Patriots Take a Risk

Today the New England Patriots took a big risk, betting on a full recovery from Tom Brady. Most likely Brady will have a full recovery and I for one certainly hope he does.

However, The Pats have traded Matt Cassel to the Kansas City Chiefs. A downtrodden team in need of help at the quarterback position.

The Chiefs just finished their worst season in franchise history, going 2 - 14 and losing 6 of their last 10 games. That the chiefs were looking for new leadership from under center makes sense.

Cassel had been listed as a franchise player guaranteeing him $14.65 million for this up coming season, and they say we are in recession. With that kind of pay recession is just another word in the cross word puzzles for Matt.

This trade should be comfortable fit for Cassel, new Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, the former Patriots’ personnel director, engineered the deal. Given his history with Pioli, Cassel will know what to expect.

I am sure if the Pats could have found a way to keep both Brady and Cassell under contract they would. However it is probably a good deal all the way around. Cassel will become a starter in the NFL assured of his position and not have to look over his shoulder.

Also included in the trade was Pats linebacker Mike Vrabel. It appears the Chiefs are shopping for some offensive leadership and some defense to back it up.

Best of luck to both players at their new home with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Brett Favre End of an Era

Last summer we were watching the Bret Favre Saga unfold, would he come back or would he stay in retirement.

I posted a couple of articles about Bret and where he might en up playing. As we all know he did come back and play for the Jets, but now he has once again retired.

I think this time he is retired with no thoughts of a come back. Like Bret said, he wants to play, but his body will not take any more. His injury this season has brought an illustrious career to and end and the end of the Brett Favre era.

I have enjoyed watching Favre his entire career, he was special, he brought an enthusiasm to the game that is not often sen is sports today. You could tell this man loved the game and loved being on the field.

His career was special starting so many games, he reminded me of another great player, base ball's Lou Gehrig, known as the Iron Man.

Sports in general and football in particular has really lost a great one with Bret Favre retiring, not so much because of what he did on the field, more because of the love of the game and the passion with which he played.

I think that is what I will miss most about Favre, his passion for the game and how much fun he had while playing the game, which made watching Brett Favre play alot of fun.

What Was Andre Smith Thinking?

Andre Smith may very well be the best football player in this years draft. Yet he has drawn national attention to himself through the Yahoo home page news and not for his football talents.

He came to the NFL Combine out of shape. hard to imagine a football player out of shape and even more hard to conceive being out of shape when it counts most......the combine where millions of dollars ride on the athletes performance and attitude.

It is unfathomable how he behaved at the one on one interviews. He was providing conflicting statements as to why he refused to work out at the combine and was said to be inappropriatly dressed. I personaly don't care how he was dressed, but didn't coach Saban and the good people at Alabama explain to this kid, its a jobn interview, wear a coat and tie, make a good impression on these people, they are the ones writing the checks.

Some must explain to this young man how things work, tell him there are alot of kids that would gladly trade places with him, because they were not invited.

Look at North Eastern University's tight end Brian Mandeville, Unlike Andre who played for power house Alabama, Brian played for the 2 - 10 Huskies. He hoped agains hope for a coveted invite to the NFL Combine. After the long wait his invite came. What a thrill that must have been for Brian, only to have his hopes dashed.

During the routine physical it was discovered Brian has an issue with one of his heart valves, not life threatening, but career ending, the doctors advised him his career was over before it started.

According to CNBC's Darren Rovell, who did an unofficial numbers crunch speculating how much lower he will go in the draft because of his attitude, Andre Smith may well have cost himself $23.8 million dollars. It is hard to imagine that kind of money, and in todays economy every nickle counts.

Hopefully this kid can and will turn things around before the draft and get some of those dollars back.

Obviously he is one of the most talented football players in the country and I wish him well, but am still left with the question, Andre Smith what were you thinnking?

run faster jump higher using Strength Shoes.

develop quicker hands using the same gloves Santonio Holmes uses, Weighted Agility Gloves

Congrats I.J.

Yes a big congrats to Boise States all star running back Ian Johnson. for a successful NFL Combine.

Being a devote Boise State fan it is great to see one of our kids do well and climb the ladder of success.

