AFATT is... All Football All The Time
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Site by Joe Tarell
JoeTarell.com
Sales Manager,
Sales Trainer,
Digital Marketing
Advertising
Consultant
JoeTarell.com
Sales Manager,
Sales Trainer,
Digital Marketing
Advertising
Consultant
See more from Joe Tarell regarding
Automotive Digital Marketing and Digital
Advertising Sales.
Automotive Digital Marketing and Digital
Advertising Sales.
NFL Week Ten Thoughts - updated
by Joe Tarell January 2, 2012
Painting with a scatter gun… and splattering the officials with it
How is it possible that we still have part time employees refereeing the most watched sports league in the world? The savings of money
can’t be the only reason. It has always made me wonder how much better the league would be if the one team in stripes that has an
equal impact every week on who wins or loses worked as hard to prepare as the other two teams on the field.
I am not sure that most people realize that these guys are only paid $25,000 to $70,000 per season. They get travel expenses on top
of that, but this is not much money for a $9 Billion league. The officials will travel in the day before the game. They have a meeting to
review the teams and go over what happened the week before. They watch tape, get a report on their work and generally do less than
a day of work to prepare. They referee the game and then fly home to go to their full time job on Monday. With all that in mind, they
really do a pretty good job. How much better could they be?
It is such a travesty when you consider what the possibilities would be if they trained like the athletes they are asked to govern.
Imagine if they had a year-round training program. They could get into tip top shape so that lawyer turned part-time official, Ed Hochuli
wouldn’t be the only ripped official. No one can convince me that it is not physically challenging to keep up with NFL players. The mind
gets weak when the body gets fatigued and mistakes are made. These guys need to be cardio machines. The back judges run with
receivers all day long. Again, I am sure they work out and they have testing they do for physical fitness, but not nearly as much as they
could if they were full time employees.
The other thing they could do is study tape, all week during the season and throughout the offseason. They would know every players'
tendencies and every team’s as well. They would be prepared for the guy who likes to throw a jab when coming out of his cuts like
Michael Irvin. They would know which cornerbacks like to tug a jersey for a split second like Darrelle Revis. They would know to look
near the mid section for those hands that hold up a receiver just enough to keep pace. If the official were studying the tape and could
anticipate plays based on alignments and substitution packages do you think they could be in better position to make a call? Yeah, me
too!
Now let’s talk about Rick Tarell’s favorite subject – holding! I played offensive line and by the time I was a senior in high school I held
on every single play, at least when I wasn’t cutting someone. If the officials were studying tape, they would know what to watch for and
who to watch for and against whom. I know what you are thinking; there would be a ton more penalties, right? Not likely, because the
players would learn what the officials call and adjust. They do it all the time now when subtle changes are announced each year.
To make sure everyone was better prepared, how good would it be during OTA’s to always have officials present. All throughout
training camp the officials could rotate between teams and watch practice so they became familiar with the players and the teams. The
teams would also be able to use them during the seven-on-seven drills and scrimmages to make sure that the players knew what
techniques were going to cause them trouble in the game. Right now this is done very sparingly. Remember the officials have another
full time job.
After watching the games on week 17, it appears even more so that we need full time employees officiating the game of NFL football. If
the NFLPA had a real concern about safety and fairness, they would have made this a priority, but they went for the money instead.
Because AFATT Says so…
by Joe Tarell January 2, 2012
Painting with a scatter gun… and splattering the officials with it
How is it possible that we still have part time employees refereeing the most watched sports league in the world? The savings of money
can’t be the only reason. It has always made me wonder how much better the league would be if the one team in stripes that has an
equal impact every week on who wins or loses worked as hard to prepare as the other two teams on the field.
