Film Talk, Week 7

I've had fun starting this article with an in-depth film breakdown over the past few weeks and have heard good feedback on it. This week I wanted to highlight Breece Hall's advanced running ability as a rookie, which makes the rest of his career exciting.

Situation

• Green Bay 0 - New York 0
• 1st quarter 10:12
• 1st and 10 yards to go
• Football on the Jets' own 24-yard line

The Jets are running a toss play to the right with a tight end motion to help double-team the play-side defensive end. I'll have a better image next, but I wanted you to see the blocking scheme from this point of view.

This is the best angle to watch running plays. The Jets are all stepping play side and blocking the defender in that path or lane. This is a toss stretch play.

Breece Hall has a decision to make just a few frames later. Both red arrows show his decision. The defender in the purple circle is squeezing down the hole with the right red arrow, which is more advantageous to Hall because he has two blockers on the defensive end and another blocker moving toward the linebacker. The left red arrow is difficult because the same defender in the purple circle is leveraged that way and can make the tackle.

Hall gathers his feet and takes a step to the left. This makes the defender in the purple circle react and move further that way.

This small movement helps create a much larger running lane than he had initially. Also, look at how the defender is getting his left arm free to reach and grab Hall.

Hall makes a slight turn of his shoulders to the right to create less area for the defender to grab.

This small shoulder turn only allowed for the defender to grab his left arm. But Hall now has two more defenders to think about.

Just as he's breaking the arm tackle, Hall cuts inside(red arrow) to avoid the next Packers defender. This requires so much balance from Hall because he's accelerating to get away from the first set of defenders but needs to have his feet underneath him to make a solid cut to avoid the next set of defenders. He's also cutting away from the defender's momentum.

The combination of balance and cutting paid off for Hall to make the defender(purple circle) miss. The blocker offers a little assistance as well, and he's helping hold off the far-right defender from making the tackle as well. However, now Hall has another defender(black circle) with some area to maneuver.

Hall's eyes are locked onto the defender(black circle), and he has two decisions. Red arrow to outrun and stiff arm. Or the yellow arrow to make another cutback. Hall is already gathering his feet in this frame to choose the yellow arrow path. He decided to cut against the defender's momentum again.

Hall doesn't win this battle with a spin move as the defender wraps him up, and he only gains another three yards after contact here.

This single run from Hall reveals so much about him as a player. His eyes are constantly focused on the next task at hand, and he's able to make quick decisions, even when still dealing with the previous task. He understands how to use defenders' momentum against themselves and then cut opposite. Running under control with the balance to make successful cuts. Lastly, Hall understands how to manipulate defenders to create bigger spaces for holes and how to turn his shoulders to get skinny through those holes.

Disclaimer: Coaches are critical by the nature of the profession. I will reveal the good and bad about players. It doesn't mean I'm a homer or a hater, so the kids say. It's just honesty.

Cincinnati Bengals at New Orleans Saints

Wild game overall. The Saints jumped out to an early lead because of a fumble on special teams and scored on six of seven possessions in the middle of the game. One of the problems for the Saints was settling for field goals instead of touchdowns. The Bengals had four touchdowns, which all consisted of 60 yards drives or longer. The game-winning play by Ja'Marr Chase just further reveals the elite talent that he possesses.

Joe Burrow

The Good

• Awareness to avoid with the athleticism to buy time and gain yards if needed

• Quick release, which helps on RPOs

• Deep ball accuracy gives his receivers a chance

• Beat the cover 0 blitz in the pocket and ran for a touchdown

The Bad

• Passed on an open WR for a checkdown

• Threw a shallow cross but missed an open basic route behind it

Takeaway

Burrow is a good player but inconsistent. He made some big plays with his feet but settled down as the game went on because he trusted his great WR group to make plays. Better things happen when Burrow throws on time versus progressing past his second read in the pocket.

Joe Mixon

The Good

• Converted an open target into a touchdown

• Agile for a big back

The Bad

• Could show more patience to set up 2nd level players with his cuts in the backfield

• Missed block, which resulted in a sack

• Doesn't always run on balance

Takeaway

Mixon is a big back with athleticism and can catch. However, he's not a natural runner like Alvin Kamara or Nick Chubb. He doesn't set up second-level blocks and can run a bit out of control at times. He's still a solid player, but he'll never maximize his traits on the football field.