For those that don't know who #41 is, he was the guy that scored the winning two point conversion in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl. Right after becoming a legendary football hero at least in Boise State circles he proposed marriage to his girl friend on national television and appeared on many of the morning talk shows.

It was locally announced his football 40 was the second fastest for running backs in the NFL Combine. hopefully that will advance his draft pick and wallet.

The fun thing about being from small town USA as most of the Boise State Bronco fans are, the NFL Draft is an exciting thing for Boise fans.

That is not to say it isn't exciting for all the schools, just small towns and small schools, we feel we know the team better. We see them shopping at the stores, and run into them on the streets.

They become local heroes and it is exciting to see them advance their football careers.

After all Boise State is relatively new on the scene. It wasn't even 10 years ago on those rare occasions the Broncos played a nationaly televised home game that the announcers would have to advise the viewing audience not to adjust their sets. The color of the Boise State field was in fact blue.

Now the blue turf has national recognition and we have a BCS Bowl win, but we are still small town and still love seeing kids who have played for Boise State do well.

So congrats Ian and Chrisy, I hope the combine raises your draft stock and puts more dollars in your wallet, you deserve it and will always be a Boise State legend.

What is Plyometric Training?

Plyometric training is a form of exercise training designed to increase muscular power. Athletes such as basket ball players, football players and boxers have incorporated plyometric training into their training regimen, adding explosive power to their game. Athletes can gain a tremendous advantage using plyometric training in their workouts, provided the exercises are done safely.

Plyometrics training is a high intensity work out and only well conditioned athletes should use them as a training tool. Even then athletes should be under the supervision of a qualified coach or trainer. It is also suggested athletes check themselves for signs of injury and over training.

Contractions are what cause muscles to move. Athletes have observed after an eccentric their muscle contractions are much more powerful. An eccentric contraction is when a muscle is contracting even while being stretched. This principal allows boxers to punch harder and athletes to jump higher and run faster.

. The main focus of plyometrics training is to shorten the time between stretching and contracting muscles. The exercises required take the form of explosive work outs such as jumps hops and bounds which in turn cultivate explosive bursts of speed and power.

Plyometric training shoes are used to increase the athletes speed, quickness and power for running faster and jumping higher.

Before doing a plyometric work it is vital that the athlete do a proper and thorough warm up. The eccentric contractions are the same contractions that can result in pulled muscle injuries such as pulled groin and hamstring muscles. It is also essential the athlete be in good condition and well monitored. It is easy to perform these exercises wrong and end in injury.

In conclusion, plyometrics is stretching muscles while they are contracting, teaching them to have and explosive contraction after the muscles are stretched. These workouts properly executed will increase speed, power and quickness, adding to an athletes on field performance. Athletes should first check with their coach or trainer to see which exercises would best suit their program for plyometric training.
Plyometric shoes are now part of NFL Teams training. New Orleans uses Strength Shoes

Jumpsoles serve the same purpose and slip onto shoes, check both Strength Shoes and Jumpsoles.

Does Michael Vick Deserve A Second Chance?

Vick will be released from Federal prison this July for his dog fighting conviction, does he deserve a second chance?

At rebuilding his life, yes we all deserve as many chances as it takes to get it right, to become productive members of society that make positive contributions to our communities.

Does Vick deserve a second chance in the NFL? That question will be hotly debated as his release time draws closer. Will there even be teams willing to risk the exposure of having Vick on the roster and can he even play at he level he did back in 2006?

Those are some of the questions facing NFL owners. and yes he will be looked at. In a yahoo story that prompted this article they say there are two teams that may have an interest in Vick.

Both the Minnesota Vikings and the San Francisco 49'rs have unsettled quarterback issues, both are in need of a strong quarterback with leadership capabilities. Is Michael Vick the man for either team?

San Francisco Coach Mike Singletary says Vick should be given a second chance and believes he will be successful if given another opportunity. Singletary did not go so far as to say the Niners were looking at Vick, but he didn't say they wouldn't either, making the 49'rs position as clear as mud.

