver. Es buen route runner en zonas underneath para ganar separación y darle un objetivo claro a su quarterback. A su vez, se está hablando muy bien de Demarcus Robinson en esta off-season. El staff técnico está encantado con el jugador de segundo año a pesar de jugar solo seis snaps con el equipo ofensivo en 2016. Jugó todos los partidos del curso pasado, pero lo hizo en equipos especiales como gunner y, ahora mismo, es el máximo favorito para ocupar el spot que dejó libre Jeremy Maclin en el roster. El caso de Thomas es distinto. Su velocidad lo hace peligroso en trick plays o en diferentes situaciones como pueden ser las screens, pero su protagonismo está cayendo a medida que pasa el tiempo.

Por último, y aunque no sea wide receiver, quiero nombrar a un jugador que me crea cierto interés, el tight end Demetrius Harris. Me he fijado, en los partidos que he analizado, como los Chiefs fueron introduciendo a este chico a medida que avanzaba el año. Reid movía a Kelce por todo el campo mientras que usaba a Harris in-line para bloquear, jugando con 12 personnel muchas veces. Harris fue entrando en el juego de pase poquito a poco, y demostró una progresión muy interesante en su route running. Si Reid consigue implementar el juego de pase con formaciones de dos tight ends, el ataque tendrá más facilidad para mover las cadenas. Ojo con él.

LOS CORREDORES Y SU IMPORTANCIA

No soy el más listo de la clase si os digo que no se puede atacar por aire sin tener un juego decente por tierra. A menos que tengas a Aaron Rodgers comandando el ataque, eso no se puede hacer. Y los Chiefs de 2016 no tuvieron un juego terrestre bien establecido.

Spencer Ware es su running back titular, pero las lesiones no nos han dejado ver todo el potencial que tiene. A mí me gusta mucho este chico y creo que la pareja que puede formar con Kareem Hunt le va a dar otra dimensión a la carrera de los Chiefs. Evidentemente, la línea ofensiva tiene que acompañar a sus corredores. No es que fuera mala o jugase mal, pero hubo situaciones en las que se le vieron las costuras.

Pudimos ver como faltaba físico y potencia en su juego. Esto se notaba más cuando la ofensiva se encontraba en jugadas de corto yardaje. El push en el punto de ataque no era el adecuado, y era factible ver como las líneas defensivas rivales dominaban las trincheras. En 2016 hubo mucho highlight desde el backfield y eso escondía la poca consistencia que tuvo el juego terrestre. Su rendimiento debe ser mucho mayor en 2017 si quieren que su juego por aire sea más próspero.

Además de esto, y ante la baja de Maclin, también será importante el juego de pase por parte de los running backs. Ware ya demostró que puede adaptarse a casi cualquier ruta saliendo desde el backfield, y que también puede moverse en motion para buscar el mismatch contra los linebackers.

Kareem Hunt tiene las características adecuadas para brillar en este ataque. Esa línea ofensiva puede verse favorecida del footwork y explosividad que caracterizan al rookie. Pero, además, tiene buenas manos para recibir lanzamientos. En su universidad, Toledo, le hemos podido ver jugando checkdowns y salidas a la flat desde el backfield, Las RB screens que tanto, y tan bien, juegan los Chiefs, se adaptan muy bien a las virtudes de Hunt. En campo abierto es peligrosísimo dado su velocidad y "elusividad". Sin duda alguna, el rendimiento de estos dos corredores es vital para paliar la baja de Maclin y para darle consistencia al ataque. Andy Reid debe recuperar el juego por tierra para poder desarrollar el juego por aire.

Si me preguntáis si los Chiefs son mejores sin Maclin que con él, mi respuesta es que no. Si me preguntáis si son peores, podría contestaros que tampoco. Maclin estaba claramente infrautilizado en un sistema que no le venía bien. Estos Chiefs tienen un sello muy especial, que les caracteriza sobre el resto de equipos. Son un bloque compacto y saben muy bien a lo que juegan, confían en eso y mueren con sus ideas. Jeremy Maclin ha demostrado ser un excelente receptor, pero se queda algo corto como WR1 en un equipo que no arriesga en las situaciones que mejor le pueden venir a él o en un sistema donde no es extremadamente necesario ese tipo de wide receiver. Esto, por otra parte, es contradictorio con la elección de Patrick Mahomes. El ex quarterback de Texas Tech fue elegido para darle otra cara a la ofensiva y ser más agresivos en el juego profundo, así que la pérdida de Maclin no se entiende mucho en este sentido. Sin embargo, las estrellas de los Chiefs están bastante definidas en los nombres de Kelce o de Hill y, junto a ese grupo de receptores sobrios, forman una ofensiva aseada y muy versátil si esas piezas se mantienen sanas.

