The NFL Thread

[DFF]

I've always said that the tackling in the NFL can be improved immensely.
However I think the amount of open field situations in the NFL compared to rugby gives the illusion that some of the same missed tackles and putting defenders-on-their-arse moves wouldn't happen. Rugby is usually very congested compared to an average NFL play, for obvious reasons. How often does a rugby player get up a head of steam with lateral space to move compared to an NFL player? It's not even close. When a rugby player does break the line and gets up a head of steam against a fullback, how many times do you see the fullback get mugged off? Plenty of times.

I'll reiterate, though, proper form tackling can and should be improved in the NFL.

 

[talkshowhost86]

I've always said that the tackling in the NFL can be improved immensely.
However I think the amount of open field situations in the NFL compared to rugby gives the illusion that some of the same missed tackles and putting defenders-on-their-arse moves wouldn't happen. Rugby is usually very congested compared to an average NFL play, for obvious reasons. How often does a rugby player get up a head of steam with lateral space to move compared to an NFL player? It's not even close. When a rugby player does break the line and gets up a head of steam against a fullback, how many times do you see the fullback get mugged off? Plenty of times.

I'll reiterate, though, proper form tackling can and should be improved in the NFL.

Rugby players miss tackles certainly.

But the standard of tackling isn't even comparable. It's borderline pathetic in the NFL at times.

 

[werty]

I didn't say there were never bad tackles in rugby, I merely said that the general standard of tackling in the NFL is much lower than, for example, test rugby.

Of course rugby players miss tackles too, but from my own experience having watched a lot of both sports I can safely say that there are far more silly missed tackles in the NFL than there are in rugby, especially in 1-on-1 situations

One of the reasons for this, IMO, is that the technique of rugby players when tackling is much better. NFL players often seem to either fly in trying to hit the guy as hard as possible, only to be mugged off completely by a simple change of pace or direction from the runner, or they dive in with flapping arms which achieves nothing either. NFL players do fine when they're making tackles in heavy traffic near the line of scrimmage etc. when the ballcarrier hasn't picked up speed or hasn't got much room to manouver, but when you get a running back break free and end up 1-on-1 with a safety, for example, the standard of tackling in those situations is generally very poor.

I agree on the technique thing. A lot of NFL plays have really poor technique and go for more of a hit than a wrap up.

But in your example I don't think your appreciating deference's in the level of athleticism between most running backs and safeties, and most offensive players in general. It would be like a big centre or fly half trying to tackle a flying winger with plenty of room for the winger to go both sides. Most of the time the winger is going to get past with ease.

 

[talkshowhost86]

I agree on the technique thing. A lot of NFL plays have really poor technique and go for more of a hit than a wrap up.

But in your example I don't think your appreciating deference's in the level of athleticism between most running backs and safeties, and most offensive players in general. It would be like a big centre or fly half trying to tackle a flying winger with plenty of room for the winger to go both sides. Most of the time the winger is going to get past with ease.

They don't get past with ease at all though that's the point.

In literally a one on one race for the line maybe but that's different to the falling off tackles that happens repeatedly in NFL.

Christian Wade would score a boat load of touchdowns in NFL and would also stop a hell of a lot more than most I've seen. And he's considered defensively weak in rugby terms.

 

['O Zio]

I agree on the technique thing. A lot of NFL plays have really poor technique and go for more of a hit than a wrap up.

But in your example I don't think your appreciating deference's in the level of athleticism between most running backs and safeties, and most offensive players in general. It would be like a big centre or fly half trying to tackle a flying winger with plenty of room for the winger to go both sides. Most of the time the winger is going to get past with ease.

I don't have any kind of statistics to prove it, but I all but guarantee that in your example, the big centre or flyhalf makes that tackle far more often than the safety makes the tackle in my example. Anyway, that was just an extreme example to illustrate the point.

I think the best way I can summarise it is that the tackling in the NFL to me seems like it works fine during the initial, choreographed play/within 10yds where the ball was snapped, however, in the event where the offense breaks out of that initial play/routine by the defense and it becomes more of an open/free play where the ballcarrier is just trying to get as far as he can, however he can, and the defense have to improvise on-the-fly, that's where they seem to be really lacking in tackling ability or technique.