The article does not address or speculate what the Atlanta Falcons have for plans regarding Vick, they could welcome him back, trade him or just cut him making Vick a free agent.

I believe Vick will be given at minimum a loo, so much depends on his sharpness, his physical condition and whether the lock up time has eroded his skills beyond a come back.

As an owner is Vick worth the trouble? Who ever gives him a shot can be sure of lots of publicity and protests from PETA and other like minded groups.

Would the Vick presence serve as too much of a distraction for his team?

Would a lesser known and talented athlete than Vick be given a second chance, I think not.

I really do not have the answer if Michael Vick deserves a second chance in the NFL, what I do know as his release date draws closer, the more heated the debate surrounding the Michael Vick question will become.

I welcome your feed back and comments, please share your thoughts and leave a comment.

Want to run faster jump higher Strength Shoes can help

We Have Added Two New Wide Receiver Pages

In an effort to make ScoreTouchDowns more user friendly we have added to new wide receiver pages.

Accepting that not all of our visitors want to view all the wide receiver training equipment or view all the wide receiver training videos, we have created two new pages, one of each.

Check out our Receiver Training Videos page, let us know what you think. Take a look at our Wide Receivers Training Equipment page

If you are looking for football training aids we have one page devoted to football training equipment for quarterbacks, receivers and other positions.

Check it out, let us know what you think and what other things we can do to make the site better for you.

4-2-5 Defense: Five Reasons to Use It

Why is the 4-2-5 Defense becoming more popular? It offers versatility, varied fronts, making it hard for the quarterback to get accurate reads. The 4-2-5 Defense also has been proven to be effective against the spread offense. This article will focus on five reasons to consider using the 4 2 5 Defense.

***First Reason****

The ability to keep things simple, the 4-2-5 uses a basic four man front that allows for multiple defensive plays that are difficult for the offense to read. The simplicity of this defense doesn’t depend on a strong Mike linebacker or outside linebackers, instead the 4-2-5 defense relies more on the strong safety, weak safety and two inside linebackers.

*** Second Reason***

Relying more on the strong safety, weak safety and two inside linebackers the defense is more versatile and able to adjust to the formations and or motions shown by the offense.

*** Third Reason***

Using a five man secondary makes it easier to disguise the defense. With five men in the secondary, the defense can make it appear to have eight to nine men in the box, making it more difficult for the quarterback to get an accurate pre snap read.

***Fourth Reason***

A five man secondary puts more speed on the field. With more and more teams running the spread offense the defense needs to answer with sped and the 4 2 5 defense supplies the needed speed.

***Fifth Reason***

Whether a zone or man to man coverage is called the 4-2-5 defense can keep the offense off balance. Using the base front, the D can put more men in blitzing position or appear to be blitzing, making it more difficult for the offense read the defense.

In conclusion, if you are thinking of changing defenses, the 4-2-5 brings more speed and versatility to the field and has been effective against the spread. Check out our 4 2 5 Defensive coaching videos and DVDS at 4-2-5 Defense

Just Got My Finger Weighted Agility Gloves

In a previous post I recommend the weighted agility gloves over the other model of weight gloves on the market. I hold by my recommendation.

I just got the WAGs and they are great. They offer far more flexibility than I thought possible considering they have weights in the fingers.

They are very comfortable and no finger movement restrictions. I can see why the Super Bowl MVP chose these gloves over the others for his work out glove.

Other than the weights its just like wearing an ordinary pair of gloves.

I did some exercises wearing the gloves and found they worked muscles I had not worked in some time. The muscles were talking to me saying see what happens when you let yourself go.

Santonio Holmes swears by these gloves and now I see why. They can be used for any sport, developing stronger quicker hands.

Check them out and at Finger Weighted Gloves.

Defensive Back Training | The Bump and Run

Jamming a receiver at the line of scrimmage is a very effective defensive strategy. Known as the bump and run, the corner back lines up on the line of scrimmage and hits the receiver before he can start running his pass route. The goal is to delay the receiver and take him out of his pass route, disrupting timing pass plays. As a defensive back you need to learn how to bump and run. This article will discuss the basic skills needed to play the bump and run defensive coverage.