I am not sure that most people realize that these guys are only paid $25,000 to $70,000 per season. They get travel expenses on top
of that, but this is not much money for a $9 Billion league. The officials will travel in the day before the game. They have a meeting to
review the teams and go over what happened the week before. They watch tape, get a report on their work and generally do less than
a day of work to prepare. They referee the game and then fly home to go to their full time job on Monday. With all that in mind, they
really do a pretty good job. How much better could they be?
It is such a travesty when you consider what the possibilities would be if they trained like the athletes they are asked to govern.
Imagine if they had a year-round training program. They could get into tip top shape so that lawyer turned part-time official, Ed Hochuli
wouldn’t be the only ripped official. No one can convince me that it is not physically challenging to keep up with NFL players. The mind
gets weak when the body gets fatigued and mistakes are made. These guys need to be cardio machines. The back judges run with
receivers all day long. Again, I am sure they work out and they have testing they do for physical fitness, but not nearly as much as they
could if they were full time employees.
The other thing they could do is study tape, all week during the season and throughout the offseason. They would know every players'
tendencies and every team’s as well. They would be prepared for the guy who likes to throw a jab when coming out of his cuts like
Michael Irvin. They would know which cornerbacks like to tug a jersey for a split second like Darrelle Revis. They would know to look
near the mid section for those hands that hold up a receiver just enough to keep pace. If the official were studying the tape and could
anticipate plays based on alignments and substitution packages do you think they could be in better position to make a call? Yeah, me
too!
Now let’s talk about Rick Tarell’s favorite subject – holding! I played offensive line and by the time I was a senior in high school I held
on every single play, at least when I wasn’t cutting someone. If the officials were studying tape, they would know what to watch for and
who to watch for and against whom. I know what you are thinking; there would be a ton more penalties, right? Not likely, because the
players would learn what the officials call and adjust. They do it all the time now when subtle changes are announced each year.
To make sure everyone was better prepared, how good would it be during OTA’s to always have officials present. All throughout
training camp the officials could rotate between teams and watch practice so they became familiar with the players and the teams. The
teams would also be able to use them during the seven-on-seven drills and scrimmages to make sure that the players knew what
techniques were going to cause them trouble in the game. Right now this is done very sparingly. Remember the officials have another
full time job.
After watching the games on week 17, it appears even more so that we need full time employees officiating the game of NFL football. If
the NFLPA had a real concern about safety and fairness, they would have made this a priority, but they went for the money instead.
Because AFATT Says so…
2012 NFL Draft Season is Officially Open
This offseason will be even better than most in
the NFL because of the new rookie salary cap
that does not punish those that draft high in the
first round. If quarterbacks are no longer as big
a risk we will see even more action on trades and
more teams willing to risk a pick on a QB. The
Colts are the only team in the five that should
look for a QB. The other four teams have a
starter less than three years in the league. In the
top 20, the Redskins, Dolphins, Bills and
Seahawks are the only teams that do not meet
that standard or possess a Pro Bowl QB. One
could argue that the Browns, Jaguars, Chiefs,
Cardinals and Jets may also want to look for a
young QB.
With a low risk on these contracts, why not draft
another one if you are Cleveland, Tampa or even
St. Louis. Cam Newton got $22 Million
guaranteed last year as the number one pick.
This factor will make mocking the draft harder
than it has ever been. The Colts will draft
Andrew Luck. Now the fun starts, teams that
have a need and the picks available to move up
will begin jockeying for Robert Griffin. The Rams
have Bradford, need lineman and receivers so a
package would look good to them. Vikings can
use the same help and took Ponder last year so
those two picks could go to the highest bidder.
Be aware that the Raiders pick belongs to the
Bengals and the Browns also have Atlanta's pick.
This offseason will be even better than most in
the NFL because of the new rookie salary cap
that does not punish those that draft high in the
first round. If quarterbacks are no longer as big
a risk we will see even more action on trades and
more teams willing to risk a pick on a QB. The
Colts are the only team in the five that should
look for a QB. The other four teams have a
starter less than three years in the league. In the
top 20, the Redskins, Dolphins, Bills and
Seahawks are the only teams that do not meet
that standard or possess a Pro Bowl QB. One
could argue that the Browns, Jaguars, Chiefs,
Cardinals and Jets may also want to look for a
young QB.