En definitiva, me queda la sensación de que los Chiefs decidieron desprenderse de su mejor wide receiver, pero no de su esencia. Así han conseguido ser un equipo respetado y, en cierta medida temible, y eso es lo que les hará volver a estar entre los candidatos a jugar en la post temporada.

Rubén Ibeas @rubenibg

PROFILES: ANTONIO BROWN

Day 1 of the Pittsburgh Steelers OTAs. In the back corner of the end zone, Antonio Brown reached around cornerback Artie Burns, who was positioned in front of him, and somehow caught a pass from Ben Roethlisberger. One of the officials hired to work practice signaled Brown’s foot was out of bounds.

“I was in, huh?” Brown said. “I thought it was good.” And it’s only June.

That is Antonio Brown, always working, always competing, always striving to be better than anyone else on the field. Doesn’t matter if it’s a spring practice with his teammates or the postseason in January. Brown knows only one way, one speed. Full bore ahead.

It would have been easy for Brown to excuse himself from the three-week OTAs that concluded Thursday. After catching more passes in a four-year span (481) than any player in NFL history and signing a record contract for a wide receiver (five years, $72.7 million) in February, it would have been perfectly understandable if he missed more than a few days of spring practice.

“I need to get better, and I try to evolve my game to get better in every aspect.” Really? Opponents should be scared.

One of the more difficult decisions in my selection process of the 2016 edition of "Los 11 de Deion" was the inclusion of Brown as the second wide receiver opposite Julio Jones. Brown´s slide in yards production (from 1834yds in 2015 to 1284 in 2016) was noticeable. After some thought I decided to bet on Brown, the deciding factor being his eight touchdowns from outside the red zone. That´s a feat only reachable for the super stars of the game.

Now that we are in the offseason I came back to Brown´s tape from the 2016 season to study those scores. The result is our first video for the new section "Profiles". Here we will take a deep look at the play of the greatest players in the game. Hope you enjoy it:

PERFILES: ANTONIO BROWN

Primer día de OTA´s de los Pittsburgh Steelers. En la esquina de la end zone, Antonio Brown sobrepasa al cornerback Artie Burns, quien le tenía ganada la posición, y casi incomprensiblemente atrapa el pase de Ben Roethlisberger. Uno de los oficiales contratados para arbitrar el entrenamiento señala que el pie de  Brown estaba fuera.

“Estaba dentro, ¿no?” respondió Brown. “Definitivamente estaba dentro.” Y estamos en junio.

Éste es Antonio Brown, siempre trabajando, siempre compitiendo, siempre intentando ser el mejor jugador sobre el campo. No importa si es un entreno de primavera con sus compañeros o un choque de playoffs en enero. Brown solo conoce una velocidad, la máxima.

Habría sido sencillo para Brown excusarse de las tres semanas de OTAs. Tras atrapar más pases que nadie en un período de cuatro años (481) en la historia de la NFL y firmar un contrato récord para un wide receiver en febrero, hubiese sido perfectamente entendible si se perdiese algunos días de entrenos.

“Necesito mejorar y evolucionar mi juego para ser mejor en todos los aspectos.” ¿En serio? Los rivales deberían estar asustados.

Una de las decisiones más complicadas que encaré en la selección de Los 11 de Deion del año pasado fue la inclusión del segundo wide receiver en el lado opuesto a Julio Jones. Tras mucho estudio decidí apostar por Brown pese al pequeño bajón en su producción de yardas. El motivo desequilibrante fueron los ocho touchdowns que anotó desde más de 20 yardas, es decir, fuera de la zona roja. Eso es algo que sólo está reservado a jugadores muy desequilibrantes.

En plena "offseason" he decidido volver a la cinta de Brown de 2016 para observar esas anotaciones y el resultado ha sido el siguiente video que inaugura nuestra sección de "Perfiles" donde estudiaremos el juego de las grandes estrellas de la NFL. Que lo disfrutéis:

SIMEON RICE, A PLAYER TO REMEMBER

Not every day the opportunity to chat with a former NFL Champion presents to yourself. Simeon Rice won a ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was after the 2002 season, remembered forever for the impressive performance of a defense in which Rice was one of its greatest players.

After twelve seasons and 122.0 sacks under his belt (12th in all-time list at the moment of his retirement), Rice left the NFL after the 2007 campaign. In just ten years the game has changed a lot in his opinion. "The major differences that I see in the game of football are physicality because of the injury protocol I truly believe the game as it has been diluted. This have resulted in enabling offenses to score more points. I always understood the game of football and his inherent dangers that you took on by playing the sport."

Not only has the league changed in the purely sporting aspect. For Rice, the explosion of social media on the Internet has a tremendous impact. "Social media has changed the game by giving the voice and face to small market teams and individuals and what could be even more impactful than that the chance for fans to reach out and touch their favorite players by the push of a button. Players and fans interact so fast now many players design their brands by the requests of their fans. Which brings me to speaking on marketing. Several players have brands that can be seen dollars and cents to marketing companies because of social media."