JaMarr Chase

The Good

• Strong player after the reception due to size, but also mentality

• Doesn't hesitate with the ball in his hands, which adds yards

• Works through contact on his routes

• Uses his hands well to keep defenders away from him

The Bad

• Didn't come down with a deep, contested target for another potential touchdown

Takeaway

Chase won the game by breaking the tackle on a stop 9 route and then beating the safety on a sideline for a 60-yard touchdown. He's a strong player during his routes and with the ball in his hands, which makes him dangerous all the time when paired with his athleticism. Think of him like a smaller Terrell Owens or a bigger Steve Smith.

Tyler Boyd

The Good

• Very dependable hands

• Route running technician

• Uses hesitation and delays to create separation

The Bad

• Not an elite athlete or overly strong

Takeaway

Impressive player who doesn't get the limelight because of Chase and Higgins. Boyd is a fantastic route runner, but the Bengals also lean on him in key situations.

Tee Higgins

The Good

• Very good route runner

• Crisp cuts

• Tough WR for his size

The Bad

• Dropped a pass

• Contested target knocked away but could've had it

Takeaway

Impressive route runner for his size and showed toughness playing through his injury. He should've come down with two more receptions. Higgins is the heart and soul of the Bengals passing attack, and that won't change over time.

Andy Dalton

The Good

• Threw on time in a tight area, which resulted in a touchdown

• Checks down the football to stay ahead of the chains

The Bad

• Took a solid calculated shot play but missed the wide open receiver in the intermediate zone

• Not good off script

• Took a sack instead of taking a shot, when he needed to take a shot

Takeaway

Dalton is a limited player, but he's not bad. He's smart and throws the football on time because he must in order to survive in the NFL. I don't see a long-term answer over Jameis Winston here.

Alvin Kamara

The Good

• Shows patience in the backfield to read blockers and the defense to maximize his yardage

• Contact balance is insane

• Burst to turn the corner on the outside

• Runs through contact

The Bad

• Dropped two passes

• Should get more yards after contact at times

Takeaway

If you thought Kamara was cooked, then we're watching different tape. He still has all the skills you want in a 3-down back and someone to help your fantasy team.

Taysom Hill

The Good

• Strong runner with a physical mindset

• Tough to bring down in the open field with his size and speed

The Bad

• Not super accurate when asked to throw

Takeaway

Hill is an impressive runner who's patient with good vision. He doesn't have great agility, but he's a physical runner with good athleticism. He's a threat as a passer but won't ever be super accurate.

Marquez Callaway

The Good

• Got up the field after a reception, and it allows him to break a tackle

The Bad

• Doesn't sell his routes vertical enough

• Dropped a pass

Takeaway

Needed to step up with the top 3 receivers out of this game, but he didn't. His route running was disappointing because he doesn't threaten defenders deep, so they sit on the short, breaking routes. He also dropped a pass.

New York Jets at Green Bay Packers

The Packers offense kept stalling once they reached close to field goal range, and it kept the score at 3-3 heading into halftime. Then the game had four touchdown drives in a row. The struggling Jets passing game made a couple of big passing plays and it set up a touchdown run. Special teams cost Green Bay again when they allowed a blocked punt to be returned for a touchdown. The Packers and Jets then both exchanged back-to-back touchdown drives, which were both critical at the time. The Jets winning by 17 in Lambeau was a statement game and a red alert that Green Bay may not be who we thought they were this year.

Aaron Rodgers

The Good

• Threw an absolute seed to the sideline under duress

• Quick release

• Very good ball placement on touchdown to Lazard

• Takes one on one shots when they present themselves

The Bad

• Missed low on a throw to Tonyan

• His pass drops aren't always matching up to the routes

• Missed an open receiver

Takeaway

The Packers offense is out of sync, some of which has to do with Rodgers. His pass drops don't align with the routes, which throws off the timing. He can hold onto the ball trying to make too big of a play and just missed on several other big plays. Rodgers takes calculated shots down the field when they're favorable. He still possesses a very quick release, touch, accuracy, and strong arm. He's dropped off a bit with his mobility in and out of the pocket, which was very apparent when he chose not to scramble with a huge open lane.

Aaron Jones

The Good

• Used power to gain a few more yards

• Good burst after a reception

The Bad

• Dropped a pass

• Looked to tweak a knee or ankle injury

Takeaway

The Jets defensive front dominated the Packers and continually hit Jones in the backfield. His stat line doesn't accurately represent his ability. In fact, he had a nice run called back due to a penalty as well. Jones was solid in the passing game, despite a dropped pass. The biggest concern is he looked to tweak a lower-body injury but did return to the game. Something to monitor for this week. Jones makes good decisions and still has the same levels of athleticism from earlier years.