***Stance***

Defensive backs must have proper body position to be effective using the bump and run coverage. Body position begins using a well balanced stance that allows you to explode off the line, hitting the receiver before he can begin his route.

When you approach the line of scrimmage, make sure you are lined up off the receivers inside shoulder at a 45 degree angle. Position your feet less than shoulder width apart, this allows you rapid foot movement in any direction.

You want your arms loose with your hands waist high, in position to be driven upward and into the receiver’s chest, driving him back, delaying his release from the line of scrimmage.

Keep your hips down, knees slightly bent and weight on the balls of your feet so that you are in position to explode off the line when the ball is snapped.

***Man to Man Coverage****

When man to man coverage is called, you want to line up on the inside shoulder of the receiver with your inside foot as close to the LOS as possible with your outside foot back and placing you at an 45 degree angle towards the receiver.

Your eyes should be locked on the receivers numbers, totally focused on him, so when he starts to move you are ready to make your hit.

***Zone Defense***

You want to line up on the inside of the receiver, placing your outside foot forward so that you are at an angle that will allow you see both the receiver and the offensive backfield.

***The Bump***

When you “bump” the receiver or jam him, you will use one of two techniques, the one handed jam or the two handed jam. Either technique can be effective, however you will generate more power using the two handed two handed bump.
***Two Handed Jam****

At the snap of the ball you must be stepping into the receiver and his first step. With your hands waist high you are ready to make your jam.

As you step into the receiver you want short steps to maintain your balance and be able to deliver a powerful bump.

With your hands open the palms facing the receiver, bring your hands up at a 45 degree angle. Hit the receiver in the pectorals. It is important you step into the receiver hitting him as you come forward. If you reach out, you will be out position and off balance rendering your hit moot.

***One Handed Jam***

Like the two handed jam, you want to explode of the line stepping into the receiver and his first step. However when you hit the receiver you want to use your inside hand hitting him in the pectoral and with your outside foot, take a bail step. This should have you perpendicular to the LOS, your back facing the quarterback and your shoulders facing the sidelines.

If you are playing a zone defense, you can jam the receiver and run with him if he still manages an inside release. Remember the outside line backers are covering the outside short zones.

If you are playing man to man, you must keep the receiver from getting the inside release, your only help is the sideline. Your outside line backers are either blitzing or covering the man assigned to them.

***Coverage***

Not all jams will take the receiver out of the play; this is why you want your feet less then shoulder width apart and taking short quick steps. So if the bump doesn’t work you can quickly recover and fall into pass defense

When you are covering the receiver you will start out in the trail coverage, ready to move into cut off coverage.

In the trail coverage you want to be lagging just slightly behind the receiver, yet close enough to make a play. Rule of thumb is you want to be close enough you could reach out and touch the receiver with one hand. Then you will be properly covering the target and ready to transition into cut off coverage.

The cut off position has you closer to the receiver, where you could reach out and touch his front with one hand. From here you will be able to make a play on the ball, knocking it down or making the interception.
In conclusion this gives you the basics of the bump and run defense. There is much more to this defense and there are instructional DVDS that can provide your more detailed training on the bump and run.

Greg Brown of the New Orleans Saints has made what many coaches consider the best training video on the bump and run to see all his video offers use this link Bump and Run

See all of our Defensive Back training videos at http://scoretouchdowns.com/defensive_backs.html

Bump and Run Defensive Coverages

We have added a new video Bump and Run, considered by some coaches the most definitive training video on the bump and run defensive coverage.

What makes this video so outstanding is the use of slow motion video to maximize what the game footage is showing. Included in this video is on-the-field video footage of two Jim Thorpe award winners (Deon Figures–1992, and Chris Hudson–1994).

Among the topics covered

Basic fundamentals of the bump and run
Receiver splits, releases, and route stems
Becoming a better body language reader
Mechanics of locating the ball and playing the fade
Developmental drills

This video was made in 2005 by Greg Brown of the New Orleans Saints.

To learn more about this video click on this link Bump and Run

See all of our Defensive Back videos at Football Defensive Back Training Videos

How to Run a Curl Route: Receiver Training

The curl route is a medium distance pass play. It is a play designed to “take what they give you”. The Curl Route is very effective play used to catch the defense off guard when the D is set up to defend against the long ball.