I appreciate that that scenario is much more common in rugby due to the (relatively) freeflowing nature of the game and so rugby players have to be better at it, but really in the NFL you see every week multiple long-yardage running plays that could've been prevented if the defenders learned proper tackling technique.

 

[werty]

Here's a video from the Lion's 2013 tour. Tries taken from 9 games, so less games than an NFL game week. Look at all the missed tackles, poor angles and people falling off tackles.



I'm not denying that tackling is a problem in the NFL, even worse than before because they rarely even practice it properly now, but there's terrible tackling in Rugby too. Any time we see it in the NFL people immediately assume a Rugby player would make the tackle and forget all the bad open field tackling. You could show people who've never watched Rugby a Shane Williams video and they'd think tackling wasn't allowed.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Here's a video from the Lion's 2013 tour. Tries taken from 9 games, so less games than an NFL game week. Look at all the missed tackles, poor angles and people falling off tackles.



I'm not denying that tackling is a problem in the NFL, even worse than before because they rarely even practice it properly now, but there's terrible tackling in Rugby too. Any time we see it in the NFL people immediately assume a Rugby player would make the tackle and forget all the bad open field tackling. You could show people who've never watched Rugby a Shane Williams video and they'd think tackling wasn't allowed.

There's definitely a couple of howlers in there, but still very little as bad as some of the tackling on that BBC 'plays of the week' video I posted earlier in this thread.

I think the thing that is most ridiculous about the NFL tackling is that a lot of the time it's not even big blokes they're trying to tackle, and yet they somehow conspire to let them power away.

And quite how anyone manages to get 'hurdled' in a one on one situation is beyond me.

Anyway...I maintain my view that tackling in the NFL is hilarious. I'd actually quite like to see them ban blocking in open field play so that we can see more of it. I predict it would reduce the number of touchdowns not a jot

 

[DFF]

Rugby players are taught to go low and wrap the legs, so they'd be getting hurdled left and right with a proper (juiced up to his eyeballs) athlete running full speed at them.

One thing I've always thought with these debates...why aren't there droves of rugby players coming over and trying out for NFL teams. The league minimum salary is far more than 99% of rugby players make, and they'd easily make a team with their supposed next level tackling alone.

 

['O Zio]

Rugby players are taught to go low and wrap the legs, so they'd be getting hurdled left and right with a proper (juiced up to his eyeballs) athlete running full speed at them.

One thing I've always thought with these debates...why aren't there droves of rugby players coming over and trying out for NFL teams. The league minimum salary is far more than 99% of rugby players make, and they'd easily make a team with their supposed next level tackling alone.

Because it's a completely different sport, as I said in my first post. The debate isn't "rugby players are better than NFL players" generally, it's that rugby players are better tacklers in open play, which is undeniably true. Obviously NFL players are vastly superior at doing NFL things than rugby players, but they could learn a lot from rugby's tackling technique IMO

 

[felmani26]

Jags might well be better acclimatised to overseas games but the Ravens have been shocking.

 

[LSUY]

US TV announcer: "Tower Bridge, not too far away from Wembley"

 

[yankspurs]

Ravens getting STOMPED

 

[LSUY]

Ravens getting STOMPED

Ravens getting stomped, Jaguars run a fake punt while up by 37 and now the Jags are pitying them by subbing in Chad Henne. All is right with the world.

 

[LSUY]

Ravens getting stomped, Jaguars run a fake punt while up by 37 and now the Jags are pitying them by subbing in Chad Henne. All is right with the world.

I hope no Ravens fans post on here as this might come back to bite me. We're making the Bears look like Super Bowl contenders.

 

[WalkerboyUK]

So far so good for the Bears...
Fully expect that to change in the 2nd half.

 

[WalkerboyUK]

Wow.... Brilliant FG block becomes complete fuck up through showboating before Cooper crosses the line.

 

[felmani26]

What a dumb fuck!

 

[WalkerboyUK]

Has to be a safety though.

 

[WalkerboyUK]

And the Steelers are all in the locker room with one play still to go... Lol

 

[felmani26]

Patriots are so fucking irritating but Houston, man they'll rue that opportunity.