Football Film Room Monthly Newsletter
May Recap
This month at Football Film Room…
Aaron Rodgers Re-Signs with the Steelers
In episode #29 of The Football Film Room Show, I discuss Aaron Rodgers’ return to Pittsburgh and why it’s okay to be a little optimistic if you’re a Steelers fan.
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Breaking Down Cam Ward's Rookie Season
“He’s going to be a great quarterback in this league. He’s kind of, I ain’t gonna lie, [he’s] got a Mahomes feel to him when [he’s] out there. Being able to extend plays while still having his eyes down the field. [He’s] a phenomenal young quarterback, and he went #1 for a reason.”
Breaking Down Shedeur Sanders' 2025 Season
The best way I can describe Shedeur Sanders’ performance during his rookie season is that his playing style resembled a young Josh Allen. Only, he doesn’t have Allen’s talent.
The Browns' QB Situation
In episode #28 of The Football Film Room Show, I discuss the Browns’ quarterback situation:
Attacking with 13 Personnel (Sean McVay)
During the 2025 season, no team used “13” personnel (1 RB, 3 TE’s) more often or more effectively than Sean McVay and the Rams offense.
Brian Flores' Pressure Schemes
Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores’ calling card is his aggressive 6-up and 7-up blitz schemes. This is where he loads the line of scrimmage with 6 or 7 potential pass rushers (generally one more than the offense can protect), and then attacks in an assortment of ways.
Using the Play Clock to Time Blitzes (Steve Spagnuolo)
Few defenses do a better job of using the play clock to their advantage when blitzing than Steve Spagnuolo-coached teams.
The Best Tendency-Breaking Blitz Ever?
Setting up tendencies and then breaking them at just the right time - it’s the NFL equivalent of 4D Chess.
Double-A-Gap Pressure
Few defensive looks stress protection schemes like double-A-gap pressure fronts. That’s because the most dangerous pressure to an offense is the type that comes up the middle in the quarterback’s face. So the offense must protect the inside at all costs.
Hi-Lo Stunt
Most stunts tend to happen with pass rushers who are next to each other, and they use their rush path to catch linemen off guard. The Hi-Lo stunt, however, takes place between edge rushers on either side of the formation, and it’s designed to catch an unsuspecting quarterback.
HOSS Y-Juke
“HOSS Y-Juke” or “HOSS Juke” is a play that the Patriots made famous during their dynastic run. It’s a concept utilized out of an empty formation, which means there are 5 routes attacking the defense.
The Sail Route Concept
The Sail route concept is a 3-level stretch that can be run in numerous ways against a variety of coverages and always seems to make the defense wrong.
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Arrow Screens, Bluffs, and Other Variations
Arrow screens are pretty common across football and the NFL. There’s nothing too fancy or complicated about them. Often run out of a 3-receiver set, the inside receiver runs a quick out or flat route, and the two outside receivers block the most dangerous defenders (often with the outside receiver running off his man):
Tendency-Breaking Routes
The quest of offensive playcallers to find new ways to get their receivers open is never-ending. Unfortunately, there are only so many routes and route combinations to run. NFL defenders and defensive coordinators have seen most, if not all, of them.
QB Counter Bash
At its core, QB Counter Bash is a read-option play for the quarterback that stretches the defense horizontally and creates a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t situation.
The Influence Wham Run
Defenses are always looking for clues about an offense’s tendencies in the run game. Is the scheme predominantly zone or gap? Are linemen changing their stances based on the type of play? Does the back’s first step normally signal the direction of the run? Will the guards always take the defense to the play?