With a low risk on these contracts, why not draft
another one if you are Cleveland, Tampa or even
St. Louis. Cam Newton got $22 Million
guaranteed last year as the number one pick.
This factor will make mocking the draft harder
than it has ever been. The Colts will draft
Andrew Luck. Now the fun starts, teams that
have a need and the picks available to move up
will begin jockeying for Robert Griffin. The Rams
have Bradford, need lineman and receivers so a
package would look good to them. Vikings can
use the same help and took Ponder last year so
those two picks could go to the highest bidder.
Be aware that the Raiders pick belongs to the
Bengals and the Browns also have Atlanta's pick.
| Time to Mock the 2012 NFL Draft |
2012 NFL Draft
Let the Mocks Begin
Expecting trades, why not let the Redskins
make the biggest splash and get the 2011
Heisman Trophy winner. Quarterbacks will
be at a premium and right now Luck and
Griffin are the two highest rated. The
early rankings have Jones and Tannehill
next but that could change. The big board
is very fluid at this time of year since the
deadline for early-entry commitments is
still more than a week away. Griffin, Luck
and Jones could all decide to stay in
school and that would really throw a curve
ball to the mockers.
Based on needs and early player rankings
this is a rough first draft, but why wait.
January means playoffs for some and
player evaluation for others. This year,
Free Agency comes before the Draft so
that will make these early Mocks seem like
crazy talk by the time April gets here. Let
the conversations begin!
Because AFATT Says So...
Let the Mocks Begin
Expecting trades, why not let the Redskins
make the biggest splash and get the 2011
Heisman Trophy winner. Quarterbacks will
be at a premium and right now Luck and
Griffin are the two highest rated. The
early rankings have Jones and Tannehill
next but that could change. The big board
is very fluid at this time of year since the
deadline for early-entry commitments is
still more than a week away. Griffin, Luck
and Jones could all decide to stay in
school and that would really throw a curve
ball to the mockers.
Based on needs and early player rankings
this is a rough first draft, but why wait.
January means playoffs for some and
player evaluation for others. This year,
Free Agency comes before the Draft so
that will make these early Mocks seem like
crazy talk by the time April gets here. Let
the conversations begin!
Because AFATT Says So...
Super Bowl 46 Preview (not a fan of Roman numerals)
by Joe Tarell February 5, 2012
A few interesting items as we begin preparation for the big game that might interest only AFATT. The last nine
Super Bowls have quite a collection of quarterbacks. Of course, Eli Manning and Tom Brady are back for round two
and this is Brady’s third in this sample, but Ben Roethlisburger also has three, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Peyton
Manning (2), Curt Warner, and even Matt Hasslebeck and Donovan McNabb should be mentioned. Counting this
game, of 18 QB opportunities only Rex Grossman and Jake Delhomme count as exceptions to the high quality QB
count and there are clear Hall of Fame candidates at QB in the last five.
So the old adage that you should keep drafting quarterbacks until you get it right is as true as ever in today’s NFL
game. If you’re a team that thinks you still sneak in with a pretty good QB and talent around him you are kidding
yourself. The previous four Super Bowls, 34 to 37, show some disregard for QB super stars. The eight QB’s in
those games were Kurt Warner vs Steve McNair, good but no HOF here, Kerry Collins vs Trent Dilfer, no HOF here,
Kurt Warner vs Tom Brady and Rich Gannon vs Brad Johnson (need we say). So the last five games are 10 for 10
HOF candidates, the middle four games are five of eight (Hasslebeck and McNabb get a half of HOF candidate
each) and those earlier four games it is three of eight. The game has changed.
QB has always been important and you could look back in history and see that, but history also distorts things.