A historically losing franchise, such as the Buccaneers, managed to clinch the title in 2002, but since then has been unable to win merely a playoff game. That does not nullify Rice's optimism for the current team. "These Buccaneers are poised for a historical run for the Super Bowl because of the offense they have put together under Jameis Winston and his crop of receivers, and their defense lead by Noah Spence and company. 

"The best defensive end in today´s NFL, in my opinion, is JJ Watt because of his mix of power and speed as well as his consistency." Rice is clear who is today´s best player in the position in which he shined so much. What does he thinks of this year´s No. 1 pick in the draft, Myles Garrett, who looks poised to become the league's next dominant edge rusher? "I think if Myles Garrett plays to his talent I truly believe he will be a franchise player. I do not know how many times, but if he works hard and matches his capabilities he can at least go to a few Pro Bowls. "

In June the NFL is in "vacation mode", but that does not mean it stops generating news. We have recently seen the change in the regulation of the overtime period, from up to 15 minutes to a maximum of 10. For Rice "the new rule change with the overtime should improve the timing of the game, so I'm in favor of it" .

For the next two weeks NFL teams will report for their mandatory minicamps. Deep in contractual disputes, some players threaten not to attend these training sessions. In fact it is something that they did during the OTAs ('Organized Team Activities') in May. "OTAs are valuable to an organization, although I personally hardly took part in them in my NFL career. It is truly more important for the organization to see there team and what kind of product they're putting on the field."

Rice did not need the OTAs to become one of the best pass-rushers in the competition. The key to his success? "My favorite move to the quarterback was any move that would freed me up and allowed me to become one of the best to ever don a helmet and pads. However, my ‘go to’ move was a speed rush up the field coupled with an inside move as a change up. I call it the art of deception. "

Our lead analyst, Ruben Ibeas, has immersed himself in the tape of the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers' historic defense to study Simeon Rice´s play:

His main virtue was speed. The get-off at the snap was outstanding. In addition, his quickness of feet made him a headache for OLs, generally heavier than him. We can see this in the following video, a forced fumble in the 2002 NFC Championship Game.

The first step is very explosive to win the outside corner with the speed rush. He bends his hips, plays with good leverage (stay low) and turns the corner at lightning speed to get to the quarterback. When the opposing QB played 5-7 step dropbacks, Rice had a good chance of getting to him. The longer the pocket was made, the better for the former Tampa Bay Buccaneer. His long arms also helped him to contact the quarterback even if he was not around, causing quite a few fumbles. This virtue also served to keep the blocker away from him, avoiding getting caught.

This speed was used to create panic in his rivals. The fear of the blockers to his explosiveness was used by Rice to play inside moves. When the OT tried to gain depth to prevent Simeon from going over the edge, Rice took advantage of that open interior gap to change direction. His hands were also fast, and coupled to his long arms, he could win that inside after contacting the offensive lineman.

The spin move was another weapon in his arsenal that he used best to play inside. All of this, as always, was based on explosiveness and quickness out of the ordinary. It was true that he was not too heavy, but he was able to improve on the bull-rush and add it to his arsenal.

His motor was another pro in his game. He was tireless in the pass rush until he reached his goal. He chased the quarterback, or the runner, to exhaustion. This shows us his passion for the game. Whit that speed, if you add his long arms and motor, you have an elite rusher.

In this video, we can see how, despite having two OLs fighting with him, he is able to have a very explosive get-off, getting rid of the LT with the hump move, hitting the LG and continuing to move his feet until he hunts the quarterback. When he came out of those spots (wide 9 or 7-tech) it was when he became more dangerous because he could use his speed to gain the edge on the outside. And when the OT wanted to close that path, he came a mortal turning inward direction. Here is another example of how he won the interior, again with the hump move, to close a victory over Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers in 2002.

Another factor to emphasize in his game were his eyes. He always kept his head up, which allowed him to know, at all times, where the ball was. Also, when he had to fall into some coverage (rarely, but he had to do), he was able to be close to the pass target, and close to the ball, in case there was a reception.

Simeon Rice deserves all the awards he had playing in a legendary defense such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from the start of the century. His style was unmistakable, starting from that 3 point stance (with the arm, that was not in the ground, extended back and slightly raised), which it is one of the images of that generation.

Few, very few, managed to counter this simple but effective tactic. In Rice's words, "I really think the best offensive tackle I faced in my career was Walter Jones because of his quickness, power and balance."

Rice is still training hard today, allowing him to remain in an enviable physical shape. In his post-NFL career he has made adventures in the music and film industry, even directing and writing the film "Unsullied." In addition to all this he is the number one fan of his son Jordan Caroline, a basketball star in the Nevada college team.

“Thank you for asking me these intriguing questions and taking an interest in my favorite sport of American football.” Many thanks for your time, Mr. Rice!