The focus of this article is receiver training about the basic fundamentals you need for running a curl route, beginning with how to line up and concluding with variations of patterns you can use learning how to run the curl route.

***Lining Up****

How a receivers lines up is not important for running a curl route.

*** Release from the Line Of Scrimmage***

Once the play starts and you release from the LOS, you want to explode from your stance running straight down field. You want the defensive backs to think you are running fly pattern.


You want to run between 10, 15 to 20 yards down field, the usual length of a curl pass pattern. You are running down the field; keep your eyes looking straight ahead. You need the defender to buy the fly pattern and have a cushion between you and him, so when you break into your curl he has too much ground to make up to defend against the pass. Curl routes usually are run between 10, 15. or 20 yards in length then you run either towards the sideline or the center for the field and begin your curl.

***Receiving the Pass***

After you have run your route and curled in, be ready to catch the pass. Curl passes are usually timing patterns. In most cases the quarterback will have thrown the ball as you make your cut curling back. To make this an effective play, you want o practice your curl route with your quarterback, getting your timing in sync.

See our full list of wide receiver training videos at receiver training videos

See our wide receiver training aids at receivers training equipment

Running Faster Speed Training: New Program

We have added another new program, Run Faster Speed Training. Now I know all of you have seen many speed programs, some productive others not so prodictive.

This program works. It uses isometrics resistance training. Most athletes see results in two weeks training just nine minutes daily.

What makes this program so effective, unlike many programs,this isolates and focuses on the fast twitch muscles.

Fast twitch muscles are what determine your speed and acceleration.Building up your fast twitch muscles will increase your speed and acceleration. Giving you the bursts of speed you need to hit holes faster, blow past defenders or keep up with the fast receivers. Regardless of your position, you need speed and acceleration.

This new program we have will show you how to use both through isometric sped training. Use this link to learn how this program can make you accelerate faster.

We Have Added Weighted Agility Gloves

We are very happy to tell you about the new Weighted Agility Gloves we have added to our inventory.

The first product is Weighted Agility GlovesThe same gloves used by Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes.

What makes these gloves so special is the way they are made. Unlike most weighted gloves, these have more than weights on the backs of the hands and wrists.

These Weighted Agility Gloves are more pliable than other gloves allowing you more flexibility in your training.

They do have weights on the backs of the hands like the other weighted gloves. What makes these gloves stand out, is they have curved and flexible weights sewn into the fingers.

What this means for you is weights in the fingers gives your hands a more thorough work out. Not limited to the areas that back of the hands is limited to.

Weighted Agility Gloves works out the entire hand from the fingers to the forearms. Giving faster stronger hands and stronger fingers to grip the ball.
Features:

Strengthens hands, fingers, wrists, and forearms up to 40%
Increases quickness by 5-20%
Use for Basketbal, Baseball, Football, Volleyball, and Physical Therapy
Enhances agility, coordination, and dexterit

In a recent interview Santonio Holmes listed the reasons for training with finger weighted gloves.

If you want stronger and quicker hands you need these: WAG™ Weighted Agility Gloves and train the same way Santonio Holmes trains. To learn more or order use this link
Weighted Agility Gloves

Want Better Hands?

Of course you do, every athlete wants better hands, Hands that are faster and stronger. Receivers and running backs need better hands to catch the ball and to hold onto it once they have it. Defensive linemen need better hands to fight off blocks, offensive linemen to improve their punch drill.

Many of you may have tried weighted gloves getting varied results. With the weights on the back of the hand and wrist, you get only a partial hand work out. To develop strong hands you need something that will work out the entire muscle groups starting with the fingers and extending to the forearms.

Super Bowl XLIII Santonio Holmes was looking for something that could give him stronger fingers and hands, improve his grip while increasing his hand speed. What he wanted to achieve as he said, in the 4th quarter when guys are tired was to be able to get his hands up quicker, tuck the ball away faster and be able to fend off ball attacks from tacklers.

What Holmes found and uses to achieve his goals is finger weighted hand gloves. He was introduced to them last year and trained with them all season.