People like Bob Griese and to some extent Bart Starr were caretaker QB’s who led teams that could be called
dynasties and many still argue that Terry Bradshaw fits this mold. In today’s game it is harder than ever to get to the
Super Bowl consistently without a dominant signal caller and I would venture that we will likely never see a repeat
Super Bowl participant, let alone winner that has a QB with less than stellar statistics.
Now let’s talk about this game, Super Bowl 46. The quarterbacks got us here, and likely will factor in the winning,
but there are some other sideshows that could prove pivotal. The biggest factor that has most of the experts siding
with the Giants is their front four pass rush. As Patrick Tarell has pointed out many times starting several years
back, the way to beat Brady is to get a rush in his face with four men and most importantly, take away his pre-snap
read. The Giants will come with their four DE alignment and rush the passer taking away Brady’s strength by
covering with seven and still getting a rush.
If that plays out this way, the Patriots are in trouble as they were in Super Bowl 42. However, in the last game
against the Ravens the Patriots did something rarely seen in recent history; they won with Brady playing poorly.
Four years ago, the Patriots were 18-0 and were not willing to adjust much. This year they will make major
adjustments. Two weeks back AFATT thought Chad Ochocinco would be a factor in this game and we are more
convinced than ever that he will make several important plays to stretch the field and take the pressure off
Gronkowski, Welker and Hernandez. Another player who will factor in big time is Nate Solder. With Vollmer back
from injury, expect to see Nate Solder on the field as an eligible tackle or better described as an incorrectly
numbered TE.
With Solder on the field as an eligible blocker/TE, the Patriots can do many things. With zero backs and three
tackles and two tight ends do you go into a run or pass defensive set? If Solder goes out for a pass, (remember in
college he was a 6’9” converted TE) you now have a five receiver set from what appears to be a “heavy” formation.
Run several passes with this group sometimes using Solder to block, then hand the ball off to Hernandez the TE/RB
with three tackles and a TE to block for him while the Giants look for a pass. Now turn around and stretch the field
with Ochocinco while Welker runs underneath and you can see the various options available that have not been
shown all year because of the injury to Vollmer.
The Giants offense and defense will not offer much surprise. Coughlin does not believe in it and they pretty much
played every card to get here. It is not reported much, but at AFATT we believe that the roles are reversed
somewhat. The Giants are the ones this time that do not believe they should change what has worked. They will
come at them on defense with the front four to protect their weak secondary and they will throw the ball around to
their four primary receivers to protect their weak running game. The Patriots secondary is their weakness and
Giants will try to exploit it. On defense the Patriots will have to prove that the pass rush and run stuffing of their
defensive line over the last six weeks is not an aberration because of weak offenses, but is a group gelling at the
right time. If they can control the line of scrimmage, then it is just a matter of their secondary being able to tackle
because we all know there are no great coverage players back there. Do that and they will be able to hold the
Giants under 24 points as they have done to their last five opponents. They seemed to have perfected the bend-
don’t-break philosophy, but it counts on red-zone turnovers and tackling to keep them in the game.
The Giants weakness on defense is usually said to be the secondary, but their three safeties are really very good
and this helps with a team like New England that counts on their tight ends. The cornerbacks are vulnerable. They
protect them with a pass rush and help from those safeties so this is again why Ochocinco needs to flash his Pro
Bowl form of old and Branch needs a few long strikes. The real weakness of the Giant defense is their linebackers.
AFATT has always held that RB’s and LB’s were a dime a dozen in the NFL because the best football players have
always played these positions in youth and high school football. A great defensive line and secondary can hide
deficiencies so do not spend money here, when there are constantly fresh ones coming out of the NFL draft. The
Giants believe this. The Patriots will want to get Blackburn, Boley, or Kiwanuka in coverage. The backups like
Herzlich and Jones that can run will not see much time and do not have the experience to stick with Hernandez and
Gronkowski. If the Giants go to a nickel with Grant, Rolle and Phillips at safety they can cover, but the heavy
package will run over them and the big receivers can out-muscle them for the ball. This is the key to the game.
The team that wins the game will have to score more than 25 points so the QB’s will get the glory, but this game is
going to be decided by some much bigger bodies. This game will turn on big people; If Solder can have an impact, if
Vollmer can pass block, if Hernandez can spring some runs, if Gronkowski can play effectively on that ankle, if
Mankins and Waters can control the middle, if Tuck can win the battle inside with the rush and not get run over, if
Pierre-Paul and Umenyiora run free around the corner, if the Giants can keep their LB’s on the field without
exposing them and if Wilfork and company can rush the passer so the secondary of the Patriots can tackle and get
turnovers the game will swing with the victors in these battles.
Watch these battles and watch the adjustments. AFATT is calling for Belichick to be at his very best this year. He
has two weeks to prepare, the prima donna’s are gone from this team and Wilfork and Brady are leading the locker
room so preparation will be on the side of the Patriots. Adjustments before and during the game are the key and
this time the roles are reversed. With the revenge and no respect cards being played by the Patriots to perfection,
they will jump on the Giants early and hold off Manning late for a 31-23 victory.
Because AFATT says so…
by Joe Tarell February 5, 2012
A few interesting items as we begin preparation for the big game that might interest only AFATT. The last nine
Super Bowls have quite a collection of quarterbacks. Of course, Eli Manning and Tom Brady are back for round two
and this is Brady’s third in this sample, but Ben Roethlisburger also has three, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Peyton
Manning (2), Curt Warner, and even Matt Hasslebeck and Donovan McNabb should be mentioned. Counting this
game, of 18 QB opportunities only Rex Grossman and Jake Delhomme count as exceptions to the high quality QB
count and there are clear Hall of Fame candidates at QB in the last five.
So the old adage that you should keep drafting quarterbacks until you get it right is as true as ever in today’s NFL
game. If you’re a team that thinks you still sneak in with a pretty good QB and talent around him you are kidding
yourself. The previous four Super Bowls, 34 to 37, show some disregard for QB super stars. The eight QB’s in
those games were Kurt Warner vs Steve McNair, good but no HOF here, Kerry Collins vs Trent Dilfer, no HOF here,
Kurt Warner vs Tom Brady and Rich Gannon vs Brad Johnson (need we say). So the last five games are 10 for 10
HOF candidates, the middle four games are five of eight (Hasslebeck and McNabb get a half of HOF candidate
each) and those earlier four games it is three of eight. The game has changed.
QB has always been important and you could look back in history and see that, but history also distorts things.
People like Bob Griese and to some extent Bart Starr were caretaker QB’s who led teams that could be called
dynasties and many still argue that Terry Bradshaw fits this mold. In today’s game it is harder than ever to get to the
Super Bowl consistently without a dominant signal caller and I would venture that we will likely never see a repeat
Super Bowl participant, let alone winner that has a QB with less than stellar statistics.
Now let’s talk about this game, Super Bowl 46. The quarterbacks got us here, and likely will factor in the winning,
but there are some other sideshows that could prove pivotal. The biggest factor that has most of the experts siding
with the Giants is their front four pass rush. As Patrick Tarell has pointed out many times starting several years
back, the way to beat Brady is to get a rush in his face with four men and most importantly, take away his pre-snap
read. The Giants will come with their four DE alignment and rush the passer taking away Brady’s strength by
covering with seven and still getting a rush.
If that plays out this way, the Patriots are in trouble as they were in Super Bowl 42. However, in the last game
against the Ravens the Patriots did something rarely seen in recent history; they won with Brady playing poorly.