A.J. Dillon

The Good

• Reads the initial block/defender leverage well

• Light on his feet on a big run

• Made a diving reception

The Bad

• Legs go dead on contact

• Dropped a screen pass

• Fumbled a handoff

• Dropped another pass

Takeaway

Dillon's disappointing stats are matched on film. He makes good initial reads but lacks the ability to make many additional cuts or reads afterward. For a big back, his legs and power go too dead on contact, and he's dropping too many passes. The worst play was a fumbled exchange with Rodgers that the defense recovered. Dropped a pass, and the consequence was Rodgers ignoring him when he was open later in the game. Dillon is a sell for me in all formats.

Allen Lazard

The Good

• Held onto two tightly contested receptions

• Good body control and adjustment on touchdown

The Bad

• Didn't win on his one on one vs Sauce = incomplete

• Doesn't have the speed to separate

• Let the defender knock a big reception out of his hands

• Didn't come down with another contested target

Takeaway

Lazard is arguably the Packers' best receiver right now, but he still leaves lots of plays on the field. Multiple passes were either dropped or knocked out of his hands. He struggles with short-area movement skills to accelerate out of a break and does much better running in a straight line or down the field.

Romeo Doubs

The Good

• Stacked the CB vertically but didn't get the target

• Fantastic hands outside of his frame in traffic for a reception

The Bad

• Didn't get out of bounds on a reception during a 2-minute drill

Takeaway

Doubs has lots of ability to make a big play due to his athleticism and skill, even for a rookie. He's still learning, but he creates separation. Now getting on the same page with Rodgers and continually making the plays is the next step because he's inches away from making more plays.

Robert Tonyan Jr

The Good

• Uses space well on his routes

• Dependable hands

The Bad

• Limited threat after the reception

Takeaway

Mr. Dependable for the Packers offense. Tonyan is counted on to move the chains on check downs, late reads, and during two-minute drills. Rodgers trusts him, and Tonyan rewards him with consistent play. Tonyan is a low-end TE1 this year and a good value if you need help at the position.

Zach Wilson

The Good

• Back-to-back throws to Davis weren't perfect but good enough and were huge in this game

• Improved as the game went on and hit open receivers in the second half

The Bad

• Scrambled but slid 1 yard short of the line to gain

• Scrambled into pressure for a sack

• Instead of running on 3rd down to convert, he was late on a pass that was almost intercepted

• Didn't throw the check down in time

• Late on a deep out that was almost intercepted

Takeaway

Wilson really struggled in the first half and should've had multiple passes intercepted. He doesn't have answers when he scrambles and ran straight into a Packers defender for a sack. Timing isn't good with the offense. However, Wilson made throws in the second half to win this game. The next few weeks will really tell us who Zach Wilson could be on this Jets team.

Breece Hall

The Good

• Advanced runner

• Runs with balance, which allows him to cut very well

• Gets skinny in tight areas to fit through holes and add yardage

• Carried a defender for a few yards

• Power, burst, and balance on a long touchdown run

The Bad

• Missed a wide open hole

• Too many moves on a reception let the defensive pursuit make it a minimal gain

Takeaway

Hall wasn't perfect this game, but he's an advanced runner from the perspective of vision, timing, balance, and adding yards in traffic. Hall has a very bright future in the NFL.

Corey Davis

The Good

• Good route to get open over the middle, but the pass was batted down

• Saved an interception in the end zone

• Big adjustment to underthrown deep pass to make the reception

The Bad

• Low-volume pass offense with crowded targets

Takeaway

As much as the community doesn't want to acknowledge it, Corey Davis is the most consistent receiver on this team and arguably the WR1a/1b with Garrett Wilson. Davis is big, physical, athletic, and runs good routes. He showed up big to make back-to-back plays to change this game in the second half. Davis is a sneaky value play in the second half of this year.

Garrett Wilson

The Good

• Made a tough reception near the grass

• Good athlete who uses his athleticism within his routes

The Bad

• Dropped a 3rd down pass and ran it short of the line to gain

• Dropped/knocked down contested target

Takeaway

Wilson had a few drops but also faced Jaire Alexander on many routes. He's learning through his rookie year, but you can see the potential is there for better plays.