I was watching football this weekend, and an interesting question struck me. Where did the fundamentals go? The players I have been watching in the NFL and NCAA football have been lacking in fundamentals and I am beginning to wonder if this is an evolution of the sport. I have had to ask myself if the fundamental skills are changing.
For example, on a punt return the rule was for the runt returner to stand on the 10 yard line and if the ball goes over his head he lets it go because the chances of getting a touchback are greater than the chances it will be downed inside the 5 yard line. Lately I have seen returners catching fair catches at the 5 yard line! I have to ask what in the world is going on? If the ball is kicked to the 5 why not let it go? The chances of it going into the endzone and getting it at the 20 is far greater than the other team downing it. That is something I don't understand.
Another fundamental that is less glamorous but more important is the art of blocking. I cannot count how many times I have watched Wide Receivers, Tight Ends and Running Backs throw themselves at someone's legs and miss instead of blocking the player straight up. If each player would just get low and use their leverage to block the other player, they would allow the ball carrier to get by them. Even if the block is not great it delays that defender long enough to hold the hole for the ball carrier. Throwing chop blocks in front of defenders is good, if you get solid contact and knock the defender down. The percentage of that block is low because a defender can hurdle the blocker, side step rather easily, or even stay on their feet after contact. I see so many Linebackers avoid chop blocks and create sacks, tackles for loss or even force fumbles. Yet somehow the low percentage block stays in the game even at the highest levels.
One skill that has been so important and highlighted in previous years is route running. Some of the best Receivers create space by running crisp and precise routes. Yet I have seen film of prominent Receivers and Tight Ends running ugly routes and somehow still getting the ball. I watch someone run a post corner route and they round each cut. There is no precision or crisp move, not even a head fake to throw off the defender. Sometimes during practice you can catch these ankle breaking moves that would prove invaluable during the game, but it never comes out in crunch time.
One example of a player that is great at his position, possibly the best, but still runs ugly routes is Jason Witten. Now the Dallas Cowboys are my favorite team, and Witten is one of my favorite players, but watching the Monday Night game against the Carolina Panthers surprised me. I saw Jason Witten run ugly rounded routes, yet still remain open. The only crisp pattern he ran were curls, which proved to be the money route during the game. Another frustrating aspect of Witten's game I witnessed was the run after the catch. He would catch the ball and turn, but instead of sprinting forward for as many yards as possible, he would pause and almost wait for contact. His break off the catch was slow and I never saw an urgency to get more yards. Now Witten is big and smart. He would run over some people and break tackles and have the awareness to get to the first down. But I saw many times when he caught the ball where he could have gained 18 yards instead of 15, or 14 instead of 10.
Patrick Crayton was the same way during the kickoff and punt returns. He would delay his run and slowly make progress up the field. He would try to shake the defenders too much and only gain 4 or 5 yards instead of blasting forward and gaining 10 on the punt return. I see many of the same things from returners. Kickoff returns will gain good yards when the returner blasts up the field at full speed, but the punt returners try to put on too many moves, go backward or sideways. What happened to the North to South runners instead of East to West?
I love the sport of football, I could never get as much entertainment from any other sport. One thing about the sport I love so much is how technical it can be and how much strategy goes into it. With strategy you have to have fundamental skills. The most brilliant general with the best strategy will never win a battle if his soldiers cannot shoot. So either I need to learn and understand the reasons behind these strange decreases in fundamentals, or these coaches need to do a better job of getting more out of their players. Either way I am going to have a blast finding out what will happen this season.
GO COWBOYS!!!