Four years ago, the Patriots were 18-0 and were not willing to adjust much. This year they will make major
adjustments. Two weeks back AFATT thought Chad Ochocinco would be a factor in this game and we are more
convinced than ever that he will make several important plays to stretch the field and take the pressure off
Gronkowski, Welker and Hernandez. Another player who will factor in big time is Nate Solder. With Vollmer back
from injury, expect to see Nate Solder on the field as an eligible tackle or better described as an incorrectly
numbered TE.
With Solder on the field as an eligible blocker/TE, the Patriots can do many things. With zero backs and three
tackles and two tight ends do you go into a run or pass defensive set? If Solder goes out for a pass, (remember in
college he was a 6’9” converted TE) you now have a five receiver set from what appears to be a “heavy” formation.
Run several passes with this group sometimes using Solder to block, then hand the ball off to Hernandez the TE/RB
with three tackles and a TE to block for him while the Giants look for a pass. Now turn around and stretch the field
with Ochocinco while Welker runs underneath and you can see the various options available that have not been
shown all year because of the injury to Vollmer.
The Giants offense and defense will not offer much surprise. Coughlin does not believe in it and they pretty much
played every card to get here. It is not reported much, but at AFATT we believe that the roles are reversed
somewhat. The Giants are the ones this time that do not believe they should change what has worked. They will
come at them on defense with the front four to protect their weak secondary and they will throw the ball around to
their four primary receivers to protect their weak running game. The Patriots secondary is their weakness and
Giants will try to exploit it. On defense the Patriots will have to prove that the pass rush and run stuffing of their
defensive line over the last six weeks is not an aberration because of weak offenses, but is a group gelling at the
right time. If they can control the line of scrimmage, then it is just a matter of their secondary being able to tackle
because we all know there are no great coverage players back there. Do that and they will be able to hold the
Giants under 24 points as they have done to their last five opponents. They seemed to have perfected the bend-
don’t-break philosophy, but it counts on red-zone turnovers and tackling to keep them in the game.
The Giants weakness on defense is usually said to be the secondary, but their three safeties are really very good
and this helps with a team like New England that counts on their tight ends. The cornerbacks are vulnerable. They
protect them with a pass rush and help from those safeties so this is again why Ochocinco needs to flash his Pro
Bowl form of old and Branch needs a few long strikes. The real weakness of the Giant defense is their linebackers.
AFATT has always held that RB’s and LB’s were a dime a dozen in the NFL because the best football players have
always played these positions in youth and high school football. A great defensive line and secondary can hide
deficiencies so do not spend money here, when there are constantly fresh ones coming out of the NFL draft. The
Giants believe this. The Patriots will want to get Blackburn, Boley, or Kiwanuka in coverage. The backups like
Herzlich and Jones that can run will not see much time and do not have the experience to stick with Hernandez and
Gronkowski. If the Giants go to a nickel with Grant, Rolle and Phillips at safety they can cover, but the heavy
package will run over them and the big receivers can out-muscle them for the ball. This is the key to the game.
The team that wins the game will have to score more than 25 points so the QB’s will get the glory, but this game is
going to be decided by some much bigger bodies. This game will turn on big people; If Solder can have an impact, if
Vollmer can pass block, if Hernandez can spring some runs, if Gronkowski can play effectively on that ankle, if
Mankins and Waters can control the middle, if Tuck can win the battle inside with the rush and not get run over, if
Pierre-Paul and Umenyiora run free around the corner, if the Giants can keep their LB’s on the field without
exposing them and if Wilfork and company can rush the passer so the secondary of the Patriots can tackle and get
turnovers the game will swing with the victors in these battles.
Watch these battles and watch the adjustments. AFATT is calling for Belichick to be at his very best this year. He
has two weeks to prepare, the prima donna’s are gone from this team and Wilfork and Brady are leading the locker
room so preparation will be on the side of the Patriots. Adjustments before and during the game are the key and
this time the roles are reversed. With the revenge and no respect cards being played by the Patriots to perfection,
they will jump on the Giants early and hold off Manning late for a 31-23 victory.
Because AFATT says so…