What makes the finger weighted hand gloves unique are the curved flexible weights sewn into each finger of the gloves.

Regular weighted gloves have weights on the backs of the hands and some on the wrist, giving the hands a limited work out. Often they are bulky and lack flexibility. While the weighted gloves with weights in the fingers are not only flexible, they give your hands a full finger work out, exercising every muscle group in the hands from the fingers to the forearms.

If you are want more hand speed, stronger fingers, better ball grip do what Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes does; train with the weighted finger
Weighted Agility Gloves

Quarterback Training How to Read Defensive Safeties

Many are schooled reading the safeties are the key to being able to read what the defense has called. Making it very important to be able to read the safeties by the way they line up. Typically the strong safety lines up opposite the tight end closer to the LOS than the free safety. His primary function is to support stopping the run, while the free safety is usually smaller and quicker, focused on stopping the pass. This article will focus on the basic fundamentals quarterbacks need to read the safeties.

***Strong Safety***

Watch how the strong safety lines up, usually he will be closer to the LOS opposite the tight end or the second receiver. If he lines up close and is inching up towards the LOS, this indicates the defense thinks run play to the strong side. If the SS is lined up deeper, five to seven yards back, the defense is thinking pass.

***Free Safety***

The free safety is usually smaller and quicker than the SS. His primary function is to be like the center fielder in baseball. The free safety covers the deep areas to protect against the pass. He wants to protect the middle of the field and also protect on the deep routes. Yet he can be par of a safety blitz.

***Safety Line Ups***

The safeties lining up deep each on the hash mark indicates a cover 2 defense.

Both safeties inching up towards the LOS can mean a safety blitz.

When you see both safeties deep and the middle line backer dropped back as a third safety, you are facing a cover 3 which can be beaten with a short quick hitter to the tight end, or short crossing routes by the wide outs.

In conclusion reading the safeties can tell you a lot about what play the defense called. This article gives you some of the basics in reading the safeties, there are many instructive DVDS available on reading defenses that can help you learn to read the safeties.

Use this link Reading The Defense to see our list of instructional DVDS

It is Official: Football Withdrawel

I don't know about you, now that the Super Bowl is over, so is football. Sure there is the Pro Bowl. But it's not the same as a game with something on the line. For me it is now football withdrawle time. That time where I look for good game to watch, and there is not one till the end of summer.

Makes me want to move the clock forward, by pass spring and summer. Get to the first game and tail gate party.

The season passes so quickly and the wait time is so long. So unlike hoops that run it sems almost year around. Coleg ball is just 12 to 13 games plus a bowl game and poof it is over.

If you are like me, this is a hard time of the year, what to do, well at least I have this blog and website. I will continue to ofer you football traininig articles and add new and better products to the site to fill the clients needs while anxiously awaiting the begining of next season. Is it the end of August yet?

Se our different categories of football training aids and football training videos http://scoretouchdowns.com/

Super Sunday Has Come & Gone

Did it live up to the hype? In some ways yes in other ways no. Certainly it was one of the sloppier most penalized games in my memory. For the most part lacking the spark and drama of previous Super Bowls. Like Super Bowl III with Wilie Joe Namath guaranteeing a win over the then Baltimore Colts.

This Super Bowl did have its moments in between penalties. The first half being highlighted when the Steelers called a brilliant defensive play. Warner bit on the fake rush and didn't see the drop back giving the Steeler's at minimum a 4 point turn around.

With seconds left in the first half, J. Harrison faked the rush dropped back and jumped the pass rush, setting a new Super Bowl record with a 100 yard pass interception for 6.

For me the most pivotal play in the second half was the safety. Arguably a 9 point turn around. It gave the Cards momentum but did they score too quickly? Leaving 2 minutes on the clock for Big Ben, may be what cost them the game.

Pittsburg's final drive was well called and well executed,culminating with Holmes making a great catch in the right corner of the end zone.

Million of words will be written about Super Bowl XLIII, these are mine, the penalties a 100 yard int and a safety will be what I most remember of this years Super Bowl.

Please leave your post what you will most remember about today's game.

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