Yakuza Rich
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Long ago when asked what is the key to being a successful football team, Vince Lombardi said to the effect 'Blocking and Tackling. That's what the game of football is about.'
I'm sure I'm like 99.9% of the football fans on the planet as I have a great deal of respect for Lombardi. A lot of his quotes which occurred more than 50 years ago are so simple, but brilliant in nature and hold up to the test of time. I think it's something that even the most astute and experienced football coaches tend to forget and some of those coaches that pull out successful seasons when everybody is down on their chances tend to abide by Lombardi's rules to get those extra victories. That's why in the age of spreading them out and throwing the ball to diminutive WR's that run short, quick pivot patterns...I still see the value of good blocking fullback because there is likely no such thing as having too many good blockers on the team. That's what Jim Harbaugh is unafraid to do...add a player that is a good blocker instead of using a player that can't block (or tackle). And despite a skiddish looking QB, a depleted defense and a combative front office, Harbaugh isn't looking too bad right now.
Anyway, what we'll see from the Seahawks is their tackling. I know many have seen this video, but here's Pete Carroll with a video he sent to the league showing how the Seahawks teach and train tackling.
I think the Seahawks are by far and away the best tackling team in the NFL. They don't allow yards after the catch. They create fumbles. They hit very violently (one of Lombardi's sayings is that football is a game of controlled violence). And they don't suffer head, neck and shoulder injuries while tackling people. I have no idea why other teams are not practicing these techniques. And if I was a defensive player (or offensive player playing special teams), I would hire a coach in the offseason to teach and train me on these tackling techniques so I could at least prevent myself from being injured.
I don't see any Cowboys player that utilizes all of the techniques that Carroll prescribes. Barry Church is probably the closest, but I don't see him rolling thru when he brings the ball carrier down (prevents possible neck injury). Wilcox, Hitchens and Claiborne are terrible as they consistently use their head to tackle and use a lot of slide tackling which is very prone to injury.
What I do like about the Seahawks defense as well is that they seem to plug in players and get them to play very freely without getting too bogged down on technique and assignments. I think the Cowboys defense is starting to get there with that as Marinelli's scheme is more similar to Carroll's and is not overly complex like Rob Ryan's or Dick LeBeau's. Now we just need to get the tackling down to not only be more proficient tacklers, but to help keep the defense healthy year in and year out.
YR
I'm sure I'm like 99.9% of the football fans on the planet as I have a great deal of respect for Lombardi. A lot of his quotes which occurred more than 50 years ago are so simple, but brilliant in nature and hold up to the test of time. I think it's something that even the most astute and experienced football coaches tend to forget and some of those coaches that pull out successful seasons when everybody is down on their chances tend to abide by Lombardi's rules to get those extra victories. That's why in the age of spreading them out and throwing the ball to diminutive WR's that run short, quick pivot patterns...I still see the value of good blocking fullback because there is likely no such thing as having too many good blockers on the team. That's what Jim Harbaugh is unafraid to do...add a player that is a good blocker instead of using a player that can't block (or tackle). And despite a skiddish looking QB, a depleted defense and a combative front office, Harbaugh isn't looking too bad right now.
Anyway, what we'll see from the Seahawks is their tackling. I know many have seen this video, but here's Pete Carroll with a video he sent to the league showing how the Seahawks teach and train tackling.
I think the Seahawks are by far and away the best tackling team in the NFL. They don't allow yards after the catch. They create fumbles. They hit very violently (one of Lombardi's sayings is that football is a game of controlled violence). And they don't suffer head, neck and shoulder injuries while tackling people. I have no idea why other teams are not practicing these techniques. And if I was a defensive player (or offensive player playing special teams), I would hire a coach in the offseason to teach and train me on these tackling techniques so I could at least prevent myself from being injured.
I don't see any Cowboys player that utilizes all of the techniques that Carroll prescribes. Barry Church is probably the closest, but I don't see him rolling thru when he brings the ball carrier down (prevents possible neck injury). Wilcox, Hitchens and Claiborne are terrible as they consistently use their head to tackle and use a lot of slide tackling which is very prone to injury.
What I do like about the Seahawks defense as well is that they seem to plug in players and get them to play very freely without getting too bogged down on technique and assignments. I think the Cowboys defense is starting to get there with that as Marinelli's scheme is more similar to Carroll's and is not overly complex like Rob Ryan's or Dick LeBeau's. Now we just need to get the tackling down to not only be more proficient tacklers, but to help keep the defense healthy year in and year out.
